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| | Spotlight: Vintage Vieri |
Thursday 19 April, 2007
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| Football Italia rounds up the winners and the losers from Week 22 of the Serie A season |
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The winners…
Christian Vieri (Atalanta)
The former Azzurri striker made his comeback after more than a year on the sidelines, having recovered from his latest knee surgery. Bobo played the last 20 minutes against Empoli and almost immediately had a good chance on goal, proving that he is eager to give his contribution to the team. The player’s last match in Serie A dated back to a Milan-Messina tie on December 18, 2005, whereas he hasn’t scored in the Italian top flight since October 26, 2005, against Empoli.
Francesco Totti (Roma)
Il Capitano scores a vital goal just one minute before the end of regular time, leading Roma to ruin Inter’s Scudetto party at the San Siro, and offers a good performance despite fighting against sciatica. The striker’s free kick, which deflected off Luis Figo’s shoulder into the net, was Totti’s 21st this season, a personal record, which also allowed him to reach Omar Sivori in 20th position in the all-time scorers’ list with 146 goals.
Matteo Contini (Parma)
The Gialloblu hit the headlines for convincing referee Danilo Giannoccaro to change his mind after he had shown Fiorentina striker Giampaolo Pazzini a straight red card. The Viola youngster jumped between Contini and Fernando Couto 30 minutes into the second half, hitting the latter with an elbow according to the man in black. Contini however, showed a great sense of fair play by admitting that he had inadvertently hit his Portuguese teammate, causing Giannoccaro to change his mind.
The losers…
Adriano (Inter)
The Brazilian’s presence in the match against Roma might have gone totally unnoticed, had it not been for his blatant dive to win the penalty that allowed Inter to momentarily equialise. Adriano nicked the ball away from goalkeeper Alexander Doni but then threw himself on the ground, despite the Giallorosso pulling out of the challenge. Matteo Trefoloni pointed to the spot, but The Emperor might now be handed a ban after the Disciplinary Commission views the television images.
Valon Behrami (Lazio)
The Biancoceleste left his side with 10 men just before half-time after being shown a red card by referee Mauro Bergonzi. The Swiss international was booked for a tackle on opponent Franco Semioli, but then reacted to a scuffle with Paolo Sammarco by head-butting the midfielder. The Chievo man was also sent off, although it seemed that Behrami was the one at fault.
Oscar Brevi (Torino)
The Granata defender will have to take the blame for Luca Antonini’s totally free header, which allowed Siena to win a crucial match and leapfrog the Turin outfit in the table. His side was desperate to win precious points to avoid being sucked back into the relegation zone, but that defeat means Torino have now dropped to just three points from the danger zone.
The goals…
Giuseppe Rossi (Parma)
The on-loan Manchester United starlet was the man of the match in the precious 2-0 victory for the Gialloblu over Fiorentina, scoring both goals. The Golden Boy broke the deadlock after 27 minutes, when he took advantage of Igor Budan’s through ball and sent it behind goalkeeper Sebastien Frey. Rossi has scored six goals with the Ducali since his January move and has been decisive so far, allowing his side to keep their hopes of avoiding the drop alive, as Parma are level with Chievo, just one point from safety.
Dario Knezevic (Livorno)
The Croatian defender scored his first Serie A goal, leading Livorno to victory against Cagliari after David Suazo had levelled the match for the Rossoblu. Knezevic was sent on to the field to replace Fabio Galante and scored a precious goal, rising above his teammates and opponents and netting a cross by Stefano Fiore with a powerful header.
Clarence Seedorf (Milan)
The Rossoneri midfielder scored the fifth goal in Milan’s 5-2 win over Ascoli, which allowed them to increase their lead over fifth-placed Palermo. Seedorf netted a fine goal, controlling a chipped pass by Andrea Pirlo with his chest and lobbing Dimitrios Eleftheropoulos on 75 minutes. The Dutchman’s goal was the Rossoneri’s 4004th in Serie A since 1930.
The numbers…
Inter end undefeated run
Inter lost their first Serie A tie after 33 matches, having suffered their last defeat on April 30, 2006, against Empoli. Their 31-match undefeated run remains the third best ever in Serie A, as only Milan and Fiorentina were able to do better in 1991-92 and 1955-56.
Amaranto fly high
Reggina win the derby with Messina, obtaining their first home win after the Christmas break, and move clear of the drop zone for the first time this season. Striker Nicola Amoruso scored his third brace of the season, bringing his Serie A tally to 85 goals, while Rolando Bianchi netted goal No 17 this year and is four goals shy of Capocannoniere leader Francesco Totti.
The 17 kings of Roma
The Giallorossi have set a new all-time record, having hit the back of the net in Serie A with 17 different players this season. Marco Cassetti, who scored the third goal in the San Siro win over Inter, was the latest name on the list of Roma scorers during this campaign, with no other club having managed to do better in the past 74 tournaments.
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| Words: Lara Mezzanotte |
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Past Spotlights
A unique review of each round of the 2006-07 Serie A campaign. More |
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