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| | Spotlight: That’s Amauri |
Monday 30 October, 2006
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| Football Italia rounds up the winners and the losers from Week 9 of the Serie A season |
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The winners…
Amauri (Palermo)
Came out on top in the battle of the bombers against Luca Toni in Florence. The Brazilian, who could have an international career with Italy, was outstanding against the Viola with a sublime assist, a struck post and two goals to give the Rosanero a 3-2 win and top spot in the standings. Simply awesome.
Dejan Stankovic (Inter)
Another magnificent display from the Serbian midfielder who perhaps only now is living up to his true potential. Stankovic was the stand out player in the dramatic derby win with two assists and a sublime strike to put the Nerazzurri in control of the tie against their Milanese rivals.
Matteo Ferrari (Roma)
Welcome back Matteo. After two forgettable campaigns, one at Roma and then one at Everton, a confident Ferrari is starting to perform in the way that saw him catch the eye at the back for Parma. Ferrari was impeccable in defence at Udine and also popped up with the only goal of the game.
The losers…
Sulley Ali Muntari (Udinese)
There is no doubt that this boy bases his game on his physicality, but he needs to play with his head too. He’d already spiced up the tie with a few tough tackles before his wild and scandalous lunge on Matteo Ferrari saw his side reduced to 10 men in the 1-0 loss.
Patrick Vieira (Inter)
After being clearly injured in the derby, you can comprehend Vieira’s frustration at not being replaced. However, his pushing and shoving of assistant boss Sinisa Mihajlovic should have been staged in the changing rooms rather than on the pitch. After all, they’d just beaten their rivals 4-3…
Referee Roland Herberg
It’s one thing for a referee to not see something, it is quite another for him to see something that didn’t happen. His decision to award Parma a penalty after Igor Budan’s close-range volley hit Simone Loria in the chest potentially falsified the game.
The goals…
Cristiano Doni (Atalanta)
The former Italian international’s fifth goal of the season was one which oozed with all of his class. With his back towards goal, Doni turned his marker at the near post to volley home a Davide Bombardini cross with the outside of his right boot.
Amauri (Palermo)
He’d already netted a superb header, but Amauri left his best for last. Having picked up the ball near the corner flag, he skipped past two defenders as he entered the area and placed his angled drive past Sebastien Frey in the Viola goal.
Paul Constantin Codrea (Siena)
Siena moved up into the Champions League places in some style with a late winner at Ascoli. With the clock ticking down, Codrea unleashed a 30-yard missile which left Gianluca Pagliuca helpless as it rippled the top corner of the net.
The numbers…
Away the lads
Palermo’s win at Fiorentina was their fourth in five away games this season and already equals the tally which they achieved in 19 games last term. The victory was also only the Rosanero’s fourth in Florence from 25 League games in Serie A and B.
Twelfth man
Matteo Ferrari amazingly became the 12th Roman to score for the Giallorossi in Serie A this season with his first ever capital strike against Udinese on Saturday. The Stadio Olimpico boys have scored 14 goals in nine games overall.
Double trouble
The 4-3 loss to Inter saw Milan lose two consecutive games at the San Siro for the first time since the 1997-98 season when they lost 1-0 to Venezia and 2-1 to Lecce. Saturday’s reverse came just a week after the 2-0 defeat to Palermo. Milan had also previously not conceded four goals since May 2003 when they fell 4-2 at Piacenza.
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| Words: Antonio Labbate |
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Past Spotlights
A unique review of each round of the 2006-07 Serie A campaign. More |
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