Enrico Pucci
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- Nov 22, 2013
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Serie A: Napoli v. Lazio
View attachment 231431Saturday, 27 August 2016
View attachment 231430
Sao Paolo stadium was two-thirds full. The Lazio faithful who'd traveled to Napoli were packed into a corner of the stadium's upper deck surrounded by plexiglas and watched by police in full body armor. This isn't one of the friendliest places to visit.
Napoli pinned us in our end for the first 20 minutes. Younes Belhanda, Sebastian Giovinco and Jose Callejon all wasted great opportunities.
View attachment 231429Their opening goal came from missed call in the 21st minute. Jorginho played a ball out to Callejon who slipped inside and past Riccardo Fiamozzi. Then he dodged back outside of Fiamozzi and while my new right back was still befuddled slipped a pass into the space for an offside Giovinco. Giovinco tapped the ball in then looked at the linesman to see if he'd raised his flag.
1-0
He didn't.
I screamed at the ref. I harangued the fourth official. They'd blown it (and I think they knew it) and weren't about to reverse the call.
We responded fairly well. We took the ball into the Napoli and were probing for openings. Then Gokhan Inler intercepted a pass and started the counter. But Camillon Punzone came thundering through with a tackle. He knocked over Inler sending the ball toward the sidelines. Layun picked up the ball and gave it back to Punzone. Punzone fed a pass up to Balde Keita who dribbled across the top of the box looking for either a pass or a shot.
Eventually he took the shot. Rafael managed to block the shot, but Antonio Candreva smashed the rebound past him.
1-1
I'm pretty sure that Candreva was offside when Keita shot. Michel was up off the bench screaming at the ref exactly as I had a few moments before. To no avail. We're all even up in more ways than one.
At the half hour mark, Napoli hit us on the counter and Giovinco slid a perfectly weighted pass that sent Callejon in alone on Ertrit Berisha. Berisha charged out and Callejon blazed high.
Phewh. Thank the Blessed Mother Mary for **** finishing.
Napoli came out storming after the break. They pinned us back and eventually scored. It was the manner in which they scored that really ****** me off.
On a corner, Nobody marked Inler. Parolo was supposed to, but wandered over to help Kyriakos mark Manuel Britos. Belhanda saw the opportunity and delivered the corner onto his forehead.
2-1
We'll be working on defending corners after everyone gets back from the international break, that's for sure.
In the 58th, Fiamozzi won the ball back in our right corner. He started the counter that swung across the field to the feet of Keita who raced past Christian Maggio and headed for the end line. He whipped in a cross to the back post for Candreva. Antonio caught the volley perfectly.
BUT HE HIT THE POST!!!
Since the ball had gone out, I replaced Vincenzo Rennella. He was having a poor match. Aside from pulling defenders away so that Keita could shoot leading to our goal, he hadn't done much useful. So I sent on Thorgen Hazard and moved Chuks Aneke up to forward. Hazard went to the right wing and Candreva moved inside behind Chuks.
We pressed and pressed and pressed. On several occasions Napoli were able to hold on to the ball for 5 minutes or so, but they never really threatened.
We just couldn't find a breakthrough. Either our final pass failed us or on the few opportunities we created, we blazed high or wide or both.
As the clock rolled past 90 minutes and the fourth official held up his board to signal 3 minutes of extra time, we won a throw well into the Napoli half. Layun threw in to Candreva who headed it right back to him.
He took a look up, looked down and lasered in smashed pass the skipped off the turf. I skipped past Candreva. It skipped just behind Keita. Chuks Aneke smashed it past the frozen Rafael. Britos was all over my Nigerian international, but Chuks is just way too strong.
2-2
View attachment 231428
View attachment 231431Saturday, 27 August 2016
View attachment 231430
Sao Paolo stadium was two-thirds full. The Lazio faithful who'd traveled to Napoli were packed into a corner of the stadium's upper deck surrounded by plexiglas and watched by police in full body armor. This isn't one of the friendliest places to visit.
Napoli pinned us in our end for the first 20 minutes. Younes Belhanda, Sebastian Giovinco and Jose Callejon all wasted great opportunities.
View attachment 231429Their opening goal came from missed call in the 21st minute. Jorginho played a ball out to Callejon who slipped inside and past Riccardo Fiamozzi. Then he dodged back outside of Fiamozzi and while my new right back was still befuddled slipped a pass into the space for an offside Giovinco. Giovinco tapped the ball in then looked at the linesman to see if he'd raised his flag.
1-0
He didn't.
I screamed at the ref. I harangued the fourth official. They'd blown it (and I think they knew it) and weren't about to reverse the call.
We responded fairly well. We took the ball into the Napoli and were probing for openings. Then Gokhan Inler intercepted a pass and started the counter. But Camillon Punzone came thundering through with a tackle. He knocked over Inler sending the ball toward the sidelines. Layun picked up the ball and gave it back to Punzone. Punzone fed a pass up to Balde Keita who dribbled across the top of the box looking for either a pass or a shot.
Eventually he took the shot. Rafael managed to block the shot, but Antonio Candreva smashed the rebound past him.
1-1
I'm pretty sure that Candreva was offside when Keita shot. Michel was up off the bench screaming at the ref exactly as I had a few moments before. To no avail. We're all even up in more ways than one.
At the half hour mark, Napoli hit us on the counter and Giovinco slid a perfectly weighted pass that sent Callejon in alone on Ertrit Berisha. Berisha charged out and Callejon blazed high.
Phewh. Thank the Blessed Mother Mary for **** finishing.
Napoli came out storming after the break. They pinned us back and eventually scored. It was the manner in which they scored that really ****** me off.
On a corner, Nobody marked Inler. Parolo was supposed to, but wandered over to help Kyriakos mark Manuel Britos. Belhanda saw the opportunity and delivered the corner onto his forehead.
2-1
We'll be working on defending corners after everyone gets back from the international break, that's for sure.
In the 58th, Fiamozzi won the ball back in our right corner. He started the counter that swung across the field to the feet of Keita who raced past Christian Maggio and headed for the end line. He whipped in a cross to the back post for Candreva. Antonio caught the volley perfectly.
BUT HE HIT THE POST!!!
Since the ball had gone out, I replaced Vincenzo Rennella. He was having a poor match. Aside from pulling defenders away so that Keita could shoot leading to our goal, he hadn't done much useful. So I sent on Thorgen Hazard and moved Chuks Aneke up to forward. Hazard went to the right wing and Candreva moved inside behind Chuks.
We pressed and pressed and pressed. On several occasions Napoli were able to hold on to the ball for 5 minutes or so, but they never really threatened.
We just couldn't find a breakthrough. Either our final pass failed us or on the few opportunities we created, we blazed high or wide or both.
As the clock rolled past 90 minutes and the fourth official held up his board to signal 3 minutes of extra time, we won a throw well into the Napoli half. Layun threw in to Candreva who headed it right back to him.
He took a look up, looked down and lasered in smashed pass the skipped off the turf. I skipped past Candreva. It skipped just behind Keita. Chuks Aneke smashed it past the frozen Rafael. Britos was all over my Nigerian international, but Chuks is just way too strong.
2-2
View attachment 231428
