Alpha Romeo Metaphor II

Serie B: Crotone v. Bologna

View attachment 320751Saturday, 20 September 2014

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Crotone is in Calabria on the bottom of the boot of Italy. More like under the toe knuckle to continue with the metaphor. There is simply no way to conveniently get there by train. We'd have to transfer at Roma and Napoli. This means that we're flying. Thankfully, it's a beautiful and clear day which means our flight is quick and unturbulent.

Il Squali (the sharks) aren't a big club. They've bounced between Serie B and C until recently stabilizing in B. The almost 10,000 seat stadium is almost half full. There were 500 or so Ultras who made the long trek south to support us. They were in a cage behind a goal. The cage had 10 meter high fencing with razor wire at the top. There were a few cops in riot gear standing on the outside of the cage, but nowhere near enough to do much of anything should anything bad happen.

I told the players to pick up where they left off. They did.

In the 3rd minute, Franco Zuculini zipped a pass out to Gennaro Troianiello on the left wing. He breezed past the Squali right back Mihai Bilasa. Bilasa lunged out and cynical tripped Troi. I was appalled when the ref only lectured their player. Troi was breaking free and had Daniele Cacia and Matthias Lepiller both unmarked in the middle.

I walked over to the fourth official and enquired about FIFA's guidance on cynical, professional fouling.

Three minutes later, Federico Barba stuck a foot out and immediately regretted it. Camillo Ciano tumbled over and Barba looked to the heavens for being so stupid. The ref pointed to the spot and Crotone had a great chance to take the lead.

1-0

Jacopo Dezi buried it.

Il Squali then keep us pinned back in our own half for the first quarter hour of the match. We're on a pretty hot streak so I figured I'd let the players wake themselves up and start playing. We eventually got the ball into their half and Troi tried a cross in the 19th minute. It got thundered clear but right to Archimede Morleo. My Captain headed it to Zuculini. Zucu gave it to Casarini. Casa spun and dribbled forward looking for options.

The Crotone defenders kept backing up and finally Lepiller posted up around 8 meters from the goal. Casa fed him the ball. With two defenders on his back, Lepiller spun and hammered a shot past the frozen keeper.

1-1

First real attack, first goal. Nicely done.

Crotone defiantly hit back and created several decent chances. We managed to create a few ourselves. Then in the 42nd minute, disaster struck. Gyorgy Garics thumped a ball up the right flank. It was over Lepiller's head. This was about the sixth time someone had tried a long ball. Gyorgy had other options. I was about to start yelling at Gyorgy as Crotone left back Bruno Martella controlled it. Here's where the disaster strikes: Martella played a blind pass back toward his goalkeeper. The pass was nicely played so that the keeper could jog up and thump it downfield.

Martella forgot about Daniele Cacia and who knows if he knew how quick Daniele is. Daniele recognized the situation and it was pretty clear he was going to get to the ball before the keeper. So the keeper stopped at what he thought was his best angle to, on the one hand, block any shot, and on the other be able to deal with Daniele trying to dribble around him.

Daniele slammed a shot past the keeper and into the back of the net.

1-2

Thank you, Martella, for your kind gift. We deeply appreciate it.

The remaining few minutes left in the half was more basketball than any other sport. The teams raced back and forth across the pitch trading chances.

We won a corner one minute into extra time. Lepiller curled in a cross and Marios Oikonomous outleapt everyone and thundered a header into the net.

1-3

Wait ... WTF? Offsides? How the **** can you be offsides on the corner?

1-2

This time I was in the fourth officials face until I felt two pairs of hands grab me and drag me back to the bench. It was Graziano and Mario, the biggest coaches on the staff, my goalkeeping coaches of course, saving me from losing my **** and getting sent to the stands and suspended.

At half time, I checked in with Cacia and Lepiller. Both had taken knocks. Looking at the lump on Daniele's shin convinced me he'd be icing it on the bench for the remainder of the match. Lepiller insisted he was fine and could continue.

I shouldn't have listened to him. He got clobbered in the 52nd minute by Martella. Ref didn't even think that the mugging was even a foul. Lepiller got stretchered off and went straight down the tunnel. I sent on Sergio. By this time Garics, Michele Pazienza and Casarini had all been booked, yet there had been several muggings and no Crotone player had been carded. I mean, this isn't Juventus so the ref couldn't have been bought off, could he? Or had some big asian syndicate in conjunction with the Calabrian mafia bought him off?

Then Crotone pin us back in our own end. We're looking disorganized and our marking is utter ****. Then I realized they've switched formations. But it's too late. Their right back breaks down the right and Barba races over to help Morleo. They both fail and Belasa whips in a cross that Ciano smashes home with a sliding toe poke.

2-2

From the 442 with deep-lying defensive mids, they've switched to a narrow, attacking 4312. So I'm up off the bench shouting and gesturing to make the message clear. My wingers are marking their fullbacks and we're not marking in the midfield anymore. It'll just be a great big traffic jam with everyone in the middle. Wingers and fullbacks should be able to stop their fullbacks.

Finally, the ref cards Martella for nearly pantsing Sergio in the 61st minute. About fkn time.

From the free kick, we played a quick pass to Garics who played a pass into the box for Sergio. Sergio chipped toward the back post for Troi, but Gennaro headed into the side netting with the net gaping.

We spend the next fifteen minutes pinned in our end defending resolutely. They can't find any joy through the middle and my wingers and fullbacks are managing to do just enough out on the flanks. I'm starting the game all managers and fans do when we convince ourselves that a point away is a valuable point.

In the 82nd, I replace Pazienza with Diego Perez. I need his calm out there and Paz has a card.

In the 88th minute, Zuculini lofts a ball into the corner for Troi to chase. Troi wins the race and hammers a low pass into Aquafresca, Cacia's replacement, at the near post. He's managing to hold four defenders then incredibly slipps a pass across the 5 meter box for Casarini.

I'm expecting the late, late show from Casa, but Crotone defenders miraculously manage to block the two shots he manages to get off before they clear it.

Perez controls the clearance and plays it square to Morleo out on the left. He plays a pass up to Zucu who flicks the ball to Troi. Troianiello hammers a shot that hits the keeper's head and bounces off the post.

View attachment 320750How the **** is it that we can't get the fkn ball over the fkn line?

Casarin and Aquafresca and several Crotone defenders all lunge feet first at the ball as it lays there invitingly.

2-3

It's in the back of the net somehow! Aquafresca is sprinting away blowing kisses followed by Casa and Troi. Judging by the reaction, it's Aqua's goal.

I get Perez and Morleo's attention as the players regroup for the kickoff. I hold up four fingers in my right hand and index finger in my left. Then I point at Perez to signal that I want him in front of the back four in a defensive mid position. Morleo and Perez start shouting orders. The orders are to defend what we have.

Aside from Casarini giving the ball away incredibly stupidly which gifted them a fast break in the last seconds (it failed), we managed to hold them at bay rather well.

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I checked the other scores on the bus ride to the Crotone airport. I don't like looking at the table this early in the season, but I wanted to see where our major competitors were. They are as follows:
7. Livorno
10. Brescia
12. Bari
13. Pescara
14. Catania

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Really like this story! reminds me of channel 4 gazetta football italia... Kennet Anderson and Klas Ingesson Bolonga legends!!
 
Sunday, 21 September 2014 10:30am

"So everybody's here in the room, who is all on the phone?" I asked to get the staff meeting started. All of my scouts were there on the phone. "Who wants to start?"

"I do, boss," said my Chief Scout Tomasso Fini. "Carlo, tell him who you ran into."

"Yes," said scout Carlo Jacomuzzi. "I was in Parma having lunch when Georges Grun walked in. For those of you who don't know, he played for Parma during the 90s. Anyway, we have mutual friends and since he was alone, I invited him over. He's living in Belgium and doing color commentary and analysis for several outlets."

"To get to the point, he might be interested in joining our scouting staff if he could work out of Belgium," Carlo concluded.

"I don't know him, tell me more, Carlo," I said.

"He speaks French, obviously, and Dutch as well as Italian and English," Carlo continued. "He knows the French, Dutch and Belgian leagues very well and he's a trustworthy guy."

"We could use a scout for Belgium and Holland," I said. "Would you get me in touch with him?"

"Of course," Carlo replied.

"Great, anyone else, or can we talk about Catania?" I asked.

"I've got a few boys you should consider sending out on loan," Head of Youth Development Daniele Corazza said. "Here's the list."

"Anything else? No? Let's talk about Catania," I said.

And we did.
 
Serie B: Bologna v. Catania

View attachment 320348Tuesday, 23 September, 2014

It's a cool and wet evening at the Stadio Dall'Arra. I have a bad feeling about this match. Catania have had a poor start, but they're a good side. I don't want them to get their season on track against us. Plus, their team sheet showed five defenders. Sannino was coming here to park his team bus in front of the net and rely on hope and luck to nab a goal they could defend.

As expected, the game started off slow and became dull. We created two chances but Daniele Cacia and Federico Casarini both shot weakly and wide. Apparently, it was too early in the match for Casa. Then Archimede Morleo hit a free kick high from 22-24 meters.

In the 27th minute, Morleo chopped down Catania right midfielder Pasquale Foggia. Fabian Monzon picked up the ball and waited for everyone to jog forward for the free kick. Once everyone was ready, Monson curled his free kick into the danger area too far out for the keeper and right into the path of several on-rushing Rossazzurri. Defender Norbert Gyomer slammed a volley past Dejan Stojanovic.

0-1

Aw, ****. Now Catania were going to sit back and make us work hard for an equalizer.

Morleo had two more free kicks, but never troubled the keeper. Catania's Marcelinho hit a free kick right at Dejan.

Our best chance came in the 40th minute. We'd been passing the ball around the Catania half for around 20 passes. Catania were well-organized and we weren't getting anywhere. Then Casa got himself free, took an extra touch and unloaded a howitzer just to the left of the keeper. Alberto Frison blocked it and the ball fell right to the feet of Sergio.

Sergio shot to the only place the keeper could stop it, along the ground. Lepiller would have buried it.

A minute into extra time, Franco Zuculini and Catania's Gaston Sauro collided and Zucu just crumpled. Physio Gianni Nanni sprinted out an nearly immediately signaled for a change. I sent on Matuzalem.

Federico Barba had been carded and had been looking exhausted so I told Dominico Maietta to stay out and get warmed up with Matuzalem.

My halftime message was simple: I expect something better in the second half.

It didn't get much better. So I played my last card at the hour mark. I took off Sergio and put on Matthias Lepiller.

Still nothing after 70, so I told everyone to go for it. "Overload" mode.

In the 74th, Gyorgy Garics played the ball up the right Lepiller. Lepiller played the ball into Cacia who smashed a shot goalwards. The keeper blocked it out for a corner.

Lepiller played a far post corner that Cacia headed to Casarini who was standing near the penalty spot. "It's Casarini time" I thought to myself as he hammered a shot goalwards. His shot pinballed around until it landed at the keeper's feet and he smothered it.

This was more like it. Would we run out of time, though?

It wasn't looking good. We couldn't breach the Catania defense again.

In the 85th, Lepiller's free kick whistled inches wide as the keeper watched helplessly.

In the 88th, Pazienza controlled a clearance and passed up to Matuzalem. He passed forward to Casa who one-timed it backwards to Morleo. Morleo one-timed it right back to Casa who'd moved into a better shooting position. And Casa unloaded.

But it wasn't Casarini-Time, the keeper blocked his shot. The ball wobbled out towards Lepiller who passed the ball carefully into the open net.

1-1

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11:30pm

Like most larger clubs, we take a bus from the training ground to the stadium and back for all home matches. Security is just easier this way. It was getting close to midnight by the time the bus rolled back into Casteldelbole. I had several brief conversations with my coaches and a final conversation with physio Gianni Nanni. Then I strolled over to my car.

I could see a figure leaning against it. Considering the date and taking into account past behavior, this was very likely going to be Gwen. As I approached and the shadowy figure resolved into Gwen, I hit the button on my key fob to open the Alpha's doors. Nothing happened.

"Happy birthday, my big hunk of Italian lover boy," she said.

I gave her a kiss.

"****, the key isn't working," I said after she let go off me.

"Oh, I'm sure your key is fine," she said.

"Huh?"

"There's probably nothing wrong with your key," she repeated.

Now I was really baffled.

"What the **** are you talking about, woman?" I asked in mock indignation. "My key doesn't open my car. Either my car battery is dead or the battery in my fob is toast. You obviously don't have your SUV here. We're going to have to *** a ride from someone. And we better ask quick as they're all leaving."

"No, we're not," she said. I could see the smirk even in the dim light.

"What the ... but my ... huh ...?"

"You just have the wrong keys my befuddled but darling slab of Italian-American prosciutto," she said holding up a set of keys.

"Huh. And by the way, I'm cured pork now? What's up with that? And I'm certain these are my keys."

I pulled out my mobile and used the flashlight app to illuminate my keys. Yes, I definitely took the right keys this morning. Wait. I fkn drove here this afternoon. What the **** was going on.

I looked up. She leaned close her smirk becoming more of a wolfish grin. What the **** was going on.

"Happy birthday!" she said then gave me another kiss which ended with her biting down on my lower lip. At this point she held up the key fob out to the side and hit a button.

"Buhb meep!" said the car behind her that was most definitely not my Alpha Romeo.

All of a sudden I heard several cars pull up behind me their lights illuminating a brand new 2015 Alpha Romeo 4C Coupe launch edition.

I just stood there speechless.

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Serie B: Frosinone v. Bologna

View attachment 319839Frosinone is an express train away from Bologna. We got on a bus at Roma and drove the 50 some kilometers to the stadium. For once the meteorologists were right and the weather is ****. Cold, driving rain.

Michele Pazienza needs a rest so on goes Diego Perez. Federico Barba is hurt so Oiks and Maietta are my central defense pairing. I want to keep Daniele Cacia sharp, so he gets a rest and Aqua start up top in his place.

We started off like we didn't want to play. In the 7th minute, right midfielder Andrea Gessa curled in a cross that midfielder Alessandro Frara smashed goalward from 5 meters. Thankfully, it hit Dejan Stojanovic in the chest and bounced right to Franco Zuculini who put it behind for a corner.

We didn't wake up. In the 11th minute, Gessa whipped in a corner to the far post that striker Daniel Ciofani headed back toward the near post. All Danilo Soddimo had to do was nod the ball into the open net.

1-0

The goal woke us up.

Gennaro Troianiello got bundled over near the left touch line in the 13th, but Matthias Lepiller's free kick was headed right back toward him. He tried a long-range shot from closer in that didn't curl like he wanted it to and sailed wide.

The Gialloazurri got a great chance in the 18th minute, but Dominico Maietta blocked Frara's shot from 8 meters with a desperate, lunging tackle.

In the 20th, Captain Archimede Morleo lumped a long ball into the left corner for Troianiello to chase. Troi won the race and whipped in a back post special for Lepiller. Lepiller smashed his header home from 3 meters and we were level.

1-1

Then Soddimo and the Gialloazurri left back Rodrigo Alborno combined to open us up not long after we scored. Soddimo held the ball while Gyorgy Garics moved in to close him down. Lepiller didn't track Alborno so when Soddimo played a ball up the left flank (our right), Maietta raced over to cover.

This left loads of space in the middle. Ciofani made a near post run which Oikonomou covered. Gessa made a back post run which Morleo covered. But nobody covered Federico Dionisi's late arrival into the box. So Dionisi had plenty of time to position himself and volley home Alborno's cross.

2-1

We responded nearly immediately. Garics threw a longish throw into the box trying to spring Lepiller. Alborno headed it upfield. Perez nabbed the clearance and rolled the ball toward the right touchline for Garics to run onto. Garics curled his cross towards the back post.

Now, Gennaro Troianiello isn't short. But he's not that tall. He's certainly much shorter than the two Frosinone central defenders. He was running towards the backpost between the two of them. Neither jumped for the cross. Troi did. And his header bulged the back of the net.

2-2

I'd been hollering at Lepiller and Troi to start picking up the fullbacks. That shut down the Gialloazurri's offense. Frosinone also upped their defensive work rate and the half ended as a stalemate.

"This game is poised, hanging in the balance," I said at halftime. "It's like a fruit waiting for us to pluck it. With Gennaro and Matthias covering their fullbacks, they're not going to do much offensively against us. I have faith we'll be solid defensively in the second half. I also have faith that we'll continue to dominate the midfield. Keep up your hard work in the middle."

"And Robert," I said addressing Aquafresca. "I'm not happy with your work rate and your decisions. I know you can do better. I've seen you do better. Show me."

My team talk seemed to go over well. Everybody, including Aqua, looked pretty pumped up.

From the kickoff, Garics lumped a long ball over the top. As Aqua sprinted after it and it rolled to the keeper I thought to myself "Cacia would've gotten to that."

Frosinone also emerged for the second half pretty pumped up. Aside from a hopelessly wayward free kick in the 51st minute by Lepiller, not much happened.

In the 55th minute, Oiks got carded and then started some handbags with Frara. As the ref lectured the pair of bickering ladies, I got Michele Pazienza warming up. Paz replaced Oiks soon thereafter and I moved Perez back to the central defender position. Oiks was looking pretty gassed as he trudged past me so it was just as well that I replaced him.

In the 61st, I yanked Aqua for Cacia. Not a good day for Robert.

"It will all come together for you, keep working hard," I said as he trudged past me to the bench.

Not much happened until the 66th. Pazienza lunged in with a tackle and nipped the ball off Frara. The ball bobbled out to Morleo who zipped a pass up to Casarini. Casa spun and rolled a pass up to Troi who then dribbled into the box. Troi's shot was deflected out left. Morleo got their first and whipped in a cross for Lepiller.

Alborno had both arms around Lepiller. They looked like they were both about to fall down. As they began to fall, the ball hit Alborno in the side of the head and into his own net.

2-3

View attachment 319838That was a bit lucky, but if it hadn't gone in it might very well have been a penalty.

Frosinone nearly scored immediately afterwards. Soddimo beat Garics and whipped in a cross that Ciofani headed inches over. And again in the 75th minute. Ciofani was not having the best game. He was in alone on Dejan and shot directly into his chest.

We could have put the game to bed a minute later, but Cacia finished a marvelous build-up by emulating Ciofani. The Gialloazurri keeper, unlike Dejan, didn't smother the shot. It bounced off him and right to Zuculini. Zucu smote a shot that hit the right post and zipped across the face of the goal.

I got Matuzalem warming up and put him into the game in the 81st. It was at this point I switched to a defensive midfielder, Paz, in front of the back four with two mids in front of him. I yelled at everyone to defend hard and hold our lead.

That was just about it. Our defense held strong and limited Frosinone to a few long-range shots. Well done, guys!

We're up to second, but don't forget that Avellino play tomorrow and could push us down to third.

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End of September Analysis

Sunday, 28 September 2014
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Well, here I am at the end of September. Time to take stock of where everything is at. I gave the players the day off. Gwen and I are off to Milano for some shopping (mainly her) and relaxation (mainly me).

The bottom line is that we are undefeated and have won 4 of our first 6 games. The away draw against Ternana sure feels like a victory. We did well enough against the other two teams that pundits have said should be competing for promotion, Brescia and Catania.

You'll notice that we played two friendlies. I use friendlies to keep my reserve players as match sharp as possible or to break any bad habits if we lose. For example, everyone played 45 minutes in the Castiglione friendly as I wasn't happy with the 1-0 late win over Brescia.

View attachment 319743October is going to be a tough month.

Vicenza and Avellino are first and second respectively. Carpi are 8th and Cittadella are tenth. The worst case scenario is that Pescara break out of their slump, they are in 18th with a lone win, and shoot up the table by the time we meet them at the end of the month.

The new coaches are blending in well with the old coaches. Winning papers over any divisions. As I said earlier, some of the coaches are loyal to Director of Football Roberto Savoia and President Alfano Guaraldi. Most are loyal to me.

Also, because we're winning Savoia and Guaraldi haven't tried any strategic maneuvers to strengthen their position.

I know Savoia and Guaraldi aren't happy that I sent most of their loan signings home and released a bunch of slacker teens.

Winning cures everything in calcio.
 
Friday, 3 October 2014 noonish

It was between training sessions and I was enjoying a soup and salad with several of the coaches in the Casteldelbole cafeteria when my phone chimed in my pocket. It was a text. I pulled it out. It was Director of Football Roberto Savoia.

Come to my office. Goalkeeper crisis.
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"What the ****?" I mumbled with my mouth full of salad.

I wiped my mouth and excused myself. I walked calmly out of the cafeteria but increased my speed once outside.

"Now what?" I asked as I barged into Savoia's office.

"Samuel Atrous just handed a request to join up with the Algerian national team," Savoia said. "He'll be gone until the 16th or so of October."

I am truly ****ed. My starting keeper, Dejan Stojanovic, was leaving Sunday to meet up with the Austrian U21s. This means that I had the choice between Ferdinando Coppola and Filippo Lombardi. I had a choice between rubbish and trash. Bologna would have to face league-leading Vicenza on national television with incompetent goaltending. We would get humiliated. I was completely and utterly screwed.

"****ing god damned sonofabitch! ****!" I swore in English then reverted to Italian so Savoia would understand me. "Wait. What? He's ****ing French. He's appeared with the France U21s, hasn't he?"

"Apparently, he has an Algerian grandmother," Savoia said.

"**** me!" I swore in English again. Then back to Italian. "He's about as Algerian as you and I are. I thought you made it clear with him when we signed him we needed a keeper to play when Stojanovic was on international duty."

"I did," Savoia shrugged.

"Well, he's obviously leaving ****ing town," I said. "I can't ****ing play Coppola. He can barely stop shots hit right at him. Didn't you put some language in his contract or anything?"

"No."

What ****ing use is Savoia anyway?

"Mother****ing ****biscuits," I swore again in English. Then in Italian. "Fine. I'll go talk to him."

And I stormed out. I thought I remembered seeing all of the keepers eating lunch together. I hustled back to the cafeteria. Yes, there they were. Thankfully, Matthias Lepiller was sitting with them. Atrous doesn't speak any Italian, Spanish or English and I don't speak any French. Matthias had been hanging out with Stephen quite a lot.

"Samuel, do you have a minute?" I asked in Italian. "Matthias, can you help me out and translated?"

Matthias nodded.

"Oui, bien sur," Atrous said.

The two of them followed me out into the hallway.

"I have a problem," I said. "Because of your Algerian call-up, I don't have a keeper I trust. Dejan is a U21 Austrian international."

Matthias translated. Samuel nodded then spoke to Matthias in French.

"He is very surprised to get this call," Matthias translated. "Completely out of the blue."

"But does he understand the gravity of the situation?" I asked. "I signed him for the sole purpose of covering for Dejan in situations like this."

Matthias and Samuel talked to each other in French for a moment.

"Samuel is very excited, this is very important," Matthias translated. "He's dreamed of getting a national team call-up and doesn't want to miss the opportunity."

"But a call-up for France," I said. "This is the first I've heard of his Algerian side."

They spoke again.

"He got the call this morning," Matthias said. "He is determined to go."

"Please tell him, and feel free to swear for effect, that I am very displeased," I said. "No tell him I'm angry."

With that I spun and walked back into the cafeteria.

"Dejan, may I have a word?" I said quietly into Stojanovic's ear. He followed me out into the beautiful Italian sunshine.

"I've got a major problem," I began. "Atrous just got called up to the Algerian national team. Yeah, I know. I thought he was only French when we signed him. You know I refuse to play Coppola again after the last time you left on Austria U21 duty. And Lombardi doesn't fill me with confidence. We face Vicenza away when both of you will be gone. We will lose with either Coppola or Lombardi in net."

"What I'm getting at," I continued. "Is that I am begging you. I'll get down on my knees and plead with you if I have to. I'll grovel in front of the whole team. Would you consider staying here and not going to join up with the Austrian U21s?"

"You'll grovel in front of the whole team?" Dejan said smirking.

"If you insist," I said very quietly. "If you make me. I'm really that desperate."

"****, boss," he said. "I've sat on the bench. The **** coach doesn't favor me. I wouldn't make you grovel. I'll stay. Relax."

"Thanks, Dejan," I sighed. "I owe you big time."

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Loving the updates sorry I haven't been posting. Was just catching up on your other story. Wow it's a great read. Loved the whole personal life behind the story. Anyway keep up the great work! It takes a lot of time to run these stories and you been great!
 
Seabear said:
Loving the updates sorry I haven't been posting. Was just catching up on your other story. Wow it's a great read. Loved the whole personal life behind the story. Anyway keep up the great work! It takes a lot of time to run these stories and you been great!
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Thank you very much.
 
Serie B: Bologna v. Carpi

View attachment 319048Saturday, 4 October 2014

Carpi play classic Italian calcio. Castori's twist is that they pack the midfield instead of the back end. Their striker, Jerry Mbakgou, gets to go it alone and is expected to create some offense for himself. The video review of Carpi's season is that sometimes their system works and sometimes it's insufficient -- hence the 3 wins and 3 losses so far this season.

With Curva Sud roaring us on from behind the Carpi goal, we took the game to the Biancorossi. On our second corner in the 16th minute, Daniele Cacia leapt and look like he decided in mid-air that he wasn't going to head goalward but cushion his header to Federico Casarini who was standing unmarked by the penalty spot.

And Casa crushed it. It hit nothing but net!

1-0

We continued to dominate until the 21st minute when Carpi finally got the ball into our half. They'd won a throw.

"PAZ! ZUKE! PAZ! ZUKE!" I screamed trying to get their attention. They couldn't hear me. They were in our left corner. I was across the field at midfield. Michele Pazienza and Franco Zuculini had both drifted out to help left back Archimede Morleo. That, of course, was the problem. They'd left the middle wide open and Carpi now had us outnumbered in front of the net.

"CASA! CASA!" I yelled. "Get back. In the middle!"

Federico Casarini started jogging back. Yeah, that was going to help. We were ****ed unless we got lucky. We didn't. They got the ball into the middle with Antonio Di Gaudio in possession at the top of the box with Lorenzo Lollo at his side. My central backs Dominico Maietta and Marios Oikonomous were in a pickle. Their striker Mbakgou was standing between them. Oiks jumped up to confront the midfield pair. Maietta marked Mbakgou.

This wasn't going to end well.

Oiks tried to angle his advance towards Di Gaudio so as to force him to shoot. That was his only play. Lollo eased out to Oik's left to provide an option. Morleo had recognized the problem and was storming back inside to try and save the day.

Di Gaudio timed his pass perfectly to catch Oiks in mid-step and before Morleo arrived. Lollo had time to place his shot into the far corner of the net.

1-1

"TROI! MATTHIAS! TROI! MATTHIAS!" I yelled. Both looked over at me. "DROP BACK AND HELP MARK THE FULLBACKS! MARK THE FULLBACKS!"

Gennaro Troianiello gave me a thumbs up from the far side. If he'd been back, maybe Paz wouldn't have joined Zuke in the corner.

"Sorry, boss," Matthias Lepiller said as he jogged back up for the restart.

"CASA!" I yelled. He jogged over into shouting (instead of screaming) range. "You have to get back and help in the middle."

He nodded.

In the 25th, Oiks and and Mbakgou jumped for a header. Mbakgou landed on Oiks ankle. Gianni Nanni, the physio, sprinted onto the pitch and nearly instantly signaled for a switch. On went teenager Luca Callegari for his debut.

The rest of the half was a midfield battle. My wingers dropped back and the middle of the park was a parking lot.

Everyone on the bench stood up. The ref had just looked at his watch. It was just about time to blow the whistle for halftime. Casarini had just passed the ball up to Cacia who was 35 meters from goal. Daniele held the ball up for a moment. Troi and Zuke were sprinting goalward. Troi was heading back post and Zuke straight down the middle.

Cacia dished the ball off to Lepiller who had eased inside. Matthias controlled the ball, looked up and saw neither teammate was far enough forward for a cross. Without looking, he rolled the ball straight towards the sideline. Luca Ceccarelli was jogging forward but when he saw the ball rolling towards the sideline, he sprinted forward. It was going to back close. Both with getting to the ball ontime and beating the ref's watch.

The ref looked at his watch a second time. Ceccarelli got there just before the the ball got near the touch line. He hammered a cross goalward.

Dang, too strong. No. Wait. Maybe not. It seemed to float up there forever. It initially looked like it would go over the crossbar. But it started to curl. Maybe a Rossoblu breeze was pushing it more toward the back post. I looked downwards to see Gennaro Troianiello sprinting forward. He and the Carpi right fullback were even.

The ball came down out of the sky. The fullback leapt and missed the header. Troi kept his concentration and met it with a thunderous volley.

2-1

And that was the last kick of the first half.

"We're playing great, but don't let your guard down out there," I said once everyone was in for halftime. "That goal had to hurt them, but these guys are not push-overs. Don't take our lead for granted. Keep working hard in the midfield to make sure nothing happens. Clear?"

Everyone nodded.

"Cacia is limping," my assistant Graziano Vinti said a few minutes into the second half. "He's trying to hide it, but I think he's taken a knock."

The match stayed bogged down. Neither side created that many chances. I replaced an exhausted Troi in the 69th with another teenager, Antonio Calabrese.

I had Robert Aquafresca warming up in the 74th to replace Cacia who was tiring. Carpi worked the ball down our right flank and their left midfielder crossed it. Morleo headed it clear but to midfield substitute Gaetano Letizia. Zuke stormed out to shut him down. Letizia passed square to Simon Laner. Paz was kind of lazy in closing him down.

View attachment 319052Paz was too slow and Laner had too much time. Laner unleashed a hammerblow of a shot. It beat Dejan Stojanovic.

2-2

I could tell Paz was exhausted, too. Paz wouldn't let a guy shoot like that if he wasn't knackered. I replaced him with Matuzalem. Aqua would have to wait for another day.

And that was just about it. Carpi parked the bus and we couldn't find the energy to do much. Carpi also had possession but seemed perfectly happy to leave the Stadio Dall'Arrra with a point and never committed too many players forward.

"We should be winning matches like this," I said to my assembled players in the locker room.

View attachment 319051

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Sunday, 5 October 2014 9:30am

"Alright, let's get started," I said once all the coaches were in the conference room at Casteldelbole. "We have a problem. For the last four matches, we haven't played the kind of possession game I want to play. I think we're relying on talent to win these games."

"I'm seeing more and more long balls out of the back that bypass the midfield," I continue. "I'm seeing to many Hollywood passes. Occasionally, they work but three-quarters of the time we just give the ball away. I want to get back to the philosophy that the opponents can't score if they never have the ball."

"Paz, Zuke and Casa should be able to keep the ball better than they're doing," I said. "How do we get them back to playing the kind of ball control game we were playing early in the season?"

"Let's bring it up when we watch the video," Assistant Manager Graziano Vinti said. "Point out when we should played the simple pass."

"They aren't taking the passing squares seriously enough," Offense coach Simone Tiribocchi. "I'll yell at them a bit."

"More five on fives," Tactics coach Franco Cittadino added.

"I want to walk through how to support the ball better," I said. "Two things with this. First, players aren't moving off the ball correctly. They aren't working hard enough when we get the ball. Secondly, I think they need to be reminded of where a teammate is supposed to be."

"They're getting careless in their finishing training," Fabio Calcaterra added. "Having too much of a good time and not concentrating hard enough. They're starting to believe they'll never lose."

"Well, obviously I'll be working with the midfielders on defending, defensive positioning and marking," defense coach Stefano Romanin. "Anything you want to add, boss?"

"Wingers marking the fullbacks will eliminate the two against ones when they outnumber our fullback," I replied. "This means a midfielder or defender won't feel the need to come out and help."

"Anything else? I asked. "Okay. Let's talk about injuries then Vicenza."

"We have a bit of a situation at center back," Gianni Nanni said. "Oiks is out for a while. Their striker really damaged his achilles. I'll know more later today after the MRI. Luca Callegari is out a couple of days. I should be fit enough for the bench on Saturday. Barbo should be fit by Saturday. And Perez is out until maybe Avellino in two weeks."

"And don't forget that we've got a load of players away on international duty in addition," I said. "Okay. Let's talk about Vicenza."

And we did.
 
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