10 Things We Learned In Serie A This Weekend

By: chris | January 14th, 2008

Fernando Forestieri says “I’ve got your Pato right here.”

He’s got to be on the short list of the best talents in the world flying under the radar – at least to many casual fans. He doesn’t get the Pato-esque hype, but damn is this kid a talent (think Messi) – and he’s a 90’s baby (Pato is 89 – what a geezer). First goal of the season, after playing in a total of 113 minutes (2:20 mark). Not only would I take his goal over Alexandre’s, but he didn’t even cry. What a champion. Pato who?

Juventus can’t escape themselves. Not sure they want to.

They were thoroughly outplayed by a less talented team, and went into extra time down a goal, requiring a dubious penalty call (so how many is that this century? infinity times seven?) to take the game to even and take a point. The problem is, while from all the right angles it was a quality challenge; from the ref’s perspective, it was an easy penalty. I’m guessing Moggi told the ref where to stand at that exact point in the game.

Cagliari needs your prayers.

Despite watching Udinese lose one of their two superduperstud central defenders in Felipe to rosso within the first half hour, Cagliari still lost 1-0 at home. Also, by the number of clear shots the other Bianconeri (no, not those other ones, the other other ones) missed, it’s clear the god wanted the Sardinians to get a mercy victory against one of better squads in Serie A. But alas, Cagliari can’t help sucking. It will take nothing short of a miracle of biblical proportions to save them from Serie B next season.

Two teams, one spot.

Fiorentina and Udinese both won this weekend, and all that separates the two is a solitary point for that 4th CL spot. Sure, Milan could sneak in from behind (as they’re apt to do) with 27 games in hand, or so it seems, but who doesn’t want to see the little zebras from the Stadio Friuli and their 14m payroll (that’s total – which is like 2.5 old, decrepit center mids from Argentina) take a European spot from the big lira spenders? And chances are they will; they’re just better than everyone thinks, and that plays to their advantage.

Cocaine is good for you..if you’re a Serie A striker.

Two former/current phenoms who spent lengthy bans at home due to the old china white bagged braces this weekend (that’d be Adrian Mutu and Marco Borriello). Coincidence? I think not. @#$% milk, got yay?

* – Francesco Tavano, Ronaldo and Zlatan also scored braces. Make your own assumptions.

Giancarlo Camolese should be up for sainthood soon.

After easily being the worst team in Serie A under old gaffer Fernando Orsi, the amaranti are, now get ready for this, 7 points from a European spot with a game in hand. They ended the sister kissing ways of the granata with a 2-1 win on Sunday, highlighted by that aforementioned Francesco Tavano brace, and now have an 8 game undefeated streak going. If you say you saw that coming, you’re lying through your teeth, Pinocchio.

Can everybody jump off the Milan To Glory bandwagon for a second please?

Somehow the fact that Pato scored has taken everyone from “here comes the next game of suckitude” to “O.M.G. Milan for the title!!!!”. Let’s see: they’re still an ancient team which had a 3 week break, suffers from serious depth issues in some areas and has a run of like 75 games in the next 6 weeks due to their little jaunt to Japan early last month. They’ve scored 4 or 5 goals on 3 different occasions this year, here are those games and subsequent fixtures:

Lazio 1 – Milan 5
Milan 0 – Empoli 1

Milan 4 – Shakhtar Donetsk 1
Milan 0 – Roma 1

Boca 2 – Milan 4
Milan 1 – Catania 2

Milan 5 – Napoli 2
TBD

Feel free to bet the life savings on a Milan one goal loss next run out.

The FIGC scheduling needs to go.

Putting the completely unfair scheduling dealt to some clubs aside (Roma and Napoli come to mind), was making the first game back after the break Empoli v Reggina really necessary? They couldn’t have swapped, say, Atalanta – Roma or Milan – Napoli into that spot? It is a TV slot, too. No offense to Empoli or Reggina, but from all accounts, it was a miserable game which could have been played on a faster pitch at the bottom of the Mediterranean. That’s like getting released from prison and being taken to Denny’s for dinner. Cruelty.

Talentino is BACK.

He was an absolute terror against Palermo, including a goal, and always finding the open guy. Were he still on Real or Roma, he would’ve had 7 assists along with that goal (and that stunner of a dead ball which shook the woodwork and was eventually put in was a nice helping hand as well). My oh my, Serie A is in trouble.

Amantino Mancini knows stepovers.

They were far less glamorous than the French edition, but Mancini is getting this stepover + power ball past the keeper thing down pat.

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