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Livorno-Fiorentina --- Match Report

Saturday's Livorno - Fiorentina match may not have been as entertaining as Wednesday's shootout with Roma, but it may end up being more significant.  The 0-3 thrashing exorcises the demons of decades of futility in Livorno, the Viola had not won there since way back in 1935.  Even more significant could be the apparent sea change in Fiorentina's away-from-home way of thinking.

The match started out slowly and Livorno was really the side pushing the action for about the first 15 minutes.  Fiorentina were fortunate to not concede a penalty kick in the 7th minute when Kroldrup and Liverani each handled the ball in the area but the whistle remained on the referee's chest.

There were numerous fouls and cards in this one and the match never really got into an aesthetically-pleasing flow.  The game was even halted for a bit in the second half with flares landing dangerously close to Frey's net.

End-Of-Half Flurry

Towards the end of the first half each side began putting more resources into attack.  Things really got exciting in the final minute of the half as Massimo Gobbi raced over and slid in to deflect away a shot by Balleri who was all alone in the area but took too long to prepare his shot.  The action immediately went the other way where Mario Alberto Santana sent in a beautiful cross that found Osvaldo.  Osvaldo celebrated his debut by meeting the cross with a fantastic right-footed volley from an awkward position to send Fiorentina into the locker rooms with an 0-1 lead.

Boys Behaving Badly

Livorno coach Fernando Orsi was sent off at the halftime whistle and was forced to watch the rest of the match from the stands.   Massimo Loviso was sent off in the 62nd minute for a dangerous play from behind on Pazzini who was in full sprint with the ball at his feet.  Giovanni Pasquale probably should have been sent off at some point for his ninja-esque tackles.

Extending An Away Lead?  Huh?

At odds with Fiorentina's typical reaction to an away lead, the Viola continued to press for insurance goals throughout the second half.  Again they were rewarded and again through Osvaldo in the 67th minute.

Pazienza stole the ball a few yards outside of the area and immediately passed to Santana.  Santana spooned it over two Livorno defenders to Osvaldo who chested it down then turned and coolly slotted it past a charging Amelia for his brace.

Two minutes later and the Viola were really feeling it.  Vieri, out on the left, passed towards Osvaldo who was covered by two defenders but the ball got past him to Santana.  Santana took it and dribbled to his left and fired a low shot that took a deflection off of a sliding Rahman Rezaei over Amelia to make it 0-3.

The rout was on and the Viola had several more chances to extend their lead.  The best of these came in the 77th minute when Pazienza delivered a nice long cross to Osvaldo who chested it down and toed it to Vieri who hammered one into the crossbar.

Videos

Gobbi hits the post,  21'

0-1 Osvaldo 45'

0-2 Osvaldo 67'

0-3 Osvaldo 69'

Match Highlights

Statistics per Gazzetta

Livorno		Fiorentina
10	Total Shots	16
1	Shots on Goal	5
5	Corners	7
22	Fouls Committed	27
5	Offside	2
4	Yellow Cards	3
1	Red Cards	0
36.3%	Possession	63.7%

DataSport Player Ratings (My comments in purple italics.)

FIORENTINA
Frey 6 - The French goalkeeper was only involved in administrative duties during the first half.  Even in the second he never had to intervene.  A day off.
Balzaretti 5.5 - Had a lot to do in trying to contain Balleri but did okay.  Made some key stops.  This was the first match where we have seen him come forward and join the attack.  He had a couple of nice crosses and some very nice long passes.  With limited time to watch him I am starting to think that he's better defensively than Pasqual and, honestly, about as good offensively.  How long will Pasqual be our first choice?
Gamberini 5 - Played out of control and took some dangerous chances.  He could only stop Diamante with fouls.
Ujfalusi 6 - The Viola right back played much more advanced than is normal for him.  He was consistently pushing forward and supporting the attack with his crosses.  Pasqual is more likely to cause damage in this role.  He's gotten several scoring chances over the last two games but when he gets these chances he seems to get a bit orgasmic and always ends up blasting it into the surrounding neighborhoods.  Did a very nice job of containing Loviso on a few occasions.
Kroldrup 6.5 - The Dane gave a high quality performance.  He made very few mistakes while offering security to the rear guard. He is playing pretty good, shockingly.  He'll definitely score on some set-pieces this season.   
Santana 7.5 - The best on the field.  Two assists and a goal in the 0-3 thanks to Rezaei's deflection.  It seems as if he has returned to the highest level after his many injuries.  Immense.  Class coming out of his ears.  Always looking to create dangerous opportunities and he delivers awesome corner kicks.  Couldn't be happier.
Liverani 5.5 63' - The midfield pacesetter was exhausted by the time Loviso was sent off.  Prandelli recognized this and replaced him.  I think that he is still very valuable simply for being the one to track back and collect the ball from the defenders before they launch it to the opposing keeper.  He was unlucky not to have an assist as he provided a perfect pass to Osvaldo who had gotten behind the defense but Osvaldo fumbled it.
Gobbi 5.5 54' - Was forced to commit many fouls and exhaust himself in intercepting Livorno's players.  I'm not even sure if he intends to be a midfield destroyer but he is just clumsy enough to make it work.  ;) Not entirely impressive but he was involved in some key plays.
Pazienza 6.5 63' - His is a game of containment.  He really shines for his high work rate.  Clearly the appropriate substitute for Liverani.  Just don't let him shoot...  Ever.
Montolivo 6.5 54' - Prandelli understands that the squad does not run optimally without him on the field.  Inserted him early in the second half and the Viola took off.  Really tested the keeper on a long-range effort.  I really do think he is looking to score too much these days, though.
Kuzmanovic 6.5 - Nice work by the young midfielder.  Always hustling which makes him an important piece for Prandelli.  So much better going forward.  He should get a start in a wide open home match.  I think we'd like the results.
Osvaldo 7.5 - What can be said about a player who, in his debut, scores two goals in superstar fashion?  His first goal, the right-footed volley, was so beautiful that it took everyone by surprise.    Excellent technique.  Excellent goal sense.  Very aggressive.  His ball control, too, was very good.  Very impressed and let's hope it was no fluke because he looks like a keeper.
Vieri 6 65' - Unfortunate because right after entering he hit the cross bar with a left-footed rocket.  It would be his best scoring chance of the match.  He did a good job but, for the situation I think we would have had a better chance of scoring on the counter with a faster front line.
Pazzini 5.5 65' - Not much service from his teammates even though he did some nice work.  The two goals from Osvaldo on his debut will be a wake-up call.  Frustrated.  I agree with all of that.  He really does not look like he is having any fun out there these days.  He was on the bench for Osvaldo's second goal, did anyone else notice the look of doom on his face?

Attendance: About 10,000 per Gazzetta

Livorno - Fiorentina --- Match Preview

Another Tuscan derby, the second of six, for Fiorentina today as they travel west to face Livorno.  Fiorentina traditionally struggle against these neighbors and fatigue should see a major shake up in the Viola's starting 11.  Mutu will rest and Donadel is suspended.  I'm short on time if I am to get this done before kick-off so I am just sticking to the basics.

Our Projected starting 11.

Talking Points

• This will be the first ever meeting between Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli and Livorno coach Nando Orsi.
• Livorno is still searching for their first official win of the season.  Between Serie A and Coppa Italia they have managed just 3 draws and 3 losses.  Their last official win came 27 May with a 4-2 home win over Atalanta.
• Livorno has scored in 15 of its last 16 home games.  The only match they failed to score in was a 0-0 draw home to Ascoli last season.  Livorno has put in 25 home goals over that stretch.
• Livorno has only managed one clean sheet in its last 9 official home matches.  That one was a 1-0 win over Sampdoria 13 May.
• Over the last 23 weeks of Serie A, stretching deep into last season, Fiorentina has only lost one time.  Only Inter Milan has collected more points over that run.
• It is expected to be cloudy and breezy for the match.  The low in Livorno will be 59° (15°C) and the high will be 72° (22°).

Mazzola Crowns Viola

Mazzola to FN: Inter & Fiorentina Scudetto faves.  Viola's time is now.

Sandro Mazzola is sure.  "Fiorentina impressed me against Roma.  Coach Prandelli does a good job of trying to hide it but he can't fool me.  The young players have matured, Mutu is a champion, and to play from behind against Roma; especially as they did in the first half; is not easy.  I put Inter and Fiorentina in the group with Juventus, Roma and even Milan, who have been unlucky, to battle for the Scudetto.  Each of the five is as much a favorite as the other four and it's a sin that one of these sides will have to miss out on the Champion's League."

On Vieri and Pazzini

"Vieri's will to play has impressed me.  I believe that, over the long run, his presence will enable Pazzini to grow and improve without so much pressure on him.  Giampaolo only lacks that killer instinct in front of the net and I am sure that he will eventually find a home on the national team."

Are Fiorentina and Inter like David and Goliath?

"11 players take the field at a time and Fiorentina is championship caliber from the keeper on down the line.  So tell me, which is Goliath?  If you are comparing the entire rosters then that is a different topic.  Anyone who believes you need 26 great players to win a championship is mistaken.  Fiorentina has 16-17 players of the highest level.  I believe that that is enough for the Scudetto, Coppa Italia and Europe.  I remain an Inter Milan fan but Fiorentina worries me.  Prandelli has done a great job of deflecting pressure from the team by saying that his side is thinking about the 2010/2011 season.  The future of soccer is Viola or, better said, the present..."

100? Who's Your Accountant?

Mutu: I'm way past 100 career goals

A story released by ANSA celebrated the 100th goal in Adrian Mutu's career.  In reality, as LadyRadio has confirmed, the Romanian attacker is well beyond that with at least 146 goals.  Mutu, himself, had expressed surprise when hearing of the 100 number.

My take -- ANSA is Italian for Tribal?

Mutu The Centurion

Mutu: Proud of my 100th goal

For Mutu the one against Roma marked his 100th career goal, as reported by ANSA.

"Reaching this milestone is something that I am very proud of," said the Romanian superstar.  Obviously he does not intend to slow down and has begun this season confirming his role as the leader of high-flying Fiorentina.

UEFA on SerieA.tv!

Fiorentina-Groningen on SerieA.tv LIVE!

     

SerieA.tv will webcast live worldwide coverage of the UEFA Cup first round return leg tie between Fiorentina and Groningen on Thursday, October 4 at 2100 CET  (3pm in NYC, 12pm in LA, 4am + 1Day in Tokyo).

Watch the game for $6.95.

To enjoy every moment of this exciting UEFA Cup encounter, just sign up at www.seriea.tv and book your grandstand seat for the very best in live European soccer action on SerieA.tv.

Fans of Italian soccer will not want to miss out on seeing if the Viola can qualify for the lucrative group stages of the competition.

Coach Cesare Prandelli's high-flying side have been turning it on in Serie A and will go into this game as favorites after gaining a valuable away goal in a 1-1 in Holland.

So it's another great reason to subscribe to the portal that is fast becoming the first choice for all fans of Italian football the world over.

This UEFA Cup match is not available as part of the season pass for the 2007-08 Serie A season so if you like to subscribe to the Italian soccer season subscribe at www.seriea.tv.

My take -- All I did was copy, paste and re-format.

Fiorentina - Roma --- Match Report

Wednesday evening's highly-anticipated match between Fiorentina and Roma was a rare marquee match-up that actually lived up to the pre-game hype.   The rain began just after the match began and that just further served to keep the defenses off-balance and add to the match's attacking nature. 

Beginnings

Fiorentina began with its familiar 4-3-3 but with a decidedly more attacking mentality.  Fiorentina was getting most of the quality possession when Liverani gave away possession and Vucinic found Mancini streaking into open space on the left past a confused-looking Viola defense.  Fortunately for Fiorentina his shot was high.  Fiorentina did not lose their aggression, though, and Mutu found himself open for a nice chance to score in the 5th minute when his header went wide. 

Fiorentina's biggest obstacles during this early stage were its slack passing (especially Liverani and Ujfalusi) and Roma's occasional counter-attack-in-numbers.  Ujfalusi came close to scoring the opener in the 10th minute while Vucinic had his 11th minute counter-attack goal waved off (correctly) for offsides.

Fiorentina came close again as Pazzini won a free kick and, in taking it, Liverani passed to a wide open Montolivo who fired a long range rifle shot that sailed just over and to the left.  <<I tried to find a video of it but I was unsuccessful.  If you get a chance to watch a replay of the match, store it in your memory...  It will be used again.>> 

Roma Goes Up

Following Montolivo's chance things slowed down a bit.  Several fouls were called and Mexes received his first of what should have been about half-a-dozen yellow cards.  Fiorentina continued to get opportunities with set-pieces; a couple of free kicks from danger areas, one corner and one shoulda-been corner that everyone noticed but the officials.

In the 19th minute Mancini gave Roma their shock lead.  Cicinho began the action on the right with a low pass into the center that Giuly was running onto.  He dummied over it, though, and it found Mancini in the center and just outside the penalty area.  He turned and lobbed a superb finish over Frey who was able to get his fingertips to it but not enough to deny its fate.

Viola Response

Fiorentina responded well to the disaster and continued pouring bodies forward in an attempt to equalize.  The match's next clear goal chance, though, again came to Roma in the 22nd minute.   Vucinic resisted taking his own shot on goal and instead made a nice pass to Giuly racing through the right side of the area.  Giuly took too long to line up his shot, however, and the Viola were able to clear. 

Less than a minute later Montolivo was back trying to get on the score sheet with a long-range low drive that sliced just wide of the post. 

Fiorentina continued to press the issue.  Cicinho headed out a long Ujfalusi cross to set up another Viola corner kick.  A miscommunication between De Rossi and Doni allowed Semioli's corner to reach Gamberini on the far side who drew the home side level with a side-footed volley.

Mutu's Anguish

Following the equalizer things slowed down a bit as both sides gathered themselves.  Fiorentina were trying to press forward, Roma was looking even more dangerous on counters and Mexes was bear hugging Fiorentina players in the penalty area. 

Beginning in the 31st minute Adrian Mutu clearly decided to try to take the Viola on his back.  Pazzini made a run into the area but had the ball stripped by Tonetto.  Following the deflection Doni went down and Mutu found himself 4-feet from the goal mouth with the ball at his feet and the keeper out of the picture.  Cicinho made a hero's entrance, though, and deflected it wide. 

The resulting corner kick also found Mutu unmarked and alone with the ball at his feet in the center of the area.  This time his shot, unmolested, was lined just wide.

Following a long pause as Taddei (injured) was replaced by Aquilani, Mutu again had a clear header off of a corner but Doni made a class save diving to his left.

Disaster Comes In Twos

Almost immediately following Mutu's third missed chance in about 2 minutes of actual playing time; Fiorentina's summer transfer target gave Roma their second lead.  This time it was Aquilani who dummied over Vucinic's pass which found Giuly who blasted it in from the right.

Caution To The Wind

Cesare Prandelli decided to let it all hang out in the second half and that was proven by his unveiling of the much-discussed-and-not-yet-seen 4-2-3-1 formation.   Slow of foot Liverani was replaced by Santana and Fiorentina committed all of its creativity into equalizing for a second time.

The very first minute of the second half saw Fiorentina with a long attacking move that culminated with a deflection that fell to Semioli but his shot went wide.

Tomas Ujfalusi really should have equalized in the 56th minute when he ran onto a ball in the area but he hit it way too tall.

Roma was eating up lots of time with quality possession and still creating good chances while Fiorentina were making a mad dash for goal every time they got the ball.

I Thought Ferraris Were Fast

Bobo Vieri took another huge step into the hearts of the Viola tifosi in the closing stage of the match.  Mutu found him entering the area with a laser perfect pass.  Ferrari apparently overestimated Vieri's speed and instead of walking over and dealing with the intrusion he ran over and slid right through the Viola big man.  Mutu converted the resulting penalty and took his bows.

Videos

AS Roma's Goals

1-1 Gamberini 27'

2-2 Mutu PK 78' 

Pazzini Goes Close

Full Match Highlights

Statistics per Gazzetta

Fiorentina		AS Roma
23	Total Shots	11
5	Shots on Goal	8
8	Corners	3
24	Fouls Committed	19
0	Offside	2
4	Yellow Cards	2
1	Red Cards	0
41.3	Possession	58.7

DataSport Player Ratings (My comments in purple italics.)

FIORENTINA
Frey 6.5 - Mostly tested in the first half.  Attentive when it mattered.
Dainelli 6 74' - Did what he had to do and closed down well.  As with the entire Viola defense he had difficulty against the speed of Roma's counter-attacks.  Was secure enough.
Balzaretti NR 74' - Not rated.
Gamberini 6.5 - Gave a great lift to his squad when he scored the first Viola, not his role but he played it well.  Didn't do much wrong.
Ujfalusi 6.5 - Dangerous in a couple of attacking situations even if his shots were imprecise.  Gave more than a little bit of apprehension to the Romanisti.
Pasqual 6 - A bit of a quiet match compared to many of his teammates.  Tested by Roma's offensive movements.
Santana 6.5 46' - Played only one half but left his mark.  Ran a lot and showed his quality in attack as he is supposed to. Nice outing.  Really provided a spark.
Montolivo 6 - Unsuccessful in showing his best.  Did not take many defensive duties  even if his companions took up the spot.  I like that he is shooting a lot.  I do think that he should also try some telling passes.
Donadel 5 - Sent off for receiving his second yellow card, fortunately the match was just about over.  Played pretty well but did not really shine. I thought he was really a key player for us in the first half.   
Liverani 5.5 46' - Less decisive than usual.  So much so that Prandelli pulled him at halftime.  Delivered some nice crosses but many of his side's problems can be attributed to him.  Too slow for this match.
Semioli 6.5 69' - Nice performance.  In attack he was involved in several dangerous moves.  Unable to score but he was generous.
Vieri 7 69' - His entrance opened up Fiorentina which had been unable to score.  Won the penalty and let Mutu convert it.  Every time he touched the ball he made something happen.  Another quality match.  He and Mutu are developing a very nice understanding of each other.  All that is lacking is the finish.
Mutu 7 - Always so important to his team.  Converted the equalizing penalty and always created dangerous chances going forward.  A bit unfortunate  that he was not able to score one earlier.  Inspired and inspiring.
Pazzini 6.5 - A great match for him.  The most lively player in the Viola attack.  He created chances even if he did not score.  His aerial game is really developing.

Attendance -- 36,056 per Gazzetta

Gonna Hit It Hard

Lately I have been swamped with my home business stuff, out-of-town visitors, etc...  All of that is behind me now, though.  After work tonight the Viola-Roma match report is coming plus (I guarantee) several articles and updates.

What a match!  Good stuff.  Hopefully it converted at least some American soccer fans into Viola fans.

DenisGol?

Denis the next Batistuta

The player of the moment in Argentina these days is German Denis, 26-year-old attacker for Independiente.  Closely followed by Lazio and Atalanta, the center forward who is currently topping the Argentine top goal scorer charts (13 goals) spoke to La Nacion.   "I don't compare myself to anyone but I have a particular admiration for  Batistuta.  I am not saying that I play like him but I do have several videos of him that I study each day."

My take -- We are tracking him too, reportedly.

Related Article -- >Corvino in Argentina tracking German Denis< 14Sept2007

Fiorentina - Roma --- Match Preview

It's showtime!  Today's match at Fortress Franchi will be the toughest match thus far for each squad and have the eye of every Italian soccer fan.  Roma is off to a fantastic start to the season and all alone in first place in the league.  Fiorentina lies in a 3-way tie for second, 2 points off the pace.

Some of the glitz will be lacking for this one as both sides could be without key players.  Francesco Totti has a thigh injury and is not expected to play for Roma.  Simone Perrotta has the flu and will probably not go.  Alessandro Gamberini of Fiorentina also has the flu and may miss this one in favor of Per Kroldrup.  <<As I was about to press -enter- I read that Dainelli could also be injured, I gotta get to work>> This is really the crucial thing.  A Fiorentina back line of Ujfalusi, Kroldrup, Dainelli and Pasqual surrendered three goals to Roma at the Olimpico last season.  Insert Gamberini for Kroldrup and Fiorentina surrendered zero goals to Roma in Firenze.  Most will play up Totti's injury but Gamberini's status is the thing to watch for and the most important with regards to this match.

One, not really discussed, possibility is a Fiorentina back line that could see Balzaretti at the right back spot with Ujfalusi brought in to play alongside Dainelli at the center of defense.

The only other likely doubt for Fiorentina in this one is who will start between Semioli and Santana.  It is looking increasingly more likely that Semioli will get the nod.

For Fiorentina it will basically comes down to how well the Viola left can exploit the Roma right.  Mutu and Pasqual should have a clear advantage on that flank and they must capitalize on it and make their chances count.  If Roma can limit the damage from the Viola left then Fiorentina is in a lot of trouble.  If Fiorentina is able to get things rolling down that left side then the Viola could go "Old Trafford" on the wolf-suckers.

Expect a packed house and a rowdy crowd.  Fiorentina has not beaten Roma since returning to the top flight and Roma will aim to keep that run intact.

Datasport's best guess on Fiorentina's starting 11...

In all honesty, it's tough enough to beat with Roma with a healthy back line.  With Gamberini out our only hope would be Ufo in the center with Balzaretti on the right and even that is a stretch.

Talking Points

• Fiorentina has lost only one of its last 22 Serie A matches.
• Fiorentina has not lost at home in its last 16 matches.  The Viola have recorded 13 wins and 3 draws (one of those was last season's 0-0 with Roma) during that stretch.
• Prandelli is seeking his 50th win at the Viola helm in this one.  He has recorded 45 of those wins in Serie A and 4 in the Coppa Italia.  He has recorded 386 draws to go with the 49 wins. (That last part was just a joke... Or was it?)
• Prandelli could also see the 150th Viola goal since his arrival.  Of the 149 scored to date; 135 have come in Serie A, 13 have come in the Coppa Italia and 1 has come in the UEFA Cup.
• The match is being played on the 42nd birthday of Viola president Andrea Della Valle. 
• Fiorentina has won 147 Serie A points while under the ownership of Andrea Della Valle.  A win today would see him reach the 150-point milestone.
• The match will be refereed by Genova-born and Rolex-clad Mauro Bergonzi.
• It will be cloudy with a 20% chance of rain in Firenze.  The high is expected to be 69°F (21°C) and the low tonight at about 53°F (12°).