Review: Palermo 2 - 0 Siena. - The Glass Ceiling.
By: Matthew |
8 Comments
With both teams entering the match midtable and a point apart, it was always going to be an important result. Both teams have so far built their season on solid home form and therefore the safest bet would’ve been on i rosaneri to sweep up the points, but Siena as been characteristic of them this season would battle tooth-and-nail to make sure that the points were at least hard earnt..
This game gave further evidence to my belief that Serie A still has a firm divide between the big and smaller teams. The match seemed to follow this season’s script, as the result seemed somewhat inevitable. La Robur came out firing as they have done all season, creating early chances that, if taken, could’ve not only rewritten the script, but torn it up and burnt it! However, the brilliance of nazionale ‘keeper Amelia made sure that there was to be no such alteration as he was called in several times early on to make important saves and very bravely smother a promising chance for Kharjah. Right on cue, Palermo welcomed the space that Siena seem to be freely handing out this season, and came into the game with former Juve and Torino man Balzaretti causing a constant nuisance down the left flank.. By this point the tedious sense of inevitability began to creep in and, as has so often happened this campionato, the home side took the lead helped in part by a large slice of luck. Cassani’s attempted cross from the right sliced off his boot and gently floated over the embarrassed Gianluca Curci in the Siena goal who had been anticipating the cross. Half an hour gone and Cassani was celebrating his first goal of the season. Despite the strong sense of déjà vu, the one thing that will always keep me glued to a Siena game is there refusal to give in.. if only the character they show on the road could be matched by their finishing! However, what you have to be willing to give up away, from home is the safety in knowing that your normally impenetrable backline will get peppered with chances, and that was once again the case as Palermo doubled there lead as a slip from the substitute Moti putting Succi and Simplicio through for a two-on-one with Curci, with Simplicio calmly chesting home the dinked cross to seal the win for the home side.
Going into the game Siena had the chance to leapfrog their more illustrious opponents and into a very respectable 11th place, flirting with the top half. However, what transpired was a classic case of there still being a sizeable divide between the league’s big teams and the smaller ones. Sure, week-in-week-out its a league where any team can upset a big gun, but ultimately come the end of the season, it’ll be the same teams scrapping out the bottom as it will be for the Scudetto. Good scouts and excellent work in the loan market can assemble you a good team, but under the surface it is ultimately money that will by you strength in depth that can cause that new impetus coming off the bench or generate that extra bit of luck.
There was an interesting statistic that came out this weekend, this weekend’s Serie A games saw an incredible 41 goals scored, with only Siena, Lecce, Catania and Reggina not to score..
Roll on Inter this weekend!
Palermo: Amelia; Cassani, Bovo, Carrozzieri, Balzaretti, Nocerino, Liverani, Bresciano (Tedesco 90); Simplicio (Kjaer 87); Cavani, Succi (Lanzafame 79)
Siena: Curci; Zuniga, Rossettini (Moti 28), Portanova, Del Grosso; Vergassola, Coppola, Galloppa (Calaio’ 81); Kharja; Ghezzal, Maccarone (Frick 53)
Goals: Cassani 30 (P), Simplicio 54 (P)
Category: Siena Team News
Preview: Palermo - Siena. Precariously Balanced
By: Matthew | 5 Comments
This weekend’s trip to Palermo comes at an important time. As commented below, Siena are now into the thick of the Italian winter calendar and, with another away loss last week against Napoli, the pressure is on to come away from Sicily with some reward, for the impending matches of Inter and Juve will be like fruit picking in the desert.
Category: Siena Team NewsReview: Rolling on.. Siena 1 - 0 Torino
By: Matthew | Add Comments
I’m going to be honest with you, i dont know what surprised me more; the fact that Siena dominated this game with relative ease or that my prediciton for the match was correct.
The game was a first class demonstration of Siena’s home form this season. Going into the match la robur had conceeded just two goals in the previous six games at the Artemio Franchi, and with Torino to have not won on their travels for 8 months anything other than a win here would be a shock to the bianconeri.
Category: Siena Team NewsPreview: Siena - Torino
By: Matthew | Add Comments
This has hardly ever been viewed by many as a ‘mouth-watering’ clash.. but one cannot rule out that tomorrow’s fixture has something appealing about it.
Siena, still unbeaten at home, host a seemingly revitalized Toro who somehow scrapped to an impressive draw with top-of-the-table Milan. A match of minor rivalry could hardly come at a better time for Siena as last week they claimed their first away win at bottom side Chievo, the pressure is off for them in this game. The bianconeri players may not be losing sleep ahead of a side that are yet to win away this season, however, three points at the fortress Artemio Franchi could do wonders to extend the gap between themselves and the other clubs pipped for a relegation scrap.
Siena should look to welcome back Luca Rossettini to bolster their watertight backline at home, but workman Paul Codrea is still absent. Giampaolo has to decide between strikers Calaio’ and Ghezzal to partner the sure starting Maccarone, after his first goal of the season seven days ago, and the impressive Kharja. However, it may very well be the former Granata striker Calaio’ who gets the nod.
Torino will cause problems especially with Alessandro Rosina back in the squad, as his craftmanship can be the key to unlocking any defence in the league when he is on form. The only worry is that his lack of match fitness may play against him. Toro should also look to club top scorer and Manchester City reject Bianchi to get behind the Siena defence, but his selection in the starting 11 is not a lock.
Prediction: Home win (1-0)
Category: Siena Team NewsDoctor’s note..
By: Matthew | Add Comments
So i feel as though i must first and foremost apologise, due to personal reasons, for having been ‘out the game’ for the last few weeks, but i am ready to recommit and focus on the blistering fixtures that the next few weeks hold for the mighty bianconeri!
Since my last update the ever present Robur have been gaining more than useful points with not only a well fought 1-1 draw at home to Bologna to keep the record intact, but more importantly i toscani finally gained the slice of luck that has been haunting them away from home with their first maximum points outing coming in the turning over of Chievo 2-0 in Verona.
Siena now sit comfortably 12th in the table, with an early season that they can be proud of. Marco Giampaolo has guided his Robur to five points clear of the drop zone, and on the way has claimed the scalps of Roma and Fiorentina (scum), while the Artemio Franchi has become a fortress.. We are playing some of the most exciting football that I ever remember Siena playing, but all the good work could come undone in the next few weeks as i bianconeri face a daughting lead in to the winter break.
Torino (H) 30/11
Napoli (A) 7/12
Palermo (A) 14/12
Inter (H) 21/12
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I am however confident that on current form there is at least 5 points available in the next month… lets just hope that we can carry on our curse over Inter, if those are the only points we take then i will be delighted!
out.
out.
Category: Siena Team NewsReview: Lazio 3 - 0 Siena. Drubbed??
By: Matthew | Add Comments
What can I say about this game…?? I think the best indication of how this game went is by the words of the Lazio manager Delio Rossi:
“Siena played better than we did in the first half and I fully admit they did not deserve to lose.”
I feel it’s better to hear/read it from the horse’s mouth because otherwise it will just sounds like me moaning about our cursed luck again!
Siena arrived at the Olimpico riding a wave of confidence and, for perhaps the first time this season, being spoilt with a full squad list to choose from. Lazio were rising from a early slump and where riding high again after two consecutive victories.
Category: Siena Team NewsPreview: Lazio - Siena
By: Matthew | Add Comments
It’s amazing how after a derby win the world seems that much rosier. This week has simply flown by, Siena are in the midst of a mini-transfer saga with former Milan and World player of the year Ronaldo, Gianluca Curci has declared his delight at being at the Artemio Franchi and Marco Giampaolo is growing in my opinion by the week… hell, even the impending trip to Lazio looks accomplishable.
But on a serious note, this is where i need to put my aspirations in check. Lazio’s roaring start to the season hit a wobble but after a late victory against Catania last week things seems to be on the up for them again. They will be licking their lips with the prospect of La Robur visiting the Olimpico this weekend, as i bianconeri boast one of the worst away records in the league, despite their impressive home form and their three massive points against the viola a weekend ago.
The home side are likely to start with Pasquale Foggia supporting Mauro Zarate and Tommaso Rocchi up front, as Pandev is suspended, however they are expecting Matuzalem and Manfredini to recover intime for the match. This looks a frightening prospect but we are lucky to welcome back central rock Daniele Portanova who after missing the derby will add further options to the backline. Giampaolo is likely to select Abdel Ghezzal (he better do!) to support former Massimo Maccarone. Ghezzal has seriously impressed since joining, and this was no more evident by being handed his first start against the scum and, for me, his performance there deserves another.
Although I am proud of the way the team has played this season, the onus is to pick up on the road. The Olimpico is not the easiest place to do that but I don’t think that there is a team in the division that Siena cannot beat… however, I’m going to have to side with a hard fought 2-1 win for Lazio.
Category: Siena Team NewsReview: Siena 1 -0 Scum… ‘Viola merda, Viola Viola merda!’
By: Matthew | 5 Comments
Oh it is amazing how the footballing gods play with their toys, but it is exactly results like this that make football more addictive than crack.
You may have noticed that I stressed the term ‘results like this’ rather than ‘games like this’, that is simply because the game was dire but the result has made our season so far and has made the last few week’s results a lot easier to swallow.
There is a tradition amongst the tifosi della Robur that on derby day everyone goes out for lunch and feasts on la Bistecca alla Fiorentina, to ensure that we will ‘eat them alive’ should it come down to it… The pride and passion of the Tuscan derby is different to the city one of Lazio-Roma, Milan-Inter etc. what is at stake here is a history of constant war between the cities dating back throughout history, it transcends football and fits perfectly into the psyche of i Sienese, who by all accounts are a withdraw type of Italian: ‘Siena first, Italy second’ is what I learnt there, and with that the satisfaction of winning the battle against the old enemy is immeasurable.
Fiorentina made the short trip across Tuscany to one of their least favourite place to travel (as recent seasons have indicated).. A win in this most heated of rivalries is like gold dust between the squads and it is rare that the away end at the Artemio Franchi is brim full but with the hosting of the Merda the organisers always manage to sneak an extra 3,000-odd over the capacity.
Both teams have been handed raw deals in recent weeks, as I have documented Siena have felt hard done by following a couplet of soft penalty decisions going against them, whilst “Gila-gate” has left Fiorentina fuming as his imposed two match ban for a handball left him unavailable for selection.
The first half saw a very cagey 45minutes with returning Gianluca Curci called on a couple of times to clean up bits-and-pieces of viola attack, the highlight of a poor half of football saw the fit again Adrian Mutu finding the back of the net but his header was correctly judged to have been offside. The second half however was a completely different story. Giampaolo called upon Frick to replace the ineffective Calaio’ and suddenly Siena looked a lot more of a threat. The pace of Frick was the shot in the arm needed and seemed to complement the surging runs of Kharjah and the endless energy of ‘Big Mac’ Maccarone. La Robur began to look a more balanced but were once again indebted to Curci with a splendid double save from Pazzini and Mutu, respectively. Frick then had two excellent efforts to give the home side the lead but minutes after his first attempt was well saved by Frey, Maccarone teed up the ball on a plate only for Frick to smash it against the post with the goal at his mercy. No matter, as minutes later from a Galloppa corner man-of-the-match Kharja headed home the only goal of the game leaving Frey stranded. The final quater of an hour saw Fiorentina threaten only once with a Jovetic shot again saved by Curci. As the whistle blew the Robur fans erupted in a celebration that lasted into the night as they repeated the feat of 6 months ago, kept the home record alive and send the arch enemy packing with another game without scoring.. a Sunday afternoon doesn’t get much sweeter than that!
For a team like my beloved Siena there are a few things that make really do make or break a season. We shall not kid ourselves, Siena will never win Serie A, thats right you’ve heard it here first. I humbly believe that simply being in Serie A is reward enough for the people and fans of Siena. They are blessed with what is arguably the most beautiful city in one of the most cultural; most visited and most loved countries in the world. A scaffolding structured stadium that holds 15,000 capacity (18,000 come derby day!) can never claim to hold favour to the coveted Scudetto… In fact, a couple of seasons ago I had a detailed discussions over a post-match coffee with a good friend of mine and we discussed the fact that if Siena were to reach a birth in European competition the likelihood of our games played at the Monte di Paschi Arena would be small, with a likely transfer to the ground of the Scum 45minutes away in Firenze. It is reasons such as these which will thwart a Siena title charge, bigger teams will always have better players, higher wages, more revenue etc. Even teams such as Napoli and Udinese may struggle to wrestle away the Scudetto from the usual hawks, and i wish them the best of luck, but with La Robur our feet are set firmly on the ground: fight off relegation, find good young players or ageing greats on the cheap, take on loan future talent from the big sides and beat Fiorentina, these are the priorities and not necessarily in that order! Therefore at this point in time all the animosity I perviously had about bad decisions costing us points and terrible away form seem to have vanished in a euphoria after only 90 minutes of football that only a derby day victory can bring you. The footballing gods may have finally come around to realizing that Siena are no longer the punching boys of the division, but without them trying to show favouritism it is becoming apparent that Siena are now the God’s favourite team in Tuscany.
Siena: Curci; Zuniga, Rossettini, Portanova (Moti 85), Del Grosso, Vergassola, Codrea, Galloppa, Kharja, Calaiò (Frick 46), Maccarone (Ghezzal 89)
Fiorentina: Frey; Comotto (Zauri 15), Gamberini, Kroldrup, Pasqual, Donadel, Melo, Almiron (Kuzmanovic 75), Santana, Pazzini, Mutu (Jovetic 67)
Goal: Kharja 76 (S)
Ref: Farina
Category: Siena Team NewsMilan-Siena Review: Three games, only one point..
By: Matthew | 1 Comment
Firstly I’d like to apologise for not having written a preview for this game.. With three games this week it is not only the players that are suffering!
The trip to the San Siro is always a big game regardless of the club, and this holds true for Siena. After 10 days that has seen La Robur playing good open attacking football, but only taking home a solitary point. Now as a fan there is nothing that you wish to see more than your team to be playing attractive football which doesn’t consist of bulking up the backline and sitting on your own goal line waiting for a counter attack that may never come: and Siena are that team. It rings true since the years of Berreta’s reign that we are an attacking club and teams have to be on the top of their game to take away anything from la Robur. Well, perhaps there is one thing that fans would wish to see more, and that is winning consistently, even if it means that the club has to sacrifice playing attractively.
Milan had a selection headache on the cards as they added Ronaldinho and Mathieu Flamini to their injury list which already included Andrea Pirlo, Philippe Senderos, Alessandro Nesta and Kakha Kaladze. But Siena too was feeling the strain as the impressive Gianluca Curci was suspended and Massimo Maccarone was rested.
Category: Siena Team NewsCatania Review: Swindled out of 2 points..
By: Matthew | 1 Comment
Frustrating is definatly a term that springs to mind after this weekends performance.. Not frustrating in the sense that the boys did not perform, but rather that we were desperately unlucky not to take maximum reward for our efforts.
As i stated below, it was a match that both teams really needed to win. It did not matter so much in terms of league position but more so that come the end of year both teams may come to rue points dropped. For me this was definately the case for la Robur. The first 10 minutes of the match saw a Siena that had been missing at Genoa a week earlier and further showed the gulf in home and away performances for the side. Massimo Maccarone was desperately unlucky as only brilliance from the Argentine Albino Bizzarri in the Catania goal stopped Siena romping right from the start. By halftime Bizzarri had racked up a neat pile of quality stops to his name and the Siena faithful’s joy in the performance was turning into frustration. Ghezzal and Maccarone had thrown the kitchen sink at the Catania goal, and it seemed somewhat unfair that Maccarone would leave the game in the 52nd minute, still not on the scoresheet this season. His replacement Calaio’ however was aiming to take his chance after finding himself a regular ‘bencher’ at Siena, and finally he got the breakthrough with a well placed header as he was totally unmarked.
You would be excused if you were to believe that the game was now as good as over. Siena had had most of the game, Zenga’s men rarely ventured forward with any real threat and Siena’s defensive home record boasted of three consecutive cleansheets. But that seemed to be fate’s cue and five minutes after giving the bianconeri the lead they deserved, Calaio’ gave the ball away far to easy and Paolucci, after racing into the area, went down under the merest of touches from Curci. The result was Giuseppe Mascara grabbing a share of the points by sending Curci the wrong way from the spot.
Although the boys really came together on Saturday and not only took the game to high-flying Catania, they dominated it, the sense around the club is that of lingering frustration. With a mid-week away trip to the San Siro to face the newly rejuvenated Milan seeming to only further our poor away form, having dropped the two points will play on the mind of the players.. that is what Giampaolo has to get out of their heads.
Mille Grazie e forza la robur.
Category: Siena Team News
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