Preview: Siena – Catania
By: Matthew |
2 Comments
The Stadio Artemio Franchi will host the first match of Serie A’s week 8, with the high-flying surprise package Catania making the trip to the heart of Tuscany for the 5pm Saturday kick off.
Catania are shocking the Serie A world at the moment gaining surprise results left-right and centre. Last week’s derby win over Palermo maintained their 100per cent home record as well as adding justification to their lofty 3rd place league position, however, this week they face an entirely different obstacle…
What is interesting is that by looking at the table the casual fan will see this as a match between two sides that are on form and making ample progress on last year’s positions. However even the casual fan can see that the start of this season has been one of the most unpredictable in recent memory, and that is why I refuse to view this match as anything other than a battle for safety, and although I ultimately believe that both teams will stay up, it is games such as these which both teams need to win… especially Siena.
The boys are back from Genoa with nothing to show for their efforts, but it was to be expected as i Grifoni were one of several sides boasting an impressive home league record this season. What is welcome news for La Robur is that they are back on home soil and one which has proved nothing if fruitfull for them this season. Whilst I Bianconeri cannot match the perfect home record held by Zenga’s men, they still remain undefeated having claimed seven of their eight points their this season. What is more impressive is the form of the back five. Gianluca Curci has marshalled his backline to perfection so far with them yet to conceed a goal, and in doing so a real fortress feeling has been built.
If Catania are going to attempt to siege the fortress then they will happily welcome back their top scorer Michele Paolucci. The young Juventus-owned striker will be eager to get stuck in having missed last week’s derby, whilst Siena will still be without Codrea who has been instrumental in breaking down the opposition’s midfield.
The Saturday kick off also looks to be a blessing in disguise as it will offer the lads a further days rest before the rocky trip up to the red and black side of the San Siro on Wednesday.
Category: Siena Team News
Genoa see off La Robur..
By: Matthew | 1 Comment
Well all in all it was a pretty depressing football weekend for me.. Siena, Norwich and Juve all gunned down with only one goal scored between them!
Although I still have my confidence in the Siena squad this season it was evident yesterday that survival will be undoubtably based on rigid home form and that points on the road will be sparce and hard earned.. Genoa is not an easy place to go to pick up points and they have proved that every match at the Stadio Ferraris this season and La Robur’s trip there was no exception.
All-in-all it was a slow match in which the first half saw complete one way traffic from the home side who deservedly took the lead through Giuseppe Biava’s 20th minute glancing header.. Marco Giampaolo described it best when he describe it in his post match interview: “The regret is we did not play in the first half. We went out there as individuals, not as a team, and it showed. We handed Genoa 45 minutes of the match.” Infact Siena only got slightly better in the second half.. they still had terrible problems trying to contain dangerman Diego Milito and it was only thanks to (so far, my player of the season) Gianluca Curci, in the Robur goal, that kept the scoreline respectable.. It was not that Siena didnt have their chances however and a teriffic run by Daniel Galloppa unluckily ended with him smashing an angled drive onto the upright, whilst the follow up saw Massimo Maccarone fluffing a great opportunity from 6 yards. Although it hurts to admit it, if Siena had gained a point it would’ve been unjust.. It was not their best performance of the season and Genoa were the better team and deserved to keep their 100 per cent record..
However, i am not going to hit the panic button just yet, far from it! Siena are sitting sandwiched between Juve and Roma in the table.. they have a good home record and have never been a dominant away force.. the squad once again proved yesterday (in patches) that they are capable of good football and that are willing to chase a game and Giampaolo has continued an attacking mentality, the likes of which Beretta had instilled into the club, with attacking substitutions used to chase the game in the second half. This result may have put a damper on the spirit carried over from the defeat of Roma two weeks ago, but next weeks arrival of high flying Catania at the Artemio Franchi makes good reading as they too are another club struggling with away form.. Fingers crossed.
Genoa: Rubinho; Biava, Ferrari, Criscito; Mesto (Gasbarroni 53), Milanetto (Thiago Motta 15), Vanden Borre, Juric; Sculli, Milito, Palladino (Roman 68)
Siena: Curci; Rossettini, Ficagna (Rossi 80), Portanova, Del Grosso; Vergassola, Coppola (Ghezzal 56), Galloppa; Kharja; Maccarone, Frick (Calaio’ 60)
Ref: Ayroldi
Goals: Biava 20 (G)
out.
Category: Siena Team NewsGenoa-Siena: the Line up
By: Matthew | 1 Comment
With kick off a few hours away, this is the likely line up for todays crunch match away to Genoa.. It reads pretty decent, and it confirms the faith that Giampaolo has in Maccarone-Frick by leaving Calaio on the bench again..
Formation:Curci, Rossettini, Ficagna, Portanova, Del Grosso, Coppola, Vergassola, Gallopppa, Kharja, Maccarone, Frick.
Injured: Eleftheropoulos, Belmonte, Sansone, Brandao, Codrea
Suspended: No one.
Referee: Ayroldi
Buona Fortuna Ragazzi.
Category: Siena Team NewsPreview: Genoa-Siena – Be wary of the Griffins
By: Matthew | Add Comments
This coming Sunday sees the return to Serie A action after a (somewhat) successful international break. Yes Italy sit proudly atop their group, but a lack lusture proformance against Bulgaria in Sofia and much needed win at home to men from the ‘black mountain’, is nothing to cry from the hilltops about.. Although as has been so often the case in Lippi’s reign as coach of La Nazionale, the performance is secondary to the result.. and with now 30 consecutive games unbeaten he deserves nothing but respect. The last thing we want would be to fail to get the results but at least look lovely whilst we’re doing it, like the Dutch for example.
Anyway, Week 7 of this seasons calander brings up an interesting draw for La Robur.. Riding a wave of momentum after a spectacular result over Roma last week, the focus this week will be very much whether they can capitalise on this and transfer it into their first away win of the season. Genoa, much like Siena, strolled to safety in last years campaign and this year with the inclusion of the excellent Milito have looked impressive and are even tipped for a European place come May..
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Category: Siena Team NewsIntroduction: football as religion.
By: Matthew | 10 Comments
Greeeeetings!
In terms of football there is not much love loss between the Italians and the English. However, this is only because both believe that they possess the devine right to claim the sport as their own.. Therefore being British-Italian myself it equips me with the birth right to be a football fanatic.
My true love in the world of football is somewhat divided, I have been a devout Juventus supporter all my life, and in England I fly the proud and mighty colours of the Canaries of Norwich City, (where i lived for several years).. However, my most recent love is for the little brother of Serie A; AC Siena.
Having spent a couple of years living in Siena, I religiously followed La Robur as an Ultra. There I saw a tiny football club battling to establish itself in the eyes of the nation as deserving its position in the top flight. It seems that every year the bianconeri are hot favourites for the drop, however, since our first ever promotion to the top tier in 2003 we have battled the odds and stayed up, sometimes less glamourously than others (2006-7: 2-1 victory on the last day against Lazio!).
I am thankful to theoffside.com to help allow the opportunity for Siena, “the little brother of Serie A”, to recieve the coverage and support that they deserve, and i am grateful to be welcomed into your community.
Grazie Mille e Forza la Robur!!
Category: Siena Team News
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