Viola: The UEFA Cup is Back
(It's cold in Norway in February. Really, really cold.)
The Viola were in Trondheim, Norway yesterday for their first game in the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup. Rosenborg aren't exactly a pushover, either -- they're one of the two best clubs in Norway, and beat Valencia twice in the group stages of the Champions League. But, since it's so damn cold right now, they're in the middle of a long domestic winter break, which means they've not played a proper match (Read: Non-friendly.) since December, which helped the Viola's cause a lot.
Fiorentina must have played a magnificent game, because they totally dominated the first half, outshot the home side by a really, really wide margin, and fully half of them got scores of 7 from La Gazzetta, and you know they only go over about 6.5 if you're seriously kicking ass. Mutu got the only goal of the match early in the first half and, though there were several chances to extend the lead (not to mention at least one scary second half moment for the Viola, when Frey was save by his post), a 1-0 away win is not at all a bad result; the return leg is next Thursday.
Rosenborg 0-1 Fiorentina
Mutu 16 (F)
Rosenborg: Jarstein; Stoor, Kvarme, Demidov, Nordvik; Skjelbred, Strand (Storflor 80), Traore, Sapara; Iversen (Konan 46), Kone
Fiorentina: Frey; Ujfalusi, Dainelli, Kroldrup, Gobbi; Kuzmanovic (Santana 85), Donadel, Semioli, Jorgensen; Mutu, Pazzini (Cacia 73)
First, the pregame pressers which, presumably because they were inside, were covered way better than the match itself.
Jorgy had to do a ton of press -- that's what he gets for being Norwegian from somewhere in the area.
He also got to go with Cesare to the big chat Wednesday. (No idea how Kroldrup got out of it.)
Cesare was oddly animated.
"She did WHAT?"
Jorgy's so busy thinking about lunch, he's not even noticing Cesare's existential crisis.
(Doesn't it look like he's getting down a little bit here? Dancing with his shoulders, if you will?)
Right, matchtime.
It was so fucking cold.
Like, so cold that people were wearing tights.
Oh, the shame, the terrible shame!
Oh, Ujfi. How could you?!
It hurts me to show you this, but Mutu was wearing them, too.
He scored, though, so he's excused.
Shhhhhhhh.
Run, Pubes is coming!
(Why is there not more fear in Adrian's eyes?)
Pubes, to his great credit, was tights-free.
Clearly, he was leeching off the body heat of those around him. Very wise.
And, check it out -- no tights on the Princess, either!
Very impressive.
The hardest, not surprisingly, was Jorgy -- no tights, and no long sleeves.
And check this shit out! The man is a true Scandinavian.
Finally, the match is over! We can hug and start to get warm!
(Kroldrup don't need no body heat.)
Thanking the tiny group of Viola fans who traveled to the frozen north.
Meanwhile, Rosenborg's players left the pitch hand in hand ...
Catania at home on Sunday -- three points would be awfully nice, what with Milan just a point out of fourth right now.