Viola: Clawing at Fourth Place
(Who's your Papa?) (Sorry. I promise I will never say that again.)
Livorno squandered a great early chance, Frey made a couple fantastic saves (as usual), and Papa Waigo did the rest (since Pazzini was busy, you know, getting booked and missing sitters). Not the best of matches, but with Mutu gone and that whole Champions League spot thing at stake, the Viola will take three points any way they can get them.
Fiorentina 1 - 0 Livorno
Papa Waigo 59 (F)
Fiorentina: Frey; Ujfalusi, Dainelli, Gamberini, Pasqual; Kuzmanovic, Liverani (Montolivo 46), Donadel; Semioli (Papa Waigo 35), Pazzini, Osvaldo (Jorgensen 73)
Livorno: Amelia; Grandoni, Knezevic, Galante; Loviso, A Filippini (Tristan 65), Vidigal, Pulzetti, Pasquale (Balleri 45); Diamanti (Vailatti 88), Bogdani
Before the match, Jorgy got a plate from Della Valle for playing 300 matches with the Viola in Italy.
Yay plates.
Cesere, meanwhile, seemed to really, really like the opposing coach.
Which means, obviously, that we should like him, too.
Another great performance from Kuzi, who is so freaking awesome my heart wants to explode with pride.
He's 20! 20 years old!
Erm. EYES UP, PEOPLE!
(We just won't talk about that 11th minute card for diving.)
Yeah, that's right -- he defends as well.
And, as a special bonus, he had the second-hardest shot of the match, according to the Viola's weird official website.
Pazzini, meanwhile, was significantly less productive.
Well, unless you're talking about drama -- he always brings the drama.
He completely squandered a sitter in the last five minutes that would have put the match away. *is not looking at Amelia's thigh*
"Giampaolo, the goal is over THERE."
He's also still refusing to shave, which just make things worse.
He's really, really trying to step up without Mutu, but it's not going very well so far.
And then he got carded, and will miss the Juve match. DOH!
Speaking of people who will miss the Juve match.
Pubes got an owie thanks to a brutal Livorno tackle (Pasquale actually hurt both Pubes AND himself making the tackle, and ended up having to go off, too.)
It hurt. A lot. (Sorry about the facial hair closeup.)
Tests were encouraging, though, so he'll be back much sooner than was originally expected (hopefully for Everton, I'm thinking).
When Pubes went off, Papa Waigo came on.
From highest non-Italian scorer in Serie B last year to a CL spot in Serie A? No problem!
You could tell against Roma that he's fast as hell and not even a little intimidated.
As he proved with a fantastic diving header for his first Serie A gol. W00T!
Once he started running, there was no way in hell anyone would catch him.
Gamberini didn't even bother to trying.
He immediately ran behind the goal to see the tifosi.
(Cesare got a flyby.)
Finally he stopped running, and Donadel (as usual) was there for a hug.
(Meanwhile, these two were going at it on their own. More power to them.)
Donadel does more than hug, though.
Do you think he intentionally styles his hair in horns?
Even though he's apparently a midget, Donadel is a badass, and regulates the midfield while Kuzi is off doing magical things.
(Speaking of badasses.)
Most of the defense got no photog love this match, but for once they kept a clean sheet.
But, look -- Pasqual is back!
Back and PISSED OFF, bitches.
SO, so much better than Gobbi. Thank god he's back for Juve.
Osvi got first shot at being Mutu and, according to the press was, you know, fine. Cacia may replace him Sunday, just for kicks.
However he plays, he's still hot as balls, which is obviously very important.
Liverani was there, too. Just FYI.
(PIMP.)
WOO HOO!
And, apropos of nothing, I give you this picture from August, 2005.
Look how little Ujfi is! And Jorgy, and Pasqual! And there's Brocchi, too! (And god, Frey is freaking hot. Then as now.)
Fourth place again. Woo hoo!
Juve Sunday, without Mutu and Pazzini and Semioli, which probably means 90 minutes of Bobo (Woo hoo!), with Santana for Pubes and Osvi or Cacia for Mutu. He also might trying Cacia up top instead of Bobo, just for kicks, but one hopes not. The good news is that both Neved and Chiellini and suspended. The bad news is that, you know, it's still Juve, and Juve away.
*It turns out the whole story about Pazzini getting carded was a lie, cruelly told to the world by Sky Sports, so he'll be in the team for the Juve match. Woo hoo?