Serie @ the Euros: Day 7
(Ujfi and Janku in their natural habitat.)
I'm going to put the training and press conference pix (of which there are only a handful today) up top, so that if you don't want to look at or think about the match pictures, you don't have to deal with scrolling past them. I'd put them under the first cut so you could just skip ahead, but I find clicking on the second cut often drops me right in the middle of the first, and I don't want to do that to you. (I'm not sure there will be a formal Azzurri spam, but you can find pix in the LR thread.)
I don't know what's going on with Ujfi, but it's a good damn thing. (Whether it has to do with all the time he's spending with Baros lately is anyone's guess.)
Keeping an eye on his charges.
Over the moon with terrifying joy, just thinking about how intense their match with Turkey will be.
Look, Grygera! The press know he exists!
Um, hello there, Mr. Rozehnal.
When did you and your giant, skeletal head get hot?
Over in the Swiss camp, meanwhile, Behrami is still not doing well.
He did, however, make it through his press conference without crying. Baby steps.
Ooooooh artsy!
Even though Sweden are making noises about holding Zlatan out of the Spain match, he still trained today.
(Studiously ignoring the photographers while simultaneously posing. Very smooth.)
*preparing for battle*
"So, Lars. I'm gonna go get a ball and run around now."
"Wait, Zlatan -- be careful out there."
*muttering to himself about the old worry wart*
Even if he's not going to play, Paddy's still gonna look damn good.
Plus, please notice he's already taken off his tie -- lots of points for Paddy.
Thanks to Seba's trusty facial hair, we were able to find him leaving the pitch after that awful loss. *pets*
Mutu and Chivu started for Romania, as usual, but today they were joined by Siena's Paul Codrea (#8, the one with the tiny head).
Chivu first.
Basically, he did what he does (for Romania, not Inter): sat deep in the midfield, cleaned up virtually every mess, and calmed things down whenever Romania needed it.
I swear, if he would play like this for Inter, there's no way it would have taken them so damn long to clinch.
The moments he spent with Camo were amazing for obvious reasons -- LOOK AT ALL THAT HAIR!
Helping his buddy Lobont.
"Captain Chivu, help! Where am I? What day is this? Who are these people in blue?" "Don't worry about it, dude. Just run."
*boggle* I don't even think I have that muscle.
There's not a lot of Codrea, both because he was quiet, and because his tiny head is hard to capture on film.
He had a couple HUUUUUGE touches in the second half, though, taking if off the Azzurri in the box, right before they could shoot.
Basically, he was an annoying little gnat, but in a reasonably effective way, if you're Romania.
He was also the first one to the scene of the awful Romanian-on-Romanian collision (he fell on top of them) and was pretty grossed out.
(He got to trade shirts with Fabi -- you know he's squeeing to himself over that.)
And then, we have Mutu.
He had sort of a bipolar night. (And, also, doesn't have that muscle Chivu has.)
To be honest, he wasn't much good for a lot of the match.
He did stop the ball with his crotch a few times, bust mostly he was the bad Adi -- pouting, and watching rather than running.
Not always, though -- had some moments, including a break in which he forced a great save out of Gigi when he was in alone.
(That save.)
(A different shot.)
He did his best to annoy Old Man Panucci, even if he couldn't get by him.
And he was useful in trying to take care of Radoi, who got his face smashed (by Rat's face).
Hmm. Well maybe "useful" is the wrong word. But he was hanging around!
He hung around the goal, too, but not very productively.
There's a slight chance I was begging Piturca to take him off at half, he really was just not very interested or involved in the match.
but then this happened.
Zambro made a bad backpass, and Mutu woke up and pounced on it.
It was DEFINITELY the fastest he moved all match.
(It went in.)
There was prancing!
He's used to Donadel being the one who chases him -- seeing a guy in pursuit who doesn't have orange hair was very disconcerting.
(Bringing out the old PSV powerslide, this time for his Romanian peeps.)
God, so happy.
Romanians don't take piling lightly -- this is a big deal.
(Notice the Mutu-Codrea hair-tug, plz.)
Chivu's a little unclear on the concept.
He seems to think "pile" means "kick."
(Power to the people.)
Then, of course, Italy scored about 20 seconds later, but Mutu had a chance to put Romania ahead with a late PK. (This is him, strutting to the spot, trying to ignore the innocence brigade.)
He hadn't missed a PK for Romania in seven years.
Until today, because Gigi made a SICK save and kept him out.
Adi was in agony.
It really, really looked like he was going to burst into tears.
Sweet Daniel Nicolai tried to help him keep his head in the game, but it was really a futile effort.
Basically from that point on he was lost.
Well, either lost or hacking down Pirlo for no reason.
And getting carded.
So Piturca took him off.
At which point everyone told him it was ok, and he refused to believe them.
Look at Piturca, you can tell he's such a good hugger, despite the slight scary appearance.
As soon as the whistle blew, everyone was up and trying to comfort Mutu again. &hearts
"I hate myself. I fucking SUCK."
"Shhhh, Adi. It's ok. These things happen."
*commences weeping on Piti's shoulder*
Aw, Goian. The fact that everyone is looking out for him suggests Adi might just make it through the next few days.
*telling Gigi he's the man*
*sigh*
(His little pigeon toes? KILL ME.)
Look at that little face.
He's already apologized to the supports, the poor puppy.
Captain Chivu was offering emotional support.
(Nnnngh Lobont.)