PSG Spam
(Dainelli knows it's height that matters, not results.)
Well, that went well. Maybe we should just focus on the good excuses, huh? PSG's season start on August 8th, so they're far ahead of Fiorentina in their preparation, and the Viola boys are wiped from training twice a day (including once before the match) -- everything is fiiiiiine! Also, please ignore the sieve-like backline, and look at the pretty news kits and Jojo's awesomeness instead. Thank you.
Fiorentina 0-3 PSG [Video: highlights|kit presentation|postgame interviews]
Scorers: Erding 25 (P), Giuly 34 (P), Luyindula 50 (P)
Fiorentina: Frey (Avramov 75); Comotto (Papa Waigo 75), Kroldrup (Dainelli 46), Gamberini (Da Costa 46), Pasqual (Gobbi 61); Kuzmanovic (Di Tacchio 84), Donadel; Marchionni (Jorgensen 46) (Gulan 75), Mutu (Jefferson 61), Vargas (Santana 61); Gilardino (Jovetic 46)
Paris Saint-Germain: Coupet; Ceara, Bourillon, Sakho (Traore 62), Armand; Sessegon, Makelele (Chantome 62), Clement (Jallet 62), Luyindula; Erding (Kezman 52), Giuly (Ngoyi 62)
So, it turns out this was the second annual Memorial Artemio Franchi benefit match -- giving up a lot of goals at home is a yearly thing!
ADV doing his brother proud by making nice with the lady in the house.
The fans trickled in for charity -- by the end of the night, there were almost 9000 in the house, which raised about €125,000 for the Franchi Foundation.
Before the match, the team were presented in their new kits. (I'm sure PSG loved that part.)
That stripe across the chest really suits some people. Particularly Comotto.
(Waving to his mom, cos she's the only one who cheered.)
It works for Ray Romano's brother, too, y/y?
Look, Di Tacchio! I guess that means he's in the senior squad officially?
(Chillin' with the big kids.)
God, Gambit is a MESS. What made him think he needed an XXL kit?
Notice anything different here?
They have proper length shorts! Finally, Lotto is making normal shorts! HURRAH.
Monty may not be fit enough to play yet, but he's smug enough for the season to be well under way. Good work, Playmate girlfriend!
Give me a second, please, I'm basking in the giant shorts.
Papa! The fans have mad love for him, despite his still-tiny shorts. Hopefully the love makes him feel better about rotting on the bench.
Pubes was presented, but didn't play. Trying to keep him from getting hurt before he goes to Samp? Perhaps?
Awwwwwww, Santana. Why so sad? (Don't look at his crotch, you'll just make him more self-conscious.)
Well hello, Andrea. Damn.
Hmm, neon keeper kits. Who do you think suggested THAT color?
Yeah, we know it was you, Frenchie.
The staff may not have gotten new kits, but they still were presented, albeit en masse.
(They don't seem to have minded, though.)
Then, finally, it was Cesare's turn.
He got as loud of an ovation as 9000 people who don't feel like standing up can give.
Ladies and gentlemen, your 2009-2010 Fiorentina squad. Which hopefully will be augmented soon.
ADV: Bored already.
He was hanging with the mayor, trying to sweet-talk him into letting them build their magical new stadium for free.
All 9000 fans, crammed into one section.
(A former Genoa team doctor -- who basically saved Giancarlo Antognoni after he suffered skull fractures in a horrible clash with the Genoa keeper -- just died, so the curva paid tribute to him. &hearts)
Looking weirdly positive about this whole thing.
Thoughts on the kits? Yes or no?
(I include this only for Giuly. And, you know, for the sake of kit comparison, if anyone is so inclined.)
... Why does all of Fiorentina look with such disdain upon Makelele? Is it just cos he's ancient?
So. Let's just get all the failing out of the way, shall we?
On PSG's first goal, Krol gave them the ball with an error that would have been hilarious, has it not been so catastrophic.
Seb had no chance.
The second goal came off a failed offside trap (or not failed -- it looked sort of off).
It was a great finish by mini-Frenchie but, again, Seb was sort of hung out to dry.
Then, right after half, a PSG guy ran up the left side of the pitch, beat everyone, and played it back in front.
Look at Pasqual. Yeah, that's pretty much how it was.
Seb made a couple huge saves, too -- it could have been four or five.
Cesare: "Eh, it's a friendly. A mere fitness exercise! No worries."
Comotto: "What? I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how amazingly well this kit suits me."
(Getting nutted, because he's too busy thinking about the kit.)
Even though he's not been back long, Gambit started in the middle of the back.
He was ... not terrible. Yay!
Unlike, say, Krol, who was shocking.
Just look at this, ok? That's all I'm saying.
Pasqual was next to the Krolmonster.
He wasn't great, either, but seriously -- no one was good but Jojo. NO ONE.
Jojo who played the second half, and of whom there's one lousy picture. He was all kinds of lively, and nearly impossible to defend in his best moments -- really the only purple source of danger all night.
Poor Kuzi, meanwhile, was awful. He started with Donadel in front of the defense and was timid and useless and just really sad. Forget football, he looked like he needed a hug.
Tiny little Marchionni started on the right wing.
He was zooming around ALL OVER the pitch.
In the first few minutes, he popped up way over on the left several times -- no idea what he was doing over there or if it was actually authorized, but there are worse things that eagerness, right?
His work wasn't real effective most of the time, but it did look like it could come in time -- there's definitely hope there.
Additionally, he's fitting right in with the team crotch issues, so that's nice to see. So to speak.
Vargas! started on the other side of the midfield.
One of the fan sites' evaluation of his performance was something like "He still looks awkward, but his head and heart seem right." &hearts
In between Marchionni and Vargas was this guy.
He was ... Mutu-ish. Not running much, looking frequently annoyed, doing periodic smart things.
Really, Jojo was much, much better in that position than Mutu was, but to be fair Mutu's not played a real match in, what, four months?
Plus, he's Mutu -- friendlies, especially friendlies in which he's losing, don't seem like the sort of matches in which he's likely to work his ass off or anything.
I am liking the taped wrists thing, even if his neck is still alien and terrifying.
(The people still love him, even when he's useless/not bothered.)
Gila, as you can see, was very much his Gila self last night.
He was probably the second-sharpest purple person, besides Jojo.
He wasn't wildly impressive, but he ran a lot -- and with purpose(!) -- and was getting into threatening positions.
(Beating both Mutu and the PSG guy.)
He didn't really have clear-cut chances, but Coupet did need to get off his line quickly a couple times to deny him the ball.
Despite Gila's and Jojo's best efforts and the moderate efforts of everyone else, it was a comprehensive beating.
In recognition of the result, Papa and Giuly took of their clothes and compared physiques. Mini-Frenchie's teammates were fascinated.
After the match, there was silverware for everyone, even the referees.
Dude. That's a pretty sweet Losers' trophy.
Dainelli: *soaks up the golf claps*
Dainelli: *wonders if Makelele is going to need help with that*
Makelele: *politely mentions that he knows how to handle trophies better than you ever will, punk*
Makelele: "Hey, I love your show man! That Ray guy is hilarious."
Next up is the Dahlia Cup on Sunday, a triangular tournament with Catania and Palermo.