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发表于 2008-12-16 01:47
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Calcio Debate: Juve-Milan – Proof That De La Hoya-Like Milan Are Too Old?
A young Juventus side comprehensively defeated an old-looking Milan 4-2 in the weekend’s big Serie A clash. Carlo Garganese analyses last night's action…
»Comments (112) Print This Story Send To A Friend Contact Us galleria zoom Giorgio Chiellini (24), Momo Sissoko (23), Claudio Marchisio (22), Paolo De Ceglie (22) – along with the 28-year-old Amauri – these four youngsters were the most impressive players at the Stadio Olimpico, completely dominating their respective areas of the pitch with pace, energy, and enthusiasm.
Compare this to the Milan starting XI, which contained nine players over the age of 30, most of whom were terribly slow, powerless and immobile. For those of you who are into boxing, the game last night was comparable to Manny Pacquiao’s destruction of the legendary Oscar De La Hoya just over a week ago. Time finally caught up with the 35-year-old De La Hoya, one of the all time greats of the sport, as he was outsped, out-thought and humiliatingly busted up by the young, fresh, and fleet-footed Pac-Man.
Just like ‘The Golden Boy’, this Milan team were, not too long ago, the pound-for-pound best in the world, but time has unfortunately caught up with many of them too. Faced by a younger, fresher opponent in Juventus, the Rossoneri simply did not have the athletic capacity to cope.
The football purist that I am, I find it incredibly depressing at just how much the modern game relies on physical attributes, ahead of technical ones, but the truth is that teams simply cannot succeed anymore without pace, power, strength, height and stamina – qualities that Milan are embarrassingly lacking.
Milan’s midfield consisted of Ambrosini, Emerson, Pirlo and Seedorf – four of the slowest players you will find – it was no surprise that they could not handle the youthful De Ceglie, Marchisio and Sissoko, who did to them what Arsenal did in the Champions League around eight months ago.
The inability to defend off set-pieces and crosses will always cost Milan a goal-a-game against an outfit like Juventus, who boast giant six-footers like Chiellini, Mellberg, Sissoko and Amauri. Two goals derived this way last night.
While Milan were unlucky with the injuries to Gattuso, Kaka and Flamini, players who would have given them some much-needed oomph and drive in midfield, one must also consider the glut of absentees that Juventus have been dealing with for a number of months now, and which deprived them yesterday of two world class players in Buffon and Camoranesi.
The Rossoneri were tactically a mess – for which Carlo Ancelotti is partly to blame, but they were also not strong enough in certain departments personnel-wise – for which Adriano Galliani and Silvio Berlusconi are at fault for their failures in the summer transfer market.
Thiago Silva in on his way to Milanello, but he will not be eligible until next season. With Alessandro Nesta’s body seemingly irreparable, the Rossoneri are in desperate need of a world class defender. The fact that a 40-year-old Paolo Maldini was (yet again) the side’s best defender speaks volumes. If Silvio and Adriano still have Scudetto aspirations they must buy a big name centre back immediately in January. This is never an easy task though mid-season. Daniel Agger of Liverpool is the most realistic option perhaps. I spoke to Agger’s agent last week, and there are certainly problems between the Dane and Liverpool.
As for Juventus, they displayed everything that Milan were missing, none more so than the famous Bianconero spirit. When Alexandre Pato levelled the scores, Juve hit back immediately to go back ahead.
Although Milan made Juve look better than they actually were, it was still an exceptional performance. Giorgio Chiellini was a beast at the back once again, and he is unquestionably the one irreplaceable player in the Juve line-up. Most encouragingly for Juve fans were the showings of De Ceglie and Marchisio, who came of age. The pair have been compared to former greats Antonio Cabrini and Marco Tardelli respectively and, based on yesterday evening, they have very bright futures ahead of them.
In attack, Amauri was irrepressible, almost unplayable. For all the criticism that Alessio Secco has received over the past couple of years, this is one deal he must be praised for closing, even if he did pay slightly over-the-odds. Another is Sissoko. The Malian’s pass completion rate may be abysmal, but his physical prowess is admirable, especially against laboured teams like Milan. There are signs of a potentially fruitful partnership with Marchisio in the middle-of-the-park.
Inter are still the overwhelming favourites for this season’s Scudetto, but it now appears that if anyone is going to take them the 12 rounds, it will be the Pacquiao-like Juventus and not the De La Hoya-like Milan. |
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