It Started with Inter

By: vin | January 25th, 2009

If you tried to determine when the Zebrette crisis began – when they descended into the Davy Jones’ Locker of calcio – you have to go way back to Sunday, November 9th. That match marks the first loss of their current slide.

Since that day, it’s been a mess: seven losses, two draws, zero wins.

So, what’s the deal? Why the crisis? In my opinion, it has nothing to do with the coach, his selection of players, or their level of fitness. This is about momentum (or in Udinese’s case, a complete lack thereof), and expectations. Allow me to explain:

In the beginning of the campaign, you might recall that Udinese did well to manage their expectations. Remember Quagliarella’s words?

“In the locker room the word ‘Scudetto’ is banned, not to be pronounced even in jest. Whoever does say it will get a slap.”

That statement is indicative of the team’s attitude back when they were… well… winning. Marino’s no rookie; he knew what would happen if the team started to anticipate wins and expect top-of-the-table glory, so he banned that type of thinking. And the result? You saw it: a talented squad, playing as a team, and having fun on the pitch, and subsequently winning.

Then, Udinese played Inter. There were two problems with this match: 1) Inter are a talented squad. Yes, that’s obvious. But consider the fact that until then, Udinese had played only two matches against top-tier squads, and one of the squads (Roma) was going through a rough patch of its own. 2) People actually expected Udinese to give Inter trouble, and somehow, the memo got to the squad; that “the word ’scudetto’ is banned” Zebrette humility had been corrupted.

In the matches following Udinese’s disappointing loss to Inter, pressure to end the losing streak set in, leading to disappointment after disappointment; you could see in the way Udinese have been playing that the light-heartedness has left their brand of calcio. It’s as though they’re trying to get by on technique and strategy alone, with that extra team ingredient missing.

So, where does that leave Udinese? What do they need to get back on track? Simply put, they need what they haven’t had since before Inter: they need a match against a top-tier opponent in which Udinese are the underdog. (OK. They’ve had one such match since Inter. It was against Milan, but it was immediately before the break, and I’m not sure that a win there would’ve done much good anyway, as the transfer period surely would’ve sapped the team’s momentum. Plus, Milan had just been spanked, which means that they had the momentum advantage.)

A big match, in which people don’t even consider the Zebrette as having a chance, is just what the doctor ordered; it will allow the ragazzi to give their best without pressure - without expectations. Moreover, if it goes well, it will reintroduce the team to winning and enjoying themselves on the pitch, while simultaneously giving them a little forward momentum.

How fortuitous is it then, that our Zebrette have Juventus up next?

You’re not going to read this anywhere else (and that’s a good thing, because the quieter the better), but Juventus should be concerned, because the Zebrette have nothing to lose.

Forza Udinese!