Mercato-End Update

By: vin | September 1st, 2008

I’m trying really hard to contain my excitement so that I don’t post anything stupid, because things are looking good at the moment. Really good:

First, there’s Saturday’s solid victory.
Second, there’s the signing of Domizzi, which will help where our Zebrette need it most.
Third, Udinese have Juve next week. OK. Maybe things aren’t that good after all.

Photo from 2008-2009 opener

About Saturday: Much has already been said about the match Di Natale played, so I won’t add anything there other than to say that 1) I really hope he keeps it up (obviously), and 2) some of the credit for his success certainly goes to his teammates. Regarding the latter point, D’agostino and Inler were a constant menace, with D’agostino’s service being brutally accurate and Inler’s runs looking intelligent and well-timed (as usual). With their performances, it’s easy to overlook both Quags and Pepe, who did a good job of stretching Palermo’s defense, subsequently allowing Di Natale to do his thing.

Speaking of Quags, every time I watch Udinese, I’m reminded of the guy’s most well-kept secret: He can actually pass. Of course, I quickly forgive myself for forgetting about his passing when I see one of the shots for which he’s so well-known. Just as important as his passing and shooting however is his presence on the pitch; having seen many squads face Strike Force Udinese, I am starting to think that just having Quags out there forces the opposing defense to play out of their skin just a little. Thirty meters out, and it’s a game of defensive roulette, already. Will he pass? Will he run? Will he fire ze rail gun? I can’t even imagine what a pain in the a** it would be to cover this guy. Point being, we saw the Quags effect on Saturday.

Maurizio Domizzi! If you’ve been reading this blog since I started posting, you may recall that I wasn’t exactly jumping out of my seat with optimism when I took stock of Udinese’s defensive situation prior to the season. Since then, however, the Zebrette have brought in several back-of-the-house reinforcements, but it appears as though they’ve saved the best for last. I’ve already said that I like Domizzi, and I think he’ll be a great addition. Of course, the fact that he comes without great expense (in my opinion, at least) is just icing on the cake. Joe over at the Napoli blog has some interesting insight into the transfer, as it appears that it wasn’t without drama.

With the addition of Domizzi and the collective performance of the back line on Saturday, is it safe to say that the defense is… well… ready? I say yes. New guy Pasquale was especially effective, with Ferronetti playing a decent match as well. To be honest, (not counting the subs) Lukovic was the only shaky one, but we must remember that Domizzi and Sala have yet to make their debuts, and Zapata and Felipe are still around (albeit injured), so at this point, there is half-decent depth. At the very least, it’s a world better than it was in the beginning of this mercato, so I’m happy.

Visiting the Old Lady: OK, maybe “happy” isn’t the best word. How ’bout cautiously optimistic? After Fiorentina managed to grab a last-minute point from Juve, It’s probably safe to say that Buffon & Co. will be looking for an emphatic victory on the 14th (in front of a home crowd, no less) so that they can write this past weekend off as a mere tuning session, and then really get the show started. I mean… let’s face it: Amauri. Del Piero. Iaquinta Suites… that’s what we call an attack, ladies and gentlemen, and they won’t be after another draw. As I said, I think Udinese’s defense is ready, but THIS will be the real test, that’s for damn sure.

See… Juventus may have ‘only’ tied Fiorentina, but it should be noted that they were a pretty banged up side; Sissoko, Trez, Chiellini, Marchionni and Zanetti didn’t even travel to Firenze. Meanwhile, Udinese were very near full strength when they tore into Palermo. Additionally, there’s a bit more time than usual before the next ‘week,’ which gives Juve time to regroup, while Udine will simply be hard pressed to hold on to their momentum. (By the way, Di Natale was the only Zebra called for international duty, while Juve had five players called.)

If anything, the only benefit Udinese will obtain from the downtime before the next match is that Domizzi and Sala can now take advantage of a much-needed adjustment period. Still, even with an additional time for orientation, I’m not sure that Marino will throw either defender into the fire against Juve. Given the back line’s decent (though not mind-blowing) performance against Palermo, he may opt to keep things the way they are and hope for the best. The problem (as I see it) is that anything less than the best from these guys simply won’t do against The (wounded) Old Lady.

On a brighter note, Fiorentina were without Montolivio and Mutu, two key players by anyone’s standards, which means that Juve’s defense, while tested, didn’t face a full Viola arsenal… yet the Viola still managed a draw. On the 14th however, Juve *will* have to contend with a full Zebrette onslaught, and we know that Buffon & Co., while awesome, are *not* infallible.

My prediction speculation? Ask me closer to the match, when the rosters are announced. My eyes are on gli Azzurri until then.