Sampdoria knocked down again

The disruption caused by President Riccardo Garrone’s refusal to forgive hot-headed star striker Antonio Cassano looks ever more likely to lead to relegation after Sampdoria lost again at home to direct salvezza competition.  Lecce scored in each half and any thoughts of a Sampdoria reaction when Maccarone scored a rare goal where snuffed out when Daniele Mannini was sent off for a second yellow a minute later.

Sampdoria is a train running out of control and it will take a miracle for the equilibrium to return in time to save the side from total failure. Newly recruited attacking players are all struggling, two of the three replacements only getting a sliver of time on the field, goals are at a premium where earlier in the year, stopping the strike force of Cassano and Pazzini would have occupied a lot of the preparation of opposing teams.  And the defence which was the best in the League at the start of this season is now prone to horrendous errors of judgement.

The situation has the tragic-comedy air of the best of Italian Opera.  The building of a dynasty from humble beginnings, the prodigal son returning to play a starring role, then banished again for his indiscretion and now the tempest and perhaps inevitable conclusion.  Should Samp be relegated there is every chance that the remaining parts of the team that has already been severely dis-membered will go to the highest bidder in the summer. And so they should, they deserve to play in the top flight, for ambitious clubs that seek to progress the careers of their players, not to hold them in check.

Perhaps the greatest tragedy will be reserved for Riccardo Garrone, when after it is all done, he may reflect on the opportunity that lay before him, to really achieve something special, and instead, by following the code of economic frugality and accompanying that with a masochistic ego, he will see his era of Presidency become regarded only for the brief achievements of his most talented players but with no lasting legacy and certainly not the resounding affection that the great Paolo Mantovani  was held in.  Shame, for a while there it was close….

Chievo 0-0 Sampdoria

Predictable stalemate for Chievo and Samp

Pre-match:

Sampdoria have been dragged into a relegation dogfight having had difficulty scoring goals this season and it showed again with a truly dull 0-0 draw at the Stadio Bentegodi. Samp had started the season with high ambitions, but with their inability to score has continuously dropped them points and were coming into this match after four consecutive defeats. Chievo are far from safe either but have a small gap between themselves and the relegation zone.

Injury News:

Nicola Pozzi and Angelo Palombo returned for Samp while Franco Semioli and the suspended Fernando Tissone were their only absentees. Chievo were without Nicolas Frey and Luciano.

Action:

Sampdoria made a promising start with some good strong fluid passing, Nicola Pozzi looked threatening and the Blucerchiati carved out the first chance of the game when Maccarone crossed the ball from just inside the penalty area for Pozzi who couldn’t quite make contact – a Chievo defender cleared the ball for a corner. From that resulting corner Daniele Gastaldello had a free header, but he headed wide of the back post.

Samp had lot’s of vocal support from their fans – who clearly wanted them to know they were behind the team.

Chievo starting to get more into the game after the Gastadello chance. Sergio Pellissier’s headed into the ground from a Kevin Constant cross which whistled just wide of the upright.

Up until now Samp had looked very solid everytime Chievo got forward Poli and Palombo were tracking back to support the defenders – often making it six on two in favour of Samp. However in the 35th minute mark Chievo had the their best chance of the first half when Moscardelli latched onto the ball from around 20 yards out and lobbed the stranded Curci. The ball went not that far wide.

Maccarone was working the channels upfront for Samp by again crossing for ball for Pozzi who ended up getting more of the Chievo goalkeeper than the ball.

Chievo ended the first half looking far more the threatening side – still there were incredibly no shots on target for either teams in the entire first half.

In the second half Chievo moved to a three-man defence with Gennaro Sardo in midfield and Biabany replaced Pozzi for Samp.

There were very few moments of quality however in the 55th minute Mannini served a brilliant dipping cross from the right wing for Maccarone who unfortunatly just couldn’t quite make contact with the ball.

Sixty six minutes in Uribe replaced Bogliacino for Chievo and a few minutes later Laczko replaces Ziegler for Samp.

Seventy seven minutes in Andrelli fouled Maccarone while he was attempting to hold up the ball. From the resulting freekick Palombo testing the goalkeeper at the near most with a dipping shot.

Just a minute later the sub Uribe came within inches of firing Chievo into the lead. He latched onto a ball and fired just over. This was the closest Chievo or Samp came to scoring.

Poli won freekick after a deliberate body check from the already yellow carded Guana. From the resulting freekick by Palombo, Biabany nodded the ball agonisingly wide of the far post.

Post match

Samp had six offsides during the match with Maccarone and Biabany mostly the culprits. This clearly illustrates that the long ball tactic isn’t working for the Blurancheri. One point will probably do more for Chievo than Samp in both teams efforts to stave off relegation.

Teams

Chievo: Sorrentino; Sardo, Andreolli, Mandelli, Jokic (Cesar 46); Guana, Rigoni (Marcolini 61), Constant; Bogliacino (Uribe 66); Pellissier, Moscardelli

Sampdoria: Curci; Volta, Gastaldello, Lucchini; Mannini, Dessena, Palombo, Poli, Ziegler (Laczko 71); Pozzi (Biabiany 46), Maccarone (Guberti 85)

Ref: Brighi

Writer: Phil_C64

Sampdoria 2-3 Cesena

Samp Plunged Into Relegation Battle

Sampdoria were plunged into a relegation battle with a humiliating 3-2 home defeat to relegation strugglers Cesena. To make things worse Samp were 0-3 down until near 10 minutes from the end of the match.

Pre Match News:

The Blucerchiati had to win in order to avoid being dragged back into the relegation battle. Franco Semioli, Nicola Pozzi and Fernando Tissone were out of action, but Jonathan Biabiany returned to partner Massimo Maccarone. Cesena had Erjon Bogdani and Luca Ceccarelli suspended.

Match Action:

Young startlet Biabiany sprung the offside trap from an Palombo’s over the top ball – but veteran goalkeeper Francesco Antonioli rushed off his line to put it out for a corner. Cesena threatened when Giaccherini skipped past Ziegler down the right, but the cross-shot flashed across the face of goal. On the half-hour mark Maccarone got to the by-line and pulled back a perfect assist for Biabiany but he horribly ballooned over from just six yards out.

To make things worse Samp lost captain Palombo after he injured his ribs, with Vladimir Koman coming on as his replacement.
It was Cesena who broke the deadlock with a goal from out of nothing. Giaccherini pounced on a Lucchini error, allowing Parolo to rifle the ball into the net from 20 metres out.

Within two minutes of the second half the game was all but over for Samp – as they conceded two goals in two minutes. Giaccherini was again involved, as he hit a quality right-foot volley from a tight angle on Parolo’s cross, putting the ball past a helpless Curci to go in off the far post. A minute later Gastaldello couldn’t control a pass, leaving a huge gap for Giaccherini to run through, beating Curci as he rushed off the line.

Samp almost went 4-0 down when Caserta tested Curci from the edge of the box. Federico Macheda then came off the bench for Samp, but missed a sitter when turning a free header over the box from six yards out.

Samp did get back into it, but only thanks to a howler from former Samp goalkeeper Antonioli. The veteran appeared to have a Maccarone free kick under control, but fumbled and Massimo Volta came sliding in to score from one yard out. In the final minute there was controversy, as Samp were awarded an extremely soft penalty for holding in the box. Maccarone converted the spot-kick to make it 3-2 but it was a case of too little too late.

Post Match Summary

Samp are now just three points from the relegation zone. This morning Sampdoria announced that Di Carlo has been fired as manger with Alberto Cavasin being brought in until the end of the season.

Team News:

Sampdoria: Curci; Zauri, Gastaldello, Lucchini (Volta 46), Ziegler; Mannini, Palombo (Koman 37), Dessena, Guberti (Macheda 61); Biabiany, Maccarone

Cesena: Antonioli; Santon, Pellegrino (Benalouane 54), Von Bergen, Lauro; Caserta, Colucci, Parolo; Giaccherini (Piangerelli 88), Jimenez; Malonga (Rosina 72)

Ref: Pierpaoli

Sampdoria 0-2 Inter

Another goal-less result for Sampdoria.

Inter moved ahead of Napoli into second place and closed the gap on league leaders Milan with a 2-0 win over Sampdoria tonight.
Wesley Sneijder was the Nerazzurri hero, scoring a sensational second half free-kick to break the deadlock, before Samuel Eto’o added a second deep into injury time to secure a hard-fought three points.

After a slow opening to the match, a Sneijder-inspired Inter began to assume control, with the Dutchman causing problems with his deliveries from wide areas.

In the 10th minute, he whipped over a cross from out near the touchline which Andrea Ranocchia arrived right on cue to meet with an outstretched boot, but the young defender failed to control the effort and poked the ball over the crossbar.

Three minutes later, he fired over another inviting cross. However, the outcome was the same as Houssine Kharja sent a downwards header into the ground and wide.

But it was Sneijder himself who finally tested Gianluca Curci when he picked himself up after winning a free-kick 25 yards out and fired in a shot which the Sampdoria flew to his right to grasp.

Inter continued to dominate while the hosts periodically broke forward on the counter attack, but the match hit a 20-minute lull in which the tempo dropped and neither side looked particularly threatening.

However, the game sparked back into life in the closing minutes of the first 45 as both sides manufactured their best goalscoring chances.

In the 41st minute, Kharja picked out Samuel Eto’o, who was lurking on the edge of the box, with a fantastic cut-back, but the Cameroonian’s effort was weak and Curci dropped to smother the ball with absolute ease.

Back came the Blucerchiati, and Andrea Poli charged on to a deft Stefano Guberti lay-off before watching as his powerful low strike agonisingly cannoned back off the outside of the post and away to safety.

The second half continued in a similar vein to the opening half, with both sides appearing to lack drive and a cutting edge up front.

If anyone was likely to make something happen, however, it was Sneijder who again looked the most threatening player on the park.

On the hour mark, he latched onto a loose ball and rifled a left-footed shot inches wide of Curci’s right-hand post.

Massimo Maccarone almost equalised for the hosts just two minutes later when he raced onto Angelo Palombo’s searching pass over the top, but Julio Cesar was alert to the danger and darted from his line to make a crucial block.

From then on, Inter asserted control of proceedings and it was no surprise when they took the lead in the 73rd minute. Nor was it a surprise that it was a fantastic Sneijder free-kick from 30 yards out that flew past Curci to break the deadlock.

Sampdoria failed to heed the warning delivered by Sneijder’s deadball delivery and continued to commit needless fouls on the edge of the area. And the Dutchman was only too happy to try and take advantage, firing another ferocious free-kick against the base of the post.

The hosts threw caution to the wind in the closing stages, changing from a 3-5-1-1 to a 4-4-2 in an attempt to find an equaliser. But the eventual outcome was a second Inter goal when Eto’o collected Dejan Stankovic’s intelligent, raking free-kick and fired low under Curci to seal the points.

Sampdoria now will be desperate to take three points from their second consecutive home fixture, when Cesena visit the Luigi Ferraris in next Sunday’s early kick-off to avoid being sucked closer to the relegation battle

SampCelt

What really matters…

Sampdoria fans surely must feel like they are characters in a post-apocalyptic movie right now.  Their world has been well and truly shattered this season.  Given it would have been hard to repeat the rush to glory that ended in riotous scenes at the end of last season with full scale partying following their 4th place finish, but this is something different.

A poor showing in Europe could have been forgiven, even the early exit from the Coppa Italia, and even if this year had not finished with European Competition qualification, Samp fans would have upset, but surely not as desperate and lost as they now feel.  The President they trusted whose reign has brought them back from the brink seems to have turned against them, the sporting director that had brought them so many great players has gone, and now the two most notable signings of the past couple of years, comprising a strike force that was feared in Italy and beyond are lost to the big clubs.  To add insult the current coaching staff seems to lack incisiveness, the replacement sporting director has already been fired and now the owners are talking of ‘re-launching’.

The captain now talks of getting the year over with after losing the derby – perhaps the only thing fans had hope to salvage some pride from.  The return match will be the last stand for sure.  Not much is left that matters to the average fan and it will be some time before the kind of optimism that existed less than a year ago returns.   Last weekend the team earned an important point towards remaining in the top flight for next season.  It is a time for the die-hard supporters to show their true mettle.  Attendances will be down, and at away games the scenes of thousands traveling to Sicily and the like are unlikely to be repeated in the near future.  This all brings it down harder on the players who remain to get the job done. Morale inside the camp is surely crushed, but the glimmer of hope remains, not to gain anything from the season, but to a least see it out with pride.  And if a new champion can emerge, now is the time to do it.  A few goals from anywhere in these conditions is enough to ensure cult-status for a player for years to come.  Of course it may happen at the other end of the park, in which case perhaps one of the quiet achievers of the year, GianLuca Curci in goal will receive the accolades he deserves.

Sampdoria 0-1 Genoa

Sampdoria lose first city derby of the season…

Sampdoria came into the game, which was initially postponed back in December, full of confidence following Sunday’s 3-1 win over Bologna.

However, Rafinha’s 55th minute strike was enough to earn all three points as Genoa leapfrogged opponents Sampdoria in the Serie A table.

Indeed, the visitors could well have taken the lead long before they did as they twice hit the woodwork in the first half.

Juraj Kucka struck narrowly over from distance inside the first minute, before, six minutes later, Rodrigo Palacio hit the crossbar from the edge of the box following Kucka’s cross from the left.

Samp threatened too, with Eduardo forced to save first with his left foot from Stefano Guberti’s close-range shot, then more conventionally when the same player struck right-footed.

At the other end, Kucka shot narrowly wide and Gianluca Curci saved well when Rafinha tried his luck from 25 yards.

Marco Rossi then went close twice, first drilling the ball over after 26 minutes, then going even closer as 10 minutes later he smashed his strike against the crossbar.

Antonio Floro Flores followed up to tap the ball in but he was in a clear offside position.

Samp had the last chance of the half, though, when Daniele Gastaldello headed straight at Eduardo from close range.

Ten minutes after the restart Genoa got the goal they deserved as Rafinha powered the ball into the net from distance.

Rossi then threatened on the counter-attack but no Genoa striker could get on the end of his tempting cross.

At the other end, Guberti fired over from 20 yards, then saw Eduardo deny him from closer in.

But Genoa finished the game in the ascendancy with both Rossi and Kucka going close to adding a second.

SampCelt