AC Milan vs Juventus (game & post-game comments)

[quote=Maradona (10)]

Originally Posted by Jeff

The ball was not hit well, Del Piero's kick went up and ended close to the area defended by Dida. Thats GK territory.

so you expected dida to leave his post, go up and grab a ball that trezeguet could have headed down to an oncoming juve player? or do you think dida thought stam will close him down because maldini is on dida's left to cover oncoming juve players? dida did what he had to because it was stam who should have closed trez.

I think it was a pretty even game and if performance was to determine the score, I would ay a draw would have been the most fair of results. However, although we played well in the second half and Juve did a lot of desperate defending - good game for Inzaghi, IMO - I think that Juve deserved the win for being more solid than Milan in the whole 1st half and most importantly for taking there chances, something I can't say Milan did tonight.
IMO, the fight for the scudetto is far from over but I would be more than satisfied if we end up getting "only" the CL this season. In fact, I would count it as a very positive season even if don't win a single title this year. Hopefully, for next year we will learn our lessons and that is that in order to get a double with this league of 20 teams we need at least 3 top-of the line reinforcements in the wing/back positions (Janku and Trabelsi would be welcomed additions), midfield (van Bommel AND Pizarro), and attack (Gilardino).
I think the most positive thing on the night is the performances of Inzaghi and Serginho, while Kaka and Sheva were the biggest disappoinments tonight but I do believe that they have played way too many games this season and even a big squad like ours is not enough to make it through a LONG season like this one - there are a lot of players on the team that just make up the numbers but are just not up to the level of the more regular 14-15 players we have been using throughout the season.

just came back from watching the game. Pure dissappointment by anyone's definition. What were Nesta, Stam, Maldini were thinking when they all left Trez unguarded to score that freak goal? Two penalties appeals for a foul and a handball in the box were turned down although Collina were only few steps away...

I didnt quite understand the Pirlo-Seedorf's substitutions that Carlo made. When he took Pirlo out, I was quite stunned. It was Seedorf who shoulda been subbed first. He was slow and way too predictable. If I had been Carlo, I woulda started Serginho instead of Seedorf for 2 reasons i) Seedorf is going through a patch of bad forms right now, ii) we would need width in attacks knowing that Juve would pack the central crowded to disrupt our plays. After Pirlo was taken out, our freekicks lost tend folds of their effectiveness.

Credits to Juve though. IMO, they tatically shut down all our attacks in the first half. Kaka was totally invisible. They took the freak chance. In the second half, they absorbed all the attacks we threw at them ( they also have Collina to thank for all the turned down penaties). Being realistic, I think we already lost the Scudetto. I will still be very happy though if we win the CL.

The TV camera did show a glimse of Berlusconi and Galliani....They, specially Berlu didnt look very happy. Let's wait and see what he will say after the match..

BERLUSCONI: 'Tomorrow is another day'
5/8/2005
MILAN - This is what president Silvio Berlusconi had to say after the game with Juventus: ’It was not a good day. The game was suffered in the first half and better played after the break. I saw another Milan side in the second period, but they showed too much approximation and slowness to reach the box. We were not able to be effective, there is some tiredness. Now we hope that our players will be able to recover some strengths and finish well a season that has been fantastic so far. We are sorry, but to a certain point. We faced Juventus being albeit level and on the pitch it was not fellt such a great difference. I'll tell the team in the dressing rooms to forget this defeat and this afternoon. Tomorrow is another day, another game and another challenge.'

Jim, even the president agrees with me that fitness played a part

One more thing - for the goal I think it was a mistake from our defence and not Dida. The miscommunicatin between Stam and Maldini was the culprit in that moment, IMO. Del Pierro also shouldn't have been allowed so much time on the ball but a cross like that isn't always possible to cover, while Trazeguet was left completely unmarked a couple of meters from goal with no defender being even close to him.
As for the penalty appeals - I don't think any of them was warrented. If I were Collina, I wouldn't give them either just like I would have been very angry if any of these were given against Milan.

MILAN - This is what president Silvio Berlusconi had to say after the game with Juventus: ’It was not a good day. The game was suffered in the first half and better played after the break. I saw another Milan side in the second period, but they showed too much approximation and slowness to reach the box. We were not able to be effective, there is some tiredness. Now we hope that our players will be able to recover some strengths and finish well a season that has been fantastic so far. We are sorry, but to a certain point. We faced Juventus being albeit level and on the pitch it was not fellt such a great difference. I'll tell the team in the dressing rooms to forget this defeat and this afternoon. Tomorrow is another day, another game and another challenge.'

WOW!!! that was a positive response from Berlu. Seeing the look of his face on TV, I expected much worse

collina has embarrased the whole of italy and the creditability of the italin league is all i am going to say

foreign refs needed

Originally Posted by almilan

collina has embarrased the whole of italy and the creditability of the italin league is all i am going to say

foreign refs needed

yeah... but foreigners aren't any better. In england and spain hilarious mistakes by refs r very common (dissallowed goal against manchester for example)

Originally Posted by Snapster

What, we should learn to give up going after trophies? That's deplorable, we should be competing on all levels, we used to do it and we should be able to do it. Hell if Manure can win the treble with more matches than we play, why shouldn't we.

I'm extremely angry will all the fitness excuses. Yes we had 10 games in 30 days, we knew we would but was anything done about it? NO. Blame falls on Ancelotti for not rotating.

Things are different. It is tougher. Man United won the treble with tremendous luck. I am not sure about the league, but I remember the FA cup and CL final. both could have gone the other way around, easily.

We SHOULD and we CAN win everything. No doubt on that. It is just tough. I always have high confidence on Milan Lab, but as can be seen by EVERYONE WITH EYES, our old boys ARE TIRED, VERY TIRED! That was an observation, and it is now happening.

Ancelotti is not brave enough. Brocchi, JDT, KK and co. are all very decent players. Given chance, they can shine. Look at the lineup:
----Abbiati-----
Simic--Billy(needs backup)--KK--Serginho
Brocchi--Ambrosini--Rui--Dorahsoo
Inzaghi--JDT

Not so bad, huh? And I haven't even used any one in the first-11 yet. It is definitely not worse than most team other than Juve and Inter, I would say.

I am not expecting at all that Ancelotti will use this, however, he can try use 5-6 of them. It is a shame that their talents are wasted.

While some of our players are in dire need for rest, some other are desperate for playing time. Ancelotti is too much conservative, but I don't blame him and I don't expect him to change either, having Berlusconi as the boss is not easy either, and not to mention so many bad memories he has had.

Now we have our 7th CL trophy waiting for us. The final is only 2 weeks away! I say, rest all of the players! Don't be kidding me, Maldini, Stam, Cafu need at least 10 days to 2 weeks to get back to their best physical condition. Gattuso, Pirlo, Kaka, Sheva need one full week. Dida should get some relax too, he has been mentally overcharged. The drop in his form worries me the most.

But I doubt Ancelotti will do it. We still have slim hope in the league, that could be haunting him. If I were him, I would definitely rest key players and give our squad players a chance to shine, and let Parma and Livorno beat Juventus. IF they do, fine. If they don't, we don't care. We have a more important CL trophy awaiting.

FORZA MILAN

Originally Posted by almilan

collina has embarrased the whole of italy and the creditability of the italin league is all i am going to say

I am sure you are saying that just because you feel very disappointed by the defeat. How would you have fealt about it if Collina was to give a peanlty like that vs Milan?
Now that would have been an embarrassing moment and not this one - we simply failed to capitalize on the few opportunities we created today while Juve did and that's why they won the game. In the very same way Milan are in the CL final and not PSV.
Come on guys, let's not be bitter losers like some other people from across town.

Originally Posted by kenny_shev

WOW!!! that was a positive response from Berlu. Seeing the look of his face on TV, I expected much worse

Yeah, a positive response to the media but what will he say/do to the players and Carlo?? Alot goes on behind the scence. I hope it will constructive and not destructive.

Originally Posted by peters

yeah... but foreigners aren't any better. In england and spain hilarious mistakes by refs r very common (dissallowed goal against manchester for example)

yeah but i dont some of the decisions made by italin refs are actually mistakes, there has been too many this year for example, the 2 milan juve games, milan v bologna, milan v chievo, siena v milan, chievo v juve, lazio v juve, bologna v juve, roma v juve etc

Originally Posted by zlatanov

I am sure you are saying that just because you feel very disappointed by the defeat. How would you have fealt about it if Collina was to give a peanlty like that vs Milan?
Now that would have been an embarrassing moment and not this one - we simply failed to capitalize on the few opportunities we created today while Juve did and that's why they won the game. In the very same way Milan are in the CL final and not PSV.
Come on guys, let's not be bitter losers like some other people from across town.

they were both clear cut penalties zambrotta pulled down cafu in the box hand on his jersey quite balantly an dfor the other one cafu's shot which was goalbound was blocked by cannavaros arm perhaps not on purpose as hew did throw hinmself at the ball but it doesnt matter or not he shouldnt have his hands up in the air it was a penalty. remember siena milan last year when collina gave penalty against milan when ball hit shevas arm unintentionally. collina should follow his own precedents

Originally Posted by Xudong

Things are different. It is tougher. Man United won the treble with tremendous luck. I am not sure about the league, but I remember the FA cup and CL final. both could have gone the other way around, easily.

We SHOULD and we CAN win everything. No doubt on that. It is just tough. I always have high confidence on Milan Lab, but as can be seen by EVERYONE WITH EYES, our old boys ARE TIRED, VERY TIRED! That was an observation, and it is now happening.

My point was manu got to the finals and didn't have an issue with fitness. The premiership was 20 teams in the league back then as Serie A is now, the CL had more or less same games as now, and they got to cup final (and pretty far in the league cup as well). The EPL is by far a more energy sapping league in terms of physically fitness due to the endless running of players (not saying it's better btw!). I seem to recall some fitness institute monitored manu during some games, and the defenders averaged 8 miles running a game, strikers 10, and midfielders between 15 and 20 miles.

That's more games and higher energy use than our players.

And yes, it was luck that won them the CL final, although everyone needs a bit to win things.

Originally Posted by almilan

they were both clear cut penalties zambrotta pulled down cafu in the box hand on his jersey quite balantly an dfor the other one cafu's shot which was goalbound was blocked by cannavaros arm perhaps not on purpose as hew did throw hinmself at the ball but it doesnt matter or not he shouldnt have his hands up in the air it was a penalty. remember siena milan last year when collina gave penalty against milan when ball hit shevas arm unintentionally. collina should follow his own precedents

Let's not get into this referee issue. Whether the referee(s) is/are at fault today, let's not mention it. It's important to set the mindset right. That's all.

I feel sorry for Cafu, nevertheless. I would have been very disappointed esp. you got tugged from behind and nothing is done.