Bleacher Report - Articles by Danny Penza

Juventus-Bordeaux: Juve Fail To Do Anything Right, Lose 2-0 In France

Danny Penza — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:04:14 -0500

With Juventus needing just a win against Bordeaux to advance to the Champions League knockout round, they might have laid their biggest egg of the entire season.

When the two teams faced off in Turin two months ago, it was a night full of frustration. The strikers couldn't finish, the midfield was dominated, and the defense had to rely on the best goalkeeper in the world to prevent the scoreline from being completely lopsided.

It was even worse Wednesday night.

Juve were dominated and dominated by a good amount in their 2-0 loss to the French champions. If you try and find positives about how the Old Lady played, good luck with that. It was just a terrible showing.

And that kind of dismal showing seemed to start right off the bat. Within minutes, Bordeaux were already putting pressure on the Juve backline. Just three minutes in, Gianluigi Buffon got his first singal that tonight was again going to be a busy one when he had to palm away a Jaroslov Plasil free kick.

Bordeaux kept coming from all angles and the Juve defense were clearly on their heels. They were not only dominating the possession, but dictating the pace of the game.

Plasil again came close to opening the scoring 10 minutes later, but shot his volley over the goal.

For Juventus, the opportunities were few and far between in the first half. Their first chance came midway through the first half when Giorgio Chiellini's downward header bounced inches over the crossbar.

However, Bordeaux was on the attack yet again. Marouane Chamakh, who was an injury doubt before the game, sprung the offsides trap and went in one-on-one against Buffon. Much like their first meeting, Buffon came up huge at the perfect time and denied Chamakh by beating away his close-range effort.

Buffon was again needed in stoppages. This time it was Yoan Gouffran with the effort trying one from long range and again Buffon keeping the game scoreless.

The second half started much like the first. Juve manager changed up his tactics, moving Alessandro Del Piero from the left flank to a more natural spot up top with Amauri. But it wasn't working, Juve were clearly struggling against Bordeaux and themselves.

Bordeaux got the much-deserved opener 10 minutes into the second half. It was again Plasil on the end of a free kick, Fernando on the end of it, and this time Buffon couldn't do anything about it. Chalk that up as another goal from a set piece for Laurent Blanc's boys.

No fault to Buffon as both Amauri and Felipe Melo made absolutely no effort to try and head the ball out of the box before it found Fernando.

Juve did fight back and had two chances to level the score within minutes of one another. First it was Felipe Melo trying to recreate the goal he scored against Atalanta three weeks ago with a screamer from long-range—but this time it went over the bar. Diego did get a fierce strike on target, stinging Bordeaux keeper Cedric Carrasso's palms.

And then it was the chance that summed up the night for Juventus.

After Del Piero somehow managed to chip the ball through two defenders, both Amauri and Diego were waiting for it inside the six-yard box. The problem was, neither of them put it away, with the ball bouncing off Diego's thigh and out for a goal kick.

Minutes later, Ferrara introduced primavera striker Ciro Immobile for Del Piero. With Amauri struggling mightily to get involved in the game, you would have thought it would be him that Immobile replaced, but it was the captain making way for the youngster.

Bordeaux came right back and nearly made it 2-0. Benoit Tremoulinas took rip at one that bounced off a Juve defender, leaving Buffon for dead. Luckily for Juve, the ball trickled wide of goal and out for a corner.

Ferrara continued his strange string of subs with 13 minutes to go—this time bringing on Sebastian Giovinco for Amauri and leaving Immobile as the lone striker up top.

Bordeaux again came close to doubling their lead and again it was Buffon denying the effort. This time it was defender Marc Planus trying to get one past the Italian wall in goal with a blast towards the back post. Buffon had it covered and parried it away.

Then in stoppages Bordeaux did get their second goal of the night. And what a surprise, it was on a set piece with blown marking. This time it was Martin Caceres letting Chamakh get free and finsh a convincing win with beast of a header.

All but one of their goals this year in the Champions League have come from set pieces. You would think Juve would know how dangerous they are in those kinds of situations.

With the loss and Bayern Munich's win against Maccabi Haifa, Juve have to beat or draw against their German counterpart in two weeks in Turin—something every person was hoping wouldn't be the case.

Juventus-Bordeaux Preview: Five Questions for the Bianconeri in France

Danny Penza — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:31:11 -0500

It's pretty plain and simple for Juventus against Bordeaux in Champions League action on Wednesday—you win, you advance to the knockout stages.

There, of course, are other scenarios that will allow the Bianconeri to go through to the knockout stages, involving the Bayern Munich-Maccabi Haifa game, but the easiest way is to beat the French champions and not rely on other teams to give you help.

The two teams opened the Champions League group stages with a 1-1 draw at the Olimpico in Turin. Vincenzo Iaquinta opened the scoring in the 63rd minute and Jarislov Plasil leveling the scoreline just 12 minutes later.

It was a frustrating night for both teams—with Juventus failing to impress and get any kind of finishing touch going and Bordeaux feeling the wrath of the world's best goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon, on numerous occaisions.

Both teams were on the opposite ends of 1-0 decisions this past weekend. Juventus were unimpressive in a 1-0 win against Udinese while Bordeaux were shocked at home against Valenciennes.

1. Can Juventus keep its evil twin in the closet?

Consistency is a key in any team over the course of a long season. This is especially true in the Champions League with so much on the line and little room for error.

It's the consistent inconsistency that has them trailing Inter in the standings instead of possibly being ahead of their biggest rival.

To bring it to a more specific concentration, if Juve want to win, they need to put in a complete 90-minute game. We've seen Juve get up early this season and then take the foot off the gas and allow the opposing to make things much more interesting than they needed to be.

Sometimes it hasn't killed, but other times it has, causing them to lose points when they shouldn't have.

In the first game against Bordeaux, too many players played average at best. The result was a draw when it should have been a win. If they want to turn things around on the road at the Stade Jacques Chaban-Delmas and get the three points needed to qualify for the knockout round, they will have to put in a better performance than they did at home.

2. Can Diego work some of his early season magic?

Having missed out due to injury, Juventus' pint-sized Brazilian magician didn't play a part the last time these teams met back in September.

By no means is the Juve team Diego dependent. But it is also fact that when the offense is clicking, Diego is usually at the center of what is happening. Whether he is trying to score himself or setting up a teammate, when things are happening up top, Diego is involved in it.

However, in the first match coming out of the international break this past Sunday, Diego was far from being the usual creative force we have come to know him to be. His passing was off, his free kick delivery wasn't there. It was just a bad day at the office.

In all likelihood it was more rust than being on poor form considering how well he played going into the break.

With so much riding at this game, the big players will be looked at to make big things happen. Diego is one of those players. Now it's time to make it happen.

3. What kind of impact can the midfield have?

In Turin, the Juventus midfield struggled to get going against Bordeaux's compact and rugged five-man midfield.

Unlike the first encounter, Juventus will be featuring their own version of a five-man midfield. The 4-2-3-1 has given the squad more creativity with Diego being flanked by Mauro Camoranesi and Sebastian Giovinco as well as helping the defense with Felipe Melo and Momo Sissoko/Christian Poulsen sitting in front of them.

However, outside of Christian Poulsen, nobody really impressed against Udinese this past Sunday. Melo played arguably his worst game in a Juve jersey after a string of solid at worst efforts this season. The ball was turned over far too many times, the tackling wasn't up to its usual standards, and things just looked out of whack.

With Bordeaux playing so compact, the midfield battle will be crucial. They struggled in Turin and it showed. If they can turn it around and play well, the result should be a good one.

4. Can the defense keep their near-perfect Champions League record going?

It may be hard to believe, but the Juventus defense has given up the fewest number of goals through four rounds of the Champions League group stage.

Now, a lot of that has to do with the heroics of Buffon in the opener and playing Maccabi Haifa in back-to-back games, but still, allowing one goal in four Champions League games is nothing to frown at.

The squad selection for Ferrara might be as easy as penciling in who will be in goal. It will basically be the same defense that Bordeaux saw Ferrara trot out there in Turin—the obvious difference being Chiellini instead of Nicola Legrottaglie in the center.

Both Caceres and Grosso played especially well over the weekend and they will be looking to continue their fine form. If Juve get solid production out of their fullbacks, things will only get that much better both defensively and offensively.

With both Yoann Gourcuff and Maouane Chamakh out injured, Bordaeux's two biggest weapons won't be on the field. That doesn't mean things will be easy, but it definitely is an advantage for a defense that can struggle at times.

5. Can Amauri have a positive impact?

With Iaquinta and David Trezeguet out injured and Alessandro Del Piero working his way back to match fitness after returning from his own injury troubles, it's Amauri up top as Juve's lone striker.

It has been a battle for the Brazilian so far this season. He has only four goals in Serie A when he could easily have twice as many with as many opportunities he has had. As the games have gone, he hasn't sustained anything consistent and his finishing in front of goal has been mediocre at best.

No matter what formation Ferrara has fielded him in, Amauri has struggled to put everything together.

He will have three creative midfielders in Diego, Camoranesi, and Giovinco playing behind him, so if they can get him the ball in the air or on the ground, he should have chances to score.

However, things won't come easy against a Bordeaux defense that has allowed just two goals in the Champions League and the fewest in Ligue 1—including just two in seven home matches.

Juventus-Udinese: Fabio Grosso's Goal Sees Juve Stay Five Points Behind Inter

Danny Penza — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:43:08 -0500

As we have seen over the course of the season, when Juventus came out of the international break, they look like a completely different team compared to the one that entered it.

The trend continued on Sunday when a mediocre Juve side-grinded out a 1-0 win over Udinese on a cool and foggy night in Turin.

From the start, Juve established possession. Diego tried to catch Udinese goalkeeper Samir Handanovic napping with a cross-shot less than a minute in. However, the effort was moving right as it got closer to the goal and only found side netting.

The Brazilian playmaker again came close to opening the scoring five minutes in, with a right-footed blast from the top of the box, stinging Handanovic's hands.

Juventus again had a chance from a tight angle to score, this time with Sebastian Giovinco on the left side of goal. The diminutive Italian playmaker shot from a tight angle, but Handanovic wasn't troubled at the near post and smothered Giovinco's shot.

But then after that, the game began to turn into slop with bad passes and clearances, poor field conditions, and not many scoring opportunities. It just showed the international break was taking its effect on both of the teams.

Juventus didn't get their next chance to score until the 37th minute. And what a glorious chance it was. After some slick combination play from Mauro Camoranesi, Diego, and Giovinco, Camoranesi sent in a great cross that found Amauri unmarked in the six-yard box. However, the big Brazilian striker couldn't get a foot on it and saw the ball hit off his knee and go right into Handanovic's hands.

It was a play that summed up Amauri's night, as he was one of the worst players on the field. Other than that one chance, he barely saw the ball.

The first half ended with some bad blood, after both Diego and Handanovic were booked after the Brazilian nicked the keeper in the head trying to chase down the ball. Diego was first shown a yellow but then Handanovic was also shown one after getting to his feet and letting the Juve playmaker know how he felt about the incident.

Juve broke the deadlock five minutes into the second half, when Fabio Grosso scored his first goal in a Juve uniform. Fellow fullback Martin Caceres, who was great in the second half, sent in a pinpoint cross to Grosso. The Italian international was not only unmarked in the six-yard box, but also had a wide open goal to shoot at; he burried it with authority.

The stoppage after the goal allowed Ciro Ferrara to introduce Captain Alessandro Del Piero back into action. The Juve idol had only played 10 minutes this season and, from what he was saying in the press leading up to the match, he was itching to get back on the field.

Del Piero's effect was felt almost immediately as Juve came close to doubling their lead. After a combination play from Del Piero and Diego resulted in a loose ball, Momo Sissoko grabbed a hold of one and sent it screaming just over the crossbar.

However, Udinese came right back with a chance of their own when Antonio Floro Flores sent a rocket in towards the Juventus goal. Gianluigi Buffon looked to have a little trouble reading the direction it was heading, but saved the shot by sticking out his back foot.

Juve again had a chance to double the lead with 15 minutes to go. Off a Del Piero corner, Camoranesi's header deflected off of Udinese defender Dusan Basta's head. An alert, Handanovic made a fine save to prevent an own goal as the ball was heading towards to back post.

Diego had a fine chance with 10 minutes to go, after shaking two defenders. However, once he finally got a shooting lane, there wasn't much on the attempt and it went right at Handanovic.

And much like a good portion of Juve's games, there was drama at the end. In stoppages, the Friulani came close to equalizing it after a mad scramble in the box. Juve supporters had their hearts in their throats thinking another possible three points was going to get away from them, but Buffon smothered the ball and prevented any shot on goal.

The Encore Was Even Better: Tim Lincecum Wins the 2009 NL Cy Young

Danny Penza — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:05:09 -0500

Coming into the 2009 season, many people wondered what exactly Tim Lincecum could do following a first full year in the bigs where he won the National League Cy Young Award.

It's not that we expect a drop off or anything like that, but you have to wonder what a guy can do after winning a Cy Young as a 24-year-old who is just two years out of college.

Well, we found out.

Tim Lincecum: 2009 NL Cy Young Award winner—in back-to-back fashion.

That's what you call getting it done.

He now has two more Cy Young Awards than arguably the best pitcher in Giants history, the great Juan Marichal. He joins a club of National League pitchers with consecutive awards that only has three other members—Sandy Koufax, Greg Maddux, and Randy Johnson.

The results didn't come in with Obama-like landslide like last year. In fact, they were far from it. Instead of the comfortable margin of victory over Johan Santana he had in 2008, Lincecum squeaked past the two Cardinals aces and win by just six points and 10 points, respectively. He didn't even get the most first place votes—that went to Adam Wainwright with 12.

If either Wainright or Chris Carpenter had won, you wouldn't have gotten much of an argument from me. They both had seasons more than worthy of winning the Cy Young. Heck, most years they would have won.

But with the smallest candidate standing tall, they saw The Freak win the award yet again.

You could even say that the 2009 version of Lincecum was better than 2008. He cut his ERA down from 2.62 to 2.48 and his WHIP from 1.17 to 1.05. He did strike out four fewer batters than last season, but he also walked less than he did in 2008 in just about the same amount of innings.

Equipped with his devastating changeup that he seemingly has evolved overnight, he again led the Senior Circuit in strikeouts with 261. He was tied with teammate Matt Cain with four complete games and a group of five for the league lead with two shutouts

Yeah, there was room to improve and he did just that.

But things weren't easy. Lincecum struggled down the stretch, going just 2-3 with a 3.38 ERA in the final month and change of the season. He struggled with his command at times and he clearly had lost some zip on his oh-so-powerful fastball.

The 15 wins were the obvious outlier. Not many starting pitchers who are even considered for the award can say they had a legit shot of winning with so few wins.

The run support numbers may say he was basically even with Carpenter, but you know the Giants lack of offense hurt him on numerous occasions. I mean, how many people have shut down the Philadelphia Phillies and their mighty offense, in the City of Brotherly Love, and lost?

Not many.

But that's the beauty of Lincecum.

He can overcome the obvious shortcomings of the team he plays on and stake his claim as the best in the league...again. Last year he was on one of the worst teams in baseball, with one of the worst offenses, and won it. This year the offense was just as woeful, if not worse, and he still put the team on his back time after time and got the job done.

So let's all take a step back and admire what Lincecum has accomplished after just two full seasons in the big leagues—two Cy Young Awards and he is still only 25. You think that isn't complete dominance?

Now we will all wonder what he has to do to win the Cy in 2010.

Dare we say the third time is yet another charm?

The orange and black faithful will anxiously awaiting what will happen in chapter three of this best-selling novel.

Kicking Tires: Should the Giants Sign Pudge Rodriguez to Mentor Buster Posey?

Danny Penza — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:17:47 -0500

Ah, November baseball.

Not the part of the month where frigid temperatures make players taking part in the World Series dress like they’re about to embark on a voyage to the Arctic. This is the part where the Major League Baseball hot stove gets going and gets going awfully quick.

The San Francisco Giants won 88 games this past season and you would think that they would be knocking on the door of the playoffs with that kind of win total. But they did that with one of the worst offenses in all of baseball, one that basically put up the same numbers that they did when they had lost 90-plus in 2007 and 2008.

One of the biggest questions is what the Giants will do behind the plate. Incumbent Bengie Molina is a free agent and despite being 35 years of age, has made it no secret that he has seeking a two-year contract at the very minimum. The Giants may offer Molina arbitration because he is a Type A free agent, but it would be a terrible move to offer him a multi-year contract because Buster Posey is just waiting in the wings.

Do the Giants seem willing to completely hand Posey the keys to the best pitching staff in the National League when he is still a rookie? Not a whole lot of people are convinced they will, at least to begin the 2010 season.

That's where Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez comes into play.

Bringing Rodriguez to San Francisco for 2010 is something that Andrew Baggarly tossed around on Monday and that fellow Giants Community Leader Evan Aczon and myself have discussed quite a few times before Baggs posted it on his blog.

Could we have scooped the great Baggs? Possibly, but back to the point of all this.

It's not often there is a 13-time Gold Glove winner is out there on the open market at a position where the Giants are still completely up in the air. They would probably bring Molina back, but not for more than a year.

The signals the Giants have sent regarding Posey are anything but easy to understand.

The general consensus on the 2008 Golden Spikes Award winner has been that the bat will take a lot less time to develop than his defensive skills behind the plate. Then, at the Giants' end-of-the-year press conference, GM Brian Sabean said that the bat is the thing that is still up in the air.

I find that very hard to believe considering Posey has been so good, so soon after being drafted in 2008. You never know what Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy are really thinking when it comes to personnel decisions. You can't honestly tell me, and a whole lot of other people, that a judgment on whether Posey is ready or not for the big leagues was made on his 17 at-bats after he was brought up in September.

Never mind that 14 of those 17 at-bats came after he was sitting on the bench for more than three weeks after he was promoted on Sept. 2, because the numbers Posey put up in the minors speak for themselves.

You don't find too many catchers in their first full year as a professional hitting .325, walking almost as much as they struck out, recording an OPS of .947, and throwing out close to 50 percent of runners trying to steal a base.

Am I in the corner that says Posey is ready for the big leagues? Definitely. I also understand that the transition from catching in the minors to catching in the majors is a difficult one, so expecting Posey to completely rake right out of the shoot would be just a little too much to ask.

And that's part of the reason that the Giants should bring in Rodriguez to be a stand-in while Posey is still adjusting to life as a big-league catcher. He can’t only be a guy who spells the 22-year-old Posey from time to time, but he can also be like another coach that can help Posey with the finer details of the position.

Understandably, Pudge is not the same player he once was with the bat. He's not a lock like he was in the prime of his career to get 20 homers and 80 RBI. His stats at the plate with the Astros and Rangers weren’t anything impressive—.249 average, 10 HR, 47 RBI.

But what he did show last year besides his usual good defense behind the plate was that he is fine aiding a young catcher break into the majors. When he was traded to the Texas Rangers in the middle of August, it wasn’t to be the full-time catcher. Instead, Rodriguez split time with one of Texas’ young catchers, Taylor Teagarden.

With the Giants, he would likely do the same thing. Seeing as he made only $1.5 million in 2009, it won’t be a move that breaks the bank like bringing back Molina likely would. And with the Giants needing to improve in so many other areas offensively, having a bargain or two on the roster wouldn’t hurt.

It just makes too much sense having the best catching prospect in the game pair up with one of the best catchers in the history of baseball.

Posey is clearly the future behind the plate for the Giants. But it wouldn’t hurt to have somebody there helping him along the way as he continues to get his feet wet.

Angel Villalona Out on Bail: The Odd Twists and Turns Just Keep Coming

Danny Penza — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:10:47 -0500

Sept. 19, 2009 has two very different meanings for the San Francisco Giants organization.

On one end of the spectrum, their High-A affiliate, the San Jose Giants, celebrated yet another California League championship after completely steamrolling the competition.

On the other, their teammate Angel Villalona, who was in the Dominican Republic after being sent home to visit family before beginning offseason conditioning, was being accused of murder.

From top prospect to being 19 years old and a possible murderer. Not exactly what you call an ideal situation.

Since then, almost two months had gone by without hearing anything about Villalona's legal situation in the Dominican. It wasn't a shocker considering that when he was arraigned the judge said he would stand trial in two or three months.

Then Sunday afternoon rolls around, and there are reports that Villalona has been released on bail —something few people actually expected to happen with everything being so quiet on the news front for such a long period of time and everybody just waiting for the proceedings for a trial going on as planned.

Monday brought even more news , this time with details of what exactly prompted Villalona's release on bail.

The synopsis of the developments is this—the victim's family has now asked for the murder charges against Villalona to be dropped.

But why did the family all of a sudden decide to drop the charges? It's because they reached a settlement with Villalona of around two million pesos, the equivalent to $50,000 or so (that is different than the five million pesos or $139,000 that ESPN Deportes reported a few days ago).

Whether it is hush money or just a plain settlement between the two parties, Villalona has basically just paid off the family of the son he is accused of murdering two months ago. That just looks like all kinds of bad.

That's not just because of the money, but because of how sudden this news is. All signs pointed towards Villalona going to trial and, whether he is actually innocent or guilty, seeing justice being served. There were reportedly witnesses in both corners willing to state their view of what happened in the La Romana bar Sept. 19.

In some ways, as a fan of the Giants and one that follows their minor league system closely, I want to see Villalona set free. You want to see a kid who has so much raw potential finally reach it and do something with the team that has invested so much in him.

You hear teammates like Buster Posey and Garrett Broshuis say nothing but positives about Villalona, so thinking that he is capable of going from quiet guy to murderer is basically not possible. There never has once been a reason to think that Villalona would have character issues, let alone be charged with murder.

However, when he is released on bail under these circumstances, you can't help wonder what exactly is going on in the Dominican right now.

No matter who the person is, whether it is a top prospect like Villalona or some random guy who stumbles out of a bar in the middle of the night, you want justice to be served and done the right way. You want things done the right way and not determined by a pretty good sum of money that the accused is willing to pay to get out of it.

Having your fandom override the fact that if Villalona is not prosecuted yet actually has done the unthinkable act of killing another man over something stupid in a Dominican club is unacceptable.

But what happens if he never goes to trial? What do the Giants do?

You would have to think that the Giants would be in one of the toughest spots they have ever been in with a prospect like this. The situation is so rare in the world of baseball, especially at this age, that the decision of whether to keep Villalona in the organization would be one that, either way, would be criticized.

Yet if the Giants decide to part ways with Villalona if there is no jail sentence, it's $2.1 million down the drain—a 19-year-old kid with huge power potential out of the organization for good while he was basically still getting his feet wet as a professional ballplayer.

Keeping Villalona in the organization could also be looked at as a double-edged sword. There are certainly people who aren't going to be happy with it. A suspected murderer now all of a sudden forgiven is welcomed back to the organization without any kind of punishment. That's just a public relations frenzy waiting to happen.

It's just a situation where you can't predict what is going to happen next.

The prosecutor in the case, Jose Antonio Polanco, does still plan to prosecute Villalona. But seeing as the family was basically bought off, who knows what would happen with the lawyers? This is the Dominican, where the judicial system is just all kinds of bad.

If the initial news of Villalona turning himself in on suspicion of murder was a complete shock and punch to the gut, the news from here on out will only continue to have us scratching our heads.

Aging Like a Fine Wine: Celebrating Alessandro Del Piero on His 35th Birthday

Danny Penza — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:32:47 -0500

It's hard to put into words what Alessandro Del Piero has meant to Juventus since he first put on the black and white jersey in 1993.

He is a club idol in every sense of the term. When you think of Juventus, you think of Del Piero sporting the captain's armband wherever Juve are playing. There is no other way to put it.

Even though he turns 35 on November 9, Del Piero is still playing at a high level at an age when players are either making retirement plans or have already hung up their boots. His records speak for themselves — Juve's all-time scorer with 262 goals and all-time appearance leader with 604.

It is hard to believe, considering all he has done throughout the years in a Juve jersey, that Il Capitano clinched his first Serie A scoring title two seasons ago, finding the back of the net 21 times and leading one of the highest producing attacks in Europe. And this was after Del Piero claimed Capocannoniere crown after scoring 21 goals during Juve's one-year hell in Serie B.

That's two consecutive scoring titles after the age of 30. Not too bad for a guy who has been written off so many times by the press in Italy.

Most players in the game today can only dream of having half of those totals over the span of their career. But Del Piero, whose lone appearance this season was for only 10 minutes against Bologna at the end of September, is only going to be adding on to it when he returns from injury after the international break.

Even with Juve currently sitting five points behind Inter in second place, many people feel like the Old Lady will begin to make her run when Del Piero comes back to the lineup. People have been waiting for the day that Del Piero gets to play with Brazilian playmaker Diego, who has referred to the Juve captain as a "genius."

Get ready because in two weeks, it's likely to happen.

Despite the age and a little loss of speed, Del Piero is still as gifted with pure skill as he has ever been. His vision is incredible. He can say he is one of the best secondary strikers in the world — not only scoring goals, but also setting them up.

He still has the uncanny knack to put the Old Lady on his back and lead them to victory. So many times last season Del Piero was the reason Juve won games — whether it was through a perfect free kick or setting up the game-winner.

But that is what a leader is. When his team needs him the most, he steps up and answers the call to battle. Del Piero is that player and even though he is at the age where players start to fade into the twilight.

The ride has not always been a smooth one and despite all of that, Del Piero has stood above all else and remained the symbol of Italy's greatest club. He has fought through injuries like he is right now. He has had to deal with the ups and downs of a career — whether it deals with his personal play or a crisis at the club.

Yet through all of that, Del Piero has dealt with whatever that has been thrown at him with the utmost of class. The way he carries himself is how a player should model himself as a youngster. You can't get any classier than the man they call Pinturicchio.

Along with Gianluigi Buffon, Mauro Camoranesi, David Trezeguet, and the now-retired Pavel Nedved, Del Piero formed the Old Guard that led Juve back from Serie B. His loyalty only adds to the legend.

How many other players, coming off a summer where they were part of a World Cup winning team, at just 31 years of age, would remain with their club in their darkest days after being demoted to their league's second division?

Someone once said that a true gentleman never leaves his lady behind.

Del Piero is just that. And then some.

He truly is, not only one of the best of his generation, but of all-time.

Juventus-Atalanta: Mauro Camoranesi's Brace Leads Juve in Bergamo Thriller

Danny Penza — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:03:23 -0500

They say the most dangerous lead to have when you're ahead is when you're up by two.

For Juventus on Saturday night, that was exactly the case. The final scoreline against Atalanta might have been 5-2, but it was a seven-goal match that should have been put away a lot sooner than it actually was.

Three times Juve led by two goals, and on two of those occasions, Atalanta fought back and cut the lead in half. For those who questioned that quality of the Juve defense, they won't go away any time soon.

Despite all of that, the Juve offense was back to firing on all cylinders again after a so-so showing in the Champions League against Maccabi Haifa midweek.

They got going right off the bat. Mauro Camoranesi came close to opening the scoring for the visitors, but Atalanta keeper Andrea Consigli parried it at the backpost. For Camoranesi, it was a sign of things to come in front of goal in the first half.

Atalanta came right back, however, with Simone Tiribocchi almost slipping one in at the near post from just six yards out past the onrushing Gianluigi Buffon.

Juve thought they had taken the lead through a David Trezeguet header with 28 minutes gone by. However, one constant theme would be Bianconeri goals disallowed because of players being offsides, and Trezeguet got the party started after being caught barely ahead of the Atalanta defense.

However, just eight minutes later, the Old Lady bagged one that counted, and it was Camoranesi putting his head on the end of a pinpoint Fabio Grosso cross from the right side of the box.

Juve would double their lead less than 60 seconds later thanks to the Camoranesi and Grosso combination once again. Leandro Talamonti's clearance went right to Camoranesi at the top of the box after Grosso had crossed it. Camoranesi had time to control and then put away a class goal at the backpost leaving Consigli completely fooled.

Atalanta had a chance to cut the lead in half in first half stoppage time but Buffon kept the home side scoreless after beating away a ferocious Tibiero Guarente volley.

If you thought the first half was full of goals, then second 45 minutes were even better.

Just five minutes after the second half got under way Atalanta did indeed cut the lead in half. Instead of Guarante finishing it, he was on the back end of it, sending a incredible ball to Jaime Valdes, who fought off defender Martin Caceres and then slipped a shot through Buffon's legs.

Juve thought they had gone back up by two not once, but twice. In the span of two minutes, both Felipe Melo and Christian Poulsen were called offsides after their headers found the back of the net.

Told you it was a regular occurrence.

But Juve did finally get their two-goal lead back five minutes afer Atalanta had cut it in half. After Talamonti's failed clearance found Melo on top of the box, the Brazilian midfielder thumped a right-footed shot into the top corner of the goal.

Former Juve captain and current Atalanta coach Antonio Conte kept pushing his players forward. His team again cut the Juve lead in half 15 minutes after the Bianconeri went up by two.

Tiribocchi flicked on a cross and found Fabio Ceravolo streaking down the right flank. Ceravolo then cut back seeing Grosso fly right past him and sent a left-footed shot in past Buffon at the back post.

It had all the makings of Juve again throwing away a game like they did against Napoli last weekend.

However, Diego eased the pain in the final five minutes when he put Juve up by two for the third time. Instead of scoring, Camoranesi was on the back end of this one, sending in a cross that was deflected and then found Diego, who controlled it brilliantly and then slipped it past Consigli.

Juve's final goal on the night was a historic one. Giorgio Chiellini pushed forward and sent in a cross that bounced off Paolo De Ceglie and found Trezeguet—who had been basically silent the entire match. The French hitman then thumped the ball past Consigli and at the same time became Juventus' all-time leading foreign scorer along with Argentine Omar Sivori.

It wasn't the last chance of the night as youth product Ciro Immobile came on after the Trezeguet goal and had two chances to score in stoppages—one shot and one on a header from a corner.

The final scoreline read 5-2. It was certainly uncomfortable at times for the Juve faithful, but to see the offense clicking once again is a welcome sight.

Juventus-Maccabi Haifa: Mauro Camoranesi's Goal Gives Juve Slim Win

Danny Penza — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:42:18 -0500

The one thing that Juventus has been doing consistently so far this season is playing inconsistent.

In just a three-day span, the Juve faithful saw two different sides to their beloved team. After a 5-1 thrashing of Sampdoria a week ago, the weekend saw Juve stunned by Napoli 3-2 after a second-half collapse.

Tuesday's Champions League match didn't bring a heavyweight, instead it brought Maccabi Haifia. The same Maccabi Haifa who are still looking for their first goal in Europe this year. And like every game before, the Israeli champions were shut out.

But it wasn't a classic Juve performance. It was the same scoreline as it was in Turin, 1-0, this time on a goal by Mauro Camoranesi.

The match started very slow with neither team really taking hold. Juve had the first chance of the game when Diego spun in a free kick, but much like the matchup in Turin two weeks ago, Maccabi keeper Nir Davidovitch would make the first of his numerous saves.

Diego again had a chance from a dead-ball opportunity but Davidovitch again denied the Brazilian playmaker from opening the scoring.

Maccabi struggled to get anything on goal as the first half went along. Juve started to control the ball more and more, but again, much like the matchup two weeks ago in Turin, nothing came of it. In fact, it was Maccabi who looked like they would take the lead midway through the first half if not for Juve keeper Gianluigi Buffon again proving why he is the best in the business.

Buffon's lone save of the first half was, like so many times this year, of the miraculous variety. It was a clear defensive blunder as Vladimir Dvalishvili knocked down the corner in point-blank range of the Juve goal. On his back, Buffon reached up and swatted the ball away after it had gone behind him.

Juve answered right back four minutes later. Amauri almost broke the deadlock after a charging run down the right flank, but like the other Bianconeri chances in the first half, it was Davidovitch making the key save.

Just when you thought Juve and Maccabi were going to go into their locker rooms with a 0-0, Mauro Camoranesi got the lone goal of the night. Martin Caceres, sporting a Zorro-like mask, received a ball over the top and sent in a low cross that found Camoranesi at the top of the box. The Italian international banged it into the top left corner of the net and stunned the crowd two minutes into stoppages.

The second half started much like the first, the only difference being Maccabi's increased possession time. Juve struggled to get any kind of offense going. But so did their opponents.

The second was a much more physical half than the first—just ask Diego. It seemed as though every time the tiny Brazilian got the ball, he was being fouled. It didn't stop him though. He kept attacking and being the player that the Juve offense went through.

In just a matter of minutes, it was Diego and Amauri combining for two scoring chances. The first came off of a free kick that found Amauri just barely offsides. The second saw the Brazilian striker whiz a shot wide after receiving a great through-ball from his countryman.

Diego himself almost scored after dribbling through what seemed like half the Maccabi defense and midfield. But like Amauri's chances just minutes earlier, it went just wide of the right post.

As the second half went on, Juve seemed to ease the pressure and pay more attention to sitting back, defending and keeping their lead instead of extending it. Maccabi came close to leveling the terms with 13 minutes to go when substitute Lior Rafaelov's cross missed both Shiomi Arbeitman and Mohammed Ghadir at the back post.

A touch would've been enough, but both players couldn't get even the slightest one onto the ball as it went over the line.

It was the last chance for the home side and from then on, neither team put anything on goal. The whistle sounded and even though it was far from pretty, Juve had captured three points with the 1-0 victory.

With Bordeaux booking their place in the knockout round, it's a battle between Bayern and Juve for the second spot. Luckily for the Turin giants, they now have a four-point cushion, sitting second in Group A.

Juventus-Sampdoria: Amauri Bags a Brace As Bianconeri Crush Samp 5-1

Danny Penza — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:30:46 -0400

Entering Wednesday night's game against Sampdoria, the Juventus offense had remained somewhat stagnant. The opportunities were being created, but the balls just weren't going into the back of the net.

That all changed as the Juve offense exploded for five goals, three in the second half, to win 5-1 against Doria at the Stadio Olimpico. For an offense that had struggled so much in recent weeks to get things going, it was a welcome sight for everybody in black and white.

For the second match in a week's time, Juventus manager Ciro Ferrara changed his formation from his base 4-3-1-2 to a more offensive 4-2-3-1 with Giovinco, Diego, and Mauro Camoranesi playing behind Amauri.

From the start, Juve put the Samp defense on their heels. Within a minute Diego was already lining up for a free kick in the offensive third of the field. The immense pressure that the Samp defense was under was only a sign of things to come.

Diego again was on the end of a free kick, this time finding the head of Giorgio Chiellini. It looked certain to find the back of the net but Samp keeper Luca Castellazzi made a spectacular one-handed save on his line to keep the score deadlocked at zero.

Sampdoria magician Antonio Cassano came right back, making a fine run down the right flank and fed a great ball into Reto Ziegler. Juve keeper was up to the task and saved it at the near post.

It was the last time we would hear from Cassano in quite a while as the Juve defense did a fantastic job on the evening containing the Samp captain and his strike partner, Giampaolo Pazzini.

As the first half went on, Juve were showing they were the better team on the night. They finally took a deserved lead in the 27th minute when Amauri bagged his third goal in as many games. The big Brazilian's header off a Diego corner was knocked down a teammate Momo Sissoko, but he recovered to poke the ball into the back of the net and send the Olimpico crowd into frenzy.

The goal only propelled the Bianconeri . The pressure was turned up another notch after they took the lead. Giovinco was starting to impose himself down the left flank, combining well with left back Fabio Grosso on numerous occaisions.

Juve doubled their lead just three minutes before the half. After winning the ball in the middle of the park, Chiellini continued his run and then dishing it off to Amauri, who then gave it back to him and the Italian international found the back of wide open goal.

As the second half began, Juve's chances didn't let up. Just moments after the second half whistle, Diego and Amauri were at it again but it was Castellazzi again making a spectacular save to prevent the lead from extending further.

However, the lead was extended to three just four minutes later as Giovinco crossed to Camoranesi, who banged it in from 10 yards out. It was a great ball from Giovinco and the tiny playmaker again rewarded his manager for putting him in the starting lineup.

The pressure was still coming despite the Old Lady having a comfortable lead. The Samp defense were backed up as far as they could be, clearly losing hope as the minutes went on, and Ferrara continued to put his foot on the gas.

Amauri got his second after he got his head on the end of a Camoranesi cross from the right flank. For a striker who had been so desperate to score goals in the early goings of the season, they are starting to come in bunches now.

However, Samp got one back as Pazzini was on the end of a Cassano cross to make the score 4-1. One striker to another and Pazzini clearly beat Fabio Cannavaro in the box to leave a helpless Buffon waiting another day for a clean sheet.

The goal seemed to take the wind out of Juve's sails, but they continued to attack. Giovinco was becoming a complete pest down the left flank and came awfully close to scoring close to the 70 minute mark.

Just as the game entered its final two minutes, David Trezeguet made it a five spot as he was on the end Grosso cross. It was a fitting end to a great night in Turin.

Plain and simple, it was dominating performance from Ferrara and his men against one of the teams they were chasing in the standings. Juve recorded 20 shots to Samp's six and the possession, much like the Old Lady's previous two games, was completely in their favor.

For some reason, I have a hunch that Giovinco and Diego will play together a few more times before the season is over.

Sampdoria-Juventus Preview: Bianconeri Attempt To Slow Down Surging Samp

Danny Penza — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:29:06 -0400

When you look at the top of the Serie A table, seeing Juventus in the top three shouldn't be any kind of surprise to anybody. Defending champions Inter being at the top of the table isn't a surprise to anyone either.

But then you look at the club sandwiched between the two and you start to wonder what exactly is going on with Italian football at the moment.

Sampdoria have been the revelation of the 2009-10 campaign thus far and are just two point behind Inter for the early lead in Serie A. They have been on fire since Day One of the season and don't look like they are going to slow down any time soon.

Juventus will be looking to slow down the Samp Express when they host Blucerchiati Wednesday night at the Stadio Olimpico. Both clubs will certainly use this match the gauge where they are at this point in time in the season.

Neither team has recorded a victory in this fixture the previous four seasons and when playing in Turin, Juve have won 31 of 52 matches.

SAMPDORIA

Serie A's biggest surprise will look to continue their form after demolishing Bologna 4-1 Saturday night to end a streak of two consecutive draws. All four goals against Bologna were scored in the first 33 minutes of the match. Giampaolo Pazzini opened the scoring just eight minutes in and Daniele Mannini's brace was on either end of Reto Zigler's 26th minute goal.

Manager Luigi Del Neri will be looking to Pazzini and Antonio Cassano to continue the incredible partnership they have formed since the former's move to Samp in January.

Cassano leads the league in assists and Pazzini is only behind Udinese's Atonio Di Natale for the combination of perfect secondary striker and a young striker flourishing in front of our very eyes has vaulted the Blucerchiati into a table position few predicted they would be.

Pazzini and Cassano have gotten most of the attention, that doesn't mean it has been all offense for Doria. Behind the star-studded strike duo, there is a group of solid contributors who just go about their business without much fanfare. Goalkeeper Luca Castellazi has been one of the best in Italy in the early goings of the 2009-10 campaign and the defense as a whole have been a model of consistency.

Samp have recorded points in four of their last five matches and outside of the lone loss of the season, a 2-0 loss to Fiorentina on Sept. 23, haven't allowed more than one game all season. They have allowed just eight goals on the season.

Predicted XI (4-4-2): Castellazi; Zauri, Rossi, Luchinni, Stankevicius; Mannini, Poli, Palombo, Ziegler; Cassano, Pazzini

JUVENTUS

Until Wednesday's 1-0 win against Maccani Haifa in the Champions League, the Old Lady had failed to register a victory in a month's time. They got their first win in Serie A in five weeks against Siena, also by a 1-0 scoreline, on Sunday in an otherwise bland game to watch.

The Stadio Olimpico, which was such an advantage for Juve last season, hasn't been kind thus far this year. Juve have scored just five goals in four games at home and while they are undefeated on home soil, they have only won two of those games.

Injuries again are again mounting for Juve like they were at this point last season. Captain Alessandro Del Piero, who has played all of 10 minutes all season, is still out. Claudio Marchisio, Tiago, Hasan Salihamidzic. To make things worse, Monday's news regarding striker Vincenzo Iaquinta means another.

Much like Marchisio, Iaquinta will go under the knife immediately and the knee injury wll keep him on the sidelines for close to two months.

That means Ferrara will only have two senior squad strikers available in Amauri and David Trezeguet. Youth product Ciro Immobile will likely be called up for the match to fill the void left on the squad sheet by Iaquinta on the bench, but with both strikers on mediocre form, Sebastian Giovinco could be called into the squad for the second time in a week.

Giovinco is the major factor in what kind of attack Ferrara utilizes against Doria. Even when Iaquinta was healthy, Juve's stable of strikers could barely put any of their scoring chances on goal. In Sunday's 1-0 victory against Siena, Juve's lone shot on goal was the one Amauri scored. It was the same scoreline against Maccabi Haifa on Wednesday but the main difference was the formation that Ferrara used to create more offense.

Switching to a 4-2-3-1 with Giovinco in the lineup brought a whole lot more creativity to the squad. The possession numbers were just about the same against Maccabi and Siena, but Juve were a much more potent side when Giovinco, Diego, and Mauro Camoranesi were playing behind the lone striker.

Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Buffon; Grosso, Cannavaro, Chiellini, Grygera; Sissoko, Melo; Giovinco, Diego, Camoranesi; Amauri

Juventus-Siena: Amauri's Late Header Sees Juve Get Back to Its Winning Ways

Danny Penza — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:14:50 -0400

The last time Juventus claimed three points in Serie A was five weeks ago.

Three draws, one depressing loss to Palermo, and a whole lot of people wondering what happened to the squad that got out of the blocks so quickly. Over that time, injuries have come and gone, strikers have struggled to find the back of the net, and Ciro Ferrara's tactics have been questioned.

While it wasn't a genuinely dominating performance when you see a big club go up against one that likely to be fighting to not be relegated, Juve's 1-0 win against Siena saw the Old Lady get back to the winning ways while the rest of the league was beating up on each other.

Ferrara reverted back to his base 4-3-1-2 formation after changing things up in the midweek Champions League fixture against Maccaibi Haifa. Sebastian Giovinco was back on the bench and the two Fabio's, Cannavaro and Grosso, along with Mauro Camoranesi were rested (although Camoranesi did come on midway through the second half).

From the start, Juve dominated possession. There wasn't much being created in terms of offense, but Siena saw very little of the ball throughout the first half.

It took 15 minutes for the first opportunity of the match to come. Paolo De Ceglie, who started the game on the left in Ferrara's three-man midfield behind Diego, combined nicely with David Trezeguet. The shaggy-haired youngster saw his right-footed shot blocked and go out for a corner.

But the opportunities were not as plentiful as you would've thought when you saw how much Juve were dominating the possession. At times, the percentage number was 75-25 in favor of the Turin giants. Ten minutes after De Ceglie's effort, Diego blasted one well over the goal.

Siena then came back quickly with a chance of their own just a minute later. Mato Jajalo weaved his way through the Juve defense but saw his shot go just wide of Gigi Buffon's goal.

An otherwise drab first half could've ended with fireworks for the home Bianconeros as midfielder Albin Ekdal, who is on loan from Juventus, almost flicked one over an onrushing Buffon in stoppages.

However, Superman was up to the task like he has been so many times this season and got a paw to it before it went over his head.

The second began much like the first with Juve dominating the possession. The Old Lady got a quick corner and almost opened the scoring. Amauri got his head to the ball, but then it hit off of Giorgio Chiellini and then the post, but with Chillieni being offsides, it wouldn't of counted anyways.

Siena had their own corner minutes later, but Jajalo's shot was straight at Buffon.

The chances were few and far between until the deadlock was finally broken when Amauri got his head on a Diego free kick. After snapping his incredibly long scoring drought last weekend, Amauri got his second goal in as many games.

However, that would be Juve's only shot on frame the entire day. It's a telling sign that the strikers are still lacking a killer punch to put the ball in the back of the net.

Siena had their opportunities in the second half, but either saw them go wide or saw them shut down by the Juve defense before they developed into anything potent. Chiellini and subsistute Martin Caceres were two of the best players on the pitch in the second half.

Another midweek fixture is on the docket for Ferrara's men, this time against a surging Sampdoria side at the Olimpico.

Juventus-Maccabi Haifa: Giorgio Chiellini, Gigi Buffon Secure Three Vital Points

Danny Penza — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:25:23 -0400

When Juventus took the field at the Stadio Olimpico against Maccabi Haifa on Wednesday, it had been over a month since they had last recorded a victory.

Obviously the international break had something to do with that, but still, it had been five games since the Old Lady had captured three points in either Serie A or the Champions League. And with two points in two games against Bordeaux and Bayern Munich, getting three points against Maccabi Haifa was crucial.

That's exactly what happened. The 1-0 scoreline was not what some what had hoped for, but three points were captured and that's all that matters when you're fighting to get back to the top of the group like Juve are right now.

Even before the game started, there were storylines developing. With the offense struggling to score, Ciro Ferrara decided to change his formation from his base 4-3-1-2 to a 4-2-3-1 with Diego and Sebastian Giovinco playing together for the first time this season.

People were wondering if Ferrara would change his tactics and even though this was a big game for the Old Lady's Champions League campaign, the rookie manager showed he was willing to mix things up.

However, it wasn't Juventus who had the first opportunity to score. It was Maccabi and Vladimir Dvalishvili who came extremely close to scoring in the game's opening minute. If not for a spectacular save from Gianluigi Buffon, then the entire Stadio Olimpico would've gone silent.

Instead, they were chanting Buffon's name. I guess the knee's feeling okay.

That defensive lapse woke the Juve players up, and from them on, they took control of the game and dominated possession. David Trezeguet, who was Juve's lone striker, won a free kick just inches outside of the box. Fabio Grosso then followed with a left-footed free kick was pushed away by Maccabi keeper Nir Davidovitch.

Juve continued to keep the pressure on the Isreali champions as Momo Sissoko and Trezeguet both saw their efforts whiz past each side of the goal.

The theme of the Juve season, no finishing in front of goal, continued in the first half. The halftime whistle blew and the game was scoreless. Nobody expected that to happen be the case.

That changed just two minutes into the second half when Giorgio Chiellini was virtually unmarked at the backpost in the six-yard box and headed home Diego's free kick.With all the offensive firepower on the field, the towering Italian defender might have been one of the last players you would think to put Juve ahead, but he did.

The goal didn't slow Juve down. Giovinco, Diego, and Mauro Camoranesi were on full display. Giovinco was causing havoc down the left flank—making defenders look stupid, sending in cross, taking shots. The little man was doing it all and those who were calling for him to play were looking awfully smart.

Diego almost saw his chip of the keeper fall bellow the crossbar and Trezeguet should've put away a one-on-one after a beautiful cross from Grosso against Davidovitch, who saved it with his right foot. Giovinco came close to doubling his side's lead with a rocket of a right foot, only to see it saved by Davidovitch. Juve still couldn't extend their lead, keeping people on the edge of their seats.

The frustration turned into concern, not because of how the team was playing, but because midfielder Felipe Melo had to be subbed off after a crunching tackle by substitute Tiago Dutra. The Brazilian left the field and was clearly in pain with tears running down his face after he was subbed off.

The game got worse for Dutra as just seven minutes after his tackle on Melo, he saw red for hacking down Chiellini. It was certainly deserved. Chiellini, for how tough he is, ran off the field, but you had to think that Dutra's tackle had to be incredibly painful.

Yet, even though Maccabi were down to 10 men, Juve couldn't extend their lead past Chiellni's goal. Amauri was brought on to replace Trezeguet with 10 minutes to go, but it was Maccabi who came close to tying, and then winning the game.

Luckily for Juve, they had Buffon between the posts.

Again Dvalishvili tested the Juve keeper. This save wasn't as spectacular as the one in the opening minutes, but it was just as important with the clock becoming an issue.

Camoranesi had a chance to put a perfect exclamation point on a fine performance after a brilliant feed from Diego. But much like what Juve's strikers have been feeling this season, Camoranesi banged one off the post leaving his teammates wondering what they had to do to score.

Maccabi had one last break on the counter and again it was Buffon to the rescue, performing yet another world-class save to deny Mohammed Ghadir.

Can you say Man of the Match? Give it to Superman.

It wasn't a pretty performance, but three points are in the bag. At the end of the day, that's all that matters at this point in time with the top of Group A still up for grabs.

Time For a Change: Why Sebastian Giovinco Should Get His Chance to Start

Danny Penza — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:16:30 -0400

The void that has been left by captain Alessandro Del Piero's injury struggles is becoming more and more evident as the weeks go by.

Many people feel that Juventus' struggles offensively will change for the better when Del Piero gets back to full health and returns to the lineup. With the healthy group of strikers that Juve have playing now, they are players that rely on service from teammates, rather than creating chances on their own.

So many times last season, and throughout his career, Del Piero has been the secondary striker setting up his partner in crime up top.

But why can't the tiny talent known as Sebastian Giovinco be that guy while Del Piero is out?

There is one thing consistent about Juve's last five games in all competitions — they haven't recorded a victory. The group of attackers, who were supposed to be the team's biggest strength coming into the season, have scored just 12 goals in eight Serie A games — a clear sign that the strikers can't finish with any kind of consistency at all.

Even though he scored this weekend, his first since the middle of February, Amauri has been terrible in front of goal. Vincenzo Iaquinta hasn't been on fire as of late despite being the joint leader in goals with David Trezeguet, who slowly is rounding into shape.

This where Giovinco comes into play.

We all expected that his playing time would be effected when Diego was signed this past summer. Giovinco naturally became Diego's understudy and the opportunity to play, despite what manager Ciro Ferrara has said, wouldn't be as much as many of us had hoped for coming into the season.

For as much talent as he has, Giovinco hasn't really had the chance to get going this season, or last season for that matter. It was a problem last year under Claudio Ranieri, and now it's becoming more and more noticeable under Ferrara. Giovinco has appeared in just five of Juve's 10 games in Serie A and the Champions League this year, with his only two starts coming when Diego was out injured.

So why not put Giovinco in the supporting striker role like Del Piero plays?

For one, it would allow Ferrara to field both Diego and Giovinco on the field at once. With the offense struggling to get things into gear on any kind of consistent basis, it's what people have been clamoring for, and it makes quite a bit of sense. The offense, with Del Piero out, has been centered around Diego. When he has an off game, or is marked by more than one opposing player, the strikers have struggled to get consistent service.

With Giovinco on the field, that would likely change. Seeing as Giovinco is more of a passer than a scorer, he fits the billing of a secondary striker quite well. Instead of having two strikers relying on him to get the ball, there would be another playmaker to support Diego.

So Ferrera would be replacing a struggling striker with a youngster who is chomping at the bit to prove his worth. Makes sense, doesn't it?

The move up top would also work to Giovinco's strengths. When he played in the trequarista role behind the strikers while filling in for Diego, Giovinco was limited to more of the center of the pitch. That's not how he works. Giovinco thrives on getting into space, and he lets his pace and fantastic footwork do the rest.

Instead of having two strikers relying on him to get the ball, when you put him up top, he will have more room to roam around. Giovinco's best games last year were when he was on the left wing and he was able to do exactly that.

Now, he won't be on the wings like last season under Ranieri, but he won't be anchored down to staying in the middle of the attacking third like he would be if he were playing behind the strikers. You have to take advantage of his strengths and that is not happening with him sitting on the bench.

Fielding Giovinco would also allow Ferrara to get creative with the formation he uses as the game goes on. He wouldn't have to stick with his base 4-3-1-2 formation, and could easily put Giovinco on the wing if need be. That's the kind of versatility the Atomic Ant brings to the table, and something that Ferrara could use to change things up on the opponent.

But for now, it looks like Ferrara will keep going with the big strikers he has. Much like last season, the tiny Giovinco will have to wait for his chance. The problem is, nobody but Ferrara knows when that will be.

Ranieri didn't field Giovinco regularly until the Scudetto was almost out of reach in the second half of the season.

Here's to hoping Ferrara doesn't make the same mistake.

Juventus-Fiorentina: Bianconeri Dominate Match But Only Manage 1-1 Draw

Danny Penza — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:15:17 -0400

Juventus entered the international break looking for answers. A string of disappointing results in both Serie A and Champions League left Ciro Ferrara wondering what exactly his team had to do to get three points.

After Saturday's 1-1 draw against Fiorentina, there is still work to be done. While the Bianconeri dominated possession, the mediocre at best finishing in front of the goal continued to plague them.

However, you wouldn't have thought that Juve were going to be the better side the way the match started. Momo Sissoko, who was making his return to the starting lineup after missing six months due to injury, was booked within the first minute of play.

It got even worse as the Viola scored in the fifth minute on a beautiful counter-attack. Stevan Jovetic, who has been fantastic this season, sent a fine through ball to Juan Manuel Vargas down the left flenk who then slipped it past an onrushing Gianluigi Buffon to shock the Stadio Olimpico crowd.

Juve fought back and from then on, dictated play in the first half. Vincenzo Iaquinta had Juve's first chance of the game when he took in former teammate Marco Marchionni's poor clearance at the top of the box only to shoot it right into Sebastian Frey's arms.

It nearly even again when Fabio Grosso sent in a heat seeking cross that was touched by Iaquinta wide of goal. If Iaquinta had let it go, Amauri was in prime position to touch it in with Frey in position to stop the shot.

Just a minute later Amauri did get his goal—a long awaited one at that. Dane Christian Poulsen sent through that Iaquinta got a hold of but saw his apparent shot turn into a pass to Amauri, who was there waiting to pick up the loose ball and tap it in the wide open goal. It was the big Brazilian's first goal since February.

Juve kept the pressure going as they clearly were showing they were the better side on the night. Despite having three defensive midfielders playing behind Diego, they were dominating the possession, at times holding it for twice as long as their opposition.

Despite the lack of possession, Fiorentina still had chances to take the lead back. Jovetic shot one directly at Buffon and in stoppages, Vargas extremely close to putting his side ahead. If it wasn't for the tips of Buffon's left hand, the Viola would've taken a 2-1 lead into the dressing room.

As the second half began, Juventus were again showing they were the better side. Just after the whistle, Sissoko had a glorious chance to put his side ahead after Iaquinta and Diego combined well but was only denied Frey's kick save. He had another chance to score, this time with his head, but didn't get anything on it and sent Fiorentina off on the counter attack with Jovetic sending a rocket just wide.

Again Juve had a chance to go ahead, this time from Grosso, but again it was right at Frey. It was again looking like another match where it was going to take something miraculous for Juve to go ahead. They were dominating the match in every way but just couldn't finish the ball in front of goal.

With 20 minutes left Amauri continued the trend of poor finishing when he saw his right-footed shot go just wide. Countryman Diego had a chance with 10 minutes to go when he saw his free kick go just over the right side of goal.

Alberto Gillardino, who was quiet for much of the match and had scored four goals for Italy over the international break, had a great chance to put Fiorentina ahead in the final minutes of regular time. However, the Italian striker muffed the shot from inside the box.

The final whistle blew and whistles also came down from the Stadio Olimpico crowd. A frustrating result considering how well Juve played.

San Francisco Giants Roundtable: Deadline Deals Fail to Bring the Goods

Danny Penza — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:21:24 -0400

The day after GM Brian Sabean got a new two-year contract, it's only fitting that the two deadline deals that didn't exactly live up to the billing during the stretch drive.

With the clear need to add offense, Sabean hit the trade market in both the National and American League's Central Division, and reworking the entire right side of the infield.

Sabean acquired first baseman Ryan Garko from the Cleveland Indians for left-handed pitcher Scott Barnes and second baseman Freddy Sanchez from the Pittsburgh Pirates for right-handed pitcher Tim Alderson.

Well, we thought they would help. The two deadline acquisitions by Sabean combined for a .258 batting average, three home runs, and 19 RBI.

Not exactly what we had hoped for when we saw Alderson and Barnes heading in the other direction before the trade deadline.

We've been down this road before individually, but never as a group when the trades had just happened. Now with the season over, will the opinions of the deals that Sabean put through change?

Evan Aczon

When I heard Scott Barnes was traded for Ryan Garko, I applauded it as a typical Brian Sabean transaction. To be completely honest, I had no idea who Barnes was, and I had a pretty good idea of what the Giants would be getting with Garko.

He was a solid hitter with the Indians, and his reputation was one of a solid fielder who would hit around .280 and bop a couple home runs. I didn't expect him to be a huge part of a new offensive scheme, but I thought that he would at least contribute.

As for the Sabean aspect, Garko was someone that no one had linked the Giants to until the day of the deal. Sabean has been known to make these trades before (a la Randy Winn), and with my lack of knowledge about Barnes, I thought that it was a fair trade.

What I didn't realize was that Barnes was having a very good year in a stacked Giants system, and that Garko wouldn't mesh with Bruce Bochy at all.

Granted, when he first came over, he was obviously trying way too hard to impress his new team, and it showed, with woeful offensive numbers that if anything, made the Giants worse.

But his numbers against lefties were still very good, and I was surprised to see him pretty much absent from even the pinch-hitting roster at the end of the season.

In a final blow, Barnes, who was promoted to the Indians' Double-A affiliate after the trade, defeated his former team, the Connecticut Defenders, in the Eastern League Championship game, striking out seven in five innings. Ouch.

The Freddy Sanchez trade was one that I was much more speculative of. For starters, Tim Alderson and Madison Bumgarner were supposed to team up with Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain to form the super-rotation Megazord of the future.

Second, Sanchez had a bum knee before the trade happened. Thirdly, the Pirates didn't assume ANY of Sanchez OR Alderson's contract.

For those three reasons, Brian Sabean should not be fired. He should, however, be kicked in the knee by someone. Someone small. And angry.

Sanchez is not a bad player. As Mike Krukow pointed out, you can't lead the league in hitting by accident, as Sanchez did in 2006.

He's a good defensive second-baseman and a definite upgrade over the light-hitting combo of Emmanuel Burriss (look for him in the future), Kevin Frandsen (can't fit in at the Major League Level), and Matt Downs (who?).

But is he worth a top-five pitching prospect in the organization? And worth $6 million PLUS Alderson's signing bonus of almost $2 million? I don't think so.

Unless Sanchez comes out next year for a reasonable amount of money and produces like the Giants need someone to out of that position, the Giants run the risk of this becoming one of the trades like the Nathan/Liriano trade, and looking very bad.

Danny Penza

When the trades happened, I was somewhat split on them.

I had no problem with the Ryan Garko trade because even though it wasn't a spectacular trade for the bat the Giants needed, they gave up a surplus arm to get a proven major league hitter.

The arms the Giants had in their system at the time—Madison Bumgarner, Alderson, Henry Sosa and 2009 first round pick Zack Wheeler—and dealing Barnes wasn't really a big issue for me.

As we know, Garko struggled out of the gate after he put on the orange and black, which led to him finding a spot on the bench for the better part of September—even if it was a lefty pitcher on the mound.

Is it all on Garko? Most of it, but not all of it. Obviously, he is the man to blame for not hitting in his two months with San Francisco.

But Bruce Bochy can also be looked at as not giving him any chances until the Giants were basically out of contention in September to snap out of it.

That's the kind of manager Bochy is, though. He goes with the guys who are familiar to him, and Garko wasn't one of those players.

In terms of the Freddy Sanchez trade, I wasn't opposed to it in terms of who the Giants were getting (although there were some red flags in my mind), but who the Giants gave up to get him rubbed me the wrong way.

Even with his stuff not what it was a year ago and as a result, his stock taking a hit, I was still a fan of Tim Alderson. You don't put the kind of numbers he did in a league like the California League without doing something well. He wasn't touted as high as Bumgarner was coming into the year, but he was looked at as a pitcher who could contribute in the not-too-distant future.

Alderson's stock has slipped quite a bit in this season after a very good 2008 campaign. His seven starts after the trade for the Pirates' Double-A affiliate were nothing special at all with an ERA close to five.

For all the heat he gets, the young pitchers that Sabean has traded away over the years not named Joe Nathan and Francisco Liriano over the years for vets for vets haven't amounted to much of anything. Can you name any of the pitchers that Sabean has traded over the years to amount to much of anything at all? Good luck trying.

Sanchez in all likelihood is going to be a Giant next season and then some. There is no way in hell they are going to trade Alderson for all of 25 games of Sanchez at second base and it's not like there's a big-time prospect making huge strides which calls for major playing in 2010.

Andrew Nuschler

Ugh.

I’m still not ready to jump off the Freddy Sanchez bandwagon. There were flashes of real promise there, which is all the more impressive given the nature/severity of his injuries. As long as he comes back and puts together his standard year, I think it was still a good move.

Granted, this also assumes the trajectory on Tim Alderson’s development has plateaued as has been indicated. I’ve said from the jump that—if Alderson turns into the pitcher we were sold on while he was burning through San Francisco Minor League system—then nothing Sanchez does would matter.

As for the Garko trade, wow.

The only thing that can turn this coal into a diamond is if Scott Barnes amounts to absolutely nothing. That’s a pretty uncharitable thing to wish on a young kid, but that’s the bed Sabean’s made for himself. If Barnes becomes even a decent middle reliever, this will be another bad blemish on Sabes’ growing résumé.

If Barnes turns into an ace or stopper out of the bullpen? Yikes. It becomes a hideous scar that you can’t take your eyes off of no matter how hard you try or how sorry you are for staring.

Superman to Play With Pain: Is Gianluigi Buffon Making the Right Choice?

Danny Penza — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:20:54 -0400

The injury bug, not the one that stung Fabio Cannavaro and caused the whole doping controversy this past week, is making it's annual tour through the Juventus squad.

First, it was the big summer signing, Diego, fighting muscle strains in the pre-season, and then just two games into the season. Then it was Cannavaro himself going down with a thigh injury in the middle of September. Friday morning brought the news that midfielder Claudio Marchisio needed surgery to repair a meniscus problem in his right knee.

And now, a day after his country qualifies for the 2010 World Cup, news comes out that goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, like Marchisio, will need surgery on his knee because of a meniscus problem.

The difference between Marchisio and Buffon is that the former had surgery over the weekend, and will be out in around six weeks, while the latter will try to tough it out until the Derby d'Italia on Dec. 5. However, it's not a lock that he will make it that far, and he admitted that when he revealed the news about needing surgery.

Oh, what a little predicament we have on our hands.

At first glance, you see a player saying they want to play through an injury, and you have the fear that it could get even worse. If Juve were to lose Buffon for an extended period of time, the impact would be huge.

Every save Buffon will make from now until he goes under the knife, you’re going to be thinking that’s the save that might be the one that makes the pain unbearable. Just one bad landing on a cross could cause his knee to buckle, and things would get worse than before.

So, is putting off surgery the right move for a player that is so vital to Juve's cause?

In terms of the attempt to put it off until after the match against Inter, it’s a very smart choice. With the surgery being put off until the first weekend in December, Buffon won’t miss a large chunk of the schedule, instead just the two remaining matches against Bari and Cantania before the winter break begins.

However, having the surgery after the Inter match does mean he will miss a potentially crucial Champions League match against Bayern Munich that could determine Juve’s fait in Europe. Backup Alex Manninger, who did a great job filling in for Buffon for almost the entire first half of the season, will take his place.

This is no dig at Manninger whatsoever, but nobody is better than Buffon.

What’s ironic is that we learned that Buffon has been playing with this injury for quite some time according to Italy team doctor Enrico Castellaci, who revealed the information after the Azzurri's 2-2 draw against Ireland on Saturday. That means, despite the knee injury, he's back on his best form after a injury plagued 2008-09 campaign.

Some of the saves we have seen the 31-year-old Buffon make this season are some of the best we have seen in quite some time. His saves have not only kept Juve in games, they have also won Juve games. He has been the one constant force in an otherwise still-questionable defensive group.

Any sign of his now-public knee injury hasn't been noticeable at all. Buffon has been simply incredible this season. Simple as that.

You don't want to see him further injure himself, but if he thinks that he can't get any worse and wants to keep playing, there is no reason to stop him. He has earned the right to say when he can play.

The man has devoted himself to this club through thick and thin. He is one of the most honest and loyal players in the entire world. He wouldn't dare to do anything that would hurt the Juve product on the field.

While playing injured sounds worrisome, remember who is the one that's injured.

In the end, athletes know their body the best. If Buffon wants to, and thinks he can play through the pain, who is to stop the best at their respective position from doing so?

Top Five San Francisco Giants Storylines Heading into the 2009 Offseason

Danny Penza — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:58:58 -0400

With the 2009 season coming to an end this past weekend, another October will go by without the San Francisco Giants taking part in postseason baseball.

However, unlike the previous four seasons, the Giants will be finishing the year above .500 and with a whole bunch of optimism heading into 2010.

With the pitching staff the Giants have in place, long-term success definitely is not out of the question. Combine that with a revamped farm system that had the best combined record in all of baseball, and things are looking good.

But that doesn't mean everything is perfect at Third and King. Not only are expectations going to be raised going into the 2010 season, the team will also seemingly continue its transition from rebuilding to contender a lot faster than people anticipated.

The Giants do have a huge chunk of money coming off the books at their disposal. But at the same time, they will have to put a large portion of that money towards players that are likely to play massive roles in the 2010 club.

1. The futures of Brian Sabean and Bruce Bochy

Of the six, this one seems all but settled. But because it has such a huge impact on the franchise in 2010 and beyond, it has to be addressed.

Much maligned by the fans, both Sabean and Bochy have endured quite a bit this season despite the Giants winning 88 games. Questionable lineup decisions were made by Bochy, and two trade deadline deals from Sabean didn't come close to working out.

It does seem to have been resolved last week. Just as the final home game was heading into the final innings, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that first-year managing general partner Bill Neukom has decided to bring them back for 2010.

For Neukom, bringing both Sabean and Bochy back, although it certainly won't go over well, is a safe move. He knows what he has in both of them, and seeing that he has worked with both of them for about a year now, he has a comfort factor already established.

Although it’s not official, there’s nothing telling us that they won’t be back.

Judging by their press conference this past Monday, they haven't been officially offered any extensions, but they made every indication that they would return in 2010.

Honestly, would you bother talking about next year if you weren't under the assumption that you wouldn't be back?

2. Improving the woeful offense

This one could easily be No. 1 without a doubt.

The Giants offense is going to be looked at, and rightfully so, as the reason why the team didn’t make the playoffs. If you do say that, there will probably be a crowd of thousands thanking you and proceeding to rename you Captain Obvious. In a season where the Giants won 88 games, they scored just 17 more runs than they did in 2008, where they lost 90 games.

The free agent market isn’t exactly something that you would call a gold mine to find a big-time hitter other than outfielders Jason Bay and Matt Holliday. The Giants are in desperate need of a corner outfielder who can hit for power, but the problem is, because there are so few power bats outside of Bay and Holliday, it’s going to cost a whole lot of cash to obtain their services if they choose to go down that road.

So it's either get the wallet out and pay huge money for one of the few free agent boppers, or get extremely creative in the trade market and possibly part with some talented prospects that the Giants organization might not have wanted to.

What could possibly go wrong?

3. The Grizzled Vet and the Next Big Thing—Bengie Molina and Buster Posey

Shocking that another storyline has to do with the offense, isn’t it?

This one, though, is a little more than just swinging the stick.

In one corner you have a 35-year-old catcher who has been a player that Bochy has relied heavily on his three years in San Francisco. In the other, you don’t only have one part of the Giants’ two-headed prospect monster, but also one of the best prospects in all of baseball that just happens to be a catcher.

For some, the transition behind the plate that may take place this winter is pretty simple—Molina’s contract is up, he wants a multi-year deal, and the Giants certainly won’t do that because Posey has crushed the ball in his year and change in the minor leagues.

We know what we’re going to get from Molina—a so-so batting average, a nonexistent on-base percentage, and an above average run producer for his position. When he does reach base, it essentially turns into station-to-station baseball because he is the slowest player in baseball.

But with Posey it’s the complete opposite. He is one of the best prospects in all of baseball and absolutely steamrolled the competition in the minors this past season. Along with Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Pablo Sandoval, he is a big part of the young core the Giants want to take into the future.

Posey, who will turn 23 at the end of March, is a catching prospect that doesn’t come around very often. Not only can Posey hit for power, he can also hit for a high average and is an on-base percentage machine, sporting a OBP of .421 in 125 games in professional career.

Handing a rookie the starting catching job isn’t common on a team that will enter its next season with serious playoff hopes. However, it’s not totally rare either—see Soto, Geovany on the 2008 Chicago Cubs.

The biggest thing to consider is, if the Giants do re-sign Molina, will they be able to go out and have enough money to bring in another hitter?

4. Tim Lincecum's contract status

No, The Franchise isn’t going anywhere. The Yankees aren’t going to swoop in and offer Lincecum a 20-year, $1 billion contract when the free agent period opens up after the World Series is concluded.

Because Lincecum made his debut early in 2007 and has been up since, he is now eligible for arbitration due to Super Two status. Tack on that he has been dominant in his two full seasons in the majors, and you have all the makings of a huge arbitration figure.

In the past, Lincecum and his agent have said they would be happy to go year-to-year with a contract, and when the time comes or the Giants choose to begin talks, they will discuss a long-term deal.

As the season came to a close, there was more talk of Lincecum being open to a longer deal instead of just something that was the result of the arbitration case, but neither side seems to be in a rush to get a long-term deal done.

During Sabean's tenure, the arbitration case has been something that he has been able to avoid, and he will be looking to do the same with Lincecum. It really is a decision the Giants have to figure out. They can sign Lincecum to a long-term deal to buy out his arbitration years, or they can continue going year-by-year and likely watch his price tag continue to rise.

Either way, Lincecum is going to get paid.

5. The future of Freddy Sanchez

Due to Ryan Garko essentially being buried on the first base depth chart just a couple weeks after being acquired from the Cleveland Indians, Sanchez was the trade deadline deal that got all the headlines—and not really for anything good.

The final weeks of the season brought a pretty big piece of news—Sanchez had a partially torn meniscus before he came to the Giants before the trade deadline. The injury was made even worse when the Giants made their way down to Arizona last week.

When healthy, Sanchez is a very good No. 2 hitter and even better with the glove at second base. He won't give the Giants a whole lot of power, but that isn't going to be his job if he returns and has Sandoval hitting behind him in the order.

But the problem is keeping him on the field. Sanchez arrived with the knee problem, as we have now found out, was also forced to the disabled list with a shoulder injury, and also had a bad back when the trade was made.

You have to think, though, with the kind of arm that the Giants gave up in Tim Alderson, they won’t let Sanchez leave in free agency. It would be a disastrous move to give away a 20-year-old already pitching in Double-A for 25 games of Sanchez.

It's unlikely that the Giants will pick up Sanchez's $.8.1 million option because he played so few games after his trade. With that high of a price, it would take up a large portion of the money the Giants have coming off the books.

Despite the Giants' Ups and Downs, It Was a Fun 2009 Season in San Francisco

Danny Penza — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:16:10 -0400

With Sunday’s 4-3 win in extras over the San Diego Padres a thing of the past, the 2009 San Francisco Giants season is officially completed. Every one of the 162 games has been completed, and the book has been written.

The final record for the beloved Gigantes reads 88 wins, 74 losses—something few, if any, of us thought was possible back when the team reported to camp in the spring.

For many teams, winning 88 games would mean your spot in the playoffs is all but locked up. There have been teams with fewer wins that made the playoffs. Hell, teams with fewer wins have gone on to win their respective divisions or even win the World Series.

Most people said .500 would do and then wait for the influx of young studs to come through the system to really see the team take. Many didn’t expect the jump the Giants took this year because we all thought it would be a gradual progression from the lowest of lows back to being one of the league's best.

Now we know the Giants are ahead of schedule.

It was pretty much a given that this team would be built around its pitching and that if the offense could put at least an average output together, they could go far. Check any season preview that was put out there, and they basically said the same thing.

Regardless of the lack of offense and the continuous loss of fingernails, it was a great season to watch. Whether it was Tim Lincecum having his second Cy Young kind of season in as many years, witnessing the breakout season that Matt Cain had, or just watching Pablo Sandoval be Pablo Sandoval on a daily basis, the product on the field was an enjoyable one.

The Giants were not only one of the biggest surprises in the National League, but also all of baseball. Remember, this is a team that had lost 90 and 91 games in 2007 and 2008, respectively, and recorded four straight losing seasons overall.

They were the team that was supposed to be rebuilding. Yes, there were Lincecum, Cain, and a still inexperienced Sandoval with the big club, but the talent that the team had stocked up on in the previous three drafts wasn’t expected to make a legit impact until 2010 or 2011.

For the most part, that still is the case. But when September came around in a somewhat surprising fashion, we got to see both Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner make their debuts in the orange and black.

It might have happened if the Giants were out of the race when September started, not when they were battling the Rockies for a spot in the playoffs. Albeit Bumgarner’s one start came when the Giants were still in the wild card chase and Posey’s came when the Giants were all but done, there was still the vision of what is going to be a regular occurrence at AT&T Park for years to come.

To see this team win 88 games and not officially be eliminated until the final week of September, instead of basically giving up any hopes of the playoffs right after the All-Star Break, was satisfying enough.

It was understandable that once people realized this team could do things, they wanted it to be “playoffs or bust” in San Francisco, but the obvious shortfalls this team had led to its fading out of the race.

Still, it was a successful season nonetheless.

It was a sight to see that while they had to grind the whole game to score two or three runs, they were still a competitive club the whole season. It might not have looked like it at some points in time, but the Giants, like the eventually annoying ad campaign said, were in this thing.

Did we really expect the Giants to be a playoff contender with the kind of offense, or lack thereof, they had?

Not at all if you consider it was basically the same kind of output as the previous season.

The Giants scored just 17 more runs than they did a year ago but won 15 more games. They didn’t win many games, maybe a handful at best, because of their offense, and that means that the pitching was just incredible.

There are clearly things that need to be improved by the front office. If the Giants had any offense at all, even a middle of the road one, they would be playing baseball this week.

Still, despite the deficiencies that certainly have to be addressed this winter, the foundation is there to establish one hell of a run. Things could be worse—a whole lot worse (see Pittsburgh, PA).

Now, compared to other years, there is hope and some raised expectations.

The withdrawals are going to be a little harder to control this winter.

Just 182 days until the Giants open up in Houston.

Juventus-Bayern Munich: Five Questions for Bianconeri Glory at the Allianz

Danny Penza — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:03:39 -0400

For many fans, Juventus' Champions League opener at home against French champions Bordeaux was a disappointing result to say the least.

So many things that the team had been doing well weren’t executed whatsoever—the defense struggled, the strikers couldn’t score, and the midfield, who had been the anchor of the team, failed to impress.

The result against Bordeaux started the current string of three draws in the last four matches. In that span, Juve have seen their perfect streak in Serie A snapped with a tie against Genoa a week ago and a so-so showing against Bologna this past Sunday.

Instead of facing a team that may be fighting for a spot in Serie A next season, Juve will travel to Germany to face giants Bayern Munich, a team they faced in the group stages back in 2005.

Most of the players from four years ago are different, but the magnitude of the game is still as big as it ever has been.

1. Can the defense contain Bayern’s offensive playmakers?

The biggest question coming into the season is still priority No. 1, if Juventus want to be not only the best team in Italy, but also amongst the best in Europe.

Fabio Cannavaro, who has been very good so far this season, will not be with the squad in Germany, so that means Nicola Legrottaglie will be partnering with Giorgio Chiellini in the center of the defense.

On the wings, Fabio Grosso will return to the left side of the defense after being rested against Bologna. The one selection debate is whether Zdenek Grygera, Martin Caceres, or Jonathan Zebina, who had a solid game against Bologna, will start on the right.

They will be looking to slow down a Bayern attack that, despite being shut out this weekend against Hamburg, has scored 15 goals in five games this month. With firepower that Bayern have on its squad, especially Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben on the wings, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Old Lady's defense busy Wednesday night.

Luckily for Juve, keeper Gianluigi Buffon is back to his old self and is saving basically everything in sight. However, having Buffon perform numerous miracles on the field Wednesday means the defense isn't doing its job.

2. Can Diego work some more of his early season magic?

For the most part, when he has been completely healthy, the impact that Diego has had on the Juve squad has been huge.

The problem with Diego is that he missed the Champions League opener due to injury and just made his comeback against Bologna this past Sunday—a game where he failed to make any kind of big contributions.

When he is completely fit, there are few who can have the impact on a game that Diego has. If the Juve strikers want to get the ball and get the ball often, Diego is going to have to be a major reason why.

He was the big summer buy to give the Bianconeri a better chance of going far into the Champions League. Now is the time where he shows he is up to the task.

3. Can the midfield make a positive impact?

Claudio Marchisio, Felipe Melo, and Mauro Camoranesi will be the three-man midfield playing behind their pint-sized Brazilian teammate.

Each player brings something different to the table and so far they have done their job—Melo with the grit, Camoranesi with the creativity, and Marchisio with the all-around skill. Along with Diego, they form a formidable and difficult group for teams to go up against.

However, when Juve faced Bordeaux faced two weeks ago, the midfield was the weak point in the draw at the Olimpico. Against the five-man midfield of the French champions, the Juve troops couldn’t get much of anything going at all.

Despite that, they still had a very good chance of winning and starting their Champions League season off on a positive note.

If Juve want to win The Allianz, the midfield is going to have to make a bigger impact than they did two weeks ago.

4. Who will start alongside Vincenzo Iaquinta up front?

The stable of strikers that Ferrara has at his disposal hasn’t been very productive as many people thought it would be. Captain Alessandro Del Piero was injured up until the weekend, Amauri can’t seem to break the scoring funk that he has had since the second half of last season, and David Trezeguet hasn’t been in the lineup on a consistent up until recently.

The only striker who has been scoring on a consistent basis has been Vincenzo Iaquinta. He was rested this past weekend and should be fresh and ready to extend his three-game scoring streak that was started against Bordeaux.

Fans may want him to come back now that he has returned to the lineup, but seeing that Del Piero only played 10 minutes in his return to the squad over the weekend, Ferrara likely wont hand him a starting shirt.

Because of this, all signs point to Trezeguet starting against Bayern—who does seem to be rounding into form after not playing at all Juve’s first couple of Serie A fixtures and against Bordeaux.

Against a Bayern defense that can be really good or really bad, generating consistent pressure will be crucial if Juve want to win.

5. Can Juventus put a total 90-minute game together?

Speaking of generating consistent pressure, Sunday’s game against Bologna was the prime example of how Juventus have failed to put a complete game together as of late. The Bianconeri dominated possession in the first half and then tailed off as the second half went on.

Bologna is not even close to being on the same level talent wise with Bayern Munich and if there is another drop in play in any course of the game, Juve will be returning to Turin without any points.

That means that everything discussed will have to be put together—Diego will have to provide the quality of play that he did in the early weeks of the season, the strikers will have to take advantage of the opportunities, and the defense will have to keep the pressure off of Buffon.

Juventus have yet to play the perfect game and they are from being a finished product, but if they want to leave Germany with three points, they are going to have to play a complete game.

Not a perfect game, but a game where they are efficient in all aspects of the game.

Juventus-Bologna: Bianconeri Left Stunned After Stoppage Time Equalizer

Danny Penza — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:17:22 -0400

The message that Juventus manager Ciro Ferrara has been saying to his team and in the press is that getting the maximum amount of points against the lower level teams is something that must happen if they want to contend for the Scudetto.

So many times last year under Claudio Ranieri points were not secured against the lower part of the Serie A table due to either draws or flat out losses.

Different coach, same story as Juve were stunned just moments before the final whistle blew as Bologna got a much-deserved equalizer. The final score was level at one—something that sees Juve fail to go back atop the table.

Juve started strong and looked like they were going to run away with the game with how much of the possession they were having. It did take until halfway through the first half when David Trezeguet recorded the first quality chance of the game when he sprung the off-sides trap and forced a fine save out of Bologna keeper Emilian Viviano.

Trezeguet again had a chance to score after Jonathan Zebina slipped a nice through ball but the sliding Frenchman couldn't put away his countryman's cross, banging it off the side netting.

Juventus got the much-deserved opening goal after 25 minutes when Trezeguet scored a classic goal in front of the net. After Zebina crossed the ball from the right flank, it deflected off of Viviano and fell right to Trezeguet, who tapped it in.

But Bologna responded immediately with their only sustained amount of possession in the first half. Just seconds after Juve went ahead, captain Marco Di Vaio blasted a shot over Gigi Buffon's goal and then blasted a shot right at the Bianconeri keeper.

There was controversy as the first half came to a close as Bologna looked to have leveled the terms when Juve appeared to have scored an own goal only to have it waived off due to off-sides. When replays were shown, it proved that the referee had go the called correct.

The second half began with neither team really establishing themselves

Juve's first chance of the second half came on a long-range shot by Felipe Melo. It troubled Viviano a bit as he gave up a juicy rebound, but Trezeguet was ruled off-sides as he tried to put the rebound away.

Just a few minutes later Bologna had a great chance to level the Juve defense was caught napping and Di Vaio was off to the races.

It was Di Vaio again causing the Juve backline trouble as he got behind the defense and slipped by Buffon but his shot was headed away just before it crossed the goal line by Giorgio Chiellini.

Bologna continued to maintain most of the possession as the second half went on. Juve looked to take their foot off the gas just a bit and any chance of establishing the same kind of ball control they had in the first half wasn't happening.

Juve found their best chances as the half went on via the counter attack—most of the time with substitute Sebastian Giovinco leading the break. But the theme of the day, and for the last couple of games, was that they couldn't put a lesser team away.

Bologna didn't stop pressing ahead and Roberto Guana forced a fine save out of Buffon.

Alessandro Del Piero marked his return to the lineup with 10 minutes remaining and he immediately got the offense going again. Il Capitano was on the back end of a Camoranesi header that banged off the far post and then moments later he led a 3 v. 3 opportunity that saw Giovinco fail to take advantage of Del Piero's through ball.

But with Juve failing to extend their lead, Bologna was still in striking distance of stealing a point in Turin. That's exactly what they did as substitute Martins Adailton beat left back Cristian Molinaro and headed home a free kick with Buffon having no chance to stop it.

It was a goal that seemed to be coming the whole second half. Unfortunately for the Old Lady, it came with just seconds to go in stoppage time.

An ugly win wasn't able to be had and it shows Ferrara still has a lot of work to do to make his team a completely finished product.

Return of Superman: Gianluigi Buffon Has Reclaimed His Spot as the World's Best

Danny Penza — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:31:19 -0400

Even the best have their struggles.

For Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, his 2008-09 campaign was filled with a number in storylines that went along with his team’s inconsistent finish to the season. Not only did Buffon essentially miss the entire first half of the season, but also upon his return, the Juve defense was completely inconsistent.

As a result, many so-called experts in the press began to say that because of the injuries and the higher-than-usual goals against average, that Buffon was starting to head into the twilight of his career.

There, of course, were the rumors that the Juve board was debating whether to sell the living legend while his stock was still high enough to turn a significant profit.

The rumors were just that—rumors. Typical Italian media speculating that one of the world’s best players was starting to hit the wall and that his extended absence was a sign of things to come.

Fact is that if the Juve board were to sell the beloved Buffon, they would have had to be absolutely blown away by the offer. They were not going to sell Buffon just to sell him.

And it's good they didn't because Buffon is back to being the Buffon of old that we came to know as the world's best.

His performances thus far, both for club and country, have been vintage Buffon. Juventus have allowed just one goal, away to Roma, in their first four games of the season and much of it is because Buffon has been in complete sensational form.

His Man of the Match showing this past Saturday at the Stadio Olimpico against Livorno just shows that a fully healthy Buffon is the best in the business. He made a crucial save just four minutes in and then continued making class saves after Juve went ahead thanks to Vincenzo Iaquinta.

In a match where the Old Lady were facing a team that is going to be in a fight to stay out of the drop zone all season long, the reworked defense was anything but impressive.

The 31-year-old Buffon was the reason why Juve beat Livorno Saturday night and why they’re a perfect 4-for-4 so far this season and there’s no denying that.

Whether it’s a point-blank one-on-one denial of Francesco Totti or a mind-boggling flying save just inches in front of the goal line against Bulgaria in World Cup qualifying, Buffon is proving what he can do when he’s in a zone that none other come close to.

But with Buffon it’s, once again, becoming a regular thing. Spectacular saves this season, whether it’s for the Old Lady or the Azzurri, are becoming a regular occurrence.

Though it sure must be nice for the defenders to know that if they mess up, they have Buffon between the pipes stopping everything in sight.

If Juve want to continue to challenge on three fronts like Ciro Ferrara has demanded from his team, Buffon, but more so the defense, will have to keep getting better. The biggest concern coming into the season was how the defense would perform and so far, it has been better than expected as a whole.

There of course will be a lapse or two, that’s understandable, but when the regular four starters are in there, things haven’t been as bad as we thought they might be. The evidence is there in the three clean sheets are there is no denying that they haven’t been earned.

Standing above every defender and the main reason why there are those three cleans sheets is the man playing in goal.

Buffon may say he's not doing anything special like he did after the Livorno win, but to us followers, we see it a little differently.

Maybe it doesn't seem like anything special when you have done it so often.

The man is 100 percent once again and we’re just enjoying the show.

With the Playoffs All But Gone, It Should Be Buster Posey Time in San Francisco

Danny Penza — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:23:41 -0400

The aftermath of the crucial nine-game stretch for the San Francisco Giants against two division rivals, has come and gone with the results many expected two weeks ago.

The combination of the Giants' second consecutive crushing loss to the Dodgers, and the Rockies racking up yet another come-from-behind victory against the Diamondbacks, means the deficit in the National League Wild Card race is now four-and-a-half games.

If it was the beginning of September, it wouldn't be a huge deal; but with the Giants only having 13 games left, the chances of the Giants making the playoffs are slim to none.

As a result, that means giving the youngsters who have basically been sitting on the bench the entire month of September, a genuine chance to play. The team has clear holes and big decisions to make in the winter, so giving the kids a opportunity in the final two weeks of the season only makes sense.

And the main player who should receive a solid chunk of playing time is catcher Buster Posey.

We all know what he did in the minors this season and what kind of talent the 2008 Golden Spikes Award winner brings to the table. But with Bruce Bochy doing what he does best and sticking with his beloved veterans down the stretch in a playoff chase, playing time for not only Posey, but any other September call-up not named Dan Runzler, has been non-existent.

Because impending free-agent Bengie Molina has been Bochy's No. 1 choice to get at-bats, Posey hasn't come close to seeing the kind of playing time that many people had hoped for. Like it or not, that's what Bochy has decided to do and we all know how much he loves his veterans—especially in September.

But if the Giants want to see what they have in Posey, they have to give playing time. It's not that hard to figure out.

Much like John Shea points out in Monday's San Francisco Chronicle, with the Giants basically falling out of the race with two weeks to go, the Giants should give their most-heralded position prospect since Will Clark, a legit shot at showing what he has to offer right now.

Since his promotion from Fresno on Sept. 2, Posey's main task hasn't been catching pitchers on the field, but in the bullpen. Not exactly something you see other top catching prospects doing when they get their first call to the bigs.

And that's the thing, Posey hasn't gotten a chance to play when the game actually matters. You can judge a guy when he's in there, but how much experience can a young guy get when the game is totally out of reach and he's facing some scrub reliever in the ninth inning?

It's some playing time, yes, but it's not like it's a tie game going into the seventh inning.

Once the Giants' season ends, he's off to the Arizona Fall League where regular playing time is pretty much a lock. But no offense to the AFL, the same kind of experience he will gain there, doesn't match up for a 22-year-old getting some starts in the final two weeks with the kind of pitching staff the orange and black have.

Now with the playoffs basically out of reach, is there any danger with throwing Posey out there? What's the harm with giving the guy you gave $6.2 million to when he signed last August some starts?

There's only one way to see what the kid has and that's to let him play. Not only would playing allow him to learn the tricks of the trade behind the plate, but it will give him a chance to shake off the rust at the plate and get some much-deserved at-bats.

With every game played, he will feel more comfortable and the nerves will almost be non-existent, if he knows he's going to have more than two innings to prove he's the guy everybody thinks he can be.

The decision that the Giants have to make is a big one.

Molina wants a multi-year contract and the Giants aren't likely to give him that because they have Posey waiting in the wings.

If the Giants expect to evaluate the situation for next season based on Posey playing less than five innings behind the dish and three total at-bats, they are definitely mistaken. They know what they are going to get out of the 35-year-old Molina; they have yet to tap into what Posey can offer.

Going by his minor league numbers and scouting projections, Posey is going to be a player that has a much more professional offensive approach—drawing walks while also hitting for power. When comparing it to Molina, Posey's high on-base percentage is something that the Giants lineup desperately need.

Again, there's only one way to find that out. And that evaluation process needs to start sooner rather than later.

With every game that goes by, the chances of the Giants making a miraculous comeback in the standings gets slimmer and slimmer.

It's not like every pitch thrown to him is going to result in a passed ball. Posey caught Lincecum last Friday in the Dodger Stadium bullpen and now it's time to see that happen in an actual game.

One inning of a Posey-Madison-Bumgarner battery isn't going to cut it going into the offseason.

Juventus-Livorno: Bianconeri Remain Perfect in Serie A With Win at the Olimpico

Danny Penza — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:08:05 -0400

Before Saturday's game against Livorno, multiple members of the Juventus squad demanded that anything less than three points would not be tolerated.

Too many times last season under Claudio Ranieri did Juve drop points that ended up costing them dearly in the standings. Whether it was settling for a draw or losing the game altogether, under the Ranieri regime, too many opportunities to get three vital points against smaller clubs weren't taken advantage of.

Things are a little different under Ciro Ferrara. Wins are the only thing that matter—especially against the lower teir of teams in Serie A.

And that is exactly what happened Saturday as Juventus convincingly beat Livorno, 2-0, on a rain-soaked pitch at the Stadio Olimpico in Turin.

Based on the scoreline, you would expect that Juve had the first quality chance to score, but in fact it was Livorno who came close to opening things up in the first minutes of the match. A Cristiano Lucarelli shot turned into a chance for Francesco Tavano, but Juve keeper Gianluigi Buffon would have none of it, as he raced of his line to deny Tavano's shot.

The Old Lady's first chance came moments later, when Mauro Camoranesi fired a shot just wide of the Livorno goal.

But the Bianconeri took advantage of their next chance, as Vincenzo Iaquinta opened the scoring in the eighth minute. The powerful Italian was on the end of a quality cross from Camoranesi on the right flank and headed it past Livorno keeper Alfonos De Lucia into the bottom corner at the far post.

The goal didn't deflate Livorno's efforts, though; they fought right back with another scoring chance in the opening 10 minutes of play. This time it was Anotonio Candreva with the opportunity, but Buffon again was up to the task, this time tipping it over the crossbar for a corner.

Juve's next chance came midway through the first half, when David Trezeguet, who was given the start ahead of Amauri, couldn't finish a volley in front of the goal.

However, minutes later, the Bianconeri doubled their lead thanks to midfielder Claudio Marchisio. It was again Camoranesi providing the assist and rewarding the 22-year-old Turin native after he made a storming run down the left flank. The finish wasn't too bad either, as Marchisio lobbed it over De Lucia.

Again Livorno attempted to answer a Juve goal and again it was Buffon proving why he is the best in the world. Just a minute after Marchisio scored in the 30th minute, Nico Pulzetti had a excellent chance to score only to be denied by an onrushing Buffon, who saved it with his right leg.

Minutes later, Lucarelli was yet again denied by a spectacular Buffon save—this time off a corner kick. The way Buffon played in the first half, it was hard to see Livorno getting one past the Juve keeper on the night.

Just before the first half ended, Iaquinta could've put the final nail in Livorno's coffin but saw his shot from inside the six-yard box go straight into De Lucia's belly.

As the second half began, Juve were dominating the possession, but it was Livorno who came close to cutting the deficit in half. However, like many times before, it was Buffon who denied it from happening. Candreva spun a cross in but Buffon used every inch of his frame to tip the ball away before it could find the head of a Livorno striker.

Trezeguet came close to scoring Juve's third on the night but his swinging volley was denied only by the woodwark. That seemed to wake Livorno up yet again, and again Buffon was called into action to bail out his defense. Substitute Tomas Danilevicius shot from point-blank range, but Superman was there again with a miraculous save.

The pace seemed to slow a bit as Juve clearly began to fatigue. Fabio Grosso came close with a free kick and Trezeguet missed a shot at the top of the box, but Livorno answered back yet again only to be shut down by the mastery between the sticks known as Gigi Buffon.

Any doubt that Buffon is the man of the match? I don't think so.

Iaquinta came close in the closing minutes to getting his brace but was denied by De Lucia. It would've been a fine finish to end a quality evening in Turin for Italy's Old Lady, but the most important thing is that three points were captured.

Juventus-Bordeaux: Bianconeri Fail to Impress in Champions League Opener

Danny Penza — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:37:43 -0400

A new season of Champions League brought a new set of expectations for Italy's Old Lady.

With Juventus opening their Champions League campaign against French champion Bordeaux at home in Turin, claiming three points and getting to the top of the group was expected. However, that didn't happen as Juve and Bordeaux shared the points after a 1-1 ddraw at a rain-drenched Stadio Olimpico.

Juve manager Ciro Ferrara didn't have some of his best players to chose from as Diego and Alessandro Del Piero were both out injured and Girogio Chiellini was out suspended after he was sent off last year in the second leg of the round of 16 against Chelsea.

The same wasn't the same for Bordeaux manager Laurent Blanc, who was able to field his regular Starting XI against his former Napoli teammate.

The visitors were the first to get a genuine scoring opportunity when Fernando put the moves on the Juve defense. If not for Gianluigi Buffon making the first of many crucial saves, this one from close range, Bordeaux would've had the early lead on the road.

As Juve struggled to get any kind of offense going, Bordeaux established themselves as the better side on the night—especially in the midfield. Juve could hardly get a quality amount of possession going. Midfielder Claudio Marchisio had the only chance early for the Bianconieri, but his rocket of a shot went well over the goal.

With the first half going on, Juve continued to struggle to get any creativity going on the sloppy pitch. Sebastian Giovinco, who was filling in for Diego as Juve's trequarista, didn't have much space to move with Bordeaux's five-man midfield bunching things up.

Giovinco and Amauri also had chances in the first half, but after the first 45 minutes, the French champions were clearly playing better. They were generating chances, even though nothing really materialized other than Fernando's run in the opening minutes.

The second half was a different story in terms of generating chances for the Bianconeri, although it was Bordeaux who had the first chance of the second half. It was Gourcuff again causing the trouble but Nicola Legrottaglie, who was filling in for Chiellini, made a great block before it got to Buffon.

It was Gourcuff v. Buffon again minutes later as the talented 22-year-old sprung the offsides trap and went head-to-head with the world's best goalkeeper. And like every time before when a Bordeaux player went up against him, it was Buffon coming out on top after making another fantastic one-on-one save.

Vincenzo Iaquinta had a great chance to open the scoring not once, but twice in a matter of moments. First came when Iaquinta was upended by an onrushing Cédric Carrasso and then seconds later when the Italian striker was on the touchline and couldn't bend the ball in.

The Bordeaux keeper picked up a knock during the sequence with Iaquinta and had to be taken off. His replacement, Rame', was called into action right after coming on when had had to perry away a Fabio Grosso free kick blast. Minutes later, Iaquinta had another chance to score, but was called offside.

Then, Iaquinta finally found the back of the net in the 63rd minute. After Felipe Melo won the ball, defender Fabio Cannavaro fed a through ball to Iaquinta who buried it in the back of the net after he beat the keeper at the near post.

It was a crucial goal, especially considering how inconsistent Juve were on the night.

Just moments after Juve went ahead, Fernando again had a great chance to score, but like the chance in the third minute of the game, Buffon was up to the task. Amauri responded with a chance of his own with a header off a corner kick that forced an ad-lib save out of Rame'.

When Cannavaro had to go off because of a leg injury, there were doubts running through people's head whether Juve could hold on to the lead with a central combination of Legrottaglie and Martin Ceceras—something that hasn't been seen in a game this season, or even pre-season.

Twelve minutes after Iaquinta opened the scoring, Bordeaux leveled it. With Gourcuff taking a free kick just outside the box, he sent it in and found Jaroslav Plasil. Although after the replays were shown, there was suspicion and calls for offside.

Bordeux could've gone ahead when Buffon had to come out after a poor backpass by Caceres. But other than that instance, it was Juve who had the best chances to go ahead in the closing minutes.

Juve had a chance to win it in the final moments but Marchisio banged a Caceres cross off the crossbar. Dane Christian Poulsen, who came on for Tiago with 10 minutes to go, had a chance to put the rebound away but he blasted the ball over the goal.

The final whistle blew, leaving the score even at one. For the team that was favored to win the group, it was a unlucky night. For Bordeaux, it was a crucial point away from home.

The Freak Delivers Again: Tim Lincecum's Return Came at the Perfect Time

Danny Penza — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:55:39 -0400

It had been 11 days since Tim Lincecum toed the rubber for the beloved orange and black.

Those 11 long days have seen the San Francisco Giants get back into, fall out of, and now kind of get back into the National League Wild Card race with the Colorado Rockies.

So with the Rockies opening a three-game set in San Francisco on Monday, it only made sense that Lincecum made his triumphant return to the Giants' rotation after his back spasms caused Madison Bumgarner to make a unexpected debut.

For 11 days we were left wondering when exactly The Franchise would come back and help the team continue its unexpected playoff run. There was no way the Giants would trot him back out there if he wasn't completely healthy, but for a guy with such a complex motion, nobody really knew when the back would feel better.

The conspiracy theorists threw out their gibberish, but that didn't matter Monday night. Lincecum had returned, and that's all that mattered.

In a series that matters more than any other at this point in time, The Franchise shined the brightest.

Like many times before, Tiny Tim put Los Gigantes on his small shoulders and the team rode him to a victory, this of the 9-1 variety.

Yes, the Giants scored...nine times.

His control wasn't up to his normal standards—four walks in seven innings—but that seemed to be overlooked as his stuff was as electric as it has been this year. He was in the stretch more than he usually is, surrendering six hits to add to the four walks, and the nine stranded runners were clear evidence of that.

Lincecum had the usual mid-90s fastball cranked up and a disgustingly good changeup falling off the table, but it was his hammer for a curve that made a regular appearance throughout the night—something we hadn't seen much of lately.

In two-strike counts, Lincecum whipped his filthiest stuff. A dirty change here, a fastball with late movement there—that's the kind of stuff the National League's best offense had to deal with.

No small task for anybody. I guess the back is feeling fine.

Just how good was Lincecum last night? Seven of his first 11 outs came via the strikeout, nine of his first 14, and 10 of his first 18.

Take a step back and appreciate greatness.

It was the same ol' showing for Lincecum against the Rockies—especially this year. In the three starts against the Rocks, The Freak has a 2-1 record with a 1.64 ERA. In 22 innings, Lincecum has struck out 26 batters, including the 11 Monday night.

With Lincecum in complete domination mode, the Giants definitely didn't need all nine runs to ensure the win—although it was nice to see the bats come alive for the second straight night when they had been the main reason the team had struggled to get wins lately.

Brad Penny started it Sunday; Lincecum continued it Monday.

The combination of Big and Little has put life back in a team that was looking dead in the water after four straight losses at home. That kind of number is something you would expect when the Giants hit the road, not when they play at the friendly confines of AT&T Park.

The understatement of the season is that they needed this win so incredibly badly. The season was basically dangling on its last string like a loose tooth. The Giants need to win as many games as possible, and they're in the middle of a vital nine-game stretch against the two teams they're chasing in the standings.

To see the Giants drop two against the Padres was bad enough, but to see the Giants drop the first two in blowout fashion against the hated Dodgers was a huge body blow.

Dropping a game against the Rocks won't completely end the season—we've seen crazier things happen—but it certainly would be one hell of a task to try to make up three-and-a-half games with no head-to-head games left against the Rocks.

But out comes Lincecum, still in desperate need of a haircut, with a back that is now back at full health, ready to bring back some hope to the city. And he did just that.

He said he's pretty close to feeling the way he did last year—a scary thought for any opponent he still has to face.

For the Giants and the faithful at Third and King, it's music to their ears.

Now it's on to the next game—which also happens to be the biggest game of the season.

For One Day, Brad Penny Has Brought Some Optimism Back to San Francisco

Danny Penza — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:04:05 -0400

I'll be honest, when the Giants signed Brad Penny on Aug. 31, I wasn't thinking he could recreate what he did the last time he was considered a legitimate major-league pitcher when he first strapped on the orange and black.

Not only was his time in Boston a complete disaster, his 2008 in sunny SoCal wasn't exactly something you want to remember either.

When the Giants signed him, his ERA the past two years was close to six and while he still had quality strikeout numbers, he wasn't coming close to the same pitcher we had seen when he started the 2007 All-Star Game at AT&T Park.

Boy, do I have egg on my face.

Not only has Penny been reinvigorated in the orange and black, he has been a complete stud. He’s made three starts, recorded three wins, and all three of them have been dominating performances for a microscopic ERA of 1.56 in a Giant cap.

A former Dodger is now being embraced by Giants fans—has hell frozen over?

Sunday's start was the most important of them all.

Not only had the Giants dropped two games to begin the biggest stretch of September, but they had been completely embarrassed, in their own ballpark, by their biggest rivals.

The Dodgers had completely steamrolled the Giants in the first two games of the weekend series, outscoring the Giants 19-4.

Then up steps Penny, the man who the Giants are paying less in September than the New York Yankees pay Alex Rodriguez for a couple of at-bats, to toe the slab and avert a complete revolt from the fanbase.

What was his response?

Seven innings, five hits, two runs, and one huge 7-2 win for not only Penny personally, but the Giants as a whole.

Statistically, that’s his worst start as a Giant. You know you’re cruising when giving up two runs over seven innings is looked at as a bad start compared to the others.

But by no means was Penny’s start on Sunday bad. In fact, it was desperately needed.

Let's face it—the Giants needed this win in every single way possible. Not only had the Giants looked completely incompetent against the team atop the National League West, but the Rockies have opened a comfortable buffer that even a San Francisco sweep in the next three games wouldn't completely close.

If not for Penny's win Sunday, the return of Tim Lincecum to the rotation might not have mattered as much as it should.

A sweep would have taken any kind of optimism that the faithful would have had—and that's with six more games in the crucial nine left to be be played.

The Giants were a team stuck in reverse when the Rockies actually lost a series. That's not what you want to do when you're the team trying to make up ground.

And the rotation is exactly how the Giants needed it to be—Lincecum, Barry Zito, and Matt Cain. The last time they faced the Rocks with that

One loss against Jim Tracy's boys, the season is cooked. Over and done with.

Los Gigantes can’t realistically close the gap, although they would never say it, after the Rockies leave town with the gap only lessened by one game.

Even a sweep means things aren’t going to be easy—especially with a trip to Chavez Ravine set to begin on Friday.

The way they have played this year away from the friendly confines of AT&T, there is no way to think that the Giants would all of the sudden make their triumphant comeback on the road.

That means the Giros have to win as often as they can at home. And before Penny's third gem in as many games in a Giants uniform, they hadn't done that—losing two out of three against the Padres and then losing the first two against the Dodgers.

The ship was sinking fast. Now at least Penny has slowed the pace down a bit.

Now it's up the Franchise to get the first game in the vital three-game set in the Giants’ favor. He said the team he is the face of needed a kick in the behind to get going once again and Penny provided that.

The bats can’t be counted on to lead the way and it’s time for Tiny Tim and his fellow gunslingers to put the team on their backs. There’s no easier way to put it.

Penny started it, now the others have to continue it.

But if there’s one slipup in the next six games, it might as well be wait 'til next year.

We all love meaningful September baseball returning to the City, but we didn’t hope it would develop into desperation mode with almost three weeks left to be played.

For one day, though, we can again say we're in again.

Juventus-Lazio: Bianconeri Conquer Olimpico Yet Again, Win 2-0 In Rome

Danny Penza — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:24:56 -0400

Another week, another trip to Rome, and another win at Stadio Olimpico for Italy's Old Lady.

Sandwiched on either side of the international break, Juventus traveled to Rome for the second consecutive week, this time to face Lazio. The fixture pitted two of the four Serie A teams with perfect records against one another.

With the Champions League just days away, Juve manager Ciro Ferrara chose to rest regulars Fabio Cannavaro and Vincenzo Iaquinta. In their place, Nicola Legrottaglie and David Trezeguet made their first starts of the campaign, along with Martin Caceres who was making his Juve debut, filling in for Zdenek Grygera.

Lazio were without strikers Tomaso Rocchi and Mauaro Zarate, so manager Davide Ballardini fielded famed Juventus killer Julio Cruz alongside Pasquele Fogga up front.

Juve had the first real chance of the game 10 minutes in as Trezeguet unleashed a fierce volley that troubled Lazio keeper Nando Muslera, who palmed it to the touchline. He was called into action minutes later when Mauro Camoranesi's cross arched towards the far post.

The two scoring chances seemed to wake Lazio up, as from then on, they were the better team in the first half.

Gianluigi Buffon was called into action at point-blank range when Aleksandr Kolarov got free on the left side after he put the moves on Caceres. Moments later Buffon had to be at his best again following a Roberto Baronio free kick from about 20 meters out.

Is it safe to say that Superman is back on his best form?

However, seeing Buffon make clutch save after clutch save was overshadowed when the star of the season thus far for the Bianconeri, Diego, had to be substituted with one minute to go in the first half with a thigh problem. Sebastian Giovinco came on to replace the Brazilian magician, but it remains to be seen whether Diego will be fit for Juve's Champions League opener against Bordeaux.

The first half ended in controversy, as it appeared that Lazio had claimed the first goal of the match after a mad scramble in front of Buffon's net. However, the goal was disallowed after the referee said, and replays confirmed it, that Legrottaglie was pushed in the back by Cruz at the beginning of the madness in the six-yard box.

Juve had the first genuine chance of the second half when Giovinco quickly took a free kick, passing it to debutant Fabio Grosso, who then sent a heat-seeking missile across the box that missed a diving Amauri by inches.

Trezeguet almost broke the deadlock after fantastic combination from Grosso and Giovinco on the left flank. However, once the ball got the French striker, he could only turn and shoot and didn't get much behind it.

Lazio began to respond to Juve's pressure, but the Bianconeri defense was up to the task. Giorgio Chiellini seemingly got to every ball in the air and denied any Lazio chance when he was called upon.

Amauri wasted a quality chance on the counter-attack, but Caceres finally put Juve ahead 1-0 after he recovered a loose Claudio Marchisio cross and rocketed a shot to the far post to beat Muslera.

Another Juve player scoring on their debut...not bad.

The goal seemed to open up the game. Lazio came close when Cruz blasted one from just outside the box, but the shot didn't trouble Buffon whatsoever, who had to watch it through a crowd of players.

Even though the game was deep into stoppage time, Juve continued to push players forward. Trezeguet was finally rewarded in his return to the lineup when he put away a rebound at a sharp angle after Amauri almost scored a acrobatic volley.

You could see the joy on Trezeguet's face as he was mobbed by his teammates.

It wasn't the prettiest thing, but Ferrara's men remain perfect—nine points in three games.

Another trip to Rome. Another tough challenge. Another win.

The Kid Debuts: Madison Bumgarner Makes Solid First Start in a Giants Uniform

Danny Penza — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:00:27 -0400

Not many top prospects make their debuts in the majors at age 20. Even fewer players make their debuts six weeks after turning 20 and know they're entering a playoff race.

On top of that, he's making an emergency start to replace the face of the San Francisco Giants franchise in reigning National League Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum.

He's 20 years old, making his debut in a September playoff push, filling in for The Franchise...good luck, Madison Bumgarner. Go get 'em, kid.

That is what makes Bumgarner's debut in the bigs Tuesday night so unique. We can write about him all we want here on the West Coast while he's pitching across the country with the Giants' Double-A affiliate in Connecticut, but until we see actually see the barely-20-year-old that we've been praising for months, there's never really the certainty that we're getting what we read about.

For some, including yours truly, as we were getting ready to head out to the yard, we got the word that the Freak was sidelined with a bad back and Giants GM Brian Sabean had dipped into the farm system for the other member of the two-headed prospect monster for the second time in a matter of days.

Instead of pitching in the Eastern League playoff opener Wednesday night, he's trying to keep the Giants in their own playoff race on Tuesday. Talk about a change of scenery and circumstances in a matter of 24 hours.

Understandably, the kid had nerves going into his debut—for the record, I was nervous as hell for him when my BART train whizzed under the Bay. But you wouldn't notice Bumgarner was a bit shaken when he fired his first pitch right down the chute and then stabbed a comebacker facing his first batter, Everth Cabrera.

The first inning followed with the next two hitters going down—a one-two-three inning in your first career inning. The guy is two years out of high school, and he's got ice water in his veins. First test passed.

At least he seemed calm and collected. He had to be going about buzzing inside.

The Giants gave him a one-run lead in the bottom half of the first, but that was quickly erased when Chase Headley hit a laser into the left field bleachers. For as bad as the Padres offense is, you can't chuck fastballs down the chute and expect them not to be hit against a big league hitter.

As the game went on, you could tell that Bumgarner was finally getting settled in. The zip on the fastball wasn't changing much, sitting 88-91, but he did find the snap on his slider, and it certainly helped his cause. Other than another solo shot off a meaty fastball, this time off the bat of Kevin Kouzmanoff, Mad Bum continued to fire strikes and get the job done.

However, the most notable thing with Bumgarner was that he wasn't firing 95 MPH rockets like we had expected. Instead, he only topped out at 91, and that wasn't very often. His final line demonstrates that—5.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, and 76 pitches thrown.

He wasn't overly impressive in terms of pure stuff that the scouts love to throw out there, but he got the job done and gave his team a chance to win.

That doesn't mean it was a bad outing. If you go by just what was on the gun, then sure, it wasn't the Bumgarner we heard about in Spring Training throwing mid-90s and striking out the dreaded wonder that is Manny Ramirez.

Still, despite the lower-than-expected gun readings, Bumgarner went out there and go the job done.

Anything else you want a guy who turned 20 six weeks ago to do in his debut?

Two mistakes, that's all. Take out the two bombs and Bumgarner only gave up three hits.

Oh, and did we mention the kid could swing the stick?

Much to my liking, Bumgarner is a lefty thrower who bats right-handed. First pitch he sees, he tries to jack one across the Bay. As Jon Miller said, he took a mighty cut. His second AB saw him hit a rocket to the track that saw him receive one of many ovations from the crowd.

By no means is Bumgarner a finished product, though. The kid has the tools, the build, and the mindset to be yet another stud in the Giants rotation—one that is built on power fastballs and lots of strikeouts. The drop in velocity is a concern, but he is just two years out of high school and has piled up nearly 280 innings as a professional in the minors.

He definitely has to work on the offspeed stuff to be considered a legit major leaguer. It was only a year ago in Low-A when he was simply blowing hitters away with his best fastball. In Connecticut, it was more about trying to have Bumgarner develop as a pitcher.

Despite the dip in velocity as the season went on, he still limited hitters to a .211 average in 131.1 innings this season.

The talent is there. It's just a matter of putting everything together.

But for the circumstances he was put into a day after his cross-country flight, who he was replacing in the rotation, and all the hoopla of the Giants trying to keep pace with the Rockies, you can't fault Bumgarner for the Giants' eventual 4-3 loss to the Padres.

He deserved the win—something the Giants have to get as many of as they can this time of year, with Colorado basically showing they're not going to slow down as the number of games dwindle down.

Now let's welcome back Lincecum and see Mad Bum and Gerald D. Posey catching up on things in the dugout while watching their mates challenge the Rocks.

San Francisco Giants Head Home Searching for Answers on Offense...Again

Danny Penza — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 12:01:07 -0400

This song seems to be stuck on a loop, doesn't it?

Yes, we knew the San Francisco Giants would have it tough with the sticks for the better part of the season, and we haven’t been proven wrong yet.

But things couldn’t have better exemplified the Giants’ season than the recently finished six-game road trip to Philadelphia and Milwaukee.

Now, with the Giants struggling on the road like they have in 2009 and the two parks they went to, a 3-3 trip doesn’t sound all that bad on the surface. You’d take that any day of the week when you look at the past performances that have gone on away from AT&T Park this season, especially when you consider the kind of offensive teams the Giants went up against.

But then you look at what the pitching did. They weren’t just great like they've been for the entire season—they were absolutely sensational. Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum were their usual brilliant selves, but Brad Penny and Jonathan Sanchez were equally impressive.

How impressive were they?

Let’s try allowing 1.5 runs per game on for size.

You read that correctly. That cartoonish number includes limiting the Phillies to three runs in their three-game series—but they lost two of those games. The Gigantes were absolutely dealing the past week—even more than they usually do.

With those kinds of numbers, you would expect a team to go undefeated and keep pace with the always on fire Colorado Rockies, not fall two games behind the Rox because of a .500 road trip.

A failed sacrifice bunt or two here, a triple play there, and you have a fanbase frustrated as much as they have ever been.

The obvious reason as to why the Giants aren’t coming home ahead or tied in the wild card is because of their lack of any hitting whatsoever, not just over the course of the game, but particularly with runners in scoring position.

To begin with, the Giants don’t get many runners on base—their National League-low .308 on-base percentage is well below the league average—so when you do get them on, you have to knock them in. That clearly didn’t happen.

In their 12-inning loss to the Brewers on Sunday, which was a fitting end to the roadie, the Giants registered 10 hits. That would be plenty to score at least four, maybe five runs, right? Not these Giants. They scored only one run. One stinking run.

The Giants went a mind-boggling 4-for-42 with runners in scoring position. That is obviously worse than the .246 average they have accumulated this year with RISP, but that is also another number they are below the league average in (.260). For any team, that’s a painful number to absorb, but for the Giants, it’s even harder to swallow.

They have a manager who doesn’t like to bunt, they don’t really have anybody who can bunt outside of one or two players, and they can’t situational hit worth a lick at all—sounds like a recipe for not much offense.

It’s September, and the Giants are in a playoff race where these kinds of shortcomings become increasingly more evident. The great pitching can only take this team so far in their attempt to get into the playoffs.

They clearly need a jump-start in the most desperate way.

Everybody wants to see it, but if the first five days of Buster Posey’s major league career have told us anything, it’s that he’s basically going to sit in the dugout, cheer his mates on, and take notes the entire month of September.

It surely would be nice to see a Giants catcher draw a walk or two in the span of a couple games instead of an entire month, but Bruce Bochy has basically given us the notion that there probably won’t be much Posey this season.

If the Giants won’t play Posey behind the dish, there’s no chance he’s playing in the infield—no matter what some people say.

Something we definitely know is that Freddy Sanchez will be returning to the lineup when the Giants begin their series with the Padres. He will certainly be a refreshing sight to Giants fans, who haven’t been able to see much of him since his trade from Pittsburgh.

Pablo Sandoval has recorded all of two hits in September. Scoring and driving in runs consistently is now put on people who have, for the most part, failed to meet what their career numbers dictate they can do.

The Panda is clearly not 100 percent physically, and it’s showing at the plate. He did reach base four times on Sunday to break out of a 1-for-19 slump, but he’s still not the same Sandoval we have come to see this season.

Having Sanchez come back to the lineup will send Edgar Renteria lower in the order, where he should be at this point. That means more opportunities for the Panda to drive in runs in a park where he seems to play abnormally well.

Home cooking is what this team desperately needs right now, and they have the Dodgers and Rockies coming to town. Sounds like the perfect time and place to make up some ground.

This is usually the time when teams start to make their run and put together some kind of extended winning streak. For the Giants, their pitching is screaming for a 10-game winning streak, but reality says that they’re still trying to get to a five-game streak.

By no means is the white flag being waved. There’s still plenty of baseball to be played, and a three-game series at home against the Rockies starring the Gigantes right in the face next week.

But for now, I’ll keep the Pepto close and remind myself there are only nine more games on the road this season.