Bleacher Report - Articles by Samuel Dieudonne

AC Milan, Will It Be a Summer Of Change?

Samuel Dieudonne — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:14:09 -0400

So much has happened all too fast in the Black and Red side of Milan.

Paolo Maldini's retirement, emotional and controversial, was when marred by Ultras at the San Siro in the legendary skippers last home game.

But that huge loss has somehow found itself upstaged by the eventual exits of Coach Carlo Ancelotti, who unsurprisingly went off to Chelsea at the end of the season,and Yoan Gourcuff, a promising young midfielder who was on loan at Bordeaux who should have returned to Milan after a very impressive spell in France.

And the most disappointing of all, Kaka's 65 million move to Madrid, has left Rossoneri fans all over the world in shock while wondering how the team will move forward next season.

Leonardo's appointment as coach was a sign of optimism. It was a moved influenced by Pep Guardiola's success at Barcelona I'm sure.

But most Milan fans did not expect to lose their most important and vital player, nor did they hope to hear Pato and Pirlo rave about Chelsea and Ancelotti's respective interest in them.

Silvio and Galliani have been quick to state that Alexandre Pato, Pirlo and Seedorf are unsellable.

But just how many times had they expressed that same sentiment when it came to Kaka? Many.

And if it already escape your memory as its hard to believe, he's already an official Real Madrid player.

Infinite question's hang in the air and have yet to be answered.

Galliani promises that the money will be used wisely to rejuvenate the side whilst finding a valid replacement for Kaka. Silvio Bersculini and Alexandre Pato, Milan owner, wantthe side to invest their trust in Ronaldinho, who he hopes to carry the club forward to future successes.

Kaka is a phenomenal player and I'm sure he'll succeed at Madrid, but can Ronaldinho step up and take advantage of his absence? Will he return to his previous levels?

I doubt so, but I think he will improve under Leonardo's guidance as the coach's promised attacking style of play may suit the Brazilian maestro.

But as in all aspects of life, Milan must realize that life moves on and hopefully use the funds wisely in the transfer market in a bid to elevate the club to its previous levels.

Leonardo and Galliani must ensure that the money be used wisely and I think there are a couple of key players that could be ready for a move and can be instrumental to Milan in the near future.

Potential Transfer Targets

Edin Dzeko: A young prolific forward, the 23-year-old Bosnian grew up as a fan of the Rossoneri and views the possibility of playing for Milan as a long-held dream. He considers the club his first choice destination should he have to move.

Galliani reputably held talks with him about a 30 Million Euro move to the San Siro, although Wolfsburg is reluctant to sell.

Karim Benzema: I think now is an ideal moment for Milan to think about Benzema. Just like Dzeko, he is the explosive and strong type of center- forward this team needs to partner Pato up front.

He has also expressed an admiration for Milan, although Barcelona is his first choice. He would be a perfect destination for Ronaldinho's famed through-balls.

Samuel Eto’o: The Cameroonian striker just came from winning the Champions league title with FC Barcelona.

But their still remains a lot of doubt over his next destination as his contract runs out with the Catalonians at the end of next year. Should reports be believed he may indeed move to Milan in the summer of 2010 by signing as a free agent on a contract similar to the one offered the ex Arsenal Midfielder Mathieu Flamini?

Maxwell: Yes, he may play for city-rival Inter, but Milan desperately needs some cover at the back and this quality left back is being wasted on Jose Mourinho's bench. This move is unlikely to happen but it would be welcome.

Phillipe Mexes: Roma and France center-back Mexes has been a target for the club for sometime now in the transfer market. Now would be the ideal time to get the skipper given Roma's lack of European action this term.

Cristian Zapata: If Milan wants to rejuvenate and restore their back-line to its previous glory, signing Zapata from Udinese would be a cheap and ideal way to do just that.

With Napoli and Arsenal being the only other teams vying for his signature, Milan may find themselves a gem of a center-back partnership with Thiago Silva, Zapata, and possibly Nesta all battling for a starting spot in the center.

Elano: a controversial decision, my choice is to include Elano, a virtual unknown to most (except Brazil fans) that plays for Manchester City, as a great asset or transfer target for a huge club like Milan.

He seems to have a telepathic understanding with Ronaldinho, something Kaka clearly lacked.

Always a hard worker on the pitch, his versatility in midfield is also fundamental. He mostly roams on the right but he can supply the ball, hold it up, and pass. He is also great at set pieces, but Mark Hughes is letting him rot on the bench!

With Kaka gone, a new coach, fresh young players, and possibly a host of changes made to reduce the average age might signal a new Milan side ready to become competitive once again in Serie A and Europe.

Please comment if you would and let me know your thoughts.

FC Barcelona's CL Truimph, Suprising but So Significant.

Samuel Dieudonne — Fri, 29 May 2009 12:22:41 -0400

After helping his side humble Manchester United to a well dominated 2-0 defeat, Lionel Messi and his team in my eyes confirmed their status as the best team in the world with a phenomenal performance marked with by stunning header from the Argentine whiz kid, whilst another admired player of mine, Cristiano Ronaldo and his side Manchester United looked on visibly frustrated and stunned.

They had the right to be surprised because all the footballing pundits and critics had hyped United to comfortably defeat a visibly weakened Barcelona in the dying moments of the La Liga race and a team that had to utilize a makeshift back-four because of Dani Alves and Eric Abidal suspensions.

United started the better team of the two in Rome, Ronaldo looked strong and focused as he two first hazy runs caused the Barca back-line some headaches. He soon went on to win a free-kick which Valdes saved with difficulty but Pique managed to clear.

Manchester time in the sun only lasted 10 minutes however because on the first Barcelona attack orchestrated by who else but the magical trio of Messi, Iniesta, and Xavi, Samuel Eto'o went on to score a goal totally against the run of play.

The Momentum shifted quickly from Ferguson's Men to Pep's boys and it stayed there throughout the whole game. the phenomenal interplay between, Messi, Busquets, Henry, Iniesta and Xavi was mouth savouring and made a very strong United quatro of Anderson, Giggs, Carrick and Park look elementary.

During the whole remainder of the game i had to stop and count white shirts to see if Manchester had 11 players out there. such was Messi and Barcelona's dominance.

Messi and his team played the way the game was supposed to be played, team work, organisation and hustle were characteristics found in almost every play.

For me Messi didn't have to score that goal in the 60th minute to confirm himself and Barcelona as the best side in Europe the dedication, hard work and entertaining football they put on show was already worthy enough even if Manchester would of managed a Miraculous comeback,

For me FC Barcelona were dubbed Champions because if the beautiful football show they put on in Rome, not the final scoreline. Although the scoreline has a fundamental importance in itself also...the importance of proving that the Catalan's are real champions.

Cristiano Ronaldo Vs Leo Messi: Who Will Steal the Show?

Samuel Dieudonne — Wed, 27 May 2009 12:38:34 -0400

It’s the moment everyone has been waiting for; even the Roman gods reigning in the skies can testify that they are drooling over the prospect of seeing two of the worlds greatest players face off in the Champions League final tonight.

Cristiano Ronaldo

For Cristiano Ronaldo, the man of Step overs and trademark freekicks this is an opportunity to prove his naysayers wrong once again. I'm even surprised I have to say this given all he's accomplished in these last two seasons.

The last season, he scooped up all the individual awards there was after scoring a haul of Goals (42); extremely impressive for a winger whilst confirming his status as the world's best footballer (a fact Messi is vying to change) after he lead his team to a dream treble.

This season, Portugal's golden boy has shown no intentions of slowing down either, after his 19 goals so far have helped Manchester United en route to another successful treble. He's proved to be the complete player with show-stopping performances against Porto, Arsenal, in Europe and Tottenham, Chelsea, in the Premiership.

With the Carling Cup and Premier league trophy already secured in the cabinet, Ronaldo will be looking to repay Sir Alex Ferguson's faith in him by securing that all important Consecutive Champions League winners cup medal.

Lionel Messi

The Argentine boy wonder they call him seems to have done nothing wrong all season to harm that reputation; a man Maradona considers to be the best all-around player on the planet has taken the footballing world by storm this season.

A small sized playmaker with a thunderous shot and overwhelming speed, agility coupled with exceptional technical ability, Messi is always a joy to watch when he gets on the ball.

This season, the Argentine wizard has already secured Barcelona two trophies, the Copa Del Rey and Spain’s La liga title.

Lining up alongside Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto’o, quiet possibly the worlds most dangerous attacking trio (well over 90 goals scored between them), the Argentine wizard who just like his opponent Ronaldo will be hoping to secure himself some more individual awards after consecutive Primera titles in 2005-2007.

After winning the Soccer Olympics last year in Beijing Messi seems to have evolved to become arguably the worlds best footballer. After putting demolishing performances against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, the Argentine wizard is poised to confirm his status as the best there is...

Messi already has 37 goals to his name this season, and he’ll be hoping to add to that already impressive tally tonight.

Who better to do that against than United? Just ask Real Madrid’s former striker Ronaldo.

Selecao Season Recap, Player Of The Season and Dunga's Latest Call Ups.

Samuel Dieudonne — Sat, 23 May 2009 11:20:06 -0400

The Selecao, five times World Cup winners never mind the number of Continental titles and other trophies they've comes across is Undoubtably Footballs most succesful team and catalyst of entertainment.

At any occasion where the Cannarinha's take the field a quality performance of great technique and talent is always expected or else the criticism that follows might tarnish a players reputation or alter ego for the rest of his footballing career as Inter's Adriano has had to learn earlier on this year.

Any team that boast so many famous names in the footballing world including Ronaldinho, Kaka, Werder Bremen's Diego, Alexandre Pato & Robinho would have to be tipped as heavy favorites to lift the upcoming 2010 Mondial coming up next year in South Africa.

So as another Succesful but experimenting campaing closes Dunga's men heading into the Confederations Cup in June, join me in determining who has been the teams Player of the Season after i nominate five worthy candidates.

1) Julio Cesar: Inter's Goalkeeper has been incredible for Club and Country this year. One of the few Players I'd day say has been Worthy of an Accolade like the Golden Ball or Fifa World Player of the Year this Campaign. when it comes to the Selecao his incredible performances against sides like Italy 2-0, Ecuador 1-1 (in Quito), and Ireland 1-0, Chile 3-0, Peru 1-1 coupled with the many minutes he went without conceding a goal beforehand speaks Volumes.

2) Robinho: Many of you might want to argue my choosing of Robson for the Second Place; given his somewhat lacklustre form for the Citizens this year.. but it is almost impossible to say that the small sized forward hasn't elevated his game for Brazil this year. just to prove how good he's been i cant even remember the last time he had a bad game for Brazil. Ok, i do he wasn't his best against Peru in Porto Alegre but you get the gist. in a year in which he had to prove his Selecao credentials ahead of the World Cup he did just that by chipping in many Assist & Goals. many gems that seem irreplaceable and are great highlight reels on Youtube are his goals against Ireland, that pure class Strike againts Italy and a Golazo of the highest order that arrived away at the peril of Venezuela. if you're still unconvinced he was great this year you have got something against him.

3) Elano: A player in which Dunga seems to have installed full confidence has done nothing wrong to eclipse his coaches faith in him. always a hard worker and Wonderful performer for Brazil the Man City man despite his bench Status in the Prem has come of age for Brazil becoming a great partner alongside Kaka or Ronaldinho and surprisingly an alternative Goal scorer with strikes against Elite opposition like Portugal and Italy. he is also a masterclass on Dead Ball situations which is always a great Quality to have as a Selecao player.

4) Maicon: See Julio Cesar and just add the praise to This tireless RB please. ok im joking but Seriously where would Inter or Brazil be without Maicon, great defender and Solid Provider of the ball. and can score as well. also it must be said that he keeps Barcelona's Dani Alves on the bench; need i say more?

5) Kaka: Although it hasnt been one of his better years with the Selecao the Milan boy seems to have finally won the battle againts Ronaldinho for the number 10 and playmaking, and who dares to say he doesnt deserve it. this has been a campaign hampered by Injuries but that hasnt stopped him from Scoring incredible strikes againts Ecuador, Venezuela and Peru. it pains me to imagine what could of been had he been fit.

So these are my choices for player of the Season.. feel free to Rant, Agree, Disagree name your own. I'll be more welcome to exchange my thoughts with you.

Short Season Recap:

This Season has been one of ups and downs. But i feel its been Successful they are sitting real comfortable in the Qualifiers currently; haven't lost to Ecuador in Quito 6:1 like Maradona & his boys did in Bolivia (Sorry, I couldn't contain myself, go ahead blame it on the Altitude) lost to Venezuela in a friendly but it must be noted that we thrashed them in the Qualifiers 4-0; Same goes for Mexico who beat us 2-0 in the Copa America but got defeated 3-1 in Boston and of course we managed to gun down the World Champions whilst Dumping Portugal 6-1. for a good overall Performance check out Fabiano's outing against Chile in the Qualifiers.. That's fairly Successful when you look back at it don't you think?

Squad Call ups And Confederations Cup Preview:

So its time for the Confederations Cup again and Frankly i still remember 2005 like it was yesterday. Aah good times it was, an Adriano at his best, Ronaldinho & Kaka in full flight and a Robinho just breaking out unto the scene. who can forget the games against Greece, Germany and that 4-1 Argentina final? I couldn't even if i tried and since we are the holders lets pray Dunga takes this competition seriously, Uses it as an opportunity to assess his players qualities, fields some young guns like Pato and Nilar and storms through it while giving our other players the necessary preparation going into the World Cup next year.

Carlos (Dunga) has named his Squad and new faces included are Internacional's Nilmar who has been rewarded for his fine domestic form of late, Ramirez who impressed in Beijing last year and Andre Santos who was given the nod ahead of Marcelo.. a controversial move in my books. Chelsea's Alex also received a call up since he has been extremely influential in the London sides recent run of form under his former coach Guus Hiddink.

Notable names left out are Werder Bremen's Diego who has been in sensational form for his club and Ronaldinho who has gone through a difficult first season in Italy with Lombardi Side AC Milan. Ronaldo who many including me hoped to see included in the Squad has been left out despite his phenomenal form for Corinthians because according to Dunga, he lacks the match fitness needed for the Selecao and isn't a 100% fit.

Brazil are scheduled to meet in Brazil on June 1st, where they will prepare thier 23-man squad that will be utilized face Uraguay (on the 6th of June) and Paraguay in the World Cup qualifiers in early June. The same squad will go on to train and compete in the Confederations Cup in South Africa.

Complete Squad:

Julio Cesar - Internazionale
Gomes - Tottenham
Victor - Grêmio

Maicon - Internazionale
Daniel Alves - Barcelona
Alex - Chelsea
Juan - Roma
Lúcio - Bayern de Munique
Luisão - Benfica
Kleber - Internacional
André Santos - Corinthians

Anderson - Manchester United
Gilberto Silva - Panathinaikos
Josué - Wolfsburg
Ramires - Cruzeiro
Elano - Manchester City
Felipe Melo - Fiorentina
Júlio Baptista - Roma
Kaká - Milan

Alexandre Pato - Milan
Luís Fabiano - Sevilla
Nilmar - Internacional
Robinho - Manchester City

Racism: The Dilema That Haunts Calcio

Samuel Dieudonne — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 16:57:32 -0400

Over the last few years, World Football has consistently been suffering from the phenomena known as Racism.

Although most of the games greats have come from all sorts of different ethnicities and backgrounds; it would appear that fans of certain clubs all over the world have not yet learned to accept these players as equal human beings.

Yes, Patrick Viera, Ronaldo, Seedorf or if you want to go way back Eusebio were all hailed as heroes when they performed well for their European sides, but just reflect and try to imagined how much that would hurt if these players were ever to get jeered or Racistly taunted in their own country of birth because of their different skin pigments.

Overall, to me, Rascism is unacceptable, it is one essence of the beautiful game that tends to leave me disgusted when I see it.

FIFA And UEFA had for some time now launched Campaigns to combat Racism but what the Incident in Turin on Sunday proved is just how inaffective little pamphlets that display "Say no to Racism" go in having a real impact in deterring this grandiose negativity in today's world.

One area in the world where this poor characteristic is usually displayed sadly is the Italian peninsula. Although the league has exhibits some of the most enjoyable football it is one of the worst behaved countries when it comes to battling racism.

The most recent display of its existence there was carried out against Future Potential Italian great Mario Ballotelli in his own Country of birth.

During Sunday's fantastic Derbia D'Italia, Mario Ballotelli Inter's standout performer was continuously harassed by the Juventus Ultras and fans present at the stadium with racist chants in his every touch during the game.

What makes this case extraordinary is the fact that Ballotelli an Italian by birth but son of Italian immigrants experienced this in his own country, & no one group of supporters tried to deter the racist chants while three-fourths of the stadium chanted makes this extremely embarrassing.

Although It can be argued that Mario isn't the most likable of footballers through his huge Ego and negative antics but no single Footballer or human being deserves to go through this.

The Juventus fans should be ashamed that they tried to hackle him by sinking so low into the terms of his ethnicity that simply has nothing to do with the lads footballing ability.

The Juventus Ultras have refused to apologize amazingly, instead they are 100 percent behind the Club whom have condemned the actions but hope to appeal in front of the Italian sporting Directors to overturn the hefty one home game ban placed upon their team before the season runs out.

This hasn't been the first display of Rascist behavior by the Juventus fans this year as they did the same to Didier Drogba in the group stage rounds of the Champions League when the British side traveled to Turin.

So Let me know your thoughts, should more laws be installed to protect Football from the disgusting Phenom that is Racism or is it in your opinion simply unavoidable?

AC Milan is a Team in Need of Rejuvenation

Samuel Dieudonne — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:31:33 -0400

It is no secret that AC Milan over the last two years haven’t been playing the best football, and aren’t the mighty team that most teams in the world feared to play against, whether on a domestic or European stage.

Nowadays Milan continuously blows hot and cold. At times they play to great results, for instance the they enjoyed wins against Bologna & Udinese (3-1, 4-1), but these are all too often coupled with humiliating losses to teams like Palermo and Genoa.

When one watches Milan on display today it is an entirely different side from the one world renowned for its defensive stance and famous offensive spark, and this is sad for a man like Paolo Maldini who once partnered the likes of Baresi, Cafu, and Nesta to now lineup alongside the clumsy Senderos, the ill-coordinated Favalli, and the declining Zambrotta.

In midfield you see Clarence Seedorf, a once first-class player now performing like a kid incapable of completing five consecutive passes on target. You have Andrea Pirlo walking around on the pitch as a ghost through most games as his current form is no longer reminiscent of the midfield maestro he was just two years ago.

It's sad, really, to see what Galliani’s poor transfer policy has turned this team into—one more interested in selling T-shirts rather than satisfying its fans by playing actual football.

Although last year he gave some intentions of rejuvenating the team with the integration of Alexandre Pato into the first team after he sat out 2007, the young stat has come as good as they get as he already has scored almost 30 goals in total appearances for the side since joining, and Thiago Silva, who is incapable of playing until next term, but like Pato is highly tipped for greatness.

Also, his invigorating interest in Marco Borriello was one of great satisfaction. The Genoa hitman, after finishing as the second best goal scorer in Serie A was brought back from his loan, and within his first months at the club showed signs of great promise alongside Pato until he went down injured for the rest of the season.

To continue the intentions of rejuvenation. management trimmed up the Uruguayan's transfer market by signing two of the country’s most promising players.

Matthias Cardaccio and Tabare Vuidez are like most other youngsters, most notably to have previously worn the Milan shirt (Gourcuff), they have been more busy catering to their fellow superstars needs on the bench rather than getting playing time to enhance their soccer skills.

Hey Galliani, you should’ve really focused on trimming down an aging side while focusing on youth in the last two years. Instead he went and signed Ronaldinho, Senderos, Emerson, and David Beckham, all players past their best that have done nothing but turn the legendary club into a laughing stock.

We all know Ronaldinho isn’t the player he once was and quite respectably cannot work for Milan. If Galliani had any senses he would have opted to sign Emmanuel Adebayor when he had the chance.

The need for a good center forward was more monumental than the need for the ex-two time FIFA World Player of the year, who in my opinion is a player on the decline and no longer motivated to succeed as he once was.

Instead, he has installed more trust in 35 year-old+ veterans to win. One would think that comprehensive action would have to be taken if this team will ever return to what they once were; but first lets investigate the causes of the decline and determine which improvements should be made.

Recent Milan Form, By Season

2006-2007—AC Milan were fresh from the Calciopoli scandal as they faced a 15 point league deduction that hampered their Scudetto chances while many felt they shouldn’t have been placed in the Champions League but they were.

And with stars like Kaka, Seedorf, and Pirlo in monstrous form, they won the competition without much difficulty despite a relatively poor Calcio form as the 3-0 demolition of Manchester United in itself just proves how good the team was in Europe.

2007-2008—The Milan of last term was confident after conquering Europe in 2006 as they defeated Boca Juniors & Sevilla to become FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Super Cup Champions, but ever since that they have suffered disappointments left and right. From their round of 16 exit to Arsenal in the Champions league things went downhill as Milan just managed to woefully finished fifth.

That caused them to get relegated into the UEFA Cup (Europa League).

2008-2009—Once they faced their embarrassing and spectacular exit at the hands of Germany's Werder Bremen, who went on to knock them out on away goals by coming back to tie the Lombardian side after being two goals behind, the team now finds itself in third, two points behind Juventus which automatically puts them in contention for the second spot as they still have a game in hand against the Turin side before the end of the season.

Should Milan remain at least third in the table their season will be sort of bittersweet as they would certainly qualify for next years Champions League, which is their goal.

As a Milan fan, when you look at such a form resume, especially the 2008-'09 one you can come to terms with yourself and completely accept that Milan is a side in Crisis. One would tend to blame Carlo Ancelotti for his stubborn tactics and poor management of the team but I beg to differ.

No soccer manager is perfect, but the management must be at least satisfying and it is hard to disagree that Galliani simply did not provide Carlo with the necessary ingredients for future success.

But there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel overall as Galliani has finally been enlightened.

Last week he declared that while there would not be a huge turnaround at Milan, but that instead Carlo’s needs for a center forward, two Defenders and a new Midfielder would be put in perspective. Whilst the Squad will be trimmed down as he plans to lower the average age of the team.

He also announced what every Milan fan wants to hear, finally the side will be investing in youth. Milan has a wealth of talent around Serie A, and a lot of young players to go on the bench.

Take advantage of Milan’s various on loan stars like (Abate), (Di Gennaro) and let go of the no longer capable like Seedorf, Favalli, Emerson, and Co. and they will be more than welcome.

So if these changes are effectively carried out and the side still doesn’t improve than I’ll feel inclined to pin the blame on Carlo. His tactics and selections will be key as I will keep a close eye on him domestically and in the Champions League next season.

Kaka Boost for Brazil Ahead of the Peru Clash

Samuel Dieudonne — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:40:54 -0400

In the final match of this qualifying round, Brazil, who obtained a fair result in the overwhelming altitude of Quito against Ecuador, return home to a comfortable sanctuary for some Porto Alegre.

Upon returning from Quito, Dunga and Brazil wasted no time getting back to business as they trained lightly before thousands of anxious fans who packed Internacional's home stadium, hoping to catch a glance of Brazil's stars, most notably: Milan's famous trio Ronaldinho, Kaka, and Internacional former youth product Alexandre Pato.

Ronaldinho, who had formerly played for Gremio team of Porto Alegre but also fierce rival of Internacional, was given a rather surprisingly warm welcome as fans packed around him asking for pictures and autographs.

Alexandre Pato, whom two years ago was playing his trade for Internacional, however, was treated like royalty. Most fans at the stadium and the majority of young girls painted the Milan star's name on their skins and cheered his every move in the game.

After training, he stayed out with fans for about 10 minutes signing autographs before entering the locker room. When asked about all the attention he was getting from the ladies, he replied jokingly, "Stephanie's not jealous!" the 19 year old foward is engaged to famous Brazilian model and Actress Stephanie Brito

Both Ronaldinho and Pato will be hoping to start as they wish to impress in their home city.

However, all eyes will be on Robinho and Fabiano up front who had quiet games against Ecaudor as Dunga will probably opt for the same Ecuador lineup at the exclusion of Maicon, whom Daniel Alves will replace on the right.

During the press conference, Dunga reiterated just how difficult the qualifiers are and just how ecstatic he is that Kaka is returning to the squad after a long injury layoff.

He hopes that the Milan star's experience and Pace will provide a much needed boost to his side in attack.

Dunga stressed that Kaka, who trained with the fans for the first time with the team Monday and earlier today, would feature but explained his uncertainty over the amount of minutes the star would complete.

Peru have struggled throughout the Qualifiers this year and it seems that the World Cup dream has ended for them as they are currently sitting last in the table.

they did managed to hold Brazil to a 1-1 draw earlier on though but Brazil have been gaining confidence recently and despite the last stalemate in Ecuador they should be expected to confidently oust the Peruvians at home.

Prediction; 3-0 Brazil.

Dunga's Brazil Is Back After Woeful Draw Against Ecuador!

Samuel Dieudonne — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:26:59 -0400

Brazil entered this latest round of World Cup Qualifiers with the Intention of improving their somewhat lacklustre performances on that specific stage.

But they did themselves no favors as they scraped a lucky and thoroughly undeserved draw in Quito last night against the Ecuadorians.

For any fan of direct football or (Samba) the Brazilian way of playing; yesterdays clash was a complete bore-fest. the Selecao got outperformed by a determined Ecuador side whom unlike The Cannarinha's played with heart and spirit.

Ronaldinho who was hugely instrumental in the game against Italy had one to forget as he constantly gave the ball away coupled with a really poor passing rate.

The home side totally dictated play and left Brazil's front man neutralized, little Robinho was the only inspirational player in attack Luis Fabiano, Elano were just mere bystanders.

Brazil's Midfield and Defence was constantly hampered and disrupted by the likes of Mendez who plays for the Mexican side Santos. he alone caused three Brazilians to get booked.

The defence did little to help also as Luisao and Lucio constantly lost aerial challenges and were really poor when tackling. just to state it and sum up the performance, Julio Cesar's goal was peppered with 22 shots on goal while Brazil had a woeful 8 attempts.

Brazil Manager Carlos Dunga was left frustrated throughout as his team opted to throw out another horrible performance that will be sure to place him right on the hot seat once again if they fail to convincingly oust Peru on Wednesday.

He did throw one last dice though as him deciding to Introduce Roma's Julio Batista gifted Brazil what can be now described as a precious point as he had initially put the Brazilians ahead in the clash with a well taken strike in the 72 minute, until Christian Noboa rightfully payed off the Ecuadorians valiant persistence by taping in an initially saved Benitez attempt.

Player Ratings:- (Adapted from Goal.com)

ECUADOR

Cevallos – 6: Very unfortunate to concede a goal. Only had a few touches of the ball beforehand and afterwards had even fewer saves to make.

Reasco – 6.5: Looked very timid when he joined the attack in the first half. Got a lot bolder in the second period as he constantly cut in to the middle from the flank to cause problems.

Espinoza – 6: Shadowed Luis Fabiano (the ghost) closely throughout the game and did not let him out of his sight. Even produced a shot on target at the other end.

Hurtado – 6:Like Espinoza, he wasn’t troubled in defense as they easily kept Fabiano quiet. But they did hesitate in closing down Robinho and Julio Baptista and that led to Brazil’s goal.

Ayovi – 7.5: An energetic display. Not afraid to run at his opponents or have a crack at goal from distance. Barely troubled by the Brazilian attack at the other end or even Dani Alves’ overlapping runs.

Valencia – 6: Wasn’t as energetic as the rest of his team-mates. Hit the crossbar in the first half but other than that, he didn’t have much to show.

Mendez – 8: Had numerous chances from direct free kicks throughout the game. Continually bossed the midfield and created openings for his team-mates. It was his persistent run down the flank which led to the equalizer.

Castillo – 5: Despite his team’s domination in the center of the park, he didn’t see much of the ball and he wasn’t very involved in the attacks.

Guerron – 8: Saw a lot of the ball down his wing and gave the Brazilians endless problems with his runs and his dangerous crosses.

Benitez – 4: Very difficult to handle on the ground or in the air, but right in front of goal he wasted countless clear-cut scoring opportunities, including numerous efforts from close range. Would have been relieved to see his team-mate score off a rebound of his.

Caicedo – 5: Didn’t have as many chances as Benitez but still wasted his fair share of decent opportunities.

Substitutes:

Noboa – 6: Found himself in the right place at the right time to stab home the rebound. Didn’t do much else in the 15 minutes he was on the pitch.

BRAZIL

Julio Cesar – 9: Made at least four excellent saves in the first half to keep his side alive and made five more in the second period as Ecuador peppered his goal with 23 shots in total. Could not have done much more to deny the hosts the equalizer. Brazil's man of the match.

Maicon – 5: Looked subdued in the 23 minutes he was on. Taken off just before the half-hour mark with an injury and one wonders if he may have carried a niggle into the game.

Lucio – 5: Beaten in the air time and again and had two very nervous moments early in the second half, one of which almost allowed Benitez to score.

Luisao – 6: Struggled early on with a few mistimed clearances and tackles but grew stronger as the game wore on, making pivotal interceptions. Not any better in the air than his defensive partner.

Marcelo – 5:Made a bright start helping out in attack and he was one of the very few to get a shot on goal for his side. Defensively, he had an intriguing battle with Guerron all game long but he lost more than he won as he allowed his rival to supply cross after cross.

Gilberto Silva – 5: The normally cool holding midfielder had to do a lot of running and his lack of pace showed as the Ecuadorian completely dominated in the middle of the park.

Felipe Melo – 6: Charged from box to box in the first half as he helped defend and also attack. Somewhat disappeared in the second period as he was asked to stay deep in his own half to stifle the opposition offense.

Elano – 4: Had no input in attack whatsoever. Had to backtrack to help out in defence just to get a touch of the ball.

Ronaldinho – 5: Far too many stray passes and lost balls. His set-piece deliveries were also woefully disappointing.

Robinho – 7: The liveliest of Brazil’s outfield players. Covered a lot of ground, created most of the openings and made the assist for Baptista’s opener. Had one or two chances of his own and almost every attack went through him.

Luis Fabiano – 5: Restricted to just a few touches of the ball and even fewer shots on goal, one of which came back off the post. Kept on the field for his pace and strength and he did cause the Ecuadorian back line a few headaches on the counter.

Substitutes:

Dani Alves – 6.5: Added more spark to the team’s attack as well as more speed at the back.

Josue – 6: Brought on to give the side more steel in midfield after 60 minutes when Ecuador were really piling on the pressure. He did his job as he slowed down his opponents advances on a few occasions.

Julio Baptista – 7: Took just 60 seconds to score after replacing Ronaldinho. He started the move by bringing the ball out of midfield and he finished with a powerful shot at the near post, although he was a tad lucky it came off the post and in off the goalkeeper’s head.

Brazil Vs. Ecuador Preview.

Samuel Dieudonne — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:40:40 -0400

March 29, 5:00 PM (Eastern Time).

Quito Ecuador, Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa (Capacity 40,000).

Brazil, under the direction of Carlos Dunga, have already arrived in Rio De Janeiro in the hope of improving their tally of points in the South American World Cup Qualifiers.

The Selecao have a hard schedule ahead of them and will be looking to take a big step towards securing their spot in South Africa with a win. Their journey will continue on Sunday as they travel to the lofty Estadio Olimpico Atahualpa to take on Ecuador.

The last time these two sides met, Ecuador were on the receiving end of a 5-0 thrashing. However, Brazil will face a different proposition on Sunday.

Ecuador have become a far more difficult team to break down since then, and have not allowed more than a goal in their home matches. Needless to say, Dunga's men will have to be up for the challenge if they are to do the double over their South American neighbors.

Ecuador's front line is dangerous, led by Premier League trio Felipe Caicedo, Antonio Valencia, and Segundo Castillo. This trio could cause Brazil all sorts of problems if they continue their run of lacklustre displays in the qualifiers.

Since their last meeting, Brazil's fortunes have also changed, following some sizzling displays against Portugal and Italy. Robinho, Ronaldinho, and Elano have all been on top form for the Selecao and it seems like the Samba flair is back and better than ever.

With that said, Ecuador could bring Dunga and the boys back to reality with a bang.

For Brazil, new addition Felipe Melo impressed hugely and is expected to once again marshall the midfield alongside Elano, Ronaldinho, and Kaka, who still remains a doubt despite his call-up.

Players to Watch

Brazil

Alexandre Pato

A.C Milan's young prodigy is tipped by many as the heir to Ronaldo and the future of the Selecao.

He has 17 Goals this season and shows no signs of slowing down, and his pace may be the key to unlocking a difficult Ecuadorian defence. Dunga has been cautious with him, but I think he will get at least 20 minutes to wreak havoc when Adriano peters out.

Elano

Manchester City's bench warmer has put in some show stopping displays with the Selecao of late, and has repaid Dunga's faith in him by scoring in Brazil's last two games.

Elano orchestrates the midfield well and seems to be involved in every Brazilian attack.

Robinho

Well what can I say about little Robson? When it comes to Brazil games he's always a threat. Take a look at his goal against Italy, it's vintage Robinho!

His antics off the field might be unsavoury, but he's a class player on it.

Ecuador

Antonio Valencia

The Premier League midfielder has been in sizzling form for Wigan, and Brazil's defence will have their hands full in dealing with him. Valencia has been linked with a transfer to Manchester United—such rumors don't materialise if you're not good.

Edison Méndez

The PSV Eindhoven winger is Ecuador's leading scorer this season, and just like Valencia, he will have the Brazilian defence on their heals.

Here are the respective Squads:

Ecuador

Goalkeepers: Jose Francisco Cevallos (Liga Deportiva Universitaria), Marcelo Elizaga (Emelec), Maximo Banguera (Barcelona SC)

Defenders: Neicer Reasco, Jairo Campos, Paul Ambrossi (all Liga Deportiva Universitaria), Miguel Ibarra (Espoli), Giovanni Espinoza (Barcelona SC), Jorge Guagua (El Nacional), Ivan Hurtado (Millonarios), Isaac Mina (Deportivo Quito), Deyson Mendez (Espoli)

Midfielders: Segundo Castillo (Everton), Edison Mendez (PSV Eindhoven), Antonio Valencia (Wigan), Cristian Noboa (Rubin Kazan), Joffre Guerron (Getafe), Walter Ayovi (Monterrey), David Quiroz (Emelec), Patricio Urrutia (all Liga Deportiva Universitaria), Jefferson Montero (Independiente del Valle Jose Teran)

Forwards: Felipe Caicedo (Manchester City), Cristian Benitez (Santos Laguna), Pablo Palacios (Barcelona SC), Walter Calderon (all Liga Deportiva Universitaria), Joao Rojas (Emelec)

Brazil

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Doni (AS Roma)

Defenders: Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Maicon (Inter Milan), Lucio (Bayern Munich), Miranda (Sao Paulo), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), Luisao (Benfica), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Kleber (Internacional)

Midfielders: Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Josue (VfL Wolfsburg), Anderson (Manchester United), Felipe Melo (Fiorentina), Elano (Manchester City), Julio Baptista (AS Roma), Kaka (AC Milan), Ronaldinho (AC Milan)

Forwards: Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Adriano (Inter Milan), Robinho (Manchester City)

"Kaka Is Not For Sale!" Says Galliani

Samuel Dieudonne — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:15:33 -0400

After the turmoil caused in Milan after the fans heard that Manchester City's lucrative offer for their star playmaker was being considered, Real Madrid apparently haven't taken a lesson from that and are apparently now ready to rekindle their interest in the player once more.

But Adriano Galliani—aka Uncle Fester—declared that A.C Milan despite all the chaos and financial trouble they've endured this season will not be selling Kaka or any of their other main stars but instead will be looking to trim the squad, decrease player salaries and invest in youth in what he says will be a "very different transfer market campaign in the summer."

After so many injuries destructed the team's Scudetto hopes their were fears that Milan's star players like Kaka, Pirlo, and Pato would go running if considerable offers were made but the Manchester City saga brought us all to reality and made us notice just how hard it is for clubs little and small to tempt players away from Milanello.

According to various reports from Marca and Gazzeta Dello Sport, Real Madrid were planning a future dream team that would see Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo in midfield while being coached under Carlo Ancelotti current under pressure manager of the Rossonerri. according to the reports a bid of over £50 mil would be put up to acquire the Brazilian star man.

After being questioned about the rumors by various journalist, Galliani simply said, ''Kaka is not for sale.'' There couldn't have been a better way to put it.

Inzaghi Reaches Milestone Achievement As He and Pato Rout Siena!

Samuel Dieudonne — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:33:02 -0400

Fillipo Inzaghi's predatory senses in front of the net had helped him reach an the extraodinary achievement of 300 total career goals over a career of great longetivity.

The 35-year-old forward scored twice, with his second taking him to the milestone. Strike partner Alexandre Pato also scored two goals after Andrea Pirlo converted an early penalty. Massimo Maccarone scored a consolation goal for the hosts.

"I feel a bit like a child. Today I'm celebrating an event that fills me with pride," Inzaghi said. "Three hundred goals is really a lot. I didn't have time to prepare any celebrations. I've scored five goals in two weeks that I didn't expect."

Yesterday afternoon Milan, who are hoping to secure the third place finish for the rest of the season that which would see them successfully respect the ultimatum handed to head coach Carlo Ancelotti by the club's directors if he is to remain in Office.

Those were the proceedings yesterday as the Team traveled to Siena where they received a giant leap in securing the third place objective by convincingly thrashing Siena by the score of 5-1.

Carlo Ancelotti opted for a very attack minded lineup with in form strikers Pato and Inzaghi lining up from the start. David Beckham, Andrea Pirlo, Ambrosini and Flamini formes the Midfield while Maldini, Favalli, Zambrotta and Jankolovski formed the back four.

The Atmosphere at the stadium was fantastic and the away side wasted no time in creating defensive nightmares for their opponents, as soon as the seventh minute AC Milan had already gifted themselves a great chance to open the scoring. Matthieu Flamini on a mazy run was apparently fouled in the penalty area, Andrea Pirlo stepped up and made no mistake in burying it past the keeper.

The home side consistently pressured as the sensational Flamini bossed Midfield as if he were still at Arsenal, while Beckham and Pirlo orchestrated the attacking play in more advanced roles.

It did not take long for the Rossoneri to add a second as king Pippo lost his man on a corner kick to slot in his 299th career goal as a professional soccer player. His 300th would soon come but Pato got his first in the 55th when he scored in his 13th Serie A goal of the season from long range.

Beckham and Pirlo would later link up and Inzaghi ran beyond the Siena defense to shoot past goalkeeper Gianluca Curci, it was the most anticipated moment of the afternoon and the games highlight. Pippo had scored his 300th as he celebrated with the traveling fans while holding up a custom made shirt for the occasion.

Pato added some gloss with his second of the match in the 78th. Ronaldinho hit a long ball over the Siena defense and his Brazil teammate rounded Curci before slotting the ball into the empty net.

That was how it ended in Tuscany Milan stay fourth for yet another week as Fiorentina and Genoa both dropped points.

Ancelotti had this to say after the game, We did better than last week in the build up," Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "Unfortunately we don't have a big center forward who can hold the ball up during difficult moments, as instead we have strikers who can escape marking to latch on to through balls."

Ancelotti, had welcomed back Kaka and Ronaldinho after injury, but was forced into an early changes when goalkeeper Christian Abbiati collided with defender Giuseppe Favalli the coach had to send on reserve 'keeper Dida, and Kaka who limped off injured again after a brief comeback. he had some rather kinds words for Pato also, enjoy

"Pato was sleeping for a while, but then he scored two goals," Ancelotti said. "He has to work on getting involved more, but he scores goals with the ease of a star."

Dunga Announces Brazil Squad for Peru, Equador Qualifiers

Samuel Dieudonne — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:24:40 -0400

Brazil National Football team head coach Carlos Dunga has announced his Squad ahead of the South American Qualifiers against Peru and Ecuador.

In the past Brazil have been no strangers to struggling on the World Cup Qualifying stage and this edition of Qualifiers have been no different as they have sometimes frustrated the fans with their lacklustre defensive displays against the weaker sides that have mostly ended in boring 0-0 Stalemates.

But their is hope on the horizon that the Brazil of old is back after they've Thrashed Portugal 6-2 and disposed of the current World Champions Italy 2-0 last month at the Emirates.

Dunga's troops will face a difficult test after enjoying these rather convincing display against strong opposition. There is no better stage to prove they are back than the always difficult South American Qualifiers.

Alexandre Pato who is an real scorching form for Milan has received another call up while Amauri is snubbed yet again. Anderson of Manchester United returns from injury to perhaps slot in beside the impressive Felipe Melo of Fiorentina.

Ronaldinho, Adriano & Kaka who has finally returned from Injury are just some of the other high profile names included in the squad. Miranda of Sao Paolo replaces the injured Juan of Roma at the back Thiago Silva and Lucio also get the nod, as Kleber, Marcelo are called as Left wingbacks.

Brazil, which rank second at the South American Qualifiers standings, will visit Ecuador in Quito on March 29; then three days later, they will host Peru at Beira-Rio stadium in Porto Alegre.

The squad in its entirety:

Keepers: Julio Cesar (Inter, ITA), Doni (Roma, ITA).

Defenders: Maicon (Inter, ITA), Daniel Alves (Barcelona, ESP), Lucio (Bayern Munich, GER), Miranda (Sao Paulo), Thiago Silva (Milan, ITA), Luisao (Benfica, POR), Marcelo (Real Madrid, ESP), Kleber (Internacional).

Midfielders: Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos, GRE), Josué (Wolfsburg, GER), Anderson (Manchester United, ENG), Felipe Melo (Fiorentina, ITA), Elano (Manchester City, ENG), Julio Baptista (Roma, ITA), Kaka (Milan, ITA), Ronaldinho (Milan, ITA).

Strikers: Robinho (Manchester City, ENG), Alexandre Pato (Milan, ITA), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla, ESP), Adriano (Inter, ITA).

Is There an English Dominance in the Champions League?

Samuel Dieudonne — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:33:42 -0400

If this last Champions League knockout stage indicated or confirmed anything, it would be the clear dominance that the Premier league sides have enjoyed in the last few editions of the competition.

England's top four sides Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, and powerhouse Manchester United have all enjoyed great triumphs and success in Europe's premier competition over the years; but there's no era in history where I can remember them being so dominant and strong.

There was a time when believe it or not the Champions league was a competition with no clear favorites and a title all teams could hope to lift...not anymore. These days, the CL seems a title destined for the Premier league top four.

But just why is that? Is the Premier league stronger than La Liga, Serie A, and the Bundesliga combined; do they have stronger players? I personally doubt it. But they do seem to have something that others sides lack.

If anything, A.C Milan had squashed all these claims in my mind when a brilliant Kaka single-handedly carried his team unto the Finals by being decisive against Manchester United in the two semi final legs in 2007. They went on to lift the trophy in the final at Athens against Liverpool to the delight of all Serie A fans.

But now I know I was wrong, the simple fact that two English sides were represented in both the Semi final and Final alone in that edition should of been a clear sign of the Premier leagues newly found strength in the competition. It was just the beginning though; more was to come.

The 2008 Champions league was the one in particular that captivated my attention, Manchester United defied all odds as they ''steamrolled their way through to the finals comprehensively defeating everyone in the way."

Everyone team from Barcelona, Celtic to Chelsea, their fierce English Rivals was a merciless victim of the Red Devils. That English final in Russia was the beginning of a new Golden Era for English football, one I believe wont be easy to end.

This year could of been the perfect time to install a dent in that dominance as UEFA spurred some classic Italy vs England clashes and one Liverpool-Madrid game but the likes of Real Madrid, Roma, Inter and Juventus, although some fought proved no match for the well prepared and groomed stars of the Premier League.

For fans of the Serie A, La liga, (well maybe not Bundesliga) this round of 16 was painful to watch.

Manchester walked over Inter who well with all due respect do not have a great record in the Champions League at all. Jose Mourinho was brought in to change that but the special one ended up second best to the Scottish wizard Ferguson.

Roma fought back and took their tie with Arsenal to Penalties but Max Tonnetto bottled his Penalty so yet another English team prevailed, Juventus the best Italian performer in my opinion deserved better against Chelsea but Micheal Essien and Didier Drogba found a way through for the Blues.

Liverpool, with Torres and Gerrard hammered a sorry Real Madrid. I felt sad as I concluded there is an English dominance and I can feel another all-English final coming over the horizon.

To conclude this editorial, I have one last question:

Is it luck or dominance for the Prem sides?

Are AC Milan in Crisis? Pt. 1: Assigning Blame

Samuel Dieudonne — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:04:09 -0500

After a disastrous campaign last season that saw them narrowly miss out on Champions League football due to finishing fifth behind Fiorentina, it was clearly evident that Milan had a problem.

But did we ever think it would become this bad?

The answer hands down should be no.

Yes, the side has been hampered with injuries—and yes, misfortune can be put into account.

But in my opinion Milan's management and coaching staff has only brought this upon themselves.

Even though they started last season as the defending European and FIFA Club World World Cup Champs, they struggled consistently and managed to have all their objectives and goals changed by wintertime. It was clearly evident that the Milan side needed change.

The team finished up the season trophy-less, and to make it worse, missed out on the Champions League. Now they have dropped points in some of the recent Serie A games and gotten thrashed out of the UEFA Cup, their last hope for silverware. They now seem to have gone down that exact road once again—now finding themselves hanging by a thread on third 12 points behind Inter with Fiorentina, and Genoa once again breathing down their necks for CL spots.

What is the cause of this? I have certain ideas.

Carlo Ancelotti, the team's coach, shoulders a large portion of the blame. Sure, his tactics stink, as he is awfully reliant on the Christmas tree formation and sometimes his reasoning is questionable. He also is awful at man management and really has he favorites which causes Milan to suffer when they go down injured.

But just how easy is it to work for a guy like Adriano Galliani? A transfer guru who always seems to find a way to make the fans frown when he purchases on the transfer market, even though at times he makes great acquisitions. Bottom line—our transfer policy sucks our squad needs some upgrading and we have a coach that has a natural inability to motivate players.

After such a turbulent campaign last season, the Rossonerri obviously needed change, and in the summer transfer market they tried to install some. Most were good moves and the fans were hopeful that the Milan of Old would be back but just how badly didn't we think of the future consequences.

The team is too old and lacks pace which is mainly why they've crashed out of both Champions League Football and the UEFA Cup two years in a row. Older players are consistently getting contract renewals and more playing time while younger ones warmed the bench or got shipped out on loan.

It was obvious that our key needs were to completely rejuvenate our front line and strengthen our back line, and that's where my blame of Galliani comes in.

Despite bringing back Borriello, who had been sensational last term with Genoa and Matthieu Flamini on a free from Arsenal, he still managed to make unreasonable and unneeded buys—like Shevchenko, who flopped amazingly at Chelsea and is on his way to doing it again here, and Ronaldinho whom despite impressing at an earlier stage of the season really hasn't been the player of the old and has been so far only second choice to Clarence Seedorf.

He also struggles to impress when playing alongside Kaka, which brings the all-important question, "Can the two They Coexist?" Who knows? Ancelotti hasn't even bothered to tweak his tactics and try to find what works.

It has been a horrendous season for Milan when it came down to available players and injury casualties also. Gattusso, Borriello, Nesta, Kaladhze, and now Kaka are just some of the crucial players to have missed a long run of games. I think all these players have some direct relation to just why some of the guys like Clarence Seedorf, Andrea Pirlo, and even Maldini have been so poor in the respective positions on the pitch this season.

It was good to see some changes made, as players like Cafu, Oddo and Brocchi were shipped out. Most fans like me thought we were taking a step in the right direction.

But it did not take long for us to realise that young talents such as Paloschi, Gourcuff, and Abate were shipped out also and most likely wouldn't return. We shouldn't blame them, as young players in Milan—with the exception of Leonardo discoveries Pato and Kaka—are usually slapped in the face with an extreme lack of playing time.

One example of this, undoubtedly, is Yoann Gourcuff. The young french talent tipped as the new Zidane has been extremely mishandled by Milan. Under the reigns of the stubborn coach Ancelotti, Gourcuff was given very little playing time as Carlo judge repetitively that he lacked the mentality needed to play for Milan. Right, that's exactly why he is playing fantastic football for Bordeaux and the France National team, isn't it?

So instead of letting the kid prove himself capable of playing for us overtime by building his confidence Ancelotti simply benched him for a season and loaned him out the next. That kind of mentality is exactly why Milan suffers and goes into a crisis. But where do we draw the line and solve this crisis?

It is time for some drastic changes. Is a new coach needed? Should the squad be upgraded? Only time can tell, but please feel free to comment and leave your thoughts.

Brazil Trounces Italy: Is the Joga Bonito Back?

Samuel Dieudonne — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:53:19 -0500

Tuesday night in a thrilling affair in London, Brazil and Italy faced each other in what Lippi tipped to be the derby of the world.

What the Italy tactician did not know, however, was what was in store. Brazil ran away worthy winners with a 2-0 score after 90 minutes of pulsating football, courtesy of Manchester City duo Elano and Robinho.

Prior to the game, both managers recieved some scrutiny for their conservative squad selections and projected lineup. Brazilian manger Dunga got it right this time, as his team produced some of the best footballing to grace the international stage in a long while.

Dunga chose an impressive lineup and his men did not let him down. Maicon, Lucio, Juan, and Marcelo formed the back four, while Ronaldinho, Felipe Melo, Gilberto Silva, and Elano started in midfield, with Adriano and Robinho up in front.

If the Brazilian tactician's team had been criticized in the past for anything, yesterday they did the exact reverse. Unlike the old robotic football they played under Dunga in the past last night, the team played with great flair and creativity, finding space on the pitch left and right, passing the ball well, and dominating midfield while staying organized and focused at the back.

Dunga must have felt like he was dreaming.

Lucio and Juan were the usual formidable rock at the back, Marcelo had something to prove and was outstanding, while Maicon was enjoying himself against Grosso at the back.

The Midfield's outstanding performance was the surprise for me. Elano, Gilberto Silva, and Felipe Melo hardly ever gave the azzurri a breather as they dominated midfield, held possession, and made Italy's defenders and midfielders cripple under pressure. The Jogo Bonito was back and it felt like a dream.

No. 10 Ronaldinho was in the best of form, making Italia's highly rated midfield trio at the start (Pirlo, Montolivo, De Rossi) look second-rate and inexperienced with his exquisite dribbling and eye-catching skills.

The Brazilian was in such good mood that he was the orchestrated the plays of both goals, as his side did all the damage in the first half alone. His flick-pass to Binho in the first half was one of great expertise.

In the 12th minute, another classic Brazil goal was born. Some good combinations from Melo, Ronaldinho, Robinho, and Elano led to the latter chipping eloquently against Buffon. Felipe passed to Ronnie who, with a long diagonal, pass found Elano, who back-heeled to Robinho and received a return on his way to finishing coolly over the iconic Italian goalkeeper.

That was only the start of it all, as the best was yet to come for fans of the cannarinha. Despite Adriano receiving most of the attention by donning the all-important No. 9, Robinho was the one to run away with all the headlines, as his moment of brilliance was the highlight of the night and is already a huge hit on YouTube.

Capitalising on a Pirlo blunder, the Brazilian recovered the ball, skipped away from the Italian midfielder, rushed into the box and victimized Legrottalie. He then beat three Italian defenders with some mucho bueno stepovers and cut back before finishing an expert move with a goal past Buffon. Robinho caused The Brazilian side to explode life in what should be remembered as one of Brazil's greatest games.

In the second half, Italy started to look lively as Guissepe Rossi debuted, but Brazil overall still held the ball much of the time, with Melo snuffing out Italy's attacking intentions and Ronaldinho toying around with the azzurri's new introductions (Perrota, Aquilani, Camoranesi).

Adriano, who was doing nothing significant, remained on the pitch, while most fans were raring to see the Pace of Pato do some further damage to Italy's backline. The boss chose to keep Pato on the bench till the 80th minute, but Pato had a decent run down the flank to showcase his talents anyway.

After all the scrutiny Dunga has received from us, a performance of this stature against world champion Italy must be the icing on the cake after the 6-2 thrashing of Portugal two months ago.

This, my friends, was the Brazil that Dunga was always trying to build, a team with a destructive offense that also is tactically organized and strong in defense. In these two last games, that team has been realized, and Brazil fans are just starting to awe in wonder at the coach's accomplishment.

His integration of class players who work hard for a common goal (Melo) is a trait to admire and respect. Brazil is on its way to becoming the best football team on the planet again; Italy fans, admit you got beat by a determined Brazilian side that was raring to prove a point to the world.

Brazil-Italy: What It Means for Brazil

Samuel Dieudonne — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:33:57 -0500

Tomorrow afternoon, the world's most-decorated national football teams—Brazil and Italy—will share the stage in London in what will surely be an entertaining clash between two great soccer-crazed nations.

For Carlos Dunga's Brazil, this game will be used as an opportunity to silence their many critics—including me, who think he has forgotten and thrown out Brazil's purist principles of Jogo Bonito (Beautiful Play) for an industrialized, European-style of play.

Despite this, the team has relatively enjoyed great success under Dunga—a Copa America and the side are currently second place in the South American Qualifiers.

Since taking over from Parriera at the end of the 2006 World Cup,Dunga's Brazil hasn't exactly set the world on fire.

Under Dunga's reign this team has gone on a roller-coaster ride when it comes to form. The team has struggled to find its identity as three 3-0 victories over Argentina in two friendlies and Copa America were followed up with a humiliating 3-0 thrashing from Argentina in Beijing where it mattered most to the fans.

Entertaining 5-0 victories like the one over Equador at the Maracana, and 3-0 over Chile away were short lived as they were soon met and rivaled by embarassing 0-0 stalemates against Colombia and Bolivia with an inevitable 2-0 defeat from Paraguay thereafter have caused people like me to Question the methods of Dunga.

Such results which have caused the Brazilian people to jeer what they consider now to be only old heroes whom don't really Know the importanceto of sporting such a jersey, and cheer Argentina's Lionel Messi—whom President Lula himself has hailed as the world's best current player.

The coach's reluctance to build a team around guys like the slow Gilberto Silva, Miniero, Juan, Kleber and a Ronaldinho whom he brands as being experienced insted of embrassing the young guns, while others who have immense Quality and potential like Felipe Melo, Anderson, Diego and Marcelo to name some; wait in the wings is really frustrating. These decisions are causing Brazil fans from all over the world call for Dunga's head and were simply tired of it.

For a while he seemed to have had problems finding a regular No. 9 striker to replace the void left since Ronaldo. However, he has now found Luis Fabiano, who has partnered Robinho pretty well up front since becoming a regular.

But his treatment of Brazil's next great star Pato is inevitably sad.

He has shown confidence in a waste named Vagner Love, an outcast named Fred and a no-name called Alfonso Alves instead of offering the young Brazil craque a chance to develop his potential and become great.

Pato was handed his debut and scored but failed to impress in Beijing, and Dunga slammed him for that. he's been doing relatively well in Milan of late and it remains to be seen how Dunga will utilise him since Fabiano is injured.

Dunga must somehow prove to the world that his team is still capable of playing beautiful and constructive football, while getting results like he did in their last outing—a friendly rout of Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal, 6-2.

The Italy clash is the right place to showcase what they can do against the likes of Pirlo, De Rossi, Aquilani, and company.

Several Other Brazil fans and I will be watching with optimism. Whether Brazil delivers some beautiful football remains to be seen

AC Milan Lose Ground on Title Chase: Juventus Relief!

Samuel Dieudonne — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 18:22:16 -0500

The lombardy based club, Milan lost further ground in its title chase yesterday when it drew Bottom side Reginna at home.

The game started very slow for both sides as they struggled to play free flowing football, or create good chances on goal.

Within a couple of minutes Milan started to apply pressure by passing the ball well in attack with interplay between the likes of Ronaldinho and Jankolovski whom were playing really well. but they never really threatened Reginna's goal however as the visiting team played mainly on the defensive.

Two great shots from Flamini and some good solo Ronaldinho plays were all the home side could really muster in the first half.

A few moments after that point, in the 33rd minute Milan on loan striker Di Gennaro shocked the San Siro by taking advantage of a slight hesitation at the back by Bonera and Maldini enabled him to put the ball in the net and shock everyone by scoring completely against the run of play, to put his side 1-0 going into the second half.

Milan started the second half in the same momentum as they left in the first, Beckham also elevated his play in the second half playing some good long balls looking for Pato and Kaka.

Clarence Seedorf scored a goal that was rightfully dissalowed, as he handled the ball before slaming it into the net from close range after Kaka hit the woodwork in the 60th minute.

Alexandre Pato looked dangerous up front as usual, drawing fouls with his dangerous pace and silky skills. It was through him that Milan equalised as his quick feet inside the area drew a foul which Kaka comfortably slotted in from the spot in the 67th.

Soon after that Kaka appeared to be in Pain and was substituted by Antonini, it is now confirmed that the Brazilian will miss fifthteen days on account of a muscular problem in his right foot. this news comes as a fatal blow to Milan who will surely miss him in the Derby next week, and Brazil who will now lineup without him against Italy in London come Tuesday.

That result now sees Milan sit in third, eight points behind Inter and two behind Juventus as the Turin Club somehow managed perform a miracle to beat Catania 2-1 after playing 80 minutes of the match a man down.

Christian Poulsen managed to break the deadlock for his side after Marimoto cancelled out Iaquinta's opener. the Striker had a great game alongside Amauri up front to trouble a relentless Catania defence.

Buffon had a phenomenal game between the post for his team as he had innumerable saves to keep his side in the contest, Camoranesi also had a great game coming back from Injury.

Milan now has thier work cut out for them ahead of next weeks derby, as Juventus on thier Part will try hard to keep up pace with the leaders.

Milan-Reginna: Preview.

Samuel Dieudonne — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 10:30:07 -0500

Kick-off: Saturday, February 7, 2:30 CET.

Venue: San Siro, Milan. Italy.

Milan Maintaining the Momentum.

Coming off some very good performances with convincing results in these last games, and also misses with some good fortune A.C Milan now find themselves in second place with the help of David Beckham's splendid form and Alexandre Pato's relentless scoring.

Upon scoring again in the mid-week friendly against Glasgow Rangers, the teenager had now found the net nine times in eleven consecutive appearances. Kaka is also in great form after Scoring in three recent games now Bologna, Lazio, and Rangers. All games in which David Beckham did very well. Beckham has two goals and two assist so far since joining and will be looking to do further damage in Serie A before his loan period expires.

Milan are currently desperate to keep Beck's. And with the turnaround he's provided since joining i do not blame them. Ronaldinho, who really has not been a regular in Carlo Ancelotti's side, started in the Rangers clash but might have to settle for the Bench in this one with Ambrosini, Seedorf and Flamini are set to start in Midfield.

Carlo Ancelotti's man will be hoping to gain a positive result at home once again against Reginna, in order to put pressure on Inter ahead of their clash next week in the Derby della Madonnina.

Milan's Recent form & Projected Lineup:

Milan

11/01 (Serie A): Roma 2-2 Milan

17/01 (Serie A): Milan1-0 Fiorentina

25/01 (Serie A): Bologna 1-4 Milan

28/01 (Serie A): Milan 1-1 Genoa

01/02 (Serie A): Lazio 0-3 Milan

Possible Formation (4-3-2-1): Abbiati; Zambrotta, Bonera, Maldini, Jankulovski; Beckham, Flamini, Ambrosini; Kaka, Seedorf; Pato.

Reggina, A fight againts relegation.

Even though they might be in their seventh consecutive year in Serie A, Reggina actually have a reason to be fearsome of getting relagated this season as they sit rock bottom in the table seven points away from safety. They will be looking to ex-Milan man Di Gennaro and Hit man Bernado Corradi (who has an impressive nine goals to his name) to provide the scares. Earlier this season they managed to force Milan into winning it late with a fine Alexandre Pato strike after Corradi had tied up the game at 1-1.

With their terrible away record, one win recorded, three draws and eight defeats. It's looking more and more certain that they will be entertained by the likes of Brescia by next season in Serie B. I wont expect them to cause Milantoo trouble tomorrow as its unlikely Reginna would ever come away with anything from the San Siro anyways. Nothing less less than a victory would be fatal to the Northern Italy boys, and Milan certainly does have a reputation to struggle against lesser sides.

Hopefully Pato and David Beckham will cause havoc again, and Reginna looking to play defensively will be forced to let its guard down progresively as the match wears on.

Prediction: Milan 3-Reginna 1.

Is the Amauri Soap Opera Finally Over? (Part Two)

Samuel Dieudonne — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:58:34 -0500

Since Amauri has spent an eternity to decide where he will play on the International stage, last week the latter almost shocked Calcio and the world when he was misquoted by the press as declaring he had chosen Brazil. For me that was not a shock; after all, he was Brazilian.

Maybe this was just the tonic needed to end the Soap, but the Striker loves drama and fooled us all by saying that that he will remain open to the possibility of an Azzuri selection. So folks, for now it seems we are in for a dramatic finish to this spectacle.

So what are the lad's chances of even having an International future? Right now I'd say they are very slim, and his attitude is not helping either. Juve's hitman needs to wake up and smell the coffee! Guys would kill to get a call up from Brazil or have the choice to play for Italy instead.

Amauri has that, so what is the reason behind his inability to come out loud and clear to the press in choosing between the Azzuri or the Selecao? It surely cannot be for reasons of success. Both teams have a total of nine World cup titles combined, without even thinking of all the other International tournaments they've won.

Last week he finally got a legitimate chance to end this soap when he received a call up from a reluctant Carlos Dunga, who snubbed him all year, but up gave him a recent nod on account of Fabiano's (Sevilla) injury. He was not released, however, because Juve's pride took over them, and they decided to stick Dunga the big old finger by keeping Amauri in Turin, stating that the call up came too late.

But what has Amauri done about it? Absolutely nothing; he hasn't even appealed to the Juventus board about the possibility of gaining permission to accept Dunga's call up.

Considering the fact that for months he raved that it would be his dream to represent Brazil on the International scene, he was after all a Brazilian why not persuade Juve to release him? but he's said the same thing about Italy about a million times, so we can't possibly take his claims seriously, can we? With his Italian papers not even legalised yet, it's not logical to discuss the chances of a nod from Lippi right now.

Thus draws my conclusion: Amauri needs to realise that his International future won't be realised with him just sitting around waiting to get called up sans giving a significant intention of who he wants to play for. With the 2010 World Cup coming up, if he wants to ever feature in it, he has to come out and clearly state which team he wants to play for. This is not brain surgery. Just decide—Brazil or Italy?

He should also keep in mind that none of these teams lacks quality up front and he can be easily snubbed by both managers, so the longer he lurks on this, the more uncertain it will be that he will ever in a International game.Soap operas don't always have a fairy tale ending, so the end of Amauri's soap might just be tragic—the way he has handled this situation.

Amauri: Is the Soap Opera Finally Over? (Part I)

Samuel Dieudonne — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 10:31:52 -0500

The soap opera that Amauri Carvalho de Oliveira has provided concerning his international future has been anything but entertaining since he burst onto the scene for Juventus after signing from Palermo.

Even that switch seemed to be a hard decision for the 28-year-old, since it took him months to decide between Milan and Juventus. Now, he finds himself playing in Turin because that had team qualified for the Champions League last season while Milan did not.

Amauri has scored an impressive 12 goals for the club in the process. But his "bitchy" attitude, in relation to the teams he chooses and the fact that he's willing to play for the first National team that caps him, has not gone well with Brazil's manager Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri, better known as Dunga.

Dunga repeatedly snubbed him last year, and originally left him out in his latest squad for the Brazil-Italia clash in London.

That was, until his striker, Luis Fabiano, was re-injured. Then Dunga last week offered the frontman Amauri an opportunity to play for Brazil if Juventus agreed to release him.

Juventus President Giovanni Cobolli Giggli is possibly looking forward to seeing Amauri in an Azzurri jersey, as he locked Amauri up in Turin and has stated that he does not wish to release him.

"The case is closed," Giggli said. "It was in my interest in having Amauri stay with Juventus. It is not a favor to somebody. Dunga forfeited a request he never made."

Amauri is reported to have talked with Blanc and Secco, who informed him that they did not want to send him to Brazil.

What a way to kill one of the man's dreams.

Amauri's mom had some things to say to Dunga, in order to spice up this soap opera. ''Dunga only decided to call up my son because he wishes to annoy Italy."

Upon hearing this, I guess Dunga got pissed, since he has not decided to force Juve to release the player. He was quoted as saying "the CBF has decided not to call up another forward to replace Fabiano."

But do not worry, fans, Amauri still has some hope. Italy and Lippi have yet to announce a squad. Maybe Amauri will get the nod. You never know how this soap opera will end.

Stay tuned for Part II!

David Beckham and Pato Deliver Again As Milan Downs Lazio, 3-0!

Samuel Dieudonne — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 17:55:37 -0500

A.C Milan have succesfully continued thier impressive form to keep pace with leaders Inter Milan after a dominant performance in the Eternal city of Rome, that saw them defeat Lazio 3-0 with the help of from Sir Golden Balls(Beckham) who had two assist on the Night to help Milan move into the second spot in the table only 6 points behind Mourinho's Side and capitalise on Juve's slip up yesterday afternoon.

Milan were Missing Paolo Maldini and Matthieu Flamini through suspension.Others whom also missed the encounter because of long term casualties were Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Emerson, Marco Borriello, and Kakha Kaladze.

Carlo Ancelotti opted to start Clarence Seedorf over Ronaldinho who was originally projected to start, alongside Kaka and Pato up front. He utilized Philippe Senderos and Daniele Bonera, to denied Favalli of a role in defense. Lazio coach Delio Rossi employed his traditional 4-3-1-2 formation, with Mourad Meghni playing behind Goran Pandev and Mauro Zarate in attack.

The Rossoneri quickly got the Game underway in the Italian capital, as they hoped to maintain their impressive ten year unbeaten run against Lazio alive. However it was the home side that started brighter, as they had a number of opportunities, including an early claim for a penalty, when Pandev appeared to be fouled by Ambrosini in the area.

Both sides looked cautious early on as they could not even string together some free flowing passes, as the teams opted to commit some clumsy fouls which led to Ambrosini recieving the first booking of the game 16 minutes in. a few moments later Lazio found themselves in an interesting position as they were awarded a foul from about 25 yards out after Senderos softly brought down Zarate from behind.

The match continued in similar fashion for the next ten or so minutes, as neither side created any clear cut opportunities. The goalkeepers looked solid, so did the defenders, who all looked confident when challenging for the ball.

Having said this, the home side were certainly looking better when surging forward in attack.

The Rossoneri started to put some possession together by then however,
which in turn resulted in some great opportunities on goal, most notably one that fell to Pato.

The young Brazilian, who had barely seen the ball to this point, was played through wonderfully and seemed to have the goal at his mercy, however Muslera got there first to amazingly deny him the opportunity.

Incredibly on 36 minutes, Zarate was denied by Abbiati in a one-on-one situation in the area, after he was played through expertly by Pandev on the right. The Milan keeper was quick to react though, as the Lazio striker was denied in his attempt to dribble around him.

As the first half neared an end, Milan created a moment of Brilliance as they managed to break the deadlock through Pato, completely against the run of play. Kaka’s pass wide to Beckham was then cut back into the area by Golden Balls, who found an unmarked Pato who managed to beat Muslera at the near post with a fine finish. It was the young Brazilian’s tenth goal of the campaign, as he continued his impressive run of form this season.

Lazio then had several chances to equalize immediately after the Pato goal, with one in particular that fell to Siviglia on the 45 minute mark when the defender failed in his attempt to tap it in past Abbiati from about six yards out.

Right on the stroke of half time, Pato scored his second in minutes, with a great header from an even better ball from Beckham once again. The goal did not stand however, as the Brazilian was in an offside position, meaning that Milan would have to be settle for their one goal advantage at the break.

Second Half

The Biancocelesti got the second half underway, But they were immediately dispossessed of the ball, as Milan quickly managed to move forward early. Radu’s fouled Beckham and got booked after just one minute of play, resulting in a free kick from a dangerous crossing position for the Rossoneri.

Beckham stepped up to take the free kick, and his glorious ball into the area was met by the head of an unmarked Ambrosini, who scored Milan’s second of the night. Lazio’s nightmare defending set pieces led to that goal, as the Milan veteran was easily able to head the ball home from inside the six yard box, and give his side a two goal lead.

The Rossoneri were all but dominating their opponents in the opening stages of the half, as they prevented Lazio possession of the ball for long periods of time, and managed to frustrate their fans, who quickly became discontent with their side’s performance. In an attempt to fix his teams Performance, Delio Rossi made the first change of the clash on 65 minutes; when Simone Inzaghi was brought on to replace Meghni in attack.

Soon following the substitution however, Pato was offered the chance to make it three, as he was clean through on goal once again. However this time the Brazilian’s final touch was too heavy, which allowed Muslera to beat him to it, and deny him of his eleventh of the season.

Kaka had a massive chance to do likewise after 73 minutes, when he was sensationally played through by a wonderful Beckham again. The Brazilian was successful in beating Muslera in their one on one battle; however the post stopped him from hitting the back of the net and get his name on to the score sheet.

As the half approached the final ten minutes, the home side gave everything they had, however it was Milan that made ammends on the counter attack, when Kaka slipped home the Rossoneri’s third after 83 minutes. An impressive one-two between Seedorf and the Brazilian was enough for the playmaker to easily stroll into the area and beat Muslera at the near post to make it three.

That’s how it would end in Rome, as Milan recorded their thirteenth victory of the season, thanks to goals by Pato, Ambrosini and Kaka. The result allows the Rossoneri to rise to second place, ahead of Juventus while Lazio slips to tenth, and they now find themselves nine points adrift of the fourth and final Champions League qualifying position.

The Scudetto race is bound to get exciting now as Milan will Face Inter in two weeks time.

TEAMS

Lazio (4-3-1-2): Muslera; De Silvestri, Siviglia, Rozenhal, Radu (Kolarov, 74’); Brocchi (Dabo, 74’), Ledesma, Matuzalem; Meghni (Inzaghi, 65’); Pandev, Zarate

Milan (4-3-2-1): Abbiati; Zambrotta (Darmian, 86’), Senderos, Bonera; Jankulovski; Ambrosini, Pirlo, Beckham; Kaka (Shevchenko, 86’), Seedorf; Pato

GOALS

42’ Pato (Milan)

48’ Ambrosini (Milan)

83’ Kaka (Milan)

AC Milan vs Lazio: Preview and Prediction

Samuel Dieudonne — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 21:50:06 -0500

Sunday Evening, AC Milan will travel to the Stadio Olympico in Rome to take on European Hopefuls Lazio. Milan should approach the game with the Intention of continuing thier impressive form while attempting to challenge high flyers Inter and Juventus for the coveted Scudetto eluded from thier grasp since the 2003-04 Season.

Milan enter the game sitting in t,hird on 41 points in 21 games played. They will be looking to thier stars Kaka, Ronaldinho and most importantly Alexandre Pato, the young in form Brasilian striker has netted six times in his last eight games.

But there's also Beckham who has found the net in two consecutive games since joining now to inspire the team and capitalise on Juve's recent slip-ups, take over the second slot in the table occupied by the Bianconeri who have 43 points in 22 games following thier 3-2 lost to Cagliari earlier today.

The Rossoneri will be hoping to cut the gap that stands between them and Inter's Mourinho a little bit with a convincing display tommorow. Captain Paolo Maldini is suspended for Milan on account of yellow cards. Ronaldinho is set to be handed a start after being left out of Carlo Ancelotti's plans in these last few games.

Milan have gattered seven points out of a possible nine in thier last three matchups which included a 1-0 victory over Fiorentina, a 4-1 thrumping of Bologna and the 1-1 draw againts Genoa in thier midweek match-up.

Milan's Probable Formation

(4-3-2-1):Abbiati; Zambrotta, Favalli, Bonera, Jankulovski; Beckham, Pirlo, Ambrosini; Kakà, Ronaldinho; Pato

MILANELLO - These are the 21 players called-up by Carlo Ancelotti for tomorrow evening’s clash against Lazio: Abbiati, Dida, Donnarumma, Antonini, Bonera, Darmian, Favalli, Jankulovski, Mattioni, Senderos, Zambrotta, Ambrosini, Beckham, Emerson, Pirlo, Inzaghi, Kakà, Pato, Seedorf, Shevchenko, Ronaldinho.

Unavailable: Nesta, Gattuso, Kaladze, Borriello, Kalac, Cardacio.
Suspended: Flamini, Maldini.

On Lazio's Part this game couldn't come at a worst time, the team is in a slump and finds itself sitting tenth in the table after a rather succesful and impressive start at the beginning of the season. Now Lazio finds its European Hopes hanging by a thread because of other sides like Roma, Genoa, Cagliari all in form and succesfully climbing up the table and preoccupying the European slots.

The team has only gannered 1 point out of a possible nine and its three last match ups which included a 1-1 draw againts Juventus, the 4-1 thrumping they recieved on the hands of Cagliari and a 3-1 lost againts Samdoria.

A victory is absolutely needed to at least hang on to thier European Ambitions, they will be looking to the ever present threat of Mauro Zarate who has experienced a lost of form of late, but the young sensational Argentine is very pacy, has pinpoint finishing and remains a huge threat. Him and Rocchi might cause a Maldini less Milan backline a lot of trouble tommorow.

Lazio's Probable Lineup.

(4-3-3): Muslera; De Silvestri, Siviglia, Cribari, Radu; Dabo, Ledesma, Meghni; Pandev, Zarate, Rocchi.

Players to Watch.

MILAN: Pato, a sensation this season in Serie A, the young striker has matured rather fast. his quick feet, and incredible pace is an an enormous torment to Serie A's defences. also With nine goals already to his name this season he is no slacker in front of goal. he will punish Lazio if given the chance.

David Beckham: The English man is proving that he is not in Milan simply for Marketing reasons, and is quickly making his presence felt with two consecutive goals in the league. he shows great commitment to the cause and has an incredible work rate on the pitch. Keep an eye on him with the Tug-of War between Milan and Galazy in regard to his future.

LAZIO: Mauro Zarate, that goal he scored againts Milan in September is engraved in my memory for some reason. just like Pato he is extremely talented and dangerous. For that reason alone he is my last player to watch tommorow.

Prediction: It will be close but at the End of the day Pato and Kaka will be to hard to handle for Lazio, 1-2 Milan.