Grazie
By: Ben |
4 Comments
The biggest day of the year came and went and the only memory I will hold is that I sat and watch the goals tick away in our favor from behind a computer in my office on La Gazzetta dello Sport. However, the heart of the matter is Bologna remains in A, we have ground out a patchy campaign and managed to surpass Il Toro who will sadly join Reggina and Lecce in Serie B. With the exception of Torino I am incredibly enthused by the relegation of Reggina and Lecce. Reggina, because I believe there have been forces outside of sport pulling the strings of their continual salvation and Lecce because once again I have an inexplicable hatred for Simone Tiribocchi.
Simone inspires hatred, especially his foolish celebratory trucker’s fist pump on those horrid post-goal occasions.
For you few who have read this blog I thank you and I am glad that it will still be around for at least another season. Hopefully there will be more time to devote to it.
Next up…The transfer market.
Category: Bologna Team News
Il Toro, and the Disquietude of Pessoa.
By: Ben | 3 Comments
Much has happened since I’ve last written; it’s been too long and such an absence again is not due to my loss of interest in Bologna but rather to the demands of work and the importance of making that paycheck.
The Rossoblu have once again fallen into the relegation zone with a streak of uninspired and disjointed performances. In our last five games we have fallen to Roma (arguably a questionable encounter lost to two questionable penalties by a questionable performance from the iconic Francesco Totti), Siena, and Palermo; miraculously the Emiliani galloped past a sleepy and somewhat complacent Genoa only to be humiliated by last-placed Reggina at the Stadio Dall’Ara last weekend.
Sinisa was promptly disposed of after the loss to Siena and subsequently after thorough contemplation the misfiring synapses of president Francesca Menarini scooped a pile of canine turd off the sidewalks of Tuscany in the form of Giuseppe Papadopulo and promoted it to the ranks of new manager and savior of Bologna Football Club. Yes the flies nest of canine excrement did manage to prestigiously fool three points away from Genoa, thereby prompting himself to make the bold statement that his club will now play with the same tenacity of Manchester United…which then resulted in a 2-1 loss to the steamrolling miscreants of Reggina.
What would prompt our fair president to appoint such a brazen derelict to the throne? God only knows; for if you appoint a Serie B manager such as canine feces or Giuseppe Papadopulo, your product will most definitely be Serie B performances. Sinisa may have not been leading the team through it’s best period of form at the time of his dismissal yet changing the manager at such a crucial point of the season seemed to me a bit rash; as did the replacement.
Next week we take on another club in dire straits, the once great Toro, the other team of Turin who seems unable to reclaim its past glories, still mourning the loss of its past champions in the Superga tragedy of 1949.
Il Toro sit just one point above the watermark and with Reggina and Lecce both facing difficult matches against Sampdoria and Napoli respectively, a win would be crucial (as would three points against Reggina have been). An opportunity for a bit of breath and moment to state our stake in salvation. Only Sunday will tell if we will climb out of the inferno or continue to stagnate in disquietude. Here I leave you with an excerpt from Fernando Pessoa.
“A breath of music or of a dream, of something that would make me also feel, something that would make me not think.” - Fernando Pessoa - The Book of Disquietude
For me Mr. Pessoa, this something would be la salvezza. Forza Bologna!
Probable formations:
Category: Bologna Team NewsPOLL: Will the Serie A continue to stumble? Pick your ticket for next years dominant league…
By: Ben | 5 Comments
Yes it’s a silly poll but I’m already looking to next year with a spark of hope that the Serie A will once again rise as contenders in Europe. Leave your pick or leave your comments on your opinion of The state of the Union or the state of Serie A.
( surveys)
Category: Bologna Team NewsDepression and Failure in Europe
By: Ben | 5 Comments
The foul brutish football of the English are once again dominating Europe. I had hoped our current economic recession would sink the English game, the pound now falling to 1.45 to the American dollar and the growing debts of English clubs due to outlandish spending practices would surely begin to take their toll…not in the least(for now).
I was crushed by the Italian execution at the hands of Man U, Chelsea, and Arsenal. After yesterday’s defeat in Germany, Udinese and Italy already have one foot in the grave. However it is not the defeat but lack of a winning mentality that enraged me in yesterday’s game. Quagliarella should have had two and Simone Pepe belongs in Serie B.
Simone Pepe has no place on the National Team, he has no character on the field but a bit of pace. The man is not of the pedigree of champions, he is a rat, a fiend for filling a position better filled by the likes of Antonio Cassano.
Italy has no faith in their youth. We fielded the oldest team in Europe during our miserable run in the Euros. Milan, once world beaters is now a home for geriatrics, Maldini, Favalli, Seedorf, Beckham, Zambrotta, Gattuso, Ambrosini, Emerson, etcetera etcetera. Inter has quite the nursing home as well, Figo, Viera, Materazzi, Cruz, Cordoba, Stankovic, and Crespo. Roma must put the old dog to sleep, Francesco Totti is the crux, the limiter, the thorn of their success. Not to mention Max Tonetto, Perrotta, Panucci, Pizarro, and Loria.
Juventus is most promising with their new concentration in youth. Giovinco, Marchisio and De Ceglie are promising and will prove to be champions as the rebuilding process continues after their Calciopoli collapse. However I’d like to see Del Piero take a bow as well as Trezeguet, Amauri, Zanetti, Nedved, Poulsen, Tiago, and Zebina.
The Italian coefficient continues to fall in the UEFA rankings and if this pattern continues we will lose a spot in the Champions League qualification. It troubles me to think that the Bundesliga could take our fourth spot.
Anyway tomorrow Bologna take on Siena who had just bounced back from an undeserved defeat to Fiorentina with a 2-0 stunner against the reeling Lazio. Mihajlovic has made bold statements “Win at all costs!” yet I can’t help but feel that insecurities lie within. The man can bark but the points continue to slip by.
It is a must win with Torino and Lecce just two points behind and the galloping Chievo distancing themselves from the smell of the dead with a five point buffer.
Probable formations:
Category: Bologna Team NewsRoma and absence.
By: Ben | 3 Comments
I have little to say other than I have a belly full of Grand Sichuan chinese food and am slowly falling into an MSG induced coma. Today was the first day I’ve had off in a month and I relished in the freedom with leisurely naps, alcohol and a new haircut.
I’ve had such a day that I am almost over the disappointment of Wednesdays antics in Bari and Serie A’s downfall in the Europe. I spent time with my wife and cats, watched the great Max Ophuls’ “Le Plaisir” and saw the fruits of this past months efforts air on the Final Four (IBM commercial). All is well.
Tomorrow may hold disappointment athletically yet I have no energy to rake a pile of manure to hurl at the Romanistas, or to shiver in the anxiety of losing yet another three valuable points to avoid the drop zone. Tomorrow will be a sunny day and I intend to enjoy it.
Forza Bologna.
Category: Bologna Team NewsANTONIO AND THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM.
By: Ben | 6 Comments
The prancing pony, Peter Pan, L’enfant terrible, the prodigious Don Juan whom made Julio Baptista blush will be raiding the Bolognese panty pantries this Sunday. Cassanata and Giampaolo Pazzini, the duo have combined for six goals in the past three games (in all competitions), four coming from the latter, thus spurning a three game winning streak and the beginnings of what seems a potentially potent partnership that could earn the tag, prolific.
Giampaolo Pazzini failed to fill the chasm left by the lumbering goal machine, the Jello-Giant, Luca Toni; when he had left for a second class league in the outfit of Bayern Munich - every man has the right to cash in. Pazzini came up quite short in the goal tallies with 7 in 24 appearances for the Viola and only managed to mark one off a penalty for the outfit this season. However since joining the Blucerchiati, Giampaolo has already scored five in league play a double in the Coppa Italia with their 3-0 stamp on the backs of Inter, dare I say Cassano left his mushroom stamp?
Bologna seemed out of ideas, disconnected even against Lazio this past weekend. In our last three encounters we have managed to gain only a point against Napoli and Di Vaio is effectively two games without a goal. That beautiful bald bastard has been a bit isolated in the past two encounters, having to pull back deeper to get his touches and the midfield bar Sergio Volpi has failed to provide the proper lumbar, as in support, lumbar support, well I tried.
Moras is still unavailable with a muscle strain, Osvaldo has began training again yet is still unfit, and after Belleri’s disastrous showing last week it seems Zenoni will be taking up his post.
Here are La Gazzetta Dello Sport’s probable formations:
Oh yes, and the weather:
Category: Bologna Team NewsZÁRATE IS RACIST…
By: Ben | 5 Comments
Racist…if he believes that all members of a race possess qualities specific to that race…and he gave me this damned flu I’ve been kicking around for the past week…if he had passed the flu along to anyone according to the “six degrees of separation” the filthy bastard that had me inhale flu-ish sputum had in some manner passed the Zárate Flu along to me and the simple fact that I am a Japanese American in turn leads me to believe Zárate could quite possibly be racist against Asians OR maybe not…
He could have in fact dedicated each goal of his double against Bologna towards the spread of bird flu in the Asian nation OR he could have been motivated to lay destruction upon Bologna because the rossoblu had once housed the Eastern talents of the great Hidetoshi Nakata OR then again maybe not…
Whatever may have happened may not have happened and the other way around and if it had in fact happened in another fashion maybe it would not have happened at all, here lies the mystery and fantasy of life! Zarate is so hot right now he has his own brand of flu…and maybe he purposely had planted flu agents around the globe in order to infect a large MAJORITY and in turn bring in the dollars by off-loading ZARATE brand flu vaccinations from the MINORITY of those whom can afford his outlandish prices…OR yet again maybe NOT…but who knows?
Does this man seem like the man motivated by racial pandemic influences…or by the pure natural hunger for sport that of say a TIGER that is incredibly hungry for goals or a HORSE hungry for straw or a BEAST hungry for sustenance…who KNOWS?
This post is indeed late however I have the excuse of the flu and a whirlwind five day journey back to the homeland and work.
This Sunday arrive the red hot Blucerchiati and that damned psychopath, pock marked, pig faced, mouth covering conversationalist (as if he were conversing about anything besides fornication, football, or porcupines) Cassano and that newly rejuvenated Pazzini. We will need miracles.
Category: Bologna Team NewsCHAMPIONS LEAGUE SUPER POLLS! WHO WILL GET A LEG UP?
By: Ben | 4 Comments
( surveys)
Category: Bologna Team NewsHOW TO LOSE GRACEFULLY.
By: Ben | 3 Comments
Adriano’s bumbling assist/deflection which subsequently gifted Esteban Cambiasso a goal was once again credited to that talented bicep. However Bologna lacked any form of brilliance, bar the last fifteen minutes of the game where the skeletal mixture of Serie A rejects and retirement home geriatrics managed to vice a drop of sweat from the all powerful UNICRON and slip a fortunate goal past the impeccable Cesar.
Yet to our collective disappointment Inter acted the part of champions and through depth and the gifted touch of Mario Balotelli secured all three points.
Sinisa Mihajlovic gave it his all, digging deep into his arsenal he let lose the horridly strained comb-over of Massimo Marazzina whom brought urgency to the attack and squeezed a few more beads of sweat off the brow of Cesar yet in the end what should have been a 1-1 draw (Britos, Balotelli) ended a 1-2 defeat to the hands of the bald man.
My apologies to Johonna for defiling the pristine image of Cambiasso yet please allow me this bit of comfort.
Next up: Lazio.
Category: Bologna Team NewsShield Your EYES!
By: Ben | 2 Comments
The relevance of this egg with human flesh and tomorrow’s TITLE DECIDING ENCOUNTER? Well, that’s just it, there is no relevance and it’s not a title decider but I’ve got to make life interesting somehow. Enjoy.
Category: Bologna Team News
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