Preview

Well, here we are again in a similar situation that we’ve already been in about 3,464,342 times this season. The past two games have been dramatically different and both have been definitely unexpected. Palermo come into this game at home against our “cousins” from Lecce. Right now, the club has experienced some strange times – including Zamparini talking like a sane man – but then again, it could just be the medication he’s on. At least he’s not making the same wreckless statements that he’s known for, although he seems to have passed those duties onto Nonno. The boys in pink have A LOT to do in this game in order to win back the tifosi (and rightfully so).

The time is now to start winning games against teams that deserve to be beaten – especially in front of our own tifosi. I am more than confident that if our boys don’t come out with grit and determination, the tifosi will let them hear it. All I can say is that this team has provided more head-scratching moments than Paula Abdul on American Idol. There’s nothing more to say other than Palermo MUST win tomorrow, especially given our opponents current condition. End of story.

So, Lecce. Pretty bad season so far, but that’s to be expected from a freshly promoted side. They sit in 2nd to last from the drop on only 23 points. The abysmal performances have led to Mario Beretta being sacked last week after a stale 0-0 draw against fellow relegated relegation and last place side Reggina. With that said, Gigi De Canio will be in charge of his first game as the new Lecce coach against the rosanero.

Squad Status

Palermo

Ballardini has called up 19 players to face Lecce. Those missing out on the draw are the Aussie, Igor Boo-Boo, Moris the Barbarian, Bobby Goblin and of course, Fontana. Although there has been a lot of speculation coming out of the Palermo camp about a trident of Cavani, Miccoli and Hernandez in training, you’d have to think that Davide will stick to his usual lineup of 4-3-1-2. Good news is that Sneeze is finally back and will be on the bench.

Probable Lineup:
Amelia; Cassani, Kjaer, Bovo, Balzaretti; Migliaccio, Liverani, Nocerino, Simplicio; Cavani, Miccoli

A Disposizione:
Ujkani, Morganella, Savini, Nonno, Abel Hernandez, Succi, Sneeze

Lecce

Normally, here’s where I’d send you over to the Lecce page, but considering the erratic nature of the blog over there, I think I might just try to handle this myself. I mean, anybody remember Saint Antonio or this other gem? Oh well, no worries.

As mentioned before, Lecce is pretty poor. They don’t have much going for them other than Bikerman Caserta. Furthermore, they’ll be missing some “key” players for the match. Obviously, when you’re a relegation suspect, a “key” player most likely means a guy who can dribble and shoot with both feet. I kid, I kid! Out for sure are Daniele Cacia, Giacomazzi (remember him?) Ariatti and Esposito (not Mauro, the other one). Those in doubt seem to be Konan and Stendardo. It seems as though De Canio is leaning towards a 3-5-2 but one can’t be certain for sure. That said, here’s my Gazzetta’s lineup for them.

Probable Lineup:
Rosati; Stendardo, Fabiano, Schiavi; Antunes, Ardito, Zanchetta, Caserta, Munari; Tiribocchi, Castillo

A Disposizione
Benussi, Polenghi, Giuliatto, Basta, Edinho, Vives, Papadopoulos

Categorical Matchup

Marky Mark vs. Meh: Palermo. Marco has to redeem himself in front of the fans, but there’s no doubt he is a better all-around keeper than Rosati…even with one arm.

Pretty Boys vs. Pretty Awful: Palermo. Even without the ogre Moris, we still have a dominant edge at home with Kjaer and Bovo partnering up. Lecce’s defense has let up the third most goals in the league (41).

Aladdin & the Muppets vs. The Bikerman Gang: Palermo. The midfield had a good game last week with even Bobby Goblin playing well (note: sign of the apocalypse)! Lecce has a loaded midfield led by the ex-rosanero Caserta, but Palermo should have an edge in this category especially with Nocerino and Miggy providing appropriate cover on the flanks. It’s a bit defensive, but then again, it’s not like we have Lanzafame or Jankovic to come off the bench for some offensive push now eh?

Fast & Ugly vs. Toothless Attack: Palermo. All you need to know is this: Lecce haven’t scored in over 486 minutes of calcio.

Final Analysis
Miccoli will be facing his beloved hometown club tomorrow. I don’t see much motivation to score from him, but the rest of the team should be just fine. Then again, considering performances, Miccoli might want to put in some effort tomorrow otherwise he might be sold to Lecce at the end of the season and just in time for Serie B. This is the final push. Regardless of the past, we got to have the boys look forward and play every game like a playoff. Remember, the categorical matchups all point to a win for us, yet this team is maddeningly inconsistent. It’s time to change that and it starts with bringing a solid 3 points tomorrow.

Form Guide

Palermo
WDLLW

Lecce
LLLLD

Prediction
2-0. Cavani, Simplicio

Cavani!

If any of you have heard the song Novembre by Giusy Ferreri, you’ll enjoy this little tribute to Cavani based off the same tune (minus the guy who sounds like he has a cold).

Se guardi in alto vedi
c’e’ un’aquila che vola
e’ il simbolo la fede
che sta nei nostri cuori….

Ed ecco siamo in gol
i rosa han fatto gol
la mia citta’ e’ in gol
io vivo per il gol
tifiamo tutti assieme
ed il successo viene con il gol!

Portieri

Marco Amelia
I don’t think ‘bad’ is the word here. ‘Lacking self esteem’ or ‘underachieving’ is more appropriate. In defense of Marco: I think all of us expected just a little too much of him. He might have done better, but let’s not forget he still has to find his way into a top tier-team, and having our sketchy defense in front of him isn’t helping either. Amelia’s not delivering what we expected, but I have a good feeling that things will work out alright. Pagelle: 6

Jimmy Fontana
2008-2009 might just be Jimmy’s season too many. In general, he did a good job, but he’s just not the same Jimmy of last year. He doesn’t feel secure when coming out for a cross, he’s always out of the goal and his reflexes aren’t as good as they used to be. I think he can be a great mentor for Marco and Ujkani, but I strongly believe that his playing days have come to an end. Pagelle:6.

Samir Ujkani
Aah, the great unknown. Is he the future? I don’t know. No one knows. All I know is that he (and Amelia) could be feeling Salvatore Sirigu’s hot breath in their necks. He’s playing another fantastic season, and he just might be the next big thing. Pagelle: none.

Difensori

Ciro Capuano
ShitPants hasn’t played a game all year. That’s good. Pagelle: 10.

Cesare Bovo
It’s a good thing we got him back from Genoa. Him and Moris make one of the most fearsome defensive duos in Serie A. Is in the balance with Kjaer and Moris for the two spots in central defense, but seems to be sure of a starting spot every week. Is great at cleaning up the others’ mess. Pagelle: 7.

Paolo Hernan Dellafiore
Had three starts so far, but hasn’t impressed. Shows a lot of good will, but is in no way a contender for the spot of Bovo, Moris or Kjaer. Lacks confidence, ability to play his way out of trouble and most definitely: strength. Should be loaned out (to another team than Torino) to gain experience, but is needed in case one of the others gets injured. Is still young, but is coming very close to ‘make or break’-time. Pagelle: 5.5

Mattia Cassani
Was almost gone last year, but fought himself back into the team after that awesome screamer against Juve. His place at the right is almost untouchable, but had a setback against Inter, where he was unrecognisable. In my opinion, he’s better than Balzaretti. His crosses are better, and he comes back faster than Balza after an attack. Pagelle: 7.

Simon Kjaer
Surprise of the season so far. He’s young and talented, but we’ll need to look out that we don’t burn him just yet. Lacks the natural talent that other great defenders had, but he just could become the new Cannavaro if we take care of him and surround him with the right people/coaches. Is integrating well and has a powerful header, which makes him dangerous in front of goal as well. Kjaer should know that he’s in one hell of a position: he’s learning the technique from Bovo, and Moris can teach him how to use power in a duel. Pagelle: 8.

Federico Balzaretti
Untouchable at the left, too bad it’s not always because of his own talent. Is a fantastic player, but has been slacking a little bit in the last couple of games. Could benefit from a new left back. When his starting spot isn’t sure anymore, he will remember that he has to work for it as well. Had an absolute shitgame against Torino. Pagelle: 7.

Andrea Raggi
Played two games, both ending in disaster. Was brought in from Empoli as a talented defender, but has shown nothing. Strong contender for the Bidone’d Oro, is expected to be shipped to Torino like the rest of our defensive failures. Pagelle: 3.

Moris Carrozzieri
Least wanted signing before the season started, has fought himself in the hearts of all Palermitani. He’s ugly and as subtle as an atom bomb, but is keeping the defense together almost single-handedly. Looks like Caserta, but is better than Caserta. Pagelle: 7.5

Centrocampisti

Giovanni Tedesco
Four games, 59 minutes. Nonno is nothing more than a mascot, kept around to provide counterweight for the selling of other Palermitani Brienza and Rinaudo. Whenever he’s subbed in, he takes away valuable playing time from youngsters like Lanza. If Balla wants him on the field so bad, he should buy him an Aquile-costume and put him beneath the Curva for the entire game. Pagelle: 4.

Giulio Migliaccio
I don’t really know what to say about Miggy. Is being played out on the wing, but does better in central midfield. The only problem is that he’s barred by The Arab in that position. Has shown good thing, but has also been spotted while sucking away. Needs to find last year’s form again. Pagelle: 6.

Fabio Liverani
I think this one is clear. Every single year, our coach/Blowjobarini has a crush on the worst player in the squad. Guidolin loved Capuano and Guana, Colantuono had Guana and Agliardi and Ballardini has Liverani. Is one of the most experienced players in the team, but looks as if he’s on vacation. Half of his passes are bad or intercepted, couldn’t cross if his life depended on it and never comes back to defend. Should be shot, hung up or stoned to death, whatever it is they do to people in Somalia. Pagelle: 4.

Roberto Guana
Is not Balla’s friend. Should use more tongue and less teeth to regain spot in the starting eleven. Had one start, sucked away. Unless half of the midfield does a Superga, isn’t going to see a lot of PT this season. Pagelle: 4.

Maurizio Ciaramitaro
There’s not a lot to say about Ciara’s 41 minutes so far. It’s good to finally see him in pink, but he’s one of those guys that need a lot more time to develop into the player we need him to be. Was used as a right back in one of his games, which also isn’t helping. Pagelle: 6.

Marco Bresciano
One of this year’s mysteries. After a terrible season last year, he finally seemed to bounce back this year. But the further we get into the season, the more it looks as if Marco’s got some kind of personality crisis. He’s mixing good games with horrible ones, and sometimes can’t seem to control himself. Needs to start focussing, or start packing. Pagelle: 5.5.

Fabio Hernan Simplicio
Player of the season so far. Fozzy is everywhere: comes back to defend, cleans up Liverani’s mess, controls the midfield and is dangerous in the box. Just like Cassani, he was close to being sold but now is the undisputed king of the midfield. If we could just get someone who is an exact copy of Simplicio, we’d be a force to reckon with. Pagelle: 8.5

Antonio Nocerino
Does well, but as Zamparini already said: he’s not really bringing the things we expected him to bring. Maybe there’s too much pressure on him, but he’ll need to realise that this isn’t Juve. Coming in for 25 minutes when the game is already one isn’t going to happen. Has to give his all for 90 minutes. Is sometimes unfairly treated by the referees, but should let his actions speak. Pagelle: 6.5

Attacanti

Edison Cavani
Started out like the Cavani we all know, but then had an excellent spell with 4 goals. Too bad he morphed back to the old Cavani right after that. Is working hard, but doesn’t contribute enough goals and/or assists to remain undisputed. Has to know that his ass might be the first to get benched when Igor Budan is fully recovered from his injuries. Pagelle: 6.5

Fabrizio Miccoli
Not to jinx it, but Mighty Mouse is holding out fine. Is always complaining about little injuries, but is there when matchday comes. Scored six goals, but his source seems to have dried out now. That, of course, is also caused by the lack of good passes coming trough the midfield. Is becoming a team hero, but will have to work hard to make us forget Amauri. Pagelle: 7.5

Davide Succi
Became the lead actor in this year’s ‘Candid Camera Turns Real’-show. 88 minutes so far, isn’t likely to get more. Might be shipped off to Lucchese or Gela in January. Pagelle: 3.

Igor Budan
Four times subbed in, an hour of playing time. Needs to start 2-3 games to regain his Parma-form, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Pagelle: none.

Davide Lanzafame
Is in the same situation as Budan, but his fate is in his own hands. Needs to show Ballardini that he deserves a starting spot, and not just sit back and wait for it to be handed to him. Pagelle: 6.

Levan Mchedlidze
Came back injured from an international fixture and hasn’t played since, but did give us the game against Juve. Shows potential, but needs to grow. Pagelle: 6.5

Now you know my feeling about our players. As for the team, I’ll make it short. We need some reinforcements in all areas. Maybe Ujkani should be loaned out and Sirigu brought back to give Amelia some more competition, we need a new back, a good winger and central midfielder, and of course a powerful striker. Not another kid that gets pushed away by the likes of Walter Samuel and Philippe Mexes.

As we are already playing our next game on Wednesday, I’m combining the review of last night’s joke against Fioremerda with a Lecce-preview.

Review
Well, that was unexpected, wasn’t it? I never thought Raggi could be worse than we expected him to be before the game, but I think (or should I say hope) that we have seen his final minutes in the pink shirt yesterday. Raggi’s touch, style and lack of talent make me think of the days when we had players like Ernesto Farias and Kewullay Conteh in the team.

My other big remark about the game is the total lack of sportsmanship, class and respect of Alfucko Gilartuffo. There used to be a time, at Parma, when I liked him. Last year, I thought that he was the heir to Inzaghi: you didn’t see him all game, and then he was there to tap in the almost made goal from a teammate. After yesterday, I want to rip of his gonads, show them to his mother and let her eat them.

Zampa, of course, was his loveable self after the match:
“It is outrageous. We will demand that the disciplinary committee use TV pictures, as he deserves at least a 5-game ban. He even had the cheek to celebrate, that’s plain incredible.
Palermo played a good match, but we were clearly robbed, with the referee and the linesman giving a huge contribution. The same thing happened two seasons ago, when Adrian Mutu made a fool of us, hitting the back of the net while one of our players was down injured. Is this the same side that advocated fair play and the ‘terzo tempo’? Get out of here…”
And for the first time in months, who can argue with that?

What I Liked:

Kjaer did well. He’s young, he looks like one of the Hanson-brothers and it was his debut, but I’ve seen nice things. I expect Balla to have seen it to, and expect him to play alongside Moris on Wednesday.

Fabio is still a beast. He keeps working when the other tend to slow down.

Jimmy’s return. I almost went berserk when I saw that smiling bald dude coming out at half time. Glad to have you back, oldtimer.

What I Didn’t Like:

Raggi. Don’t think I need to elaborate.

The defense kept on going backwards every time we lost the ball. You need to put pressure on the ball, not act like a bunch of pussies.

For a minute by minute resume, check the previous post.

Pagelle:

Amelia: 6.5. Could do nothing about the Tuffo-goal, didn’t look too bad, had some good saves.
Raggi: 3. Bidone d’Oro
Dellafiore: 5. Was toyed around by Tuffo and the Gypsy.
Balzaretti: 6. Good in attacking, bad at defending. You’re a back, not a midfielder.
Cassani: 5. Anonymous, some good clearances.
Liverani: 4. Had a decent start, sucked away for the other 75 minutes. Bench him for life. Especially for that third goal-error.
Simplicio: 6.5. Great goal, hard work, error on the first Mutu-goal.

Nocerino: 5. Not great. Gave away too much space in midfield.
Bresciano: 6. Worked hard, is trying to get back into my grace. Should’ve scored in the first half, but shot ended in Frey’s hands.
Miccoli: 6.5. Great assist and work for the assist, lots of shots, but lacked firepower.
Cavani: 6.5. Should’ve scored, did some great work. He’s starting to get better and better by the week.
Kjaer: 6. Good debut, he’s a keeper.
Fontana: 6.5. Did well coming in, good to see him back.
Lanza77: 6.5. Worked hard in the 20 minutes that were granted him, needs more time to prove himself.

Ballardini: 5.5. Made a big mistake starting Raggi over Kjaer and Liverani over Migliaccio. The damage control during half time looked like it was gonna work, but Liverani blew it all away. Should’ve brought Lanzafame earlier on, although that is an arguable call.

Facts:

Palermo 1–3 Fiorentina

Gilardino 19’ (F)
Mutu 42’,62’ (F)
Simplicio 50’ (P)

Palermo: Amelia (Fontana 45’); Cassani, Raggi, Dellafiore (Kjaer 45’), Balzaretti; Liverani, Nocerino (Lanzafame 66’), Bresciano, Simplicio; Cavani, Miccoli

Firoentina: Frey; Comotto, Dainelli (Kroldrup 35’), Gamberini, Vargas; Kuzmanovic (Almiron 64’), Donadel, Montolivo, Santana, Gilardino (Pazzini 75’), Mutu

Referee: Morganti

Giornata 8’s Androberto Guarraciolo Award:

It’s a tie between Bidone and The Arab. I still can’t believe the amount of errors those two made.

Highlights:

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008 20.30 (I guess)
Stadio Via Del Mare, Lecce

Palermo Boys, we are here. We beat your women and drink their beer, Palermo Boys, we are here.

Preview

Most of what I wanted to say has already been said in the comments of the liveblog and in the review above, so I’ll keep this short and simple. We need those three points. We have Lecce, Chievo and Torino the following weeks, so a 9/9 isn’t too much too ask, is it? Chievo and Torino are two of the worst teams in Serie A, and Lecce, although at 9 points, just got beat by Reggina.

Squad Status

Palermo

It’s looking a little less shitty than last week. Moris can retake his place in the center of the defense, and Jimmy might get Amelia’s place. Up front, Micco’s still ok. I’m not putting up a probable line-up, but a desired line-up.

Probable Lineup:
Fontana; Cassani, Kjaer, Moris, Balzaretti; Nocerino, Migliaccio, Bresciano; Simplicio; Miccoli, Cavani.

Lecce

Lecce’s Offside is pretty dead, so I’ll have to do the honours. No Tiribocchi, and lots of defensive problems. Ex-Palermitani Giacomazzi and Caserta are playing pretty good these days, but it shouldn’t be a problem coping with them.

Probable Lineup:
No idea, should look something like this:

Benussi; Polenghi, Stendardo, Fabiano, Esposito, Giacomazzi, Ardito, Ariatti, Caserta, Castillo, Cacia

Categorical Match up

Jimmy! vs. Who?: Palermo. Really, I have never even heard of Benussi. Anyone? Help?

The Semi-Hole in the Maze vs. The Big Hole In The Maze: Palermo. Moris is back, and if Kjaer starts, there might not even be a hole in the maze anymore. Lecce, on the other hand, are having all sorts of defensive problems. They also seem to concede a lot of penalties these days…

Not the Arab! vs. Ex-Palermitani: Push. Caserta is scoring a lot and playing good, Giacomazzi has a powerful shot and then there’s Esposito. We have an Arab that can’t play for shit, and a talented young Antonio that’s not living up to potential.

Score already, you fuckin’ longhaired hippie vs. Sketchy: Push.
Why a push? Because we had so many chances yesterday, and then we need a defensive midfielder to score our only goal. That’s why.

Final Analysis

I don’t really feel like talking a lot about it in advance, because it feels like karma is catching up on me the last couple of matchdays. Everytime we’re sure to take the win, we lose. So fuck it, I say Lecce will take this.

Form Guide

Palermo
L W W L L

Lecce
L W D D L

Past Encounters

05/03/2006 Lecce – Palermo 2-0 Serie A
26/10/2005 Palermo – Lecce 3-0 Serie A
20/02/2005 Palermo – Lecce 3-2 Serie A
17/10/2004 Lecce – Palermo 2-0 Serie A

Prediction

Don’t know. You guys call it.

MOTM

The ref.

Remembering the good times

Sono Bello, Sono Sano, Mia Madre Mi Ha Fatto Palermitano!

* We all love Edgar Cani, but we all agree the kid needs some first-team experience to make sure he keeps on making progress. He’s not gonna get it in Palermo, so enter Modena. The Balsamico Boys want to rent both Cani and Di Matteo for a year. Something like this would be nice for them, for us, and Modena. A win-win-win situation.

* Edison Cavani is calcio’s favourite virgin of the moment. Lazio and Napoli already stated they want the Uruguayan Underperformer, and now West Ham (do you know them, Davide?) also claimed they want the striker. Unlike Lazio, West Ham wants to pay the kid his million dollar wage and are agreeing to get him on loan with a possibility to buy him afterwards. Can you say ‘Whore’?

* Bikerman Caserta is going nowhere. Great news. Just look at how cute he can be. What a way to fall out of character, Fabio!

* Federico Agliardi said he’s leaving Palermo. Guess what boy, we already knew. Ol’ Butterfingers is moving to either Livorno or Bologna. Ciao!

So, what do we have left then? First of all, there’s the signing of Fabio Liverani, our first semi-Somalian ever. And our ugliest player until now?

Then, there’s the Amauri-transfer. Finally finished, bringing Nocerino AND Lanzafame to Palermo. Lanza has been swallowing his previous comments, and had this to say yesterday:

“Il Palermo è una grande squadra con un progetto ambizioso. Sono molto contento del buon esito della trattativa, più del successo a Tolone con l’Olimpica. Ho già parlto con il mister che si è mostrato molto contento del mio arrivo: sa già come impiegarmi. Vorrei che la stagione iniziasse domani.”

The Cavani-to-Lazio-for-Behrami soap has taken a new turn. Lazio is now interested in Miccoli. Too bad for Lazio, Miccoli ain’t going nowhere.

More transfer targets:

* Salvatore Aronica, who said he’s ready to leave Reggina. We’ll be fighting Lazio for him.

* Simone ‘The Beast’ Loria. Another ex-Atalanta player, and really good to replace Pusszagli.

* Marco Amelia, still.

Oh yeah, and Bresciano’s talking to Fulham. Get.The. Fuck. Out. Already.

Overview

This is it. The last game of the season at home. The tifosi rosanero will look to salute players who are playing at the Renzo Barbera for the last time in a Palermo jersey. Among the players who are 100% certain to leave are the legend Amauri, Zaccardo, Barzagli and even Emo’tino (at least to get more experience before coming back). It is hard to see these guys leave (well, 3 out of the 4 at least…).

There has been alot of debate concerning who will wear the captain’s armband for the final home game. Obviously, Barzagli has been the “captain” this season, but he hasn’t displayed any of the qualities. Seeing as he’s also leaving at the end of the season, the question of who should wear the armband for the final game has been a tad difficult. During the course of the week, every player who has been interviewed has been asked the question. Colantuono addressed the situation yesterday and said there’s a possibility Amauri could wear the armband. The public has been actively calling for Amauri to be captain, but as of right now it’s still up in the air. Everyone of us would agree that Amauri has been our leader and “captain” this year. He’s given his heart to this club and has not given up at any point this season. The honor of “capitano” should be bestowed upon him if not for this one and only time. In fact, on Thursday, around 100 fans showed up during Palermo’s training and unveiled a banner written in Portugese thanking Amauri for all he’s done for Palermo. He will surely be missed.

The club also still has hopes for a chance at Europe via the Intertoto Cup as we trail Genoa by 2 points with two games to go. It’s amazing to think that after how awful this season has been, there is still a chance we could qualify for Europe. It would be an amazing way to end the season and certainly prove that The Suit should have never been sacked earlier this year. Nonetheless, this game has a good deal of importance for Palermo, its players and its fans.

Squad Status

Palermo

Palermo will be without Bresciano for sure. The interesting thing here is that there are alot of doubts as to the lineup Colantuono will field. In fact, Barzagli and Zaccardo might not even start, according to The Suit. That would effectively end the debate as to who would be captain. However, I have a difficult time believing that we would sit Zacca and Barza even for a half given that Intertoto is still a possibility. Nonetheless, Biava and Cassani would fill in their places. The other questions regarding the lineup are the spots in the midfield between Miggy and the Retard and Bikerman and Cavani. It seems as Miggy and Bikerman have the advantage over the other two – good. Once again, we will be employing the 4-2-3-1.

Probable Lineup:
Agliardi; Zaccardo, Barzagli, Rinaudo, Balzaretti; Simplicio, Migliaccio; Jankovic, Miccoli, Caserta; Amauri

Bench:
Super Fontana; Emo’tino, Cassani, Biava; Di Matteo, Guana, Nonno Tedesco; Çani, Carbonaro, Cavani

Sampdoria

For more on Sampdoria and their lineup, go visit Sampdoria’s Offside page. Oh wait, that’s right…they don’t have one. I guess I’ll have to fill in then. Samp will be without Castellazzi, Volpi, Kalu and Lucchini. Now that they’ve lost out on a CL spot and have already qualified for UEFA, this game is a tad meaningless for them. Nonetheless, Mazzarri’s side will use a 3-5-2 with Palermitano Accardi making a return back to his city of birth.

Probable Lineup:
Mirante; Gastaldello, Sala, Accardi; Maggio, Sammarco, Palombo, Franceschini, Pieri; Cassano, Bellucci

Bench:
Fiorillo; Miglionico, Campagnaro; Delvecchio, Zenoni, Ziegler; Bonazzoli, Montella

Categorical Matchup

“I’m Getting Better” Agliardi vs. Mirante: Sampdoria. Agliardi has been showing improvement over the last couple of games, giving us all hope that he isn’t as bad as we thought. Although, all it takes is one stupid slip up to have him dash our hopes against the rocks. Mirante has been solid in goal all season, for the most part.

Farewell Party vs. Blucerchiato Three Party: Palermo. The same can be said about Palermo’s defense as was said about Agliardi. The back line has been showing better signs as of late. You’d have to expect the troops to be rallied at the back in front of the home fans for one last time this season. I expect a strong, motivated performance from the defense…although, half of them are leaving the team after the remaining two games. So, hopefully, they’ll want to leave a final good impression for us. Except Barzagli. He’s like the Luca Toni of our backline…without the skill. Good riddance.

Keep the Turd on the Bench! vs. 5-Headed Monster: Push. Hey, if we can keep Guana on the bench, I’m liking our midfield. But you never know…he somehow finds his way onto the pitch. I swear, he must have some blackmail on the club so that they HAVE to play him every game otherwise he’ll release this “information” to the public. How else can you explain his appearance in 30 games this season (would’ve been more if he hadn’t been injured or suspended)? Samp’s midfield has been pretty darn good this season and the results have proved it. The big question, though, is: are they up for this meaningless game? If not, expect Palermo to take advantage.

Il Vero Capitano vs. “I am a freaking maniac who should be kept away from women and children…and my own self”: Palermo. Come on. You really think that Sampdoria is going to have the edge in this category over a determined Amauri who will possibly be wearing the captain’s band?! Besides, the Psychopath otherwise known as Cassano will find something to freak out about even if this is a meaningless game for his side.

Final Analysis

Palermo still has something to play for. Sampdoria does not. Amauri wants to give Palermo and their fans one last chance to celebrate at home this year. The rest of the squad would very much like to do the same thing (well, except for Barzagli…he’s already day-dreaming about trying on that hideous purple jacket Prandelli wears every once in awhile. What he doesn’t realize, though, is that he’ll be teammates with Zaccardo again in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg!). I expect this team to play with grit and determination, and the result at the end of the game will give us another 3 points and keep our Intertoto “dreams” alive.

Form Guide

Palermo
06/04 Palermo-Juventus 3-2 W
12/04 Palermo-Catania 1-0 W
19/04 Fiorentina-Palermo 1-0 L
27/04 Palermo-Atalanta 0-0 D
04/05 Lazio-Palermo 1-2 W

Sampdoria
06/04 Sampdoria-Livorno 2-0 W
13/04 Reggina-Sampdoria 1-0 L
20/04 Sampdoria-Udinese 3-0 W
27/04 Fiorentina-Sampdoria 2-2 D
04/05 Sampdoria-Roma 0-3 L

Prediction

2-1. Amauri, Bellucci, Amauri.

MOTM

Amauri.

Co-MOTM?

Steven – hey, it’s his birthday on Sunday. The least Palermo can do is give him a win!

FORZA PALERMO!

What is there to say after witnessing a game like that? I think I’ll let the photos and video speak for all of us…

The pure beauty of this shot cannot be seen from this picture. The way Amauri split two Juve defenders and fired an absolute curler into the top right corner with Buffon doing all he could but STILL coming up short can only be seen in this video (namely around the :45 mark):

That is just pure class…pure skill…and believe it or not, this was only the SECOND best goal from the game. Did you read that right? Yes, you did. Only the second best.

Where are the doubters and haters??? Only idiots would not want this man on their team. He is a force to be reckoned with. He has scored most of his goals this year on will alone. The first of his brace is a tribute to that.

Just on the stroke of halftime, Fabio “Bikerman” Caserta delivered an absolute majestic cross that found Amauri rising above his defender to smash a powerful header past Buffon into the back of the net to make it 2-0. The clip I found has both of Amauri’s goals in it – and there’s nothing wrong with seeing the first one again. On top of it all, you get to see Guana’s “O” face and Buffon’s look of shock…

The FSC commentator, in his best Ray Hudson impression, described Amauri’s second goal like this: “What a leap! Like a salmon out of a cool river!”

Palermo then came out in the second half and played rather poorly, letting Fontana get absolutely shelled. Eventually, Juventus broke through. Sissoko had a couple nice moves and shot directly at Fontana who parried it away, only to find Del Piero in a legitimate offside position (not called) which he then finished to make it 2-1.

After 19 more minutes, Juventus found the back of the net again. Del Piero scored an almost identical goal to bring the Rubentini to even terms. As the game progressed, Juve looked more and more dangerous and it seemed that this game might get away from Palermo…

But then along came Cassani. Mattia Cassani to be exact. Seldom used defender Cassani. Note, he’s a DEFENDER. On 89′, a Palermo free kick was sent into the Juve box where an attempted clearance was sent 26 meters out to an awaiting Cassani.

Cassani then unleashed a stunning, miraculous left-footed screamer into the far top corner of the net. There was absolutely NOTHING Buffon could do but watch in shock (again).

And when I said Buffon could do nothing but watch, I mean it:

Truly, a wonder strike at the death that would send Palermo and the Renzo Barbera into delirium. There are the 3 points, there is your ballgame.

And of course, here is the video of the best goal Cassani will ever score in his life (and perhaps the most important):

Non ho parole…

Amauri and Cassani were two of the real heroes in this game, but let’s not forget about two others that had huge roles: Super Jimmy Fontana and Bikerman Caserta. They both came up big in the game. In any case, I leave you with a full video of the highlights from the game and we’ll be back soon with other news and relevant information as Palermo gets ready to exact revenge on our rivals Catania in the derby this weekend.

FORZA PALERMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!