Ascoli v Inter: Poor Ascoli

By: Martha | March 18th, 2007

Figo n Ibra Really, once you see Ascoli play, it’s hard not to feel for them. They acquit themselves well, no matter the opposition, and I’ve never seen them take a second off, something that can’t be said of even some of the top teams. They work their asses off and have this sort of endearing eagerness and brightness in attack — really, every time I watch them I find it hard to believe they’re in the bottom two. (Until, of course, they fail to finish. Again. And I realize why they’re going down.) Plus, they’ve got the most flattering uniforms in Serie A, though I would guess that’s small consolation for them at this point. And yet, despite putting up a manly fight against Inter, they ultimately were brushed aside fairly easily, and are now rock bottom again.

On the other side of the ball, Figo was excellent (again), despite getting bloodied by an elbow, Adriano came out of the doghouse to set up two Ibra goals and Ibra, as usual, got it done. Oh and if I told you that Inter gave up a penalty, but that Matrix didn’t play, would you even need two guesses to know who committed the foul? Of course not. It was our favorite bull in a China shop, Walter Samuel. Who, in the last minute of play, decided it would be a good idea to try a bicycle kick in his own box, only to crack poor Sasa Bjelanovic right under the chin with his boot. Sigh. And people actually want to buy or trade for this guy! What are they seeing that I’m not?

The best moment of the game, however, happened off the pitch: Ascoli put together a great attack and, as the ball went through the box, rather than uttering his incredibly annoying “Ai, ai!” refrain, Ray Hudson let out this only-dogs-can-hear-it squeal of eagerness and joy. It was truly astonishing; I don’t know how his partner was able to go on without dissolving into hysterical giggles like every viewer surely did. (That, combined with Hudson’s sudden, desperate Figo love, made me hate him slightly less today.)

[Image from inter.it]