Pfft, Regular Day At The Office

By: chris | February 23rd, 2008

If you saw either of these results coming, I would like tomorrow’s lottery numbers, please.

Torino 4 - Parma 4: First of all, a big ole fuck you to the people at whatever streaming channel decided to show some British crap as opposed to this game, though initially scheduled. I was pissed going in, livid going out. So thanks.

Second, damn. What a thriller. I think the entire “Goals of the Week” list could come from this game. These guys combined for 46 goals in 44 games heading in, so this was mildly unexpected, to say the least. Torino went 1-0 up early in the 11th on a Roberto Stellone poke, but it was all Parma for the next half hour. Andrea Gasbarroni took over in the 29th and then added a very Pirlo-esque free kick three minutes later to steal the lead. Stefano Morrone hit your standard 25 yard volley into the upper right corner before Iggy Budan added a 4th in the 43rd. 4-1 should do it, right? Nope.

Paolo Zanetti got some momentum back with a header in the 45th going in to the locker room at half-time. Stellone in the 69th and then David Di Michele unearthed the finishing boots and flicked a beaut over the helpless head of Luca Bucci and we had an entertaining stalemate. Just watch the goals here.

And this is Torino’s FOURTEENTH draw this year. So if you thought Torino was dead in the water at 4-1, you know nothing. I clearly know nothing.

Reggina 2 - Juventus 1: I’d like to speak for all Juventus fans when I say: Momo Sissoko….what the fuck were you thinking? The guy went in form an impromptu audition for a guest spot in Walker, Texas Ranger in the 93rd minute by Kung Fu kicking Nicola Amuroso in the shoulder in the penalty box. A tied game became a very not tied game right afterwards and voila, there’s your scapegoat.

Reggina and Juventus both deserved to win this game; Reggina for their grit, stubbornness and never-say-die attitude and Juventus for controlling much of the game and being clearly a few levels up in class. However, any time a relegation battler can take out a big boy, you’ve got to give them credit. Well done, sirs. Well done.

Reggina’s only consistent threat was Franco Brienza, who ended up with the first goal of the game on a cheeky little poach in the box. A whole lot of pushing later and ADP made it even - though it was a howler on the part of Andrea Campagnolo and it really should’ve been saved. There were a couple of Juve penalty calls (I heard two maybe handballs but saw only one where the arms were at the Reggina defender’s side and it wasn’t clear it hit his arm anyway - not to mention in the Post-Couto aftermath handballs may be scrutinized more closely - so I dunno; and the Momo tackle in the box, though the defender did get ball first), but it was all for naught as Reggina held them. Then, enter in The Momo Sissoko Kung Fu Show. Game. Set. Match.

Well, not really. Amuroso went down at the end of the game and Cristian Zanetti dropped all sense of class and discipline by kicking him when he was down, earning himself a red in the process and probably a lengthy suspension. Chances are Nicola Legrottaglie may be waiting for the suspension list to come out early in the week as well, as he was laying his hands all over the ref after Sissoko drop kicked NA and earned a yellow in the process. (Hint: don’t do that.)

Happy ending, though, was with Campagnolo, who looked like he was about to cry after the final whistle considering his little Swiss cheese routine enabled Juve to even things up. So Juve stays in 3rd place for the time being.

* - Martha failed to consult my schedule when she decided to go do more productive things with her time. Apologies for the sporadic week. I’m moving in, oh, 2 days and haven’t packed anything yet, so we’ll call February a thin month and work for a major upturn in March with some more changes.