UEFA Cup: And Then There Were None
By: Martha | February 23rd, 2007
Both Italian teams who managed to escape the group stage of the UEFA Cup lost yesterday and, since both had also lost in the first leg of the knockout round, everyone is going home. Yes, it’s very sad.
Livorno, who lost 2-1 in the first leg at home, had grabbed a late goal in that game to give themselves some hope as they headed to Espanyol yesterday. Sadly, their hopes were dashed by an early goal, and when the Spaniards added another just after the half, it was pretty much over for Livorno. Then, just in case the coffin wasn’t completely nailed shut, midfielder Aparecido Cesar was sent off in the 78th minute, so that pretty much sealed it.
At Parma, meanwhile, the other Italian side still alive were looking to a)avenge their 1-0 loss to Braga in the first leg, and b)regain some modicum of self-respect. Sadly, like pretty much everything else at the club these days, things didn’t go so well. Though the desperate Parma put repeated pressure on the Portuguese goal, they couldn’t break through, even when Braga had a man sent off with more than 10 minutes remaining. And then, as if life didn’t suck in Parma enough already, Braga scored on the counter in the 88th minute and assured their place in the last 16.
In positive news for Parma, though, none of the players killed themselves after the game. Plus, the always perky Claudio Ranieri called it “a positive match,” and remains optimistic about the club’s chances of survival. Aw. Sweet, delusional Claudio.
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