Tottenham runs past Milan

Tuesday's Champions League game between Milan and Tottenham was a disaster from the beginning for Milan fans. I should know...I am one.

As Milan's starting lineup for its home game against Tottenham flashed on my screen I almost couldn't believe what I was seeing. Not only were there four defenders and a goalie, Massimo Allegri also started a center back in midfield (Thiago Silva) and two defensive midfielders (Matty Flamini, Rino Gattuso). Add the slow moving corpse of Clarence Seedorf and you have nine out of 11 players either dedicated to defense or sure as hell not going to contribute to creative attacking play.

Allegri was counting on the individually brilliant Ibrahimovic and Robinho to work perfectly together or create something magical enough on their own to breech the Spurs defense. This lineup could be forgiven if it was the second game of the series and the Rossoneri needed just a tie. But coming up against the Champions League upstart newboys, Milan sent a clear message, 'we're older, more experienced and slower and if you want to play us you're going to take a beating."

Glorious Milan teams of old must have been shaking their heads in shame as Tottenham came out as the aggressor and stayed on the front foot for the first 20 minutes of the game. The nerves Spurs showed in their first game with Inter were not to be seen. Only brilliant work from Abbiati (I can't believe I just wrote that) and poor final balls from Lennon and Pienaar kept them off the scoresheet. Van Der Vaart was excellent and showed why he belongs on the list of elite players. And I don't want to think about what would have happened if Gareth Bale had been on the pitch.

Once Milan realized it couldn't play the deliberate, methodical style it's players were suited for, there were few options. Actually there was only one option and they went straight for it...they had to knock the hell out of Spurs as they ran past. Gattuso was flying around the pitch like a snarling dog that was bit by a bat out of hell (more on on the bearded hoodlum in a bit). Flamini and Silva were kicking any white object within reach, be it ball, leg or foot. And, surprisingly, it actually worked. The ref was not willing to give red cards and as Spurs lost possession, the Milan fullbacks began to get into the game.

Antonini was Milan's best attacking threat in the first half after Zlat-man and Robin. Not a good sign. But as halftime came, Harry Redknapp adjusted his team to the tactic that would eventually win the game. And every Italian who watched the game will not be shocked at what they saw.

Tottenham decided to concede midfield possession, play great defense and conserve energy for counter attacks. Isn't there a name for this? Oh yeah Catenaccio invented by the Italians and used to perfection by Spurs in the second half.

Although the inspirational Pato came in for the ghost of Seedorfs-past and was the best Milan player overall, the Spurs defense and two great stops from Gomes kept the hosts off the board. The Spurs defense was stout enough to keep the hosts out, which meant Lennon's moment of brilliance was enough to win the game (Crouch's finish could not have been easier).

Here are the top three most amazing things about the game:

1) Flamini was not sent off - Terrible tackle after terrible tackle, as a Milan fan I cringed every time he touched the ball. Why? Because if he lost it I knew he was going for blood. His two footed lunge was a throwback to brutal challenges of old. Any similar tackle deserves a straight red.

2) Gattuso was not sent off! If Flamini was an out of control child, Rino was the adult who should know better but chose instead to follow the voices in his head. He had that crazy look in his eye all game. In the second half, he got into a shouting match with a Spurs assistant. He tried to fight Crouch. This man needs to be detained because he is not fit for football. The crazy man act worked when he intimidated but never actually got sent off. Now he is one of many on the squad that can't control themselves on the field and are more of a liability than a boon. His post match ridiculousness should keep him out of action for a long time. Nothing more than he deserves.

3) Milan brought goalkeeper Marco Amelia forward for a corner kick near the end of the game. WHAT THE HELL WAS ALLEGRI THINKING?!!??!?? A 1-0 home loss is bad in the first leg but not the end of the world. Why would you risk going down 2-0 and needing a miracle in London? Has any team ever pulled it's goalie in the first leg in the history of Champions League? His team selection showed a lack of ambition. Sending Amelia up for the final corner kick was one of the dumbest moves I've ever seen. I can only assume my screaming at the television for him to get back helped the ball to stay in Milan's half.

Even with all the terrible tactical moves, thugish play and lucky breaks, Milan was still able to put the ball in the back of the net. The brilliant Ibra may have been offside, he may have pushed Michael Dawson, but he still found the ball in mid-air, turned and volleyed it into the corner. It was a high degree of difficulty even if it didn't count in the end. That disallowed goal should give Milan hope. As bad as it played and as terrible as the tactics were, it still should have tied at home.

The question is, will Redknapp keep his tactical edge at home and will Allegri field a Milan team capable of putting pressure on Spurs? This tie may be half over, but the Rossoneri still have the edge in experience. A reversal in score would be a great accomplishment. An exit from the competition would be nothing more than they deserve.

The Pre-season Shenanigans of the Prince

Among the slew of pre season friendlies and other meaningless games this summer, there is one that tickled my fancy. From the minute I heard Inter Milan was playing AC Milan in Foxboro, MA I knew I had to make the trip to see my favorite team. It’s a long drive from Maryland, but I hear it is a little bit easier than driving to Milan.

It was great to watch the red, blue, and black jerseys (and strangely a few Mexico jerseys) meshed together in the parking lot drinking beer, barbecuing, having fun, and most importantly enjoying SOCCER.

Right from the kickoff we felt the mild tension that you can only get from a meaningless game. Even so, friendly or not, neither of these Milanese giants or their fans want to lose to the other. It didn’t take too long for the reigning scudetto champs to stamp their mark on the game. El Principe scored the first as he took advantage of the 6 foot 7 inch Australian disaster wearing goalie gloves.

As the match proceeded both teams seemed lack some flare with both of their magic men leaving this summer. However, the match presented everything fans have grown to expect from these teams; dirty fouls by Gatuso and Zanetti running with the ball as if he was a 20-year-old (while his geriatric counterparts in red looked older than Uncle Elmer and we all know Uncle Elmer doesn’t get around as good as he used to with his arthritis and dementia. We really should put him in a home you know….sorry I’ll stop).

Diego Milito’s second goal near the end of the match (making the awkward Milan keeper look foolish again) put the game to rest. While both teams looked sub-par after selling off their respective creative geniuses this summer, the experienced boots of Milito made the difference. Inter seemed to show that they now have someone who could finish the ball, but lack even more creativity now that the Super Swede is gone. Milan showed that they also lack creativity but the remainder of their team is nowhere near the team they were in 2003 and 2007.

While I take pride in any day that Inter can make AC look foolish, I still worry about where the offensive ideas will come from this season. With the fans of the EPL and La Liga already heavily criticizing the play of Serie A, it looks like both Milan squads need to invest in some proven creative talent for their midfields. I know I would love to see one (or all) of the Oranje trio of Robben, Sniejder, and Van der Vaart at Inter. At the very least, the city of Milan can’t let Juventus show them up with the signing of Diego. So to sum it up, Inter rules, Serie A could use some more creative talent, and Juventus=Blah!

Until It Begins....

The 2009/10 football season is right around the corner and fans everywhere can agree on one thing.....[insert favorite team here] is going to have a banner season while [insert arch nemisis] will suffer like dogs!


With the new year and a fresh start for your club, it is time for every fan to follow these three easy steps in preparation for the emotional rollercoaster to come.


Step 1: Grade your team on thier summer transfer activity.

Even though the transfer window hasn't closed yet, many of your club's targets and sales have already gone through. Who's in? Who's out? If you are an AC Milan fan you have to come to grips with the fact Kaka has been replaced by an 11 foot tall Dutchy. Lets hope Huntelaar's large feet are big enough to fill the void. If you follow Real Madrid, maybe you should consider lending your team some money because they have got to be tapped out. At least buy some merchandise, which leads me to....


Step 2: Buy your team's new kit.


New home/away top? New sponsor? Show your support and buy (this year's) colors. Unless of course you follow Manchester United and don't care to look like a traffic sign. Either the arrow is pointing to the direction United is headed in the standings or directly at their junk. Guru Prediction: Vidic is nutmeged a record numer of times this year with the arrow pointing the way.




Step 3: Check the fixtures.

Now is the time to find out not only what's going down on week 1 but also when your club's most important games are. Some dates to keep in mind (and plan your viewing schedule around):

Saturday, Aug. 29 Manchester United v. Arsenal
In the first clash between two of the "big four," Arsenal may have to get a result or get ready for the doubters to champion Manchester City as thier replacement in the short list of elite Premiership squads.

Sunday, Aug. 30 AC Milan v. Internazionale
No other "Derby" on the continent features two teams with as much hardware on the European or league stage as the two Milan giants. Will "the special one" lead the Nerazzuri to a yet another scudetto or will Gattuso finally tear the ACL of each Inter player like he's been trying to all these years?

Monday, Aug. 31 Barcelona v. Sporting Gijon
On paper this looks like a huge mismatch and it probably will be. Last year Barca got off to a slow start in thier first game and never looked back. When we last saw them, the European champs were on the verge of transforming football from a game into an art form. Will Ibra add a new dimension or ruin the picture? Sporting is not anxious to find out.

Happy viewing!