Points lost, point gained

It’s hard to decide which is more correct. For spells of today’s game against Juve, Samp overran their hosts, and at times seemed to be clinging on by their fingertips.

Samp started brightly, twice denied by their former keeper Marco Storari in one-on-one situations – Pozzi and Cassano the guilty parties. However, the pair combined to atone for their misses shortly afterwards, Cassano’s cross from the left cleverly dummied by Koman to allow Pozzi to slot home from the edge of the box.

Juve were perhaps fortunate to get a foothold in the game just before the break, the lively Krasic heading down Del Piero’s cross for Marchisio to smash home. Samp’s defence was worryingly slow to react to the loose ball, and worryingly pedestrian about attempting to get a block on Marchisio’s thumping shot.

Samp’s defence was again shaky as Juve completed the turnaround just after half-time. Curci reacted fantastically to keep out Gastaldello’s goal-bound interception from that tricky bugger Krasic’s cross, but the ball fell to Pepe and Quagliarella, both completely unmarked at the far post – Pepe managing to bundle it over the line with surprising difficulty.

Krasic was quite the Pavel Nedved throwback, his blonde hair bouncing as his thrusting runs from the wing caused all sorts of problems for the Samp backline. Curci denied him a goal from a chance all of his own making, but despite Juve asserting their dominance, it was Samp that struck next. Palombo’s chip over the Juventus defence was divine, and Cassano’s run exquisitely timed. His first-time sidefooted volley was just accurate enough to squeeze past Storari for the equaliser.

But once more, flat-footed defending was Samp’s undoing, as no-one but Fabio Quagliarella reacted to Pepe’s shot rebounding off the prone Curci’s near post. It was the second simple tap-in for Juve and the third sloppy and avoidable goal conceded on a day when our attacking play was incisive, direct and effective, as illustrated by Pozzi’s equaliser – long pass wide to Marilungo on the right, cross to Pozzi in the centre, decisive header from the big man.

All in all, a pleasing afternoon. We showed we can mix it with the big boys away from home, are unafraid of attacking and, aside from two early chances, we took our opportunities well. It was also pleasing to deny DelNeri and Marotta their first Juventus victory – goes to show, boys, trying to buy success generally isn’t as effective as building from the ground up.

Next up is a trip to Holland to play PSV on Thursday evening. It will be interesting to see whether Mimmo Di Carlo will choose to rest a few first-teamers, or whether the Europa League will be recognised as a priority for Samp. I, for one hope so, and not only because the final will be in Dublin next May.

Category: Serie A, UC Sampdoria