Halfway through the CL Group Stage, Things are looking good for the Viola
By: Tim |
48 Comments
I exchanged emails with Ted earlier, and it turns out that neither of us were able to see much of the match yesterday, so this recap will have to be brief. I did see the highlights last night on FSC, so I’ve seen all of the goals. In a very entertaining and open match, Fiorentina defeated the host Hungarians of Debrecen by a 4-3 margin. Here’s the Football Italia recap. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Team News
Battle in Budapest: Viola take on Debrecen
By: Tim | 260 Comments
This is awesome to have another Viola match after such a short wait as that international break was torture. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Team NewsViola draw Newcastle: Recap
By: Ted | 35 Comments
So on Saturday morning I get back from a killer business trip in New York City. I hardly got any sleep. The only thing that got me home, in fact, was the fact that I would be able to see my wife and kid, and that I would be able to see Fiorentina (presumably) dismantle Newcastle Disunited (Turin Branch.)
So I get home, exhausted, play with my young son for a few hours, then settle in to watch the game. I’m really, really tired. The smart thing would have been to record the match, get a few hours of shut-eye, and watch it late night. But I’m too excited to see the game, so I decide to watch it on FSC. So I watch the first half, and really like what I see; then, when halftime comes around, I decide to take a quick catnap for fifteen minutes before the second half starts. What do you think happens? The next time I open my eyes, the commentators are wrapping up the end of the match, which resulted in a 1-1 draw between Fiorentina and the Galactic Empire. I missed the entire second half. I’ll probably watch it tomorrow night (I did record it) but I didn’t want to wait till Monday/Tuesday to put up some thoughts. Even though I only saw the first half.
• First of all, I’ll take it. A draw in Turin is good enough. We stay tied with Newcastle and few behind Inter in 1st. Again, I haven’t seen the second half yet, but the first was a fun, gutsy match, filled with nice attacking counters, particularly by Vargas and My Precious.
• Speaking of the former, Vargas really is becoming a key member of the squad. He runs like a dog, wrecks havoc on the left, crosses decently, has an extremely hard and accurate shot, and comes inside when needed to act as a bonus striker. To think how we were all getting ready to turn on him just last season. I don’t know where we’d be without him.
• And speaking of the latter, when do we start including My Precious in the conversation about the best players in Italy? His assist in the first was great, and he generally had the Newcastle defense back on its heels whenever he had the ball at his feet. And he does it against the big clubs, (Liverpool, Newcastle) and in the big competitions.
• Speaking of which, I understand that Mutu came on for Precious about halfway through the 2nd. Like I said, I didn’t see it. But is that a pattern for the future, or will the Great Man have to find a way for them both to get on the pitch for the full 90?
• I guess we all need to get ready for the idea of the GilaMonster leading the line for Italy. Good for him, but maybe not great for our beloved club. Another injury risk to worry about, although we also lose one with Mutu being booted from the Romanian team, for now at least.
• Gamberini is really the man this season. He saved at least one sure goal in the first half, if not two. And he’s tough as nails. His name might be on the shirt I get for Christmas this year. (By the way: the last three Christmas shirts? Toni, Pazzini, and My Precious. So it would be nice to go to defense. I would get a Frey in a heartbeat, but I would just never wear that Spider Man-style goalkeeper shirt that Lotto makes.)
• It wouldn’t be a Juve games without a perfectly good goal disallowed in favor of the home side, would it?
• Alessio, what’s with the hate in your preview? I don’t care if you’re kidding. I already put in writing that you are one of only two Newcastle-affiliated people I can even stand. (The other is Zidane, and no, Baggio does not count as a Newcastle player. He hated it there.) Don’t start a cold war between us. I always use kid gloves when talking about Newcastle. Don’t escalate this. I’m too busy hating Roma, anyway.
• Champions League on Tuesday. Absolutely no question it’s a must-win match. We’ll be back with all the action.
Forza Viola, everyone. Take care.
Category: Team NewsThe Viola are Back! Newcastle Preview
By: Tim | 90 Comments
Finally! This goes two ways I suppose, the good is finally the Viola are returning to action after the international break that would not end, and the bad is that finally the viola blog has been updated. I’d make excuses, but let’s just get to the calcio. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Team NewsMighty Viola Two Off Lead
By: Ted | 100 Comments
Today in Beautiful Florence the mighty Viola drew with a defensive-minded Lazio squad, thus pulling only a point mere days after their exciting dismantling of Liverpool. The draw, of course, isn’t the worst thing in the world (Newcastle was spanked by Palermo this afternoon) so our boys remain two points from the top and in very good shape going into the international week. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Team NewsLazio Preview
By: Tim | 153 Comments
Hopefully the Viola will be able to keep the momentum rolling as Lazio come to the Franchi tomorrow. The baby blues are a difficult opponent, and their hammering of Leviski Sofia will probably boost their confidence after a middling beginning to the Serie A campaign. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Team NewsA Dialog Between a Father and Son
By: Ted | 99 Comments
SCENE: A 34-year-old man and his 15-month-old son sit together on a couch. The boy holds a stuffed duck named Mr. Quackers. They have both just witnessed their favorite football team, Fiorentina, dismantle another football team called Liverpool in a competition called the Champions League. Following the final whistle in the match, this is what they discussed… Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Team NewsBig CL Showdown: Scousers Come to Firenze
By: Tim | 192 Comments
This match is a real opportunity for Fiorentina. So far, there really aren’t any signature results fans can point to from this competition. We know that the squad has the ability to produce wins against top teams in Italy from time to time (Roma last year, at Newcastle the year before that, etc.), but the Viola have consistently been a step short when it comes to games against top competition. Liverpool have been excellent in the CL for several years running, but something tells me they are in for a tough match tomorrow night at the Franchi. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Team NewsViola Two Points Off First Place! Also, The Viola Glossary
By: Ted | 49 Comments
Give me a break. I’ve been writing this blog for almost three years now, and we’ve never been this close to first after this many games. So I decided to have a little fun with the title of the post. Yes, I am writing it on Saturday night and the Sunday games haven’t played yet. So what. Give me my little bit of fun. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Team NewsTricky Tuscan Derby? Viola travel to Lame Livorno on Saturday.
By: Tim | 172 Comments
What’s happening? Fortunately for our boys in purple, they don’t have far to go for tomorrow evening’s match at Livorno. It will be a short bus trip, but there are plenty of memories of poor results on the road against inferior Tuscan sides in recent season to make any Fiorentina supporter nervous. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Team News
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