Soccer update-- more on recent cancellations

We recently reported that Real Madrid's match at Rayo Vallecano had to be cancelled due to acts of sabotage to the electrical system. (See photos of the damaged electrical equipment above and below) 

The match was finally played today, resulting in a 2-0 Real Madrid victory.

Below: Karim Benzema celebrates after scoring for Real Madrid

In other news, due to the recent cancellation of AS Roma's match at Cagliari, Serie A officials have decided to award a 3-0 victory to Roma. Cagliari have announced that they will appeal this decision.

Soccer update-- cancellations and more

Today's La Liga match between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano was cancelled due to sabotage. (Apparently an electrical cable was cut.)

Above and below: Workers attempt to fix the lights 

Below: Fans outside the Estadio de Vellecas

In Italy, today's match between AS Roma and Cagliari was cancelled due to a dispute between Cagliari and Serie A authorities about whether home fans would be allowed to attend the match.

And finally, Milan's disastrous season continued with a 2-1 loss to Udinese. Highlights included two Milan players sent off with red cards (Cristian Zapata and Kevin Prince-Boateng) and continued speculation about whether Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri will be fired.

Below: Milan players after the match

AC Milan's season so far

I have tried several times to write a post about how incredibly disastrous this year has been for AC Milan so far, but I just can't do it.

Above: Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri urges his team on

Below: Anderlecht goalkeeper Silvio Proto

AC Milan injury update

Rino Gattuso, who has been out since Milan's first game of the season back in September, has been cleared by team doctors to resume training and could even play in a game sometime soon. Gattuso has been suffering from a condition known as Sixth Cranial Nerve Palsy which caused the muscles in his left eye to fail to function properly and resulted in double, triple, and even quadruple vision. Let's all hope that Rino will be back on the pitch for AC Milan sometime soon.

Below: A drawing of a person suffering from Sixth Cranial Nerve Palsy

Milan have a new coach

A.C. MILAN OFFICIAL NOTE

6/25/2010

MILAN - A.C. Milan communicate that Massimiliano Allegri is the new coach of the First Team.
The coach has signed a contract until 30 June 2012.

THE COACH IS ALLEGRI!

6/25/2010 3:42:00 PM

Freshness, youth, determination. That's the human and professional baggage of Massimiliano Allegri, whose offensive vocation embarks at Milanello and on the Rossoneri's bench. Good luck coach! From the heart.

MILAN - Massimiliano Allegri, born on 11 August 1967 in Livorno, is our new coach. Now it's official. The announcement arrived today. All the Rossoneri fans are very satisfied. The wait made the moment even more gratifying.

As a player, his journey in Serie A took six years, from 1992 to 1998 with Pescara, Cagliari and Napoli. In reality his professional activity has been 19 years long, starting in 1984. The new Rossoneri coach ended his career on the pitch in the same summer, 2003, when Milan became European champions for the sixth time in Manchester.
As a coach, Massimiliano Allegri has worked in all categories, starting in Serie C2 with Aglianese, then in C1 with Spal, Grosseto, and Sassuolo. In Emilia, at the court of a great Rossoneri fan like Giorgio Squinzi, Allegri earned the promotion to Serie B and won the C1 Supercoppa.

Then, Cagliari. Massimiliano Allegri's destiny subtly started to cross that of Milan while he was on the Sardinians' bench.

In the first five matches of the 2008/2009 season, Cagliari always lost, despite playing well. On the sixth matchday, there was Cagliari-Milan at the Sant'Elia. Carlo Ancelotti's Rossoneri were coming off the derby victory at San Siro with Ronaldinho's goal and the Uefa qualification obtained in Zurich. The predictions were all for a Rossoneri victory, but the match finished goalless with many chances for the home side. Allegri obtained the first point of a great season (ninth place in the end for the Rossoblu, 53 points, victory in Turin against Juventus and a draw away to Inter after Acquafresca's opening goal), against the Rossoneri. For the 2008/2009 season, Allegri won the 'Golden Bench' award, given to the best coach according to Serie A and B coaches.

As a footballer, Allegri played at Pescara alongside Stefano Borgonovo, who's still very connected to the Rossoneri colors, and scored his first goal in a spectacular Pescara-Milan on 13 September 1992: it finished 5-4 for Milan with a hat-trick by a certain Marco Van Basten, whose heel has often been talked about during this summer.

I watched an entire season of soccer for this?

Inter Milan won this year's Coppa Italia (goal by Milito). They won the Scudetto on the final day (goal by Milito). Then they won the Champions League final (2-0, goals by Milito-- when I wrote that Milito was a player to watch out for, I didn't mean latter that same day). The only remaining question was how quickly Jose Mourinho would announce that he is leaving Inter Milan. The only bright spot for AC Milan fans is that Inter's win means that that Serie A will still have four Champions League slots instead of three (at least for the next couple of years). I am not sure why anyone would want to watch the highlights, but here they are.

Let the transfer (and other) rumors begin

The following items are from goal.com/en-india:

Saturday 22 May 2010

• 1:55 PM
  Transfer Zone Milan Target Massimiliano Allegri In Talks With Silvio Berlusconi - Report

Friday 21 May 2010

• 3:10 PM
  Transfer Zone Milan Are Not For Sale - Fininvest
• 2:30 PM
  Transfer Zone Ronaldinho Is Staying At Milan - Agent
• 1:45 PM
  Transfer Zone Former Italy Coach Roberto Donadoni Refutes Milan Link
• 1:41 PM
  Transfer Zone Klaas-Jan Huntelaar Keen To Stay At Milan - Agent
• 1:38 PM
  Transfer Zone Alexandre Pato Pledges Future To Milan
• 7:31 AM
  Serie A AC Milan’s Massimo Ambrosini: I Am Sad To See Leonardo Go

Thursday 20 May 2010

• 11:31 PM
  Serie A Silvio Berlusconi: I Won’t Just Sell AC Milan To Anybody
• 9:56 PM
  Serie A Calciopoli Watch: Former Milan Man Leonardo Meani Questions 2006 Phone Tap Investigations
• 8:46 PM
  Serie A I Dream Of Playing For Milan - Velez Sarsfield Defender Nicolas Otamendi
• 3:55 PM
  Calcio Debate Calcio Debate: Who Will Be Milan's Next Coach?
• 3:32 PM
  Transfer Zone Roma Consider AC Milan's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar As Flamengo's Adriano Remains An Option
• 2:58 AM
  Transfer Zone Luciano Moggi Insists Barcelona Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic Would Be 'Ideal' For AC Milan

Wednesday 19 May 2010

• 4:47 PM
  Transfer Zone Former Italy Coach Roberto Donadoni In Milan Link - Report
• 2:45 PM
  Transfer Zone Report: Filippo Inzaghi New Milan Deal Imminent
• 12:58 PM
  Transfer Zone AC Milan Set To Launch Half-Price Bid For Manchester City Forward Robinho - Report
• 12:54 PM
  Transfer Zone Silvio Berlusconi Promises ‘Big Signing’ At Milan And Drops Filippo Galli Hint

Tuesday 18 May 2010

• 10:50 PM
  Serie A Silvio Berlusconi Will Not Sell AC Milan - Adriano Galliani
• 5:25 PM
  Transfer Zone EXCLUSIVE: Almeria Goalkeeper Diego Alves Pleased By Juventus & Milan Interest
• 4:30 PM
  Transfer Zone Silvio Berlusconi: I May Sell Milan
• 3:58 PM
  Transfer Zone Ronaldinho Offered A Two-Year Extension With Milan - Agent
• 2:38 PM
  Serie A Goal.com Special: Serie A Worst Team Of The Season 2009-10
• 12:53 PM
  Serie A Silvio Berlusconi Slams ‘Ungrateful’ AC Milan Fans

Monday 17 May 2010

• 8:44 PM
  Transfer Zone Adriano Galliani: Ronaldinho Is Staying At Milan
• 7:52 PM
  Transfer Zone Milan Have Not Made An Approach For Empoli Striker Eder
• 3:23 PM
  Transfer Zone Filippo Galli Ready To Take Milan Job
• 2:47 PM
  Transfer Zone Ronaldinho: I Don't Know If I Will Stay At Milan
• 2:40 PM
  Editorials Scudetto Spotlight: How Inter Won The 2009/10 Scudetto
• 1:10 PM
  Transfer Zone AC Milan Deny Sale Rumours

Sunday 16 May 2010

• 4:15 PM
  Serie A I Hope Inter Lose The Scudetto & Champions League - Milan’s Luca Antonini
• 3:53 PM
  Serie A Milan Are The Most Successful Team In The World – Adriano Galliani Tells ‘Ungrateful’ Fans
• 8:00 AM
  Transfer Zone With Jose Mourinho Likely To Leave For Real Madrid In The Summer Inter Milan Will Join The Race For Liverpool Boss Rafael Benitez - Report
• 4:45 AM
  Serie A AC Milan’s Ronaldinho: I Want My Friend Leonardo To Be Happy
• 4:12 AM
  Serie A Coach Leonardo Thanks Milan For A Wonderful 13 Years
• 2:13 AM
  Serie A Milan 3-0 Juventus: Ronaldinho Brace Demolishes The Bianconeri

Saturday 15 May 2010

• 2:00 PM
  Transfer Zone Milan Consider Italy Coach Marcello Lippi As Leonardo Replacement - Report
• 1:06 PM
  Transfer Zone Juventus Striker David Trezeguet Unlikely To Join Milan - Agent

Friday 14 May 2010

• 7:00 PM
  Transfer Zone Leonardo Confirms He Will Leave Milan - OFFICIAL
• 4:53 PM
  Transfer Zone Milan Sponsors Like Idea Of Roma Coach Claudio Ranieri At San Siro
• 3:24 PM
  Transfer Zone Fedele Confalonieri Confident That Silvio Berlusconi Will Get The Best Man For Milan Job
• 2:46 PM
  Transfer Zone David Trezeguet To Milan, Klaas - Jan Huntelaar To Juventus - Report
• 2:19 PM
  Transfer Zone Adriano Galliani Drops Filippo Galli Hint For Milan Job
• 2:12 PM
  Serie A Pick Your Milan Team To Play Juventus
• 2:10 PM
  Serie A Pick Your Juventus Team To Play Milan
• 2:00 PM
  Serie A Serie A Preview: Milan - Juventus
• 1:00 AM
  Serie A Marco Borriello Focused On AC Milan And Italy – Agent

Thursday 13 May 2010

• 8:47 PM
  Serie A David Beckham Visits Milan Team In Training - Report
• 8:26 PM
  Transfer Zone Amantino Mancini's Agent Doesn't Know If His Client Will Stay At Milan Or Join Inter
• 2:50 PM
  Serie A Juventus Striker Vincenzo Iaquinta Warms Up For Milan Clash

Wednesday 12 May 2010

• 9:11 PM
  Serie A Alberto Zaccheroni: Milan - Juventus Not As Important As Previous Seasons
• 6:10 PM
  Transfer Zone Milan Defender Luca Antonini Will Not Head To The Premier League - Agent

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My third favorite Milan goal of the season

Clarence Seedorf's winner against Chievo Verona. This goal pulled Milan to within one point of first place and represents the high water mark for the season.

AC Milan 2009-2010 Season Statistical Highlights

Here are the statistical leaders for AC Milan during the 2009-2010 Serie A season:

Most games played: Ronaldinho (36)

Most games started: Ronaldinho (34)

Most minutes played: Andrea Pirlo (2952)

Most minutes played without scoring a goal (goalies excluded): Andrea Pirlo (2952)*

Most goals scored: Marco Borriello (14)

Most yellow cards: Massimo Ambrosini & Mathieu Flamini (10)

Most red cards: Massimo Ambrosini & Mathieu Flamini (2)

Fewest minutes played (of players who appeared at all): Rodney Strasser (7)

*Pirlo's amazing goal against Real Madrid came in the Champions League.

Below: Gennaro Gattuso received eight yellow cards this season. Here is a picture of the last one.

Serie A update: Massimo Moratti celebrates his birthday

Italian oil tycoon Massimo Moratti (pictured above) celebrated his 65th birthday today by traveling to Siena to watch the team he owns (Inter Milan) play against 19th place AC Siena. Inter needed either a win or a Roma tie/loss in order to win their fifth straight Serie A title. At one point in the second half, however, Roma were winning and Inter were still stuck in a goalless draw.

Luckily for Mr. Moratti, Diego Milito finally scored for Inter (see photo below) and Inter went on to win 1-0.

Below: Zanetti and Milito (right) celebrate the game's only goal

Above: Inter celebrate

Below: Inter coach Jose Mourinho waves his commemorative t-shirt. Up next for Inter-- the Champions League final against Bayern Munich

Some people might say, "Happy birthday, Massimo Moratti!" Those sorts of people might also enjoy watching the highlights below. Others wouldn't.

World soccer update

Above: Inter manager Jose Mourinho runs onto the field to grab a stray ball. (There also seems to be a balloon on the pitch as well.)

At one point today, first place Inter Milan were beating Chievo Verona 4-2, and Roma were losing to Cagliari 1-0. The Inter fans began celebrating, believing that the Scudetto was theirs. But then Cheivo scored, Roma scored, and then Roma scored again, and the crowd became quiet. When it was all over, both Roma and Inter had won, so the Scudetto will not be decided until next weekend, the final weekend of the season.

In other news, Chelsea beat Wigan Athletic 8-0, winning them the Premier League title. Believe it or not, eight is not the largest number of goals conceded by Wigan this season-- they gave up nine against Tottenham back in November. (Remember this the next time some Premier League-supremacist starts going on about the UK being the land of fair play and competitive football.)

Below: Chelsea celebrate their championship

Match report: Genoa 1 - Milan 0

Due to concerns about possible fan violence, today's match between Genoa and Milan was played in front of an empty stadium. Genoa won 1-0. I believe, however, that Milan have officially clinched third place in the Serie A because of today's 1-1 tie between Palermo and Sampdoria.

Coppa Italia (again)

Apparently there was more to this year's Coppa Italia than Milito's goal and Totti's attack on Balotelli.

Roma 1 - Sampdoria 2 (still)

Over and over again, I keep thinking about this game. If Roma had won, Inter would still be in second place.

Bizarre and disturbing match report: Lazio 0 - Inter 2

Above: Lazio fans react to one of Inter's goals

This was a very odd and unpleasant game to watch. Half the Lazio players appeared to be trying their best, while the others just seemed to walk around the pitch like zombies. The Lazio fans were completely rooting for their team to lose so as to foil the Scudetto hopes of cross-town rivals Roma. The way the crowd reacted to everything, you might have been fooled into thinking that the match was being played in Milan. It was not, despite the whistles every time a Lazio player did something useful and the constant cheers for Inter.

Below: Lazio's goalie, Muslera, annoys the home fans by diving bravely for the ball.

Highlights are below. Inter are now back in first place with two games left.

Match report: Sampdoria 2 - Milan 1

• Goals scored: Borriello 20', Cassano 54' (penalty), Pazzini 90+2'
• What happened: Sampdoria played better than Milan in the first half, but Milan was leading at halftime anyway. Early in the second half, Bonera brought down Cassano in the box, giving Sampdoria a penalty (and earning Bonera a red card). Down to ten men, Milan played much better for a while and had several chances to retake the lead-- Gattuso, Borriello, and Ronaldinho all came close. Then, at the very end, Sampdoria woke back up and pressured Milan until they finally scored the game-winning goal in stoppage time.
• What else happened today: Roma beat Lazio, so they are back in first place.
• Who Sampdoria's coach resembles: A cross between Peter Sellers, Jason Robards, and my mom's father.

• What this match teaches us: Milan has basically no chance to win the Scudetto this year.

Highlights are below:

Maicon puts Inter back in first place

On Friday, Inter defeated Juventus 2-0, thus putting Inter (at least temporarily) back in first place in the Serie A standings. The winning goal was scored by Maicon, and is, unfortunately, worth a look.

Milan are still in third place, six points out. On the positive side, at least Juventus lost.