Juventus endured a truly horrible season, missing European football for the first time since the early 1990s. Here’s an uber-serious look at the best moments from season 2010/11.
Best Goal
Despite a poor season, Juventus fans did get to see some stunning goals. Most of these goals were scored Fabio Quagliarella – a man famed for scoring abnormal and incredible goals. Claudio Marchiso and Milos Krasic scored a couple of stunners, while Simone Pepe’s free-kick against Fiorentina and Toni’s header against Cagliari deserve special mention. However, the most memorable goal of the season was scored by the evergreen Il Capitano, a man who somehow manages to churn out world class performances even at the age of 37 – Alessandro Del Piero.
Against Brescia, Del Piero was singled out for some crunching tackles throughout the match. Juventus came into this game on the back of four consecutive losses. With the match tied at 1-1, Marchisio found Del Piero near the half line. After receiving the ball, Del Piero sprinted towards the goal before finishing with delightful ease.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8FwfuYQfaE
Best Performance
AC Milan 1-2 Juventus
The match which provided Juventus fans with a false glimmer of hope that season 2010/11 would end well for the Old Lady, the match which showcased the grit and determination showed by the Juventus teams of yesteryears. The influential Milos Krasic was suspended for this game, while Giorgio Chiellini suffered from a last minute injury,leaving Juve without two important players. AC Milan were league leaders and were almost invincible at the San Siro before this match.
Juve took a shock lead when Quagliarella’s headed in a beautiful cross from Paolo De Ceglie. After that goal, Milan created a plethora of chances but were denied by some robust defending from Legrottaglie and Bonucci. Marco Storari made some crucial stops, while Felipe Melo kept Andrea Pirlo in his pocket. Juve suffered further losses as the match went on, with both Paolo De Ceglie and Jorge Martinez limping off. At one point winger Pepe played as a make shift full-back. When Del Piero made it 0-2, the writing was on the wall. Ibrahimovic did pull back a goal, but Juventus weren’t to be denied three points in this memorable encounter.
Worst Performance
Lecce 2-0 Juventus
Juve has dished out many shocking performances over last four seasons; this one would be right up there with other shocking matches. Buffon’s incredible error (more on that later) reduced Juve to ten men early in the match. But that shouldn’t be an excuse for the appalling performance from the Bianconeri in the rest of the game. Lecce won 2-0, but the score line was flattering for Juve. Had Lecce been more clinical in front of the goal, they could have easily won this match by five or six goals.
Best Save
Despite some super saves from both Gianluigi Buffon and Marco Storari, this award goes to an outfield player – Felipe Melo. In the afore mentioned match against AC Milan, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was tightly marked by Leonardo Bonucci and failed to cause any danger to Juve defence till the hour mark. On the 62nd minute, he escaped his marker and unleashed a rasping shot; Storari was not in line, and it would have been a goal. However, the shot was blocked by Melo at the goal-line. Extra marks for his celebration.
ZOMGROFLFTWFMLLOL Moment
For a brief period of five seconds against Lazio, Momo Sissoko was possessed by the spirit of Xavi Hernandez. Everyone, probably Sissoko himself, was shocked/dazed/surprised/thunderstruck/astonished/confused/bamboozled/flummoxed by this through-ball. Lazio ‘keeper Muslera was so shocked that he ended up pushing Krasic’s weak shot into his own goal. The stewards at Stadio Olimpico reportedly spent two hours cleaning the dropped jaws lying on stadium tiers. You can’t make these things up. Seriously.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jo6cKhnvKCA
Dagger through the Heart Moment
Sebastien Giovinco, a player whom a lot of Juventus fans fantasized to be the next Del Piero, was shipped off to Parma. The club where he had played for more than a decade failed to provide a first team slot to him. He came back to haunt Juve in both the matches. His two goals ensured that Parma grabbed an incredible 4-1 away win in the first leg. In the return leg, Giovinco scored a spectacular solo goal to earn Parma a 1-0 victory. Juve fans couldn’t have been blamed if they got a “what could have been” feeling after seeing Giovinco set the stage on fire in these two matches.
Melo is da ultimate man-child
Hangover 3
A long hangover from New Year celebration perhaps? Felipe Melo has been one of the best players this season, but his stupid red card against Parma was unforgivable. Juve struggled in that match with ten men, and it can be said that result of that match ultimately led to an implosion to Juve’s season.
Super Star Lookalike
Despite getting close competition from Asterix’s long lost brother Gigi Delneri, Paolo De Ceglie wins it one more time. He will collect this award once Demi Moore understands her mistake and throws him out of her apartment (provided he doesn’t get injured in the process).
Obelisk likes this
Can’t hit a barn door with a Machine Gun
Amauri, who once again fired blanks for the Old Lady –insert that’s what she said joke here. Parma fans, Amauri is a top striker capable of winning the Golden boot. Eight million Euros isn’t too much for a player of his caliber, is it? So long suckers, you have no idea what an incapable player he is to have in your team……
How to build a Time Machine award
After being horrible for most of his Juventus career, a marvelously tanned Fabio Grosso was suddenly calling the shots against AS Roma in the away game. He set up two goals, the first from a brilliant short cross after a winding run into the Roma box. He also released Alessandro Matri with a spectacular through-ball for Juve’s second goal. All Juve fans were taken back to a summer of 2006 – when Grosso used to be a useful player.
Alessio Secco likes this award
Jorge Martinez for 12 m Euros. Beppe Marotta, THAT was as epic a fail as Jonathan Zebina’s defending.
Awarding Most Awefully Underperforming and Ridiculous Italian Award
Marco Motta made Zdenek Grygera look like Gianluca Zambrotta. Enough said.