Author: Hans

Again a draw: 1-1, with again a goal of Marco Borriello. Genoa played a good match against the team of Mr. Gasperini the coach who brought us in Serie A and in the Europa League. With Palermo our Gasperson plays attractive and offensive football, so it was a very nice match with two teams trying everything to win. Palermo took the lead in the first half by a goal of Giorgi in the 14th minute. Especially Ciro Immobile had several changes to score our equalizer, but he missed. In the 53rd minute it was (again) Marco Borriello who scored our equalizer after an assist of subsitute Jorquera. Also after the equalizer both teams did everything to score the winning goal, but at the end the honest draw of 1-1 still was on the scoreboard. The next match is Sunday 22nd October at 20.45 hours in Marassi against A.S. Roma.

Can a match be boring, yes it can! Of course we have to be more happy with the draw in Udine then with the defeat in the very spectaculair homematch against Juventus, because at the end only the points count. Saturday-evening at 20.45 hours we play at home against Palermo of Mr. Gasperini, so both teams will play attractive and offensive football! Of course we also want 3 points Saturday to stay on the left side of the standings.

Genoa draw 1-1 against Parma. Ex-Genoano Alessandro Lucarelli opened the score in the 27th minute, just after Immobile missed 2 great chances. In the 67th minute a handball of Parma gave Borriello the great opportunity to score the equalizer but the post stopped his penalty. In the 88th minute Borriello was fouled in the penaltyarea and he took the penalty himself: 1-1.  Genoa is now 9th in the standings with 7 points in 5 matches. Next Sunday we play at 12.30 hours in Stadio Friuli against Udinese.

Last week we saw Bologna win in the Olympic Stadium of Rome against A.S. Roma with 2 goals of Alberto Gilardino. Yesterday it was the day of his substitute Marco Borriello to beat the best qualified team of Rome: Lazio. In the 79th minute Sebastien Frey shot the ball towards Kucka who headed it to Antonelli. Our left midfielder passed the ball in one time with the back of his shoe in the open space in front of Marco Borriello who ran faster then Ciani towards the goal and beat goalkeeper Marchetti in the far corner: 0-1. Wednesdayevening t 20.45 hours Genoa plays at home against Parma.

Marco Borriello in the 57th minute (header on the crossbar) and Andrea Bertolacci in the 61st minute (saved by Buffon who was already on the ground) were close to the deciding 2-0 in the match against the unbeaten champions of last season. Both players missed, just as Immobile in the 10th minute of the first half but he revanched himself 8 minutes later by scoring 1-0. After the openinggoal both teams were several times close to score and in the 43rd minute the match seemed over to Leonardo Bonuccio who stopped Kucka irregulary after he already had received a yellow card in the 25th minute for making hands in the wall to stop a free-kick of Jankovic. During halftime there was the news that the handball in the wall was made by Pirlo, but he already got a yellow card for protesting against the free-kick. In any case one of these 2 Juventus-players has got 2 yellow cards in the first half, but referee Rocchi saved the black and white like in the old days of Moggi to forget one of the cards at the free-kick. A big shame, but the halftime score: Genoa-Juventus 1-0!

 

In the 2nd half Juventus started very agressive and did hit the post in the 7th minut before Borriello and Bertolacci missed the mentioned big chances of 2-0. Only 15 seconds (!) after the missed goal of Bertolacci Giaccherini scored in front of Gradinata Sud the equalizer: 1-1. Both teams tried to win the match, but it was a foul of Sampirisi (or great acting of Asamoah) who gave Juventus a penlty that was scored by Vucinic. The same Asamoah scored also the last goal 6 minutes before the end: 1-3, but after the last whistle of Rocchi the fans clapped their hands to the passioned red and blue players. With al little more justice and luck we could beat Juventus.

Tomorrow Luigi Ferraris will be filled with at least 25.000 fans. Genoa plays against the champions of last season: Juventus that did not loose a match for over a year. We all hope this period will end tomorrow and think about last year when we unfortunately draw both matches against “The old lady”. Especially in Juventus stadium Genoa deserved a victory, but tomorrow we have a new chance. Mr. De Canio selected 22 players for the match, because only Rossi and Vargas (both injured) are not able to play. Marco Borriello returns for the first time after 4 years in the magic Rossoblu with nr. 22 in Luigi Ferraris against his team of last year. Daiiii Marco!

Sunday 26th August Genoa plays the first match of the new Serie A season at home against Cagliari. One week later we play in Catania the 2nd match. This season also the derby returns on 18th November and 14th April.

As expected after the dramatic end of last season the players-selection has changed a lot. Hereby the present situation with the new players in capitals completely with the numbers of the shirts for the match against Hellas Verona in the Coppa Italia next Saturday-evening in Marassi:

Goalkeepers:

1 Frey, 63 STILLO (youth Genoa)

Defenders:

2 VELAZQUEZ (Independiente, Arg.), 3 Bovo, 5 Granqvist, 13 Antonelli, 21 CANINI (Cagliari), 24 Moretti, 25 VON BERGEN (Cesena), 31 SAMPIRISI (Genoa youth), 40 TOMOVIC (Lecce)

Midfielders:

7 Rossi, 8 Biondini, 10 MERKEL (Milan), 14 SEYMOUR (Catania), 20 Mesto, 28 TOZSER (Genk, Bel.), 33 Kucka, 89 ANSELMO (Palmeiras, Bra.), 91 BERTOLACCI (Lecce)

Strikers:

9 Gilardino, 11 Jankovic, 17 IMMOBILE (Pescara), 18 PISCITELLA (Roma), 19 Jorquera, 57 Zé Eduardo

Before the playersmarket closes at Friday 31st Augustus there surely will be changes in the present team, that now has 26 members including 13 new players.

In the 5 seasons after the memorable promotion in the match Genoa-Napoli on 10th June 2007 we played 190 matches in Serie A with 71 victories, 47 draws and 72 defeats. Udinese, Cagliari and Napoli were beaten 6 times (out of 10) and Sampdoria 5 times (in 8 matches). Genoa scored 252 goals, the opponents 16 more: 268.

 7 players of Genoa scored at least 10 goals:

Rodrigo Palacio 35 (3 seasons)

Diego Milito 24 (1)

Giuseppe Sculli 21 (5)

Marco Borriello 19 (1)

Marco Rossi 13 (5)

Antonio Floro Flores 10 (1)

Bosko Jankovic 10 (4)

Genoa booked 50 victories at home, our most favorite opponents:

1. Catania, 4 victories and 1 draw
2. Napoli, 4 victories, 1 defeat
3. Udinese, 4 victories, 1 defeat
4. Cagliari, 4 victories, 1 defeat
5. A.S. Roma, 4 victories, 1 defeat
6. Palermo, 3 victories, 2 draws
7. Sampdoria, 3 victories, 1 defeat

Genoa beat A.C. Milan twice (2-0, 1-0), Juventus once (3-2) and Inter never.

In away-matches Genoa booked 21 victories in 95 matches. Our favorite opponents:

1. Siena, 2 victories, 2 draws
2. Lecce, 2 victories, 1 draw
3. Sampdoria, 2 victories, 1 draw, 1 defeat
4. Udinese, Cagliari, Napoli and Lazio 2 victories
5. Bologna, Palermo, Parma, Torino, Atalanta, Chievo and Reggina 1 victory

6 players of Genoa played at least 90 matches in Serie A:

Marco Rossi 153 (5 seasons)

Giandomenico Mesto 131 (4)

Giuseppe Sculli 131 (5)

Omar Milanetto 128 (4)

Domenico Criscito 116 (4)

Rodrigo Palacio 90 (3)