Genoa beats Lucchese in friendly match: 0-5

Today Domenico Criscito returned in the team of Mr. Gasperini. Matias Masiero did not play yet because of a jet-lag (yesterday-afternoon he arrived from Uruguay in Italy) and because tomorrow he first must have his medical test, before the transfer is official.

The five goals of Genoa: Leon 2’, Figueroa 25’ pt; Sculli 57’, Leon 72’, Eusepi 85’ 

Genoa (3-4-3): Rubinho (76’ Lanza); Masiello (59’ Bovo,), De Rosa (65’ Lucarelli), Santos; Konko, Milanetto, Juric, Fabiano (46’ Paro); Leon (76’ Lazarevic), Figueroa (76’ Eusepi), Sculli (59’ Criscito). Trainer: Gasperini.

2nd new player: Matias Masiero (Uruguay); tomorrow: Lucchese-Genoa

Again a new player in the team of Genoa, after Criscito now Mr. Enrico Preziosi bought 19 years old wing-player Matias Masiero of Central Espanol di Montevideo (Uruguay).

  Matias Masiero Matias Masiero, 1.76 high and 70 kilos.

Tomorrow Genoa plays a friendly match in maybe the most beautiful city of Toscany: Lucca against their local Serie C-1 team: Lucchese. Genoa surely misses Rossi and Borriello (both in bed with influenza), Papa Waigo (Afrika-cup) and injured Bega and Danilo. Mr. Gasperini already wants the 2 new players Criscito and Masiero to play, while he left Coppola and Di Vaio out of his 18-players selection. Should the two friends leave Genoa in a short time ?    

Domenico Criscito is (finally) back home

Mimmo Criscito against (and not with) Juventus

The only line-up player of last season that had to leave Genoa last summer is back where he belongs. Despite the fact that a lot of football-watchers think Mimmo Criscito has everything to become the new Paolo Maldini, he never was very popular with Juventus. The main reason: last summer Criscito told everybody that he wanted to stay with Genoa in stead of moving to Juventus, the most succesful and biggest club of Italy. Millions of boys in the whole world dream to play once in the jail-outfit of Juventus, but not Criscito, he prefered to stay with Mr. Gasperini. Because of the fact Juventus is the owner of Mimmo, he had to go to Turin last summer, but after only 8 matches in Serie A and 1 in Coppa Italia the player of young Italy below 21 years is back. Genoa rents the young very talented defender till the end of the season and can buy him definitively by paying € 6 million next summer.  

Criscito is the first arrival in this tranfer-period. The newspapers say that 2 or 3 other new players are expected the next weeks. Every day there are new names in the newspapers, but the strikers Jeda (Rimini) and Olivera (Juventus) and midfield-player Foggia (Cagliari and player of the Italian national team) are already for some days close to a transfer to Genoa in the opinion of the journalists. If all these players arrive, Mr. Gasperini also wants to say goodbye to some players because he wants to work with a maximum of 22 line-up candidates. In the rumours: defender Cicco Bega, midfield-player Manuel Coppola and the strikers Marco di Vaio and Papa Waigo are on the transferlist to leave Genoa. Let’s see what happens the next weeks.

Genoa beats Parma by a penalty of Borriello

Borriello scores against Parma by penalty

After 9 matches without a victory, Genoa has beaten Parma by 1-0. The Gasperini-boys played very good in defense and Rubinho was unemployed for the first 75 minutes of the game. In the 42nd minute Genoa got a penalty because Paci could not take his hands off the shirt of Borriello. Our topscorer himself scored the penalty, making his 8th goal of the season. In the hapiness Matteo Paro get injured by an elbow of Sculli who was a little too enthousiastic.

In the second half the defense of Genoa was very strong, also in the air with De Rosa, Masiello and Santos. Parma only had 1 good shot on the goal, but Rubinho kept his goal clean. In the 94th minute substitute Papa Waigo scored the second goal of Genoa but he was in off-side so the final result was: 1-0.    

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Domenico Criscito comes home

Domenico Criscito returs after 6 months Juventus

Like in a good Christmas-story the loved son returns at home. After 6 months with Juventus defender Domenico Criscito returns to Genoa. Sunday 30th december the born Napolitan that was raised in the youth of Genoa becomes 21 years. After 37 matches in Serie B with Genoa he had to leave his loved club last summer to go to Juventus, the team that already owns him for some years. Criscito was one of the hundreds of players that were bought by Moggi the last 10 years, so at the moment he became one of the best players in Serie B and the Italian team under 21 years Juventus wanted him back. After only 8 matches in Serie A and 1 in Coppa Italia with Juventus he returns to Genoa and Gasperini. Welcome back home Domenico !

Masiello saved Genoa in 87th minute: 1-1

Masiello looks like he still can not believe he scored his first Serie A goal

Again Mr. Gasperini surprised everybody with his line-up. Scared for a new defeat he changed the usual offensive 3-4-3 system in a defensive 4-4-1-1. As usual it did not help, because without good defenders it is impossible to defend good, even if you put 9 defensive players in the team. In the first half Empoli hit te post twice and in the injury-time Giovinco scored the 1-0 lead behind Rubinho.

After half-time Gasperini changed the system into 4-2-4 with the forwards: Leon, Borriello, Figueroa and Santos (central-defender in the first half). In the 55th minute Genoa deserved a penalty when Marzorati stopped Ivan Juric irregulary, but referee Giannoccaro didn’t whistle. At the end the fantastic mentality of the players gave Genoa the deserved goal in the 87th minute when Masiello shoot a perfect pass of Figueroa behind keeper Balli. In the last 8 minutes till the end-whistle in the 95th minute Empoli tried everything to change the score again, but this time we survived the last minutes. After all a correct result which kept Genoa on 15th position in the standings.