Don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled for the three points. And
I can’t say that Parma were robbed, at least not by us. But this game was
strange, and I can’t say that Milan played like champions. The new 4-4-2 formation seemed to confuse the players as much as it did the fans, and it's not like they played with enough grinta to make up for it. In the end, despite
Parma playing with so much heart, I think that it was about money. Because
money changes everything.
 |
| Goals galore.... cha-ching! |
The money, of course, referring partially to Parma and the
fact that their players haven’t been paid since last July. But also to the
money that Milan is suddenly willing to invest in the squad, and the two new
players who debuted in this match, Destro and Bocchetti. Even if neither of
those players impacted the match in a major way, I think they brought
excitement to the team and especially to the fans at the San Siro, who seemed
to be willing to put faith in the team again and help lift them to victory…
over the worst team in the league.
The scoring was opened by Menez, who converted a penalty in
the 17th to give Milan the 1-0 lead. The penalty was awarded for a handball in
the box on Rodriguez. The star of the match for Milan, Zaccardo, had a goal in
the 21st, but it was waved off for offside. That seemed to inspire Nocerino,
our own –ex, who scored from a play from a free kick in the 24th to make it 1-1
all. It’s hard to begrudge him, he scored the most goals in his career for
Milan, it was only natural to score at the San Siro. Bonus points for not
celebrating, even if he’s been at several clubs since playing for Milan.
 |
| Bow down to the god of goals for Milan |
The “captain” for the day, Alex, hit the post in the 32nd
from a free kick, and Destro almost headed one in in the 35th. Then Destro got
himself a yellow card in the 37th, and with his card accumulation from Roma, he
will be suspended for our match vs. Juve. Van Ginkel’s singular contribution to
the match seems to be the yellow card that he earned in the 24th. Watching his
inconsistency makes the injury crisis hurt that much more. Especially when
Essien was the first choice to come on for him at the half. Or when Muntari was
subbed on for Destro in the 74th. My faith was restored in Diego Lopez, though,
especially with the back to back saves
in the 38th.
Menez made magic happen again in the 57th, with a beautiful
goal from a beautiful assist from Cerci. 2-1 Milan. But the crowning moment was
when the man who denied the Biabiany transfer last year from Parma, the World
Cup winner, the peculiar Zaccardo scored against the team who didn’t pay him,
and who he consequently left hanging. 3-1 Milan. He also didn’t celebrate, but
I’m not sure if that’s because he was the most surprised. Sorry, Galliani, Salvatore
Bocchetti is not your Savior. Your Savior has been under your nose all
along.
 |
| To be fair, he really did play with heart |
I was reminded during the game that they are still playing
Van Halen’s “Jump” at the San Siro, a song that was released 3 years before
Silvio Berlusconi even bought the club and is now over 30 years old. Kind of
like Galliani’s transfer targets. For example, it hasn’t been made official as
of this writing, but reports are that Milan have bought the nearly 29 year-old
center back Gabriel Paletta from Parma. I believe he’s joining Milan on a hair
transfer, because Berlusconi needs someone in the squad with worse hair than
him.
In the end, the players who got paid also got the three
points. I think they deserved them, but they are going to be in for a slaughter
if they play that way on Saturday. But before we worry about that, let’s see if
we survive the final hours of the transfer window. How many players will this
squad have? What will the wage bill be? Will Galliani get enough quality to get
back into Europe? And if so, will he reinforce enough in the summer then to
actually be able to compete? So much depends on money. Money changes everything.
This post inspired by the music of
Van Halen’s “Jump”
Our next match is
Juventus vs. Milan
Saturday, February 7 • 20:45 CET (2:45pm EST)
Happy Galliani Day™ Cards!
February 2nd Belongs to Galliani
Just select and
download an image, attach to an email or tweet, and wish your friends a Happy
Galliani Day™
