Chievo 0, Milan 0: Impasse

There are a few different ways to see this match. One is how fans on social media see it: the death of Champions League hopes and/or the end of the world. Another way might be that this match was simply an impasse, one which injuries and misfortune didn't allow Milan to overcome. For one thing, I never thought Champions League was realistic or beneficial (other than financially, obviously) to achieve this season. Secondly, there really were a lot of injuries and bad luck that impacted this match. And lastly, the fact that the team improved, responded well to subs, and fought to the whistle within this match made it just one of those games. So I guess that once again, Milan and the fans of Milan are at an impasse.

When your best is still not good enough

Look, I totally get wanting to win every game, wanting to get back into Champions League. But when you have a player injured in warmup on top of players already missing due to injury and you have to change formations at the last minute, it might not go as well. So with Kucka out, Menez started, even though everyone has said he’s not 100% yet. And he wasn’t. Then Donnarumma got a head injury and had to be subbed off for Abbiati in the 19th, forcing Sakic to use an early sub, and not for an outfield player, either. Hoping the kid checks out okay, he was taken to the hospital for tests.

Our best chance of the first half was a Honda free kick in the 42nd that was beautiful, but just wide. And Menez followed that up with a yellow card in the 44th and a trademark Oscar-winning look of astonishment that was just like old times. A tense first half, a lot of dumb mistakes, but we also managed to keep the Flying Donkeys off the scoresheet.

Hoping it's not serious

The second half we seemed to be pulling it together a little more, and the fresh legs of Adriano in the 60th for the tired legs of Menez helped a lot. Respect to Chievo, as they fought like only Flying Donkeys could throughout, and their subs helped a lot, too. But Bacca finally got a little service and became a protagonist for the first time in this match, and everyone seemed to be stepping up. And in the 74th, Abate took a wicked shot that Bizarri parried out only to be rebounded by Bertolacci, who unfortunately hit the woodwork. It was just not meant to be. Not for us or for Chievo… Cacciatore had a header in the 90th that was disallowed. It was meant to be an impasse.

Close, but not the same

Good things to take from this match: Mihajlovic is a force on the sideline that we can’t afford to be missing. Mauri got about 10 minutes of playing time, his first Serie A appearance this season. Would like more of that, please. Our defense were amazing, the old Milan would have conceded multiple goals easily. And finally, maybe everyone will finally stop talking about Champions League and get their heads back into reality to see how far this team has come. The outcome doesn’t tell the whole story. But as long as people out there still believe in watching their Twitter and Facebook feeds instead of the actual game, or maybe not even watching at all, then we will stay at an impasse.

This match inspired by the music of The Cure’s  “Doing the Unstuck”

Our next match is

Milan vs. Lazio

Sunday, March 20 • 20:45 CET (3:45pm EDT)*

*Time difference due to U.S. Daylight Savings Time


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