This match was a tale of two halves if ever there were one. Milan
were missing seven players, well six plus Borini, including three starters. After
going down initially, Bonaventura scored a goal that felt like it was worth ten,
and still all we could get was a point. Not to mention that not one, but two
hobbits featured for the other team, it was truly like something out of Middle
Earth. Milan were there, and then they came back again.
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| A personal victory for someone who has definitely been there and back again |
Despite a last-minute substitution in the starting lineup of
Rebic for Suso, who was ill, the first half was where Milan seemed to catch
Napoli almost by surprise. There were a number of chances, and it seemed almost
inevitable that Milan would score. But then, out of the blue, a hobbit hit the
crossbar and Lozano headed the rebound home. 1-0 Napoli. The fans at the San
Siro deflated faster than a balloon.
Not to be deterred by a mere mortal’s goal, however,
Bonaventura answered back just five minutes later with a brilliant rocket straight
past Meret. 1-1 all. The stadium exploded, and I know that I was even happier
for Bonaventura than I would have been if I had scored. It was his first start
back from such a long injury, and I honestly don’t know who was the happiest.
It was amazing to witness. After Hysaj almost scored an own goal from a
Hernandez cross and a Rebic header wasn’t enough, the first half ended in a
stalemate.
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| More wizard than mortal |
Rebic had, of course, been playing injured for 30 minutes,
so Kessie was subbed on for him at the half. Biglia was subbed off in the 73rd
after making an error that nearly cost us the match. Surprisingly, Pioli
brought Calabria on, which shows what seven players suspended or injured for
this match will do to a squad of only 25. His last sub was in the 85th,
bringing on Leao for Piatek, who was subsequently whistled by what must have
been Napoli fans, because I know that Milan fans would never do such a thing.
Especially after their beloved and worshipped legend, Maldini, asked them to
have patience and support the team. Clearly, those idiots didn’t support this
club.
The second half was tense, and the most telling thing was
that for the first time under Pioli, the squad lost mentality and intensity in
the second half. Which was unfortunate, since Napoli cranked it up and tested
us every chance they could find. In fact, our old pal Carletto actually had two
hobbits on the pitch at once in Insigne and Mertens, that’s how serious they were about trying to
destroy the rin… I mean win this match. In the end, we had a similar amount of
shots, with them being a little more clinical, and with them having a little
more possession.
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| "Psst... it's not the hobbits you have to worry about, it's the Orcs in the stadium" |
For the actual Milan fans, this wasn’t a terrible match, but
it obviously wasn’t as good as we wanted. In particular, only one point does
not really help our plight on the table. For those moronic Napoli fans or whoever it
was that whistled our team and our players, I really don’t know what they
thought, because I think they have some kind of mental illness or behavioral
disorder that makes them act like Orcs.
If you listen to reason, and also to our management, then
this game was a stepping stone on the long path of rebuilding. It is a path
that takes patience and determination. And settling for a draw with Napoli is
something that Milan fans would have willingly accepted in most iterations of
this team in any other season. But if you are an Orc, then you have only hate where your brain should be and can’t read this anyway, so you surely don’t know the meaning of patience.
We can only hope that this tale of two halves is not repeated again any time
soon, lest the Orcs destroy our team with their stupidity.
This post inspired by the music of
Enya’s “May it Be”
Our next match is
Serie A Week 14
Parma vs. Milan
Sunday, December 1
• 15:00 CET (9am EDT)