Dalbeider Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 The following excerpts come from a scrapbook collected by Leandro Peña himself along the years. He handed it to us when we started preparing his memoirs, with the idea of using it as a reference for our work in the book, but it soon became evident that this scrapbook told Peña's story better than anything we could ever hope to write. Thus, we started working on tidying, documenting, organising and reformatting the many hundred pages. Some of the pages had hand-written annotations by Mr. Peña, and we've decided to keep them intact in the final version, barring some cases in which exact reproduction of the written words would have led to trouble regarding this work's age rating. Some of them are quite extensive, while others are just one word or sentence, but they all offer glimpses to Mr. Peña's personality and his passion for the game, and we felt they were an integral part of the final text. We've also added our own comments in some pages, mostly to fill gaps in the timeline or offer some needed context or a bit of extra information about the events related. Hopefully you'll enjoy reading this work as much as we enjoyed creating (well, more like mix-and-matching!) it. - the authors - **** From the Greenock Telegraph, published on the 13th of July, 2010 The worst manager in the world? When Leandro Peña was announced as the new Greenock Morton manager back in April, fans' reactions ranged from "Who?" to total indifference. The latter probably thought that with the team hovering just above the relegation zone but completely out of danger and with only two inconsequential league games remaining, it didn't matter who took charge. The board would surely appoint a better known, more proven manager during the summer. They were wrong, of course. The former probably investigated a bit, and found out about Peña's three cold winter months in Bavaria, managing a struggling Regensburg side in the lower half of the German Third Division. They probably weren't exactly impressed if they did, since Peña's record was quite abysmal in those three months, the first in his professional career as a football manager: only one win in his first game in charge (admittedly, a quite impressive 0-4 thumping against Osnabrück), four draws and five defeats in ten competitive games. If we include friendlies, things don't get better - just add two defeats (Kaiserslautern and, surprisingly, Stuttgarter Kickers) and one draw (FSV Frankfurt) and do the math. One win in thirteen games isn't what we'd call an impressive resume. But somehow, Peña had managed to land another job during his short time in Germany, and this one was impressive indeed. The thirty-three years old Spaniard had managed, no one really knows how, to convince the South African FA that he was the right person to replace Joel Santana as their national manager after a very disappointing performance in the African Cup of Nations, barely four months before the start of the 2010 World Cup, held in that same country (and won, you surely must have heard about it by now, by our English neighbours thanks to a certain tall fellow named Peter). The three international friendlies played by the Bafana Bafana before the event started followed the trend that Peña had set in Regensburg: two away defeats against Chile and Denmark, and a pretty poor 3-1 home win against, you can check your atlas now, Reunion. And then something changed. Maybe it was the extra motivation of playing in front of thousands of local fans and their noisy horns, maybe Peña finally found the right recipe, maybe it was something else entirely. But for the first time in his short career, Peña enjoyed a certain degree of success, with a valiant performance in the group stage of the World Cup against superior opposition, narrowly losing 1-0 against Colombia, grabbing a point against Mexico in a match that the Africans probably deserved to win, and managing a prestigious 1-1 draw against would-be finalists France, in a match that the Africans surely deserved to win, as French manager Domenech admitted in the post-match press conference. They didn't qualify, but they played well and managed results that, in any other circumstances, would have been considered a good achievement for a team ranked 88th in the world by FIFA. Still, Peña's cold numbers hadn't improved any. If anything, they got worse. If we add Morton's defeats against Ross County and Dundee in those last two inconsequential games of the 2009/10 season, the Spanish manager has managed one win in fifteen official matches in his first professional year. Adding past friendlies (we'll ignore Morton's first two preseason friendly wins against Glenn Hoddle's Academy and Inverurie Loco Works as irrelevant, if we may) improves the percentage a bit, but not by much: two wins in twenty-one games. Whatever statistic we choose, the winning percentage is still below 10%. Quite shocking, to be honest. These numbers, coupled with Greenock Morton's board's decision to keep Peña in his post for the 2010/2011 season, have driven many of the club's fans, both of the inquisitive and the indifferent kind, to dub the Spanish manager as "the worst manager in the world". But most of them still pronounce those words with a faint sense of pride, as in "hey, we have the worst manager in the world in our team, ain't that great?". I guess Morton's fans haven't had much to cheer in their last few mediocre seasons in the Scottish First Division, so they get hold of the slightest chance to stand out. Hopefully Morton's manager will quickly lose this not exactly honorable title soon, and Peña's all-time winning percentage will improve drastically in this his second season as a pro. Otherwise, that sense of pride may quickly disappear from the chants of the fans at Cappielow. And when that happens, he's sure to know that he's in trouble. Footnote written by L.P.: Hey, I'm famous already! Eat your heart out, Mourinho! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 10, 2009 Author Share Posted November 10, 2009 Oh well, I'm back. The last few months have been quite hectic regarding working hours and RL events, and that coupled with a gradual loss of interest in my previous FM09 save after five seasons of total stagnation killed my Preston story. FM10 quickly healed the burning, and with better perspectives regarding actually having some free time in the following months, I felt it was time for a comeback of sorts. This won't be as ambitious as my last attempt. Honestly, that was too big a bone for a noob like me to chew on. I'll try to keep this simple, narrating mostly via newspaper stories and the occasional comment by the "authors" or Leandro himself, and we'll see how it developes. I'll also go back to the "post as you play" style that worked passably well for me with my Braunschweig story. Well, mostly. I'm already a few weeks into the season, but I hope to catch up quickly. Technical stuff: FM10, v10.1, no active modifications to the database. Playing with all Spanish, French, German, English, Scottish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Argentinian and Brazilian leagues, except for the Brazilian Third Division (too big, too busy, too little use), players from top Asian, South- and North-American clubs and African internationals loaded, and hoping for a nice bit of wandering around the globe for Leandro. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 10, 2009 Author Share Posted November 10, 2009 From Marca's 2010/11 season special supplement, in the "Spanish players and coaches abroad" section, published on the 23rd of July, 2010. Translated from Spanish. ...once he recovers from his current hip injury. Valencia and Sevilla are already rumoured to be interested in rescueing him from the Turkish league and bringing him back to Spain.- LEANDRO PEÑA (Manager, Greenock Morton (Scotland), 17.5.1976): Only twelve months ago, Leandro Peña was a complete unknown in the football world, one of many young managers trying to find their way. After a rollercoaster of a year in which he coached in three different countries (Germany, Scotland and South Africa), got an international job with only three months of experience, managed to make the Bafana Bafana play good football in "their" World Cup and almost surprised a title candidate like France, he's now on everyone's radar. This 34-year-old former Third Division player and fitness coach from Valladolid who proclaims himself as an Atlético de Madrid fan seems to have inherited some of the historical bad luck of his favourite club. This was most evident in Regensburg, where he wasn't able to redirect the course of a team that had lost its way months ago, and also in the World Cup, where his South African lads deserved to score at least one win. The new season brings new challenges to the young manager, and his main objective will be keeping his new club, Greenock Morton from the Scottish First Division, clear of the relegation zone. He has brought some Spanish talent to Scotland in order to help him in his quest, including wingers Juan Ramón Ruano and Juan José García Granero, and so far things seem to be working well for him in the preseason, where Morton is presenting a quite good record with three wins (one of them away against Stockport County), one draw (at home against Bob Martinez's Wigan Athletic, recently relegated from the English Premiership) and only one defeat versus Scottish Premier outfit Hibernian. His first serious test of the season comes tomorrow, with a cup game against Livingston. - CESC FÁBREGAS (Midfielder, Arsenal (England), 4.5.1987): Another season goes by, and Fábregas stays in London. Despite Real Madrid and Barcelona's continued interest, the young star hasn't... Authors' note: Note the discrepancy in Mr. Peña's age between this article and the one in the previous page. For once, Marca was right. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 11, 2009 Author Share Posted November 11, 2009 From dailyrecord.co.uk, published on the 25th of July, 2010, printed by L.P. ...to score a slightly undeserved victory and advance to the next stage of the Challenge Cup. Meanwhile, in Cappielow, Greenock Morton won their first official game in Leandro Peña's short reign as manager, after defeating a very combative Livingston side one to nil. Livi proved that they are on the right path towards a complete resurrection after their forced relegation to Division Three one year ago with a competent display that made the Ton really earn their ticket to the second round. Alan Reid scored the only goal of the game in the 17th minute with a fluke cross into the box that bended straight into the net, but both teams enjoyed more than enough chances to add to the tally, including one shot into the woodwork for each side. The visitors protested a possible foul inside Morton's box in the second half when Painter tackled the ball away from De Vita. Despite Livingston's recent good form, including a straight bounce back into the Division Two last May, some of the fans who traveled from the eastern coast could be seen holding signs with the words "Bring back Tina" written on them. Greenock Morton and the rest of the qualified teams will know their next pairings after the second round draw, to be held today at 12pm.From dailyrecord.co.uk, published the same day at aprox. 13:15h, also printed by L.P....some interesting match-ups. Top favourites Kilmarnock, recently relegated from the Premier Division, will travel to Cappielow to play against Greenock Morton, who defeated Livingston to advance to the second...Authors' note: Each quote was surrounded by a huge circle drawn with a red permanent marker by Mr. Peña. He also drew two arrows pointing away from both circles. At the first arrow's point, he drew two symbols: a colon, and a capital "D". At the second arrow's point, he drew the same two symbols, but with the order inverted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peacemaker7 Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 Good start, I like the way you have presented this so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
swagat sinha Posted November 11, 2009 Share Posted November 11, 2009 I'll concur with PM. It's an interesting format. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 12, 2009 Author Share Posted November 12, 2009 Thanks, guys. It's a bit of extra fun trying to imagine what would be written in those papers, not only the relevant bits themselves, but also the fragmented background information that surrounds them. **** Authors' note: There was nothing in the scrapbook regarding Greenock Morton's following two games, a home friendly against St. Johnstone that ended in a 0-2 defeat, and the first round of the League Cup, away against Annan. Morton won that match 0-2, with both goals coming in the second half and both being scored by French striker Julien Valéro, just before injuring himself. The following page is special, since it's not printed from a website or cut out from a newspaper. It's just a list with Morton's senior squad players, probably typed and printed by Mr. Peña himself. He then used his trademark red marker to write down some notes regarding each player. The notes were a bit cryptic sometimes, but we think we've got them all right. The note has no date, but judging by his placement on the scrapbook and by some of the notes, it must have been written between the Annan cup game and the league debut against Ross County. Most likely around the 3rd or 4th of August. GOALKEEPERS - Kevin Cuthbert (SCO, 28yo) - First choice by far. 2009/10 player of the year for the fans. - Ryan McWilliams (SCO, 20yo) - First backup. Young, can improve. Somewhat weak in the air. - Colin Stewart (SCO, 30yo) - Second backup. Decent all-around. Will play for the Reserves. DEFENDERS - Dominic Shimmin (ENG, 22yo) - Right/Center back. Mostly average. Reserve. - Lee Hodson (NIR, 18yo) - Right back, signed from Watford. Very young, lots of potential. Will alternate with R. McG. on the right. - Ryan McGuffie (SCO, 30yo) - Right back, can also play att. mid. R/C. Good penalty taker. Polivalent, very useful squad player. - Marcos Painter (IRL, 24yo) - Left/Center, mostly left (bad jumping). Solid, first option narrowly over Reid. Came from Swansea this summer. Out for 2 weeks. - Stewart Greacen (SCO, 28yo) - Center back, our best defender and team captain. Very good marking and in the air. Sure first choice. - Ryan Harding (SCO, 26yo) - Center back. Average all-around, but no real weak points. - Grant Evans (SCO, 20yo) - Center back. Young and good enough to start already. Quickest of our CBs, good in the air, needs to improve his marking. Recently arrived from Hamilton. - Alan Reid (SCO, 29yo) - Left/Right back, also winger. Best on the attack, but can cover both wingback positions if needed. Mostly backup. MIDFIELDERS - Jim McAlister (SCO, 24yo)- Left/Right winger, better at the left. Quick, but little else. Sometimes tries weird things. Sometimes they work. - Erik Paartalu (AUS, 24yo) - Defensive CM. Great long thrower, can put it on the penalty box with ease. Likes shooting from afar a bit too much. - Neil MacFarlane (SCO, 32yo) - Defensive CM. Good all around, but age is catching up with him, too slow. Still a solid option though. Just recovered from a long injury. - Steven Masterton (SCO, 25yo) - Defensive CM. Good passer, great free kick taker. Not that hot recovering the ball. Physically very weak. Out for 3-4 weeks. - Simon Ferry (SCO, 22yo) - Defensive CM. Arrived from Celtic only 3 days ago, haven't seen him play yet. Looks solid all around. Most creative CM, maybe? Still room for improvement. - Juan Ramón Ruano (ESP, 26yo) - Right winger. Quick and nimble, knows how to dribble and cross. More limited when cutting in. A bit too cocky. Makes an awesome gazpacho ! Came from Alavés. - Juan José García Granero (ESP, 29yo) - Left winger. Great technique, good set piece taker, nice crossing, dribbling, speed and passing. An overall fantastic player for us. Last played in Granada. - Allan Jenkins (SCO, 28yo) - Attacking CM, although he's more of a ball stealer than anything else. Loves pressing. Decent passer and shooter too. - Carlo Monti (SCO, 20yo) - Left winger, can play in the middle too. Not many strong points, mostly average in everything. High wages for his age/quality. Will try to sell. FORWARDS - Julien Valéro (FRA, 26yo) - Most complete striker in the squad. Good in the air, good with his feet. Top goalscorer last season (13). Out for 3 weeks, got injured against Annan. - Peter Weatherson (ENG, 30yo) - Good target man, not bad at all with his feet either. Nice alongside Valéro or a quick poacher (Graham). Recovering from a broken arm, still 4 weeks away. - Brian Graham (SCO, 23yo) - Quick, and that's it. Needs to improve his finishing. Can jump somewhat. Our only healthy senior striker (!!!). - Carletes (???) (ESP, 22yo) - Albacete accepted a FT offer yesterday. He's quick and knows how to score (read: > Graham). Can also play behind the strikers. Hopefully he will join before the game vs. RC. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 13, 2009 Author Share Posted November 13, 2009 From news.bbc.co.uk, Sports section, published on the 7th of August, 2010. Greenock Morton, unlikely first leaders The second tier of the Scottish football leagues celebrated today the start of a new season, and it did so with a few surprising results, and a certainly unexpected first leaders on top of the table. With Kilmarnock expected to dominate the Division One from start to finish, it was their next Challenge Cup rivals, Greenock Morton, who managed the greatest win in the first match day with their 2-0 victory over Ross County in their stadium at Cappielow Park. A good finish by Brian Graham, assisted by his emergency partner in the front line, 16-year-old Sheridan, opened the can for Morton in the 42nd minute, after a first half controlled by the home team in front of around 3500 fans. The highlanders improved in the second half, but the Ton defended well, and in the 85th minute a header by McAlister was deflected into his own net by Jones, sealing the final result. Leandro Peña, Greenock Morton's manager, was happy after the win, but disregarded the questions about maintaining their position in the league for long as "daydreaming". "We know this is an accident. With teams as strong as Kilmarnock or Inverness in the league, it would be beyond miraculous if we could remain at the top more than one or two weeks. We'll enjoy it while it lasts, that's for sure", added Peña, with a beaming smile. Peña also took the chance to introduce Greenock Morton's new signing, Spanish 22-year-old forward Carletes, to the media gathered in Cappielow's press room. The young player, coming from Albacete in the Spanish leagues on a free transfer, didn't talk much, but his new boss told the press what was expected of him: "Goals, of course. He's a quick forward, which coupled with our tall strikers will allow him to enjoy many goalscoring chances, and hopefully score most of them.". With Valéro and Weatherson still out for a few weeks, the forward is likely to get his first minutes for Morton in Tuesday's cup game against Kilmarnock. The Staggies' boss, Derek Adams, wasn't as happy as his colleague, which is understandable. Ross County were the... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 16, 2009 Author Share Posted November 16, 2009 From dailyrecord.co.uk, published on the 11th of August, 2010. ...and the Division Two minnows held on until the end, securing their ticket to the 3rd round in yesterday's most shocking result.The rest of favourites managed to win their ties, some with more difficulties than others. Kilmarnock, tipped as top candidates for the Challenge Cup title, struggled throughout their entire game against Greenock Morton, only to come out lucky winners thanks to an own goal by ex-Celtic midifelder Simon Ferry in extra time, while trying to clear a corner kick away from the box. Morton didn't deserve that end, and in fact the game shouldn't have ever come to extra time, given the dominance exhibited by the home team, specially in the second half, and the many chances they enjoyed, including a post hit by forward Brian Graham. To be fair, Kilmarnock had to play most of the game without star striker Kevin Kyle, injured in the 10th minute. Morton's boss, Leandro Peña, was happy with his team's performance despite the result, and blamed injuries plaguing his front line as the culprit of their defeat. "We had to start with a sixteen-year-old at front, and his replacement in the second half is a new guy who's still out of form, in a foreign country, and having only trained with us for two days. It's hard scoring goals like this.". On the other hand, Kilmarnock's... From the Greenock Telegraph, published on the 15th of August, 2010, pasted on the same page of the scrapbook. Morton steal point from East End Park In a continuation of the good form showed by the squad in the beginning of the 2010/11 season, Greenock Morton managed an spirited 1-1 away draw against mid-table bound Dunfermline Athletic. The game was equally split between both squads, with Morton controlling the first half and the Pars being the better team in the second. The goals also followed suit. Morton got ahead in the 31st thanks to a blistering free kick taken by Spanish winger Juan José García Granero. Dunfermline couldn't draw level until the 67th, when the referee signaled a penalty kick after Lee Hodson's badly timed challenge on Steven McDougall. Nick Phinn converted the kick into the final 1-1. Both managers were content with the result, given both teams... From dailyrecord.co.uk, published on the 22nd of August, 2010, also on the same page. ...scored the third, sealing Kilmarnock's third straight victory in three league games.Second favourites Inverness CT had a difficult trip to Greenock to face, but they managed to impose their superior squad depth and quality and emerged 0-1 winners from Cappielow. It was the first league defeat for Greenock Morton, who have been showing promise of improving drastically on last year's fairly disappointing performance. This time, though, they were dominated by Caley Thistle, who went into the game looking for the win and finding it early, thanks to Ross Tokely's 3rd minute screamer from thirty-five yards away. The Ton tried to get back into the game, and Brian Graham got close in the second half with a shot from the edge of the box that clipped the post before going wide. Good news for Morton's boss Leandro Peña was the return of striker Julien Valéro to action, although the French forward presence in the second half wasn't enough to get something positive out of this game. Morton's next fixture is a difficult away League Cup tie against recently promoted Premier side Dundee, while Inverness will... Authors' note: This time L.P. used a green marker to draw a four-leaf clover at the bottom of the page. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 16, 2009 Author Share Posted November 16, 2009 From news.bbc.co.uk, Sports section, published on the 25th of August, 2010. League Cup 2nd round: Greenock Morton close to upset In several interviews given to various Spanish media after his appointment as South Africa's national manager half a year ago, Greenock Morton's manager Leandro Peña admitted to being an Atlético de Madrid fan. Now, Los Colchoneros are known worldwide for their bad luck throughout the years. One may think that some of that bad luck has transpired to Greenock Morton through Peña, given the team's cup performances and results as of late. In what could (and maybe should) have become one of the biggest upsets in yesterday's second round of the Scottish League Cup, the Ton were the best team on the pitch, yet fell in the penalty shootout against Dundee 4-3, after both teams ended the extra time tied 2-2. "When fate is not on your side, there's nothing you can do", acknowledged Morton's manager, looking disheartened. "We did all we could, gave it our best effort, and in my opinion outplayed Dundee all over the pitch for most of the game, but yet again we came out with nothing to bring home besides the pride for a job well done. It's a bit hard to swallow". After an uneventful first half, in which both teams battled in equal terms for possession and created little danger worth of mention, the second half started at a blistering pace as Julien Valéro, back in the Morton's starting eleven after recovering from a twisted knee, curved a nice shot from outside the box into Robert Douglas' net in the 53rd minute. From then on Scott's players looked unable to cope with their opponents, and watched helplessly as the visitors missed chance after chance, the best one a trademark long shot by Australian midfielder Erik Paartalu that licked the outside of the left post before going wide. But with only seven minute remaining on the clock, and in Dundee's first shot at goal of the whole second half, Brian Deasley found a gap between Kevin Cuthbert's body and the near post from a very tight angle to draw the game. Things didn't move in the remaining minutes, so both teams headed into the extra thirty minutes looking for the winner. Morton's left winger García Granero, who is looking like a fantastic capture for Peña's squad already, sent a great ball behind Dundee's defensive line for Carletes to run into, and the recently arrived Spanish striker didn't waste any time to put it into the net with a placed shot, scoring a key first goal for his new team. But once again, the Premier team found a way to equalize before it was too late, thanks to a good finish by Colin McMenamin after a nod by Deasley, again in Dundee's first and last chance in the whole extra time. The penalties proved once again the occasional unfairness of this sport, allowing the Dark Blues into the next round of the competition after Neil MacFarlane had Morton's fifth penalty kick saved by Douglas. "They gave us a hell of a time out there,", Dundee's manager Jocky Scott said after the game ended, "but I think we did a good job recovering from their goals and striking back in time, and in the end the penalty lottery went our way. I'm sorry for them, but I'll take a win in whatever shape it comes. Today was certainly an improvement over our league games so far, that's for sure". Dundee have lost the first two league matches of the season, and look likely to struggle to keep their place among the best twelve squads of the... Authors' note: Mr. Peña certainly wasn't happy about his luck after this game. In this page he drew the same four-leaf clover in green, and then used his red marker to draw flames around it. The rest of his annotations on this page have been unfortunately left out of this compilation, but we think you can easily guess at least half of them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greasy Chip Butty Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 Very enjoyable and interesting read so far. Look forward to reading more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluro Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Wow, this is great so far. Enjoying this immensly. Keep it up... looking forward to the next post! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 17, 2009 Author Share Posted November 17, 2009 Thanks GCB and Fluro . ---- From the Greenock Telegraph, published on the 29th of August, 2010. Morton back in the winning pathThe fourth match day of the 2010/11 Scottish Division One season saw local team Greenock Morton regain the momentum they seemed to have lost in the last weeks, after three straight games without a win counting both the league, the Challenge Cup and the League Cup. In what was expected as a difficult trip to nearby Cumbernauld, Morton scored a placid 0-1 victory against recently promoted Clyde Football Club. Manager Leandro Peña had warned before the match against Clyde's young and ambitious team, and how they were very likely to fight until the end. In the end, the Bully Wee, who until yesterday were tied in the table with the Ton with four points in three games, did anything but fight, much to their fans' despair. Greenock Morton scored the only goal of the game in the 32nd minute of the first half, after a good combination between Juan Ramón Ruano and Julién Valero, who sent a deadly pass towards the far post where young Spanish forward Carletes only had to push the ball over the line to grab his second goal for Morton. From then on, the visitors controlled the game and enjoyed chances to increase their lead, while Clyde only managed two shots at goal in the whole ninety minutes. The win keeps Morton in the fourth place of the league table. Peña wasn't available for the post-game press conference, as he had to leave immediately after the final whistle in order to catch a flight from Edimburg to Cape Town, where he is to announce the call-up for South Africa's next game against Djibouti. Assistant manager Allan McManus took his place in the press room, and... From TimesLIVE (www.timeslive.co.za), Sports section, published on the 30th of August, 2010. New old faces in South Africa's squadWith as many as four regular members of the South African national football squad out with long-term injuries, national manager Leandro Peña has been forced to recall former international players, who hadn't figured in his plans since he was hired last February, for the upcoming African Cup of Nations qualifying game against Djibouti. Goalkeeper Rowan Fernandez remains out of contention with the same hip injury that kept him out of the World Cup, while defenders Bongani Khumalo and Benson Mhlongo and right winger Elrio van Heerden are new additions to the injury list. In their place, Peña keeps Calvin Marlin as his third choice at the goal, and recalls Peter Masilela (already recovered from a torn hamstring), Mbulelo Mabizela, and Thembinkosi Fanteni, who were out of the World Cup squad. Other new faces in the team are right backs Vuyo Mere and Bryce Moon and left winger Surprise Moriri. The Spanish manager lamented the injuries, but added that he was "looking forward to test the depth of our player pool", and giving some fringe players the chance to perform well and stablish themselves in the natonal squad. He also talked about the upcoming fixture, and demanded respect for Djibouti when asked if he would take the chance of facing a weaker team to experiment with players and tactics. "Friendlies are for experimenting. Our next match is not a friendly, it's an official game and an important one, too. Djibouti know that, and will be doing their best to defeat us. We owe them respect, and we must treat them as equals. Otherwise, we could be in trouble". The African Cup of Nations qualifying phase has drawn South Africa in a seemingly easy group B, together with Djibouti, Botswana and Niger. The expectations are that the Bafana Bafana will qualify easily, but this competition is usually rife with... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 17, 2009 Author Share Posted November 17, 2009 From News24.com, Sports section, published on the 5th of September, 2010 South Africa uninspiring despite victory over Djibouti (0-1) DJIBOUTI.- The South African national football team got off to a rocky start in the qualification phase for the 2012 African Cup of Nations, to be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. The Bafana Bafana, 78th in last month's FIFA world rankings, struggled mightily to defeat the weak Djiboutian squad, ranked 197th, and only managed to scrap a poor 0-1 victory. With only four usual members of the first team in the starting eleven, manager Leandro Peña decided to give the second line a chance to shine, leaving names like Steven Pienaar, Nasief Morris, Kagiso Dikgacoi and Bernard Parker in the bench. It was the first international match in a long while for players like right back Vuyo Mere and left winger Surprise Moriri, and a chance to claim a regular spot in the starting lineup for frequent second-half substitutes like Teko Modise and Thando Mngomeni. Only Modise took his chance, scoring the only goal of the game in the 6th minute with a good low drive from just inside the box, after receiving a magnificent pass from Peter Masilela. From then on, the players seemed to relax and let the minutes run, and looked content to hold onto the ball without any attacking intentions. The end result was a boring, sluggish match with very few chances, even after Pienaar, Morris and striker Thembinkosi Fanteni entered the field in the second half. Djibouti, feeling safe thanks to South Africa's lack of ambition, even tried to launch a last-minute offensive looking for an unexpected draw, but their lack of quality was made evident, and Itumeleng Khune's goal was never seriously threatened until the final whistle. Peña wasn't at all happy with the performance, but didn't want to single out any player or group of players as the culprit. "Everyone was poor today, from the first to the last, both new and old guys, veteran and young, starters and substitutes. And it wasn't a matter of quality, we held the ball well, were solid at the back and looked dangerous the few times we deigned to attack seriously. It was the attitude, or more precisely, the absolute lack of it. And that's more worrying than anything else we could lack.". The Spanish manager, who's been in charge of the national team for the last seven months and led the squad to a spirited performance in this summer's World Cup, couldn't celebrate his first win in a non-friendly match as he probably would have wished. South Africa's next game in the qualification phase is scheduled for October, with the team travelling to Gaborone to play against Botswana. "We'd better improve lots in the following fixtures. I don't think the fans would be happy at all with two consecutive awful performances, whatever the results. Winning is not enough if everyone is taking a nap while it happens". That will be South Africa's last competitive game of the year, before hosting Paraguay in a friendly game that... Footnote written by L.P.: *yawn*. Note to self: buy whip. Bring to South Africa for next match. Use if needed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 19, 2009 Author Share Posted November 19, 2009 From news.bbc.co.uk, Sports section. Quick short note published on the evening of the 8th of September, 2010. Division One: Queens defeat Morton 2-0 DUMFRIES.- Queen of the South defeated Greenock Morton two goals to nil in today's Division One game held at Palmerson Park, Dumfries. The home team controlled the match from start to finish, never really allowing Morton any chance to dream about a comeback. Topp opened the score with a penalty kick in the 9th minute, and Smith closed it only three minutes before the end of the game after a bad backpass by Morton's left back Painter. This was Queens' first win of the season, and Morton's second defeat in five games. After the fixture, Morton manager Leandro Peña spoke about the interest of Brazilian second division outfit Ponte Preta in hiring his services. Peña said that he was "not ready to move to South America just yet. Maybe in the future, a few years from now, but right now my aim is to keep working in Europe.". He didn't rule out a move should a more interesting offer appear in the future, though. Very brief excerpt from a piece published in the Greenock Telegraph on the 12th of August, 2010. Ton improve to beat Jags (1-0) On their return to Cappielow after two away league games, Greenock Morton dramatically improved on Wednesday's performance against Queen of the South and scored a comfortable win against last-placed Partick Thistle. The only goal was scored by French striker Julien Valéro in the 35th minute with a great diving header, but Morton controlled the game from start to finish, and only Jonathan Tuffey's extraordinary performance on goal prevented a rout. This victory lifts Peña's squad to the fourth place at the table, while winless Jags remain... From the Greenock Telegraph, published on the 19th of September, 2010. Morton stun leaders, beat Kilmarnock 2-0 Greenock Morton had shown signs of a noticeable improvement in their play this season, with great performances against superior teams like Kilmarnock or Dundee, but the results didn't reflect that improvement in the end. Despite holding a very respectable 4th place in the Division One, Morton had managed narrow wins against the bottom half teams, and narrow (sometimes unfair) defeats against the top squads. That changed yesterday. In what doubtlessly became their best performance of the season so far, Peña's players outplayed and outscored no-longer-unbeaten league leaders Kilmarnock two goals to nil, and took revenge for their elimination in the Challenge Cup only five weeks ago. It was an epic match, with quality football on both sides, some controversial refeering decisions, and a very involved crowd that pushed their team forward towards an unexpected, but totally deserved, victory. "They must have smelled something in the air. They were afraid from the start", said Leandro Peña in the post-game press conference, and he's right: Kilmarnock ditched their standard 4-4-2 formation in favour of a more defensive 4-5-1, with Connor Sammon as their lone striker. This timid outlook was their undoing, as the Ton took the game under their control from the start, and after only twelve minutes found themselves ahead thanks to a precise shot half-volleyed by spanish winger Juan José García Granero from just outside the box. The fans could hardly believe their own eyes as Morton handled the ball with ease, creating danger throughout the first half, with a 40-yard free kick by Steven Masterton, in his first start after recovering from a dislocated shoulder, as the best chance of the first forty-five minutes. Meanwhile, Kilmarnock were MIA, unable to find a way to recover. Disgrace hit Morton in the final minutes of the first half, though, as Masterton picked an injury that forced Peña to replace him at half time. Even worse, the other starting central midfielder, Simon Ferry, was sent off by the referee in a harsh decision, after a foul in the middle of the pitch that most likely deserved nothing more than a yellow card. Peña was forced to improvise, with Allan Jenkins replacing Brian Graham and Alan Reid taking Masterton's place in the midfield, a position he's not really used to. Playing a flat 4-4-1 with Valéro as their lone striker, Morton prepared to resist Kilmarnock's onslaught in the second half of the game. "I'm proud of the lads' effort in the second half. We held on quite well in the first minutes, when Killie attacked the hardest, and took our chance to seal the deal when it came.", Peña said. Kilmarnock had their chances, mostly in the first fifteen minutes of the second half, but the defense and Kevin Cuthbert managed to keep the ball out of their goal. Eventually the visitors became desperate and Morton took the chance to regain control of the ball. With eleven minutes remaining, Jenkins rifled a perfect free kick straight at the top left corner of Combe's goal to score the 2-0, and the game died right there as Kilmarnock's players gave up and the fans celebrated a fantastic triumph. Manager Leandro Peña was beaming after the game, and with good reason. "Now I can say that this team has finally jumped over the last hurdle in our way out of the mediocrity we've been through in the last few years. That was my main goal when I got here, and I feel really satisfied about a work well done.". Morton's new goals are more ambitious, with the top of the table closer than ever in recent memory. "If we can manage to do well against Inverness and Ross County, and don't mess up against the bottom half teams, we could have an outside chance at challenging for the title. It's a long shot, and Kilmarnock and Caley Thistle are still the main favourites for promotion, but if we play like today, no one in this league can beat us.". Morton's next step in their way to grandeur is eight-placed Peterhead, a decent place to earn a third consecutive victory and put some pressure on the... Footnote written by L.P: Yay \o/. More games like this one minus the red card, plz. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 20, 2009 Author Share Posted November 20, 2009 From dailyrecord.co.uk, published on the 25th of September, 2010. Red hot Morton ease past Peterhead (0-1) Greenock Morton keep surprising in the Division One. This afternoon Leandro Peña's squad managed their third win in a row with an easy 0-1 victory over Peterhead. This was also Morton's third straight clean sheet, something that pleased the manager greatly. "We've been playing very tight defense, and that's with some minor injuries and player rotation to keep everyone in shape. I couldn't ask for more.". With this victory, Greenock Morton climb to the third position on the table, tied with Inverness CT on the second and only two points behind leaders Kilmarnock, who suffered their second straight defeat today against Caley Thistle. The match was placid for Morton, despite the short result. Peterhead looked completely harmless for most of the match, and their first shot at goal didn't come until the 85th minute, with a horribly wide finish by Martin Bavidge after a good counterattack. The fans on Balmoor had to watch as the visitors controlled the ball and the pace of the game without much effort, and only their poor finishing prevented a bigger result. Brian Graham scored the only goal of the game in the 30th minute, after receiveing from young right back Lee Hodson inside the box and being allowed time and space to think and move by Peterhead's defense. Morton's next game is again away from Cappielow, since they will travel to Kirkcaldy to play against Raith Rovers, ninth in the table right now. Peterhead, on the other hand, will play away against... From the Greenock Telegraph, published on the 1st of October, 2010. Hodson, Peña get September awards After a great month, only slightly marred by the defeat against Queen of the South on the 8th, it was expected that Greenock Morton would feature in the Division One monthly awards for September. And they did, twice. The big prize went to eighteen-year-old right back Lee Hodson, who picked the award as the Young Player of the Month. The Northern Irish player, who arrived at Morton this summer from Watford's youth squads, has had an outstanding month, being solid in defense and running the wing with danger, creating two goals with his crosses. On the other hand, manager Leandro Peña came second in the Manager of the Month award, only behind Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager Terry Butcher. Under Peña's reign, Morton have impressed in the league so far, claiming an impressive third place in the table and scoring three wins in four matches in... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 From news.bbc.co.uk, published on the 3rd of October, 2010. Division One: Rovers stop Morton, grab third win (2-1)Struggling Raith Rovers finally found the way forward, scoring their third win of the season and their ninth point against one of the most in-form squads in the league, third-placed Greenock Morton. In a hard-fought game, the Rovers held on to a two goal advantage despite a late push forward by the visitors, grabbing three vital points in their battle against relegation, and cutting Morton's winning streak short with their first defeat in four games. Morton fans were also left with a bittersweet taste in their mouth regarding their squad's health, mixing the happiness of seeing veteran target man Peter Weatherson back in the starting eleven with the worry about Marcus Painter's early game injury, which forced Leandro Peña to put Alan Reid in his place. Preliminary tests suggest that Painter's left arm is broken, and that the fracture will take around six weeks to heal completely. "It's a blow,", reckoned Peña. "Marcus has been really solid so far, and I don't like having to tie Alan down with defensive duties, he loves running down the flank too much for that. We'll just have to cope for a while, I guess.". Graham Weir scored the opener for the Rovers in the 12th minute with a nice jumping header, and created the second with a dangerous shot in the 56th that Cuthbert deflected straight at Iain Williamson's feet for an easy tap-in. Morton had their chances too, but couldn't score until five minutes before the final whistle, when a great through ball sent by Steven Masterton found Juan José García Granero on the run behind the defense, free to score with a placed low shot. It was too late, though, and the visitors never... Brief note published by Reuters on the 9th of October, 2010. GABORONE - Football - African Cup of Nations qualifying stage, Group B: South Africa's national team score a convincing away win against Botswana in their second qualifying match for the African Cup of Nations. The hosts of the last World Cup met expectations and won 0-4 in an easy game. Bernard Parker, Lerato Chabangu, Kagiso Dikgacoi and Kermit Erasmus were the goalscorers. The next fixtures in this grup will see South Africa hosting Niger, and Botswana travelling to Djibouti. Headline of a piece published by the Greenock Telegraph on the 17th of October, 2010. Mr. Peña left the rest of the piece out. Ross County thrash Morton's dreams with an outstanding performance (5-1) Footnote written by L.P.: No need to remember the details. Ow. Ow ow ow. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terk Posted November 23, 2009 Share Posted November 23, 2009 Very enjoyable read so far, Dalbeider Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 23, 2009 Author Share Posted November 23, 2009 Thanks Terk . Serious stuff about to happen, keep tuned! ---- From the Greenock Telegraph, published on the 22nd of October, 2010. Hearts may steal Peña away from Morton Since Csaba László was sacked last Monday by Roman Romanov, Hearts of Midlothian's chairman, the rumours about his replacement have been going on full strength. Many names have been thrown around by the Edimburg-based media, but in the last 24 hours, a single name has been at everyone's tongues as the main candidate for the manager job at Tynecastle: none other than Leandro Peña, Greenock Morton's current manager. Vladimir and Roman Romanov, father and son, and also owner and chairman of Hearts respectively, are said to be deeply impressed with the "resurrection" that Morton has undergone in the last six months under Peña's reign. With Hearts sitting at the bottom of the Scottish Premier League, the Lithuanian entrepreneurs want someone capable of breathing new life into a squad lacking in motivation and fighting spirit, and they believe that the Spanish manager would be the best man for the job. The Romanovs are said to be preparing a very tempting offer in economical terms to pry the manager away from Cappielow. This is not the first time that Peña has been linked with a job in the last few months, though, and nothing of substance came from the previous rumours. Interest has been reported from all around the world, with teams like SE Gama and Ponte Preta from Brazil, Burghausen and Eintracht Braunschweig from Germany, and Doncaster Rovers and Brentford from England as the most widely published squads said to want the Spaniard's signature. Peña went out of his way to deny wanting to go to South America this early in his career, thus ruling out both Brazilian teams, but has refused to comment on the many European teams that have popped up in the media since then. He's said to be uninterested in returning to Germany anytime soon after his bad experience in Regensburg last year, though. As usual, Leandro Peña has denied to comment on Hearts' interest, only stating that the Edinburg side "are a great team that doesn't deserve to be and shouldn't be bottom of the Premier League". His agent has been unavailable for questioning too, but Morton's chairman Douglas Rae has reminded any interested clubs that "Peña has contract with us until the end of the season, and if anyone wants to take him away, they'll have to agree terms with us first.". From dailyrecord.co.uk, published on the 24th of October, 2010. Dunfermline grab undeserved point, Morton still can't win (1-1)Greenock Morton added another game to their winless streak, which now spans three matches in a row, with a 1-1 draw against fifth-placed Dunfermline in the Division One game held at Cappielow last evening. Despite the result, Morton were the best team on the pitch, and only a defensive mistake by young full back Lee Hodson cost them a deserved victory. With this result, both teams maintain their current league positions, Morton staying ahead of the Pars in the fourth place by two points. With both Carletes and Brian Graham out injured, Peña was forced to play with Julien Valéro and Peter Weatherson upfront from the start, even though Weatherson was still far from full match fitness after his long injury. Despite this, Morton controlled the first half, with Dunfermline only managing to test Scott Cuthbert's reflexes with long range efforts and direct free kicks, always finding a good answer from the goalkeeper. Meanwhile, Morton enjoyed quite a few chances to put themselves ahead, including a disallowed goal in offside position for Valéro. It was the French striker who finally opened the score with a fantastic effort from the edge of the area, curving the ball towards the top left corner after an assist by left winger García Granero. Morton were still in command in the second half, but a bad backpass by Hodson allowed Andy Kirk to get ahead of the defense and run on the counterattack, putting the ball past Cuthbert for the draw. Valéro and Masterton had Morton's last opportunities to recover the lead, but neither could find the target with their efforts, and the game ended with both teams tied. Peña was satisfied with his players' effort, and lamented that only "a small lapse of concentration and a big heap of bad luck have prevented us from keeping the three points.". The manager also pointed his lack of options in the forward line. "Peter (Weatherson) can't play a full match just yet, and when he had to come out, I could only put Allan (Jenkins) in and play with Julien (Valéro) alone upfront. That limited our attacking flow in the second half quite a bit.". The manager once again refused to comment on Hearts' supposed interest in him, an interest that seems to be cooling down as the hours... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 24, 2009 Author Share Posted November 24, 2009 E-mail sent by Mr. Peña's agent at the time, Fernando Robles, on the morning of the 27th of October, 2010, and received and printed by Mr. Peña himself. E-mail addresses and other private information have been omitted. Good morning, LeandroNo news on the Hearts front, but I think I've got something interesting elsewhere. In Italy. Looks like half the world is after you lately, haha. I'll call you as soon as I know more. From what I've been told so far, they seem really interested. Talk later, Fer Published on the Greenock Telegraph's website during the afternoon of the 27th of October, 2010. 12:46h - Sport - Breaking news: Greenock Morton's manager L. Peña formally approached by Cremonese (Italy). Talks with Morton's board to be held later today. 13:18h - Sport - Breaking news: Cremonese's chairman Giovanni Arvedi arrived at Cappielow. 14:40h - Sport - Breaking news: Hearts' chairman R. Romanov states that "we'll have to look elsewhere", regarding L. Peña's imminent move to Cremonese. 16:22h - Sport - Breaking news: Morton's chairman D. Rae announces a press conference for tomorrow at 10AM. "Then you'll be told what you most likely already know", says Rae. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 24, 2009 Author Share Posted November 24, 2009 Sorry about the quick double-post, the editor was doing weird things inserting quotes where it shouldn't, and I had to split the post in two. ---- Published on the Greenock Telegraph on the 28th of October, 2010. Peña leaves Morton for Cremonese In a joint press conference, Greenock Morton's chairman Douglas Rae and manager Leandro Peña have announced that the latter will be leaving the club "in friendly terms" immediately in order to travel to the Italian city of Cremona and take Roberto Venturato's place as the new manager of the Serie C-1A club U.S. Cremonese. The move was confirmed yesterday in a three-way meeting between Peña, Rae and Cremonese's chairman Giovanni Arvedi held in Cappielow's offices, in which an agreement was reached regarding the compensation tha tthe Italian club will pay, thought to be near the £40,000 mark. Leandro Peña stated that he felt "conflicted" about the move, being at the same time thrilled before a new challenge in a new country (his fourth in less than a year) and sad about leaving Morton behind. "I've been treated wonderfully here. I've enjoyed every minute, and I feel I have done a decent job in return, and that I leave the club in a better shape than I found it six months ago. I want to thank Mr. Rae here and the rest of the staff, the players and the fans for the wondeful chance they've given me.". The Spanish manager will fly to Italy this same afternoon, and will be introduced to the fans and the press as the new Cremonese manager tomorrow morning. Douglas Rae praised Peña's professionalism. "Other managers would have tried to negotiate behind our backs in this situation, but Leandro and his agent were very upfront about the matter, and insisted in involving the club in the whole negotiation process with Cremonese.". The chairman was sad to see Peña go, but said that he had been expecting a move "for a while already. There's been many interested teams, and many more were sure to come in the future. It was a losing battle trying to retain him.". Speculation about Peña's replacement has already... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skavenboy Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 Good story Dalbeider!!! Like the style it's been written. Wonder what will happen in Italy's 3rd teir of football??? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 25, 2009 Author Share Posted November 25, 2009 Cheers Skavenboy, glad you like it. About Italy, for starters it means a 100% improvement in food quality over Scottish food . By the way, in case anyone wonders about it: "Lega Pro Prima Divisione" is the official new(-ish?) name of the Serie C1. Makes it sound more "pro", I guess... ---- The following page in Mr. Peña's scrapbook is a collage of pictures and photos from Cremona, Lombardy and other parts of Italy. Most prominent among the pictures were Cremona's cathedral, Lake Como and Stadio Giovanni Zini, Cremonese's home ground. The newspaper cutouts resume in the next page. From La Provincia di Cremona, published on the 30th of October, 2010. Leandro Peña, new Cremonese managerThe Spaniard replaces Venturato after a terrible season start Leandro Peña was introduced on the morning of the 29th of October as the new U.S. Cremonese manager. Peña, born in Valladolid (Spain) thirty-four years ago, has worked for Regensburg (Germany) and Greenock Morton (Scotland), in addition of being the current South African national manager, before jumping into the Italian leagues. He was chosen personally by chairman Giovanni Arvedi to replace Roberto Venturato, and is thought to be the ideal person to steer the club away from their current abysmal form, including four straight defeats in their four last matches. The new manager said to be "delighted" to have the chance to work in Cremonese and in Italy. "The Italian leagues are among the strongest of the world, being here is a privilege to me.". Peña, who admitted to not being able to speak Italian ("not yet" was his answer), will become Cremonese's first foreign manager in recent memory. "As if I needed any more pressure", remarked Peña with a smirk. The Spaniard will be expected to improve dramatically in the team's last performances. With expectations of fighting for promotion to the Serie B, Cremonese find themselves currently stuck in the 12th position of Lega Pro Prima Divisione A league table, quite far from their target, and threatened by being sucked down into an unexpected relegation battle. "I was really sorry about having to fire Roberto (Venturato), but we needed a radical and quick change if we are to achieve our objectives", said Arvedi, who went on to praise Peña's abilities. "Leandro has shown already that he can steer a club around in a very brief time, as he has done with Greenock Morton in only six months. Here the challenge will be tougher, but I'm convinced that he'll be up to it.". Cremonese's first game with Peña in charge will start tomorrow at 14:30h. It should be a gentle start, since the team will travel south to Nocera Inferiore to play against last-placed Nocerina. Peña will have less than 48 hours to... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 25, 2009 Author Share Posted November 25, 2009 In the following page Mr. Peña inserted a squad list including his own comments about the players, very similar to what he did with Greenock Morton back in August 2010, but slightly more detailed, and also assessing other aspects of his new club not directly related to the team roster. As you'll see, he wasn't exactly optimistic about the players' quality... This sheet was probably filled before the game against Nocerina, which means it must have been written between the 29th and the 30th of October, 2010. CREMONESE 2010/11 FIRST SQUADGOALKEEPERS - Giorgio Bianchi (GK, 34yo, ITA, €20k): Reliable veteran. Decent backup in case of need. - Marco Paoloni (GK, 26yo, ITA, €650k, co-owned with Udinese): Good all-around, no strong nor weak points, but can do a good job for us. First choice for me. - Nicola Pavarini (GK, 36yo, ITA, €75k, loan from Parma): Another veteran, around Bianchi's level. Used to be the starter for some reason. Not that great, but Paoloni will do. DEFENDERS - William Viali (SW/DC, 35yo, ITA, €3.5k): Oldie but goodie. Slow and somewhat weak in the air, but good marker and tackler. Out for 3-7 weeks (nice range). - Alberto Bianchi (DRC, 30yo, ITA, €2.5k): Not good enough for either position. Backup at best. - Marco Malagò (DRC, 31yo, ITA, €85k, loan from Chievo): Great in the air, decent speed and defensive abilities. Could do a job in both positions. - Michele Cremonesi (DC, 22yo, ITA, €35k): For some reason he's wanted by Catanzaro. I'd be happy to sell him, since he sucks big time, appropiate name or not. - Alberto Galuppo (DC, 25yo, ITA, €700k, co-owned with Parma): Another thoroughly average defender that wouldn't start in Morton. Won't pay to keep him, that's for sure. - Simone Sales (DC, 22yo, ITA, €14k, co-owned with Atalanta): Sucks, plain and clear. To the reserves with you. - Emanuel (D/WBL, 29yo, BRA, €28k): A nice attacking left back. Not that hot on defense, but will create danger running down the flank. Official free kick and corner taker. Horrible. Only Malagò, Viali and Emanuel are decent, and Viali is injured and Emanuel has just recovered and lacks match fitness. The rest I wouldn't play if I had the choice. Need reinforcements asap. MIDFIELDERS - Ferdinando Vitofrancesco (WB/MR, 22yo, ITA, €70k): Mediocre winger. At least he knows how to run with the ball, and sometimes his crosses go where they have to. Could cover in defense, but I'd rather not have to. - Lorenzo Carotti (DM/MC, 25yo, ITA, €75k): From what I've been told by the AM, a decent ball-stealer, but I don't think he'd know what to do with it when he gets it. Injured for 2-3 months. - Giovanni Fietta (DM/MC, 25yo, ITA, €28k): A bit better, but not by much. At least he knows how to pass the ball. - Andrea Zanchetta (DM/MC, 35yo, ITA, €55k): Technically, he's a Serie A player. Too bad he's physically dead, slower than my grandma. He will play, though, considering the alternatives. - Mario Tacchinardi (MRLC, 28yo, ITA, €26k): Versatile, and that's it. Decent cover for all positions, but I'd rather not have him in the starting eleven. - Federico Malano (AMR, 21yo, ARG, €30k): Well, at least he's decent. Likely to start on the right, seeing how things are. - Eder Baù (AMRL/FC, 28yo, ITA, €24k): At last, a good player. He can play both wings nicely, and also make a decent alternative striker, although his finishing is somewhat suspect. Nice set piece taker. - Eduardo (AMLC, 27yo, BRA, €70k): Our most complete midfielder so far. Can play in the middle and in the wing, and he's quality in both sides. - Juscemar Borilli (AMC, 20yo, BRA, €7k): A decent young prospect, far from a finished product, but seeing the rest of the squad, may have to play sometimes. Very creative, but still a bit too green. - Luca Nizzetto (DM/MRC, 24yo, ITA, €26k): For some reason this lad was in the reserves and transfer listed. Considering he's our best central midfielder, that's a bit outrageous. Good creativity and passing, weak in defending, but still a sure starter. - Mario Gori (AMR, 31yo, ITA, €1k): 1.100 €/week languishing in the reserves. Nice. He's not quick enough to start, but his technique is the best among our wingers, which could give him some minutes. Horrible too, with some shining beacons of hope in Baù, Nizzetto and Eduardo, and maybe Malano. STRIKERS - Massimiliano Guidetti (FC, 34yo, ITA, €8k): Used to be a good quick striker, now he's only a striker. Still, he could be a good source of goals for us. Backup, but playing frequently. - Martín Colombo (ST, 25yo, URU, €30k): Nice complete striker, good in the air and in the ground. Will be our Valéro. - Riccardo Musetti (ST, 27yo, ITA, €275k): Another solid striker, very similar to Colombo, only a bit shorter and quicker. Colombo's default partner in crime. Well, at least we're decent up front. Seeing our dearth of decent midfielders, this looks like a 4-4-2, so we may need additional cover here. ---- Overall, there's no way this squad can compete for promotion, whatever the coaches and the chairman say. Defense and midfield must be improved urgently if we're to get anywhere near the top. Hopefully the board will be content with a top half finish this season and let me rebuild for next year. Problem B: wages. We're four thousand euros per week above our budget of forty-eight thousand, which means we'll have to try and get rid of some dead wood before signing anyone. Loans are a good short-term option, as long as they're free. I've been told that the club has links with Atalanta and Milan, will look there first. Zanchetta is the first candidate to be sold: €7,600 per week! And he still has 2 years remaining in his contract! Oh, and also: what in the Nine Hells is going on with the staff on this club? There are NINE youth team coaches, SIX physios and FOUR goalkeeping coaches! And none of them is worth a quarter of the wage they're taking home each week! This club is a madhouse! Cleanup phase starts in 3...2...1... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greasy Chip Butty Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 An interesting turn of events. Wonder whether Pena will stay here for a little while longer than at Morton? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 27, 2009 Author Share Posted November 27, 2009 Only one way to find out, I guess? ---- From Cremona24Ore (www.cremona24ore.it), published on the 31st of October, 2010. Good debut for Peña: Cremonese defeat Nocerina (0-3)"I love placid debuts. They should be mandatory by law.". Cremonese's new manager Leandro Peña was understandably very happy in the press room of the Stadio San Francesco, after enjoying a clear and very deserved win over Nocerina in his debut match. The end result, 0-3, is a reflection of the superiority showed by the Grigiorossi over the Mastini, who keep propping up the table with only one win in eleven games. The game was over very quickly, and the main culprit was Martín Colombo. The Uruguayan striker gave Cremonese their fastest goal of the season so far after receiving on the front of the box with his back turned to goal, then spinning around and surprising Francesco Franzese with a powerful strike that went into the net with only one minute and four seconds in the clock. Nocerina, who are struggling in their first season in the Lega Pro Prima Divisione after two straight promotions, tried to fight back and enjoyed a decent chance with a low shot by Claudio De Rosa, but Marco Paoloni, who seems to be the chosen starter at goal for Peña ahead of veteran Nicola Pavarini, saved with ease. The visitors took control rapidly, though, and extended their lead in the 18th minute when Federico Malano crossed low from the right towards the far post, where Eder Baù was ready to push the ball into the net. "We gave up right then", Nocerina manager Matteo Pastore said after the final whistle. "We could have fought back, in fact after half time we looked a lot better and could have got at least a goal back, but those minutes of surrender in the first half did us in for good". Cremonese made good use of Nocerina's lack of competitivity after conceding the second goal, and dominated the game with ease until the break, with Colombo starring once again with another great strike from just outside the box that meant the 0-3, a fine goal very similar to his first. The striker had a chance for a hattrick before half time, but his header went wide after a nice-looking cross from the left by Baù. The second half brought a small resurgence of Nocerina's fighting spirit, but it was too late and their few chances led to nothing, while Cremonese kept everything under control. Leandro Peña told the press afterwards that he was very proud of his players. "They've had a very tough week, with a new manager coming, a new manager most of them can't even understand to begin with. Yet they've performed admirably well today. They are certainly committed to turn the club's situation around.". The quest towards the top of the table has just started for Cremonese, though. This win sees them climbing one position, but they're still 11th and far from the promotion battle they were... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted November 30, 2009 Author Share Posted November 30, 2009 This week's updates will probably be shorter and more sporadic, thanks to a (expected, for once) increase in workload. Things should get back to the normal 1-2 daily updates next week. ---- From La Cronaca, published on the 8th of November, 2010. Cremonese score second consecutive winSomething seems to have changed at the Stadio Giovanni Zini. It has taken twelve games and a new manager in charge, but finally Cremonese are starting to play the way they're supposed to: as promotion candidates. Yesterday, Leandro Peña's men scored an important 3-1 win against ninth-placed Catanzaro, grabbing consecutive wins for the first time in the whole season and cimenting what could be the start of a mighty climb towards the playoff positions. Peña's tactics are nothing fancy: a flat 4-4-2 formation with two good ball players in the middle (Nizzetto and Eduardo the most likely candidates for the starting eleven in those positions), two quick wingers who can score if needed, and a pair of complete strikers capable of scoring with both head and feet. It's simple, but it's working. Catanzaro were held in their own half for most of the game, while Cremonese worked gradually towards a goal that came in the 40th minute, scored by right winger Federico Malano after a great assist by Riccardo Musetti. The same two players starred in the second goal for the Grigiorossi six minutes into the second half, although with their roles inverted, Malano crossing from the right and Musetti shooting first time and hitting the back of Scerbo's net. Only then did Catanzaro try to get back into the game with a quick response, and almost got lucky in a chaotic pandemonium inside Cremonese's box after a corner kick, although the ball was cleared in the end. To prevent further scares, the two backup wingers got together to score the third in the 73rd, with Mario Gori crossing and Mario Tacchinardi tapping it in. Peña's players relaxed then, and that cost them a clean sheet four minutes later when Joseph Dayo Oshadogan scored the 3-1 with a perfect header that hit the underside of the bar before going in. But l'Aquile del sud didn't have enough in them to mount a comeback in the final minutes, and Cremonese kept the points at home. Next week's match will be a real test for Cremonese's resurgence, as they will travel to Pescara to pay a visit to the Delfini, who happen to currently hold the 5th position on the table, the last place that qualifies for the promotion playoff. A result against Pescara would put Cremonese back in the... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCIAG Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Glad I've read this Dalbeider. Keep it up! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted December 16, 2009 Author Share Posted December 16, 2009 Thanks SCIAG, will try my best. Er, yeah, that one week of tougher-than-usual work turned into three or four, and the expected sporadic updates turned into one update in sixteen days . Kids, don't do consulting when you grow up, it's bad for your health. Aaanyway, I'm sneaking this update in during a brief moment of downtime, but don't expect much more until Christmas. I'm counting the minutes for the holidays already... ---- From La Provinzia di Cremona, published on the 15th of November, 2010. Grigiorossi defeat Pescara to rejoin promotion fight (0-1)When the Cremonese board decided to fire Roberto Venturato and hire Leandro Peña as his replacement they must have been expecting a marked improvement in both play, attitude and results. But even them couldn't hope for a change so quick and effective. With their third win in the last three league games, Cremonese have managed to climb four places in the table, from 12th to 8th, and find themselves only three points behind the playoff zone. Pescara, Cremonese's latest victims, hold the magical 5th place for now, but after seeing the Grigiorossi force their way past them in yesterday's tightly contested match held in the Stadio Adriatico, they would do well to be worried about the stability of their position. Both teams enjoyed chances to grab the win, but it was Eder Baù who finally found the way in the 77th minute of the game, thanks to a fantastic strike from just outside the box after cutting in from the left flank, one of his... Email sent by Fernando Robles to Leandro Peña on the 17th of November, 2010. Good morning Leandro, How's the Austral summer? Damn it man, it's freezing here in Valladolid right now, and it's only November. I'd kill to be there with you taking a nice sunbath on Cape Town's beaches, but you know, work. Lucky international managers, always travelling the world for free ;-). Anyway, you told me to keep you up to date with any approaches we might receive, so here they are. Three in the last two weeks, which is crazy. I don't think the first two would interest you in any way, though. The first was Juventude (Brazil), and the second Zwolle (Netherlands). But the third was quite a big one: Bari. As you probably know, they're one level above Cremonese in the Serie B right now, although struggling quite a bit. Following your instructions I've rejected all of their tentative offers, but damn, Bari was really tempting. Still, I agree with you, your best bet right now is settling down a bit. Three clubs and one national team in less than a year is more than enough. Looks like you won't have to worry about finding a new job if you manage to get yourself sacked in a month or two, though ;-D. See you soon, and good luck against Paraguay! F. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted January 11, 2010 Author Share Posted January 11, 2010 It's baaaack. ---- Brief note published by Reuters on the 17th of November, 2010. BLOEMFONTEIN - Football - International Friendlies: South Africa hosted Paraguay in a friendly match held at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein that ended in a 1-1 draw. Striker Óscar Cardozo opened the score in the 18th minute with a low placed shot after dribbling past his marker. Paraguay dominated the first half of the game, but couldn't increase their advantage due to good defensive discipline showed by the Bafana Bafana. South Africa improved their play in the second half, holding possession and creating chances until Paolo da Silva fouled Thando Mngomeni inside the box for a penalty kick, converted by Preston North End's right back Phillip Evans into his first international goal after 13 caps.From La Cronaca, published on the 21st of November, 2010. Cremonese grind hard-fought victory in Cremona province derby (1-0) "Derbies are always difficult, no matter who's playing better, who's close to win a title or who's fighting against relegation. And this one was no exception". Leandro Peña's words in the aftermath of Cremonese's 1-0 win against Pergocrema reflect the truth of what happened yesterday on the pitch. In spite of the good form showed by the Grigiorossi in the last weeks, Peña's players had a tough time trying to crack this nut. The Canarini, forgetting for one day the struggles that have brought them into a relegation battle, put up a very serious defensive display that well could have been enough to steal a point away from the Giovani Zini, if it wasn't for Massimiliano Guidetti's finish with only twelve minutes remaining. Cremonese deserved their victory, nonetheless. Their domination in the first forty-five minutes was almost absolute, and they had more than enough chances to put themselves ahead before half time, but Lady Luck wasn't on their side. One player in particular looked down on his fortunes. "I feel somewhat sorry for Martín, he deserved to score today", said Peña in the post-game conference. "He's playing really well, opening spaces in the opposing defenses and always threatening to score. He only needs a little bit of good fortune.". After hitting the woodwork twice in the first half of yesterday's match, Martín Colombo hasn't scored since grabbing a brace against Nocerina, in Peña's first game on charge. Pergocrema, who were looking for their first points after five defeats in a row, managed to beat Marco Paoloni in their first chance of the game thanks to a good finish by Lorenzo Crocetti. The bad news for them was that he was offside, and the referee saw it. "I've got no complaints about that decision", agreed Claudio Rastelli, Pergocrema's manager. "It was a crystal clear offside". Cremonese couldn't keep their total domination of the first half, and at times looked a bit too anxious. But after a long period without goalscoring chances, a good run down the right wing by Argentinian winger Federico Malano ended in a low cross that found his way to the far post, where Guidetti pushed it over the line to grab the only goal of the game. From then on, the Grigiorossi held the ball and prevented any kind of attempt at a comeback from Pergocrema, securing their fourth win in four games with Peña on charge. "I'm really pleased with our performances, and even more pleased with our results", said the Spaniard. "There's still enough time to climb all the way to the top, but we'll need to keep this form for a little while longer if we want to get involved in the real fight for promotion. Next week's game will be key to see where we stand and where we're likely to end.". Cremonese's next fixture, as hinted by Peña, will be a nailbiter against in-form Frosinone, who hold the fourth place in the table and the playoff spot that goes with it thanks to their good form, with two wins and a draw in their last... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoehrst Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Dalbeider, I love this! The format's phenomenal, the writing is good, and you keep pulling out great results. KUTGW! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted January 18, 2010 Author Share Posted January 18, 2010 Oh, praise, like dry timber for the quenched fire that is my self esteem . Thanks stoehrst, and never mind me, I'm just feeling poetic today... ---- From La Provinzia di Cremona, published on the 29th of November, 2010. First defeat for Peña: Frosinone too much for Cremonese (3-1) "It had to come sooner or later. I'd have settled for 'much later', though.". Leandro Peña looked resigned in the aftermath of his first defeat as Cremonese manager. The Grigiorossi, who had managed four wins in a row under the Spaniard's command, failed to perform when it mattered the most for their promotion hopes, and fell against fourth-placed Frosinone three goals to one. Luck wasn't on Cremonese's side in a match that started in the worst possible way: young Austrian forward Dieter Elsneg caught the defenders sleeping and was first to a long ball cleared by Frosinone's defense, run past Michele Cremonesi, dribbled past Marco Paoloni and passed the ball into the back of the net to give the Canarini the lead in the first minute of the game. Cremonese's chances, already quite diminished with the absence of midfielders Eduardo and Giovanni Fietta, took a plunge for the worse, and the players did little to dispel that pessimistic outlook with a disappointing performance in the first half. Frosinone dominated possession with ease, and only Paoloni's saves prevented a bigger defeat before half time. Still, Frosinone doubled their lead just before the end of the first forty-five minutes thanks to a quite dubious penalty after an apparently fair challenge by Galuppo. Veteran midfielder Davide Bombardini scored the 2-0 from the spot. "It felt a bit like a delayed one-two punch. One hard hit, and after a while, when you think you might recover from that, a second blow sends you to the ground.". Peña's descriptive metaphor gives an idea of how the players felt in the dressing room. The heavy rain didn't help matters, and made the lack of effectives in Cremonese's midfield even more evident when Mario Tacchinardi had to replace Andrea Zanchetta at the start of the second half. The thirty-five years old midfielder didn't exactly shine in his first start for Peña. Cremonese improved somewhat after half time, mostly thanks to Eder Baù's and Martín Colombo's attempts at goal, but the Gialloazzurri sealed their win in a quick counterattack finished by Elsneg. Colombo's goal in the final minutes of the game at least gave the striker a reason to smile, being his first since... From La Gazzetta dello Sport, published on the 1st of December, 2010. ...in four league games. The Goal of the Month award of the Lega Pro Prima Divisione A went to Cremonese's forward Eder Baù, thanks to his game-deciding curved shot from outside the box against Pescara in the match held at the Stadio Adriatico on the 14th of November. In the other group of the Lega Pro... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted February 12, 2010 Author Share Posted February 12, 2010 Time to revive this. Looks like I'll have more free time in the following weeks, so hopefully I'll be able to recover the pace and post at least twice per week. ---- Excerpts from the live coverage on La Gazzetta dello Sport's website, published on the 5th of December, 2010. 18:43 - Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of the Lega Pro Prima Divisione A game between Cremonese (9th) and Piacenza (2nd). The Papaveri are having a good campaign so far as they try to bounce back from last year's surprising relegation from Serie B, but now find in-form rivals Cremonese on their way. 18:46 - The Grigiorossi have found a new breath under new manager Leandro Peña, and after a disappointing start of the season, they're climbing the ranks grabbing good results along the way. Their triumphant march was stopped dead last week by Frosinone, though, and it will be interesting to see how they bounce back after that defeat. 18:51 - The starting elevens will be these: US CREMONESE: Marco Paoloni; Marco Malagò, Emanuel, Michele Cremonesi, Alberto Galuppo; Federico Malano, Eder Baù, Luca Nizzetto, Eduardo ©; Martín Colombo, Massimiliano Guidetti. - PIACENZA CALCIO: Elia Tinelli; Francesco Bini, Michele Anaclerio ©, Angelo Iorio, Iacopo La Rocca; Davide Moscardelli, Miguel García, Radja Nainggolan, Tomasso Bianchi; José Ignacio Castillo, Lucas Simón. Mirko Mangialardi will be the referee today. 19:00 - Kick-off! Piacenza start the game. 8' - Guidetti wide! The veteran striker finished horribly after a good movement by Baù. Cremonese look lively today. 10' - Rough start of the game. Simón had to be assisted five minutes ago, and now Emanuel looks like he has some trouble, too. Not unexpected in a game with such rivalry. 14' - Moscardelli tried luck from an interestingly placed free kick, but the ball went clearly over the bar. First chance for the visitors. 27' - Yellow card for Cremonesi. The young defender wanted to swap shirts with Castillo a few minutes too soon, and the referee saw him. 30' - Simón hits the post!! The left winger launched a beautiful curved shot from the edge of the box that bounced off the right post and wide. Best chance of the game by far. 35' - More injuries, both for Cremonese. Both Colombo and Malagò required assistance from the physios. Mr. Mangialardi may have to show some more cards if he wants to stop the rough game before it gets out of control. 39' - What a save by Tinelli!! Emanuel sent a crashing free kick towards the top corner, but the goalkeeper's fingertips hit the ball just enough to tip it wide. 44' - Guidetti misses again! A great pass by Colombo is wasted thanks to another bad finish by the forward. It was the perfect chance in the perfect moment. 45+4' - End of the first half. 19:51 - No goals so far, but both teams have enjoyed great chances to take the lead. Leandro Peña talks with Emanuel and Malagò on the way to the dressing room, looks like both will be fit to continue in the second half. 20:04 - Here we go again. Cremonese have the ball now. 47' - The referee finally decides to put an end to the harsh challenges. Nizzetto and Malagò are shown yellow cards in the first two minutes of the second half. 53' - Neither team looks able to impose his dominance on the midfield after half time. Both squads are losing the ball too quickly to mount any serious attacking play. 57' - Wide shot by Moscardelli. A good movement down the right flank, with Bini running and passing and Moscardelli shooting, although very far from the target. 58' - Double substitution for Cremonese. Peña decides to change both wingers, with Mario Tacchinardi replacing Eder Baù and Marco Gori coming in Federico Malano's place. 67' - GOAL FOR CREMONESE!!! The substitutions made an instant impact. A great measured cross towards the six-yard box from the right wing by Gori is met by Colombo with a good header, and the ball hits the inside of the post before hitting the back of the net. Now Piacenza will need to react quickly if they don't want to lose all the points today. 73' - GOAL FOR PIACENZA!!! And so they did. A fifty-yard long pass by Anaclerio finds Moscardelli on the run behind the defense, and the veteran forward runs into the box and shoots low to draw the game only six minutes after the opener. 74' - Moscardelli's position was dubious at best, and the Cremonese players are not happy that the goal hasn't been disallowed, to say the least. Meanwhile, Calderoni replaces Simón for Piacenza. 75' - Tinelli saves Piacenza!! Again one of the substitute wingers created danger, this time Tacchinardi and from the left, and once again it was Colombo who finished the play, but this time the goalkeeper was perfectly positioned to block his shot. Great save. 80' - Easy save for Paoloni after a header by Castillo. Looks like neither team wants this to end in a draw. 83' - Yellow card for Nainggolan after a trip on Eduardo. 90' - Four more minutes. 90+4' - FULL TIME. There were no further goalscoring chances, and the teams head to the showers with one point each. Cremonese may feel hard done by Moscardelli's goal in a possible offside position, but there wasn't a clear dominator today, and a 1-1 draw is a fair result for two very evenly matched squads. With this result Piacenza will retain their second place and still look good for direct promotion, while Cremonese's progression has been halted after getting only one point of their last six, and their next game is a difficult trip to Reggio Emilia to play against sixth-placed Reggiana. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoehrst Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 FINALLY!!! Good to see you back posting on this, Dalbeider, I'm a huge fan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skavenboy Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 Yeah, it's back. Come on Dalbeider, keep going!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted February 18, 2010 Author Share Posted February 18, 2010 Nice way to keep me motivated, heh. Thanks for the comments, guys . ---- From La Cronaca, published on the 13th of December, 2010 Understaffed Cremonese fall to Reggiana, injuries and themselves (1-0)Cremonese's recent improvement in play and results seems to have ended a bit too soon. Yesterday's defeat against Reggiana means that the Grigiorossi have only earned a single point in their last three league matches, leaving them tenth in the Lega Pro Prima Divisione A with half of the season gone, only three places better than they were when Leandro Peña arrived six weeks ago. Truth be told, though, there's little else that the Spanish manager could have done to improve Cremonese's fortunes. And that's the most worrying part of the whole situation. With four usual starters (Malagò, Malano, Emanuel and Nizzetto) out of the squad due to injuries or suspensions, the lack of depth in Cremonese's squad became more apparent than ever so far. With no other left backs available in the senior squad, Peña was forced to play Michele Cremonesi on the side, far from his natural position in the center of the defense, with William Viali and Alberto Bianchi slotting straight into the starting eleven after less than five days of full training, both having just recently recovered from injury. Veterans Mario Gori, Massimiliano Guidetti and Andrea Zanchetta, neither of them regulars in the first team, were also in the squad. Taking all this into account, it's quite surprising that Cremonese managed to stand up against Reggiana, one of the surprise packages of the current season. Peña wasn't satisfied with the performance, though. "Even given the circumstances, we should have been much better out there. Granted, we were quite unlucky both before and during the game, but we're still professionals, and every member of this squad should be ready to step up and do his best. I didn't see that today.". The first half of the match was quite evenly contested, with Gianluca Temelin and André Chu trading missed blows with Guidetti, Martín Colombo and Eder Baù, until a cross towards the far post by Reggina's Brazilian winger was easily tapped in by Temelin to give the Granata the lead four minutes before the break. Things went from bad to worse in the second half, with Viali and Bianchi resenting from their just-healed injuries, the latter when all three substitutions had already been made, thus leaving Cremonese with only ten men on the pitch for the final twenty minutes. Reggiana were the better team on the pitch both before and after Bianchi's injury in any case, with André Chu hitting the post with a direct free kick as their best chance. When questioned about the short depth of his squad, Peña showed some concern, for various reasons. "It's true, our squad is short, and quite swallow in some key positions. We'll certainly try to reinforce those key positions as much as we can in the upcoming transfer window. But we have to keep in mind that the financial situation of the club isn't exactly stellar. Our scouts are already on the lookout for players that could help us and that would come on loan or for free, and with affordable wages. Until the new year rolls in, though, we have to work with what we have, and there's still one game remaining before..." ----L.P. stuck in the same page the standings of the Lega Pro Prima Divisione A, with 17 out of 34 games played. [font=Courier New] Pos. Team P W D L F A GD Pts ---------------------------------------------------------- 1 Ravenna 17 13 2 2 34 8 26 41 2 Piacenza 17 12 2 3 29 13 16 38 3 Frosinone 17 12 0 5 32 17 15 36 4 Benevento 17 10 5 2 40 18 22 35 5 Giulianova 17 10 4 3 30 16 14 34 6 Pescara 17 9 1 7 20 12 8 28 7 Reggiana 17 8 4 5 17 12 5 28 8 Monza 17 7 3 7 25 22 3 24 9 Catanzaro 17 6 5 6 20 22 -2 23 [color=Blue][b]10 Cremonese 17 6 5 6 17 19 -2 23[/b][/color] 11 Foggia 17 7 1 9 15 19 -4 22 12 Perugia 17 4 5 8 24 29 -5 17 13 Spezia 17 4 4 9 17 27 -10 16 14 Alessandria 17 4 3 10 13 27 -14 15 15 Pergocrema 17 4 3 10 17 32 -15 15 16 Carrarese 17 3 4 10 11 25 -14 13 17 Nocerina 17 2 5 10 13 33 -20 11 18 Lumezzane 17 3 2 12 9 32 -23 11[/font] He also added the following footnote: "In the friggin' middle of nowhere. Eleven points behind the playoff positions. Can be done." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tenthreeleader Posted February 20, 2010 Share Posted February 20, 2010 Welcome back to posting this. Must say I love your article headline. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The RingMaster Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 You know, I was under the impression I had already posted in this thread, but it seems I haven't. Allow me to rectify that: I really like this story, I find it very visually arresting without being daft with the different use of sizes and fonts and it's generally good fun to read. I also liked the use of the 'live text' for the coverage of the game vs Piacenza - it's a device I'll be using later in one of my stories and I think it's very useful and you did it very well. Keep up the good work , I'll be following. (....and keep Eder Bau in the team - I had him in a file where I got to Serie A with Verona, man's a legend ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted February 22, 2010 Author Share Posted February 22, 2010 Thanks for the praise, guys. 10-3, headlines is something that I'm almost never happy with for some reason, I always find myself short on sports-related vocabulary, but I guess I must be doing something right . RM, I've been itching to do a live commentary-like post for a while, and the derby against Piacenza was the perfect chance for that. And Baù is nothing short of awesome, specially playing on the left wing and cutting in to bend it from the edge of the box, Thierry Henry style. ---- From La Provinzia di Cremona, published on the 21st of December, 2010. Promising end to a terrible year (2-3) "Phew. That was tough.". Leandro Peña's first words in the post-match press conference offer a decent summary of Cremonese's 2-3 triumph over relegation battlers Alessandria. But they could also be used to describe what has been one of the worst years in the Grigiorossi fans' recent memory, probably only topped by the relegation from Serie B in 2006. The team failed to live to expectations under Roberto Venturato's reign, and after a poor start of the 2010/11 season, he was replaced by Peña, who has spurned a timid reaction that has finally brought Cremonese back to the top half of the table, albeit just barely. Still not enough for a team used to fight for promotion year in year out, but maybe a sign of better things to come. Yesterday's match could be seen as another positive sign, being Cremonese's first win in four games, but if we have to go by the players' performance, the upcoming ride will not be easy either. Things started well, with Martín Colombo hitting the back of Andrea Servili's goal only two minutes into the game, only for the referee to disallow the goal for a clear offside position. But I Grigi hit right back five minutes later, with young defender Francesco Campanella scoring his first goal for Alessandria to give them an early lead with a low, powerful shot from twenty-five yards away. Cremonese poured forward looking for a quick draw, with Riccardo Musetti hitting the woodwork with a blistering shot from the edge of the box and Emanuel sending a direct free kick licking the upside of the bar. But it took until injury time for the Brazilian left back to send a well measured cross into Martín Colombo's diving header, pulling level just before half time. "That should have been it", reckoned Peña after the game. "We were outplaying them in every department and had managed a psychological goal in a crucial moment. But then we decided to give them another chance, and they took it. We seem to love making things difficult for ourselves.". Alberto Galuppo's horrible attempt at clearing the ball from the box was the culprit, and left winger Mateos the executor, thanking the defender for his gift by scoring the 2-1 for Alessandria five minutes into the second half. Again Cremonese were forced to attack recklessly, again they needed a long time for that attack to bear fruit, and again the breakthrough came from Emanuel, who found the top right corner of the goal with his second try from a direct free kick in the 72nd minute of the game. Having learned a lesson, Peña's men kept pushing forward, and seven minutes later Massimiliano Guidetti headed a cross from the right by Mario Gori to complete the comeback and seal a hard-fought victory. With the winter holidays already here, Cremonese's manager is already looking forward to the new year. "I'm certainly hoping that 2011 will be much better for us than 2010 has been. We have the foundations of what can become a squad that challenges for promotion, and if we acquire some extra depth in January and can get a decent run of form going, we can be up there near the end.". Fourth-placed Benevento will be visiting Cremona for the first game of 2011, to be held on the 9th of January. When questioned about any upcoming new signings, Peña just shook his head. "No names yet, I'm afraid. We have some interesting prospects on our agenda, but none of the deals is close enough to finished to be...". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share Posted February 23, 2010 From La Gazzetta dello Sport's online edition, published on the 6th of January, 2011, inside a feature article entitled "New year, new faces". ...and hopefully contribute to help his new team avoid relegation from the Serie B. Lega Pro Prima Divisione There hasn't been much activity in these early days of the winter transfer window on the third tier of the Italian system. So far, the most active team in the group A of the Lega Pro Prima Divisione have been Cremonese, with new boss Leandro Peña willing to expand on a somewhat short squad inherited from the previous management despite the frequent rumours of economic trouble inside the Lombard club. To do so he has already secured the signatures of three new players to add to his roster. Two of those are loan signings, and both arrive at the Stadio Giovanni Zini as short-term solutions for the dearth of effectives in Cremonese's back line. The first of them is Salvatore d'Elia, a 21-year-old loaned by Juventus that will provide much needed cover in the left back position, while the second is another youngster joining from a Serie A squad: Jonathan Rossini, also 21 years old and coming from Sampdoria, will give Peña additional options on defense thanks to his versatility, being perfectly able to play both in the center and on the left of the back four. Cremonese's only permanent signing will have the job of increasing the offensive output of his new team (only 20 goals in 18 games, although with 13 scored in Peña's 8 games in charge). Joining on a free transfer after a few months without a team to call home after being released by Real Madrid Castilla, 23 years old Hungarian international striker Adam Szalai joins the Grigiorossi hoping to earn a regular spot in the starting eleven. Despite being 193 centimeters tall, Peña doesn't see Szalai as your typical target man. "He's tall, sure, and he's likely to use his head a lot, but I want him to bring the ball down and play with his feet, too. He has enough quality to run with the ball, knows how to dribble, and can also hold the ball and assist other forwards.". The Hungarian will probably need some training under his belt before becoming a starter, though. Peña's squad may get one man shorter in the following days, as reports indicate that the manager has accepted a €75.000 offer from Taranto for backup winger Ferdinando Vitofrancesco, who has not featured in the Spaniard's plans so far. Meanwhile, Cremonese's rivals have been quiet so far in the transfer market. Leaders Ravenna seem to be content with... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted April 13, 2010 Author Share Posted April 13, 2010 The muse, she's back! ---- From La Provinzia di Cremona, published on the 10th of January, 2011. Back on the right track: Cremonese defeat Benevento (2-1) The new year looks already better than the one just gone for the Grigiorossi. Leandro Peña's new signings faced a real trial by fire with a home debut against fourth-placed Benevento, and they passed the test with good grades, helping their new squad to a 2-1 win that could prove key towards Cremonese's promotion hopes. All three players signed by Peña since the transfer window opened (Salvatore d'Elia, Jonathan Rossini and Adam Szalai) featured in the starting eleven, and all three did well enough to deserve some special praise by their new manager. "They did well, considering they've only been here four days", Peña admitted. "Salvatore and Jonathan were solid at the back, and Adam paired really well with Martín (Colombo) today. The only thing he lacked was a goal, but that will come another day, I'm sure of that". The manager also showed his happiness with the result, which he deemed "a great way to restart the season. We'll need many big wins like this one if we're to meet our objectives. We're starting early, and that's a bonus.". The match was anything but easy, though, as the tight result insinuates. In fact it was Benevento who took the lead with the second shot at goal of the game. The first was a header by winger Emanuele D'Anna, parried by Marco Paoloni straight at defender Alessio Fatticioni, who only had to push it past the goal line to open the score only ten minutes into the game. Cremonese reacted quickly, with new guy Szalai enjoying three good chances to grab a debut goal. But the first was blocked by the defense, he was to slow to avoid Alexandre Negri's rush-out in the second, and the third ended with the ball flying over the bar. In between them, striking partner Colombo hit the post with a header after a corner kick. The second half was more of the same, with the Stregoni weaving some defensive magic to hold on to their minimal advantage while Cremonese attacked with all they had. Five minutes after the restart, Szalai saw Eder Baù's movement from the left wing towards the front of the box and sent him the ball, allowing the winger to bend a powerful shot past Negri and into the net for the 1-1 draw. The goal didn't change the game, as the visitors looked happy with one point and kept defending, maybe unable to cope with Cremonese's domination of the midfield. "We looked quite good in the second half", Peña said afterwards. "I hope we can repeat that performance each weekend now.". In the end, the winning goal came from Mario Tacchinardi, who had replaced Federico Malano, maybe Cremonese's worst player yesterday, on the 59th. With only seven minutes remaining on the clock, when Peña's boys seemed to be running out of ideas to break down Benevento's wall, a corner kick was met by Tacchinardi with a great jump and header, and while Negri managed to touch the ball, he couldn't stop it from hitting the back of the net. The visitors had no time to... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted April 16, 2010 Author Share Posted April 16, 2010 From La Cronaca, published on the 17th of January, 2011. Leaders too much for the Grigiorossi (3-0) Cremonese's manager, players and fans were brought down to Earth yesterday, hitting the ground at terminal velocity. After good performances against Alessandra and Benevento had given them hopes of a late challenge for promotion, league leaders Ravenna showed that there's still a lot of work to do to turn this team into playoff challengers. The final 3-0 reflects the dominance of the Giallorossi throughout the game, and extends their winning streak to four games. To be fair, Ravenna have looked unbeatable so far this season, only conceding eight goals in twenty games and winning sixteen of those. Yet that was not an acceptable excuse for Leandro Peña. "We were awful today, tough opposition or not. This goes against everything we've done in recent games, and against everything we've worked on in training since the winter break. This was an aberration, and should not be repeated.". Cremonese were no match for Ravenna's dominance, and once Federico Piovaccari gave the home team the lead in the 18th minute they never looked like losing. Sandro Ciuffetelli scored from the penalty spot in the 59th after a clear handball by Jonathan Rossini, and Piovaccari rounded the result in injury time with a... From La Cronaca, published on the 24th of January, 2011. Unlucky Cremonese fail to score (0-0) One week after their disastrous performance against Ravenna, Cremonese improved their play noticeably, but still were unable to defeat promotion candidates Giulianova in a match that ended with no goals for either side, and in which the Grigiorossi clearly missed the presence of winger Eder Baù, out for three to four weeks with a chest injury. The game was not pretty, mostly thanks to the thunderstorm that discharged over the Giovanni Zini stadium, but there were enough chances for either side to take the points home in a very even game. In the end, though, the frames of both goals got in the way of Massimiliano Esposito's and Salvatore d'Elia's finishes, and the result did not... From La Gazzetta dello Sport's online edition, published on the afternoon of the 25th of January, 2011 Cremonese's Malano to miss the remainder of the season CREMONA.- Federico Malano, Argentinian winger playing for Lega Pro Prima Divisione club Cremonese, will be out for the remainder of the season after sustaining a fracture in his lower right leg. Extensive tests will be performed during the evening, but the first estimates given by the club's chief physio are that the right winger won't be available for the next six to eight months. Manager Leandro Peña declined to comment, saying that "we must wait until the full diagnosis has been performed", but reckoned that, if the worst suspicions are confirmed, he'll look into a short-term loan to replace Malano. Cremonese are currently eighth in the group A of the Lega Pro Prima Divisione, ten points behind the playoff positions. Footnote written by L.P: "...and on the next day, a piano fell directly onto his head, killing him instantly." :-( Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elrithral Posted April 16, 2010 Share Posted April 16, 2010 It's great to see this back, Dal, a really enjoyable read. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted April 23, 2010 Author Share Posted April 23, 2010 Thank you El, I'm glad to be back in a writing mood . ---- From La Provinzia di Cremona, published on the 31st of January, 2011. Wingless Cremonese leave two points in La Spezia (1-1) Cremonese suffered another setback in their projected climb up the Lega Pro Prima Divisione A table with a 1-1 draw against relegation strugglers Spezia. The Aquilotti, aware of Cremonese's serious problems on the wings with both starters Eder Baù and Federico Malano our of contention, played a very narrow formation that forced Leandro Peña to attack through the weakest zone of his squad. "It was a good move, and I must commend Attilio Lombardo for a job well done. It certainly paid out for them in the end", was Peña's reaction after the game ended. With usual reserves Mario Gori and Mario Tacchinardi running down both flanks, the Grigiorossi tried to counteract Spezia's midfield domination with quick breaks down the flank, but an early goal for the home team made that plan redundant. The goal came after a dubious play in which forward Matteo Beretta received from Pablo Rodríguez in what looked like an offside position. Beretta's shot was stopped by Marco Paoloni, but Rodríguez gathered the loose ball to score with ease. Peña decided not to dwell on the incident. "Stuff happens. I thought it was offside, but I haven't seen any replays yet, and I still have my doubts. If it was wrong, it was wrong, there's nothing we can do about it now.". Cremonese poured forward after the goal, but Spezia kept a very tight defensive formation, making it hard for the visitors to create any clear chance during the first half. The best came from a long shot by Eduardo that hit the right post before going wide. Things changed in the second half, though, mostly thanks to Martín Colombo. The striker took the responsability of bringing the team forward, and after two high attempts from outside the box, he finally found the target with a well-placed header after a measured cross by Gori. "It was some sort of poetic justice that the goal came from one of the wings", said Peña. "Both Marcos did well today, and I'm glad to know that I can count of them from now on.". Their welldoing wasn't enough to lift Cremonese all the way, though, and the draw stood until the end of the game. Despite the positives, Peña wasn't too happy with the result. "That's three games without winning, and thanks to Martín it wasn't our third without scoring, too. That's worrying, considering our targets, and we need to improve dramatically and quickly.". With that in mind, and with only one day remaining until the closing of the winter transfer window, the manager is still confident of adding a short-term replacement for Malano, out for six to eight months with a broken leg. "We have some names on the list, and the negotiations are going well enough. I'm confident we'll have at least one new face before the window shuts. We'll see tomorrow, I guess.". New signings or not, Cremonese face another stern test next week, with underachievers Perugia looking to escape from the bottom of the table by stealing the points from the Giovanni Zini stadium. From L'Arena.it (Verona's local newspaper) published on the evening of the 31st of January, 2011. Chievo: youngster Lucas Finazzi moves to Cremonese on loan Chievo Verona's official website confirmed the loaning of promising twenty years old midfielder Lucas Finazzi to Lega Pro Prima Divisione squad Cremonese. Details on the deal hav not trascended yet, but it is thought that Chievo will pay Finazzi's wages during the loan period, with the player remaining with Cremonese until next June. Finazzi, who plays both as a central midfielder and as a left winger, is likely to enjoy many minutes in Cremona, given recent injury problems for... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCIAG Posted May 1, 2010 Share Posted May 1, 2010 Good work, Dal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted May 1, 2010 Author Share Posted May 1, 2010 Thanks SCIAG . And remember, prospective voters: it's Peña, not Pena! Use Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V at your discretion! ---- From La Cronaca, published on the 6th of February, 2011. Cremonese win, fans yawn (1-0) "A win is a win, even one as ugly as this one.". Manager Leandro Peña summarized the feelings of most Grigiorossi fans after yesterday's match against Perugia, which ended in a scrappy victory for Cremonese after an otherwise completely forgettable performance by both squads. The Grifoni are in the middle of their worst season after their refundation back in 2005, sitting deep inside the relegation zone despite being expected in the top half. Sacking Mario Ansaldi and hiring ex-Triestina manager Luca Gotti at the end of November doesn't seem to have helped. On the contrary, with Gotti at the helm, Perugia had only earned one point out of the last twenty-four until yesterday, in a 2-2 draw against Nocerina, and after adding yet another defeat their winless streak now spans eleven games and almost three full months. Even worse, if their performance in the Giovanni Zini stadium is a sign of things to come, there's little hope of a revival in their near future. Cremonese weren't much better, though. The game started promising, with a narrowly wide header by Adam Szalai only three minutes after kicking off. One minute later Peña's latest signing, loanee Lucas Finazzi, sent a low cross from the left wing. The ball snuck past the legs of the whole Perugia defense and reached Colombo, who blasted it home to score the first and only goal of the game. The first half could have ended right there, since there was absolutely zero action on either goal until the break, besides a long, high shot by Luca Nizzetto. The second half wasn't much better. Again a decent start with wide attempts by Szalai and Colombo for Cremonese and a high shot by Fabio Mazzeo in Perugia's first approach of the game. Then, once again, the game died for no apparent reason. Peña's substitutions could not revitalize Cremonese's play, while Perugia looked unable to muster enough fighting spirit to even dream of a comeback. Still, without really trying, they found themselves with two good chances to steal a draw, but first Marco Paoloni tipped a good shot by Sergio Ercolano over the bar, and then Mazzeo sent into the sidenetting a clear-cut opportunity when one on one with the goalkeeper, Perugia's best chance of the game by far. Nothing else happened, and the fans woke up to the sound of the referee's final whistle and went home, feeling reasonably happy for the win and decently refreshed after a nice (if a bit uncomfortable) nap. The victory, Cremonese's first in four games, doesn't get them any closer to their objectives. The playoff zone is still ten points away, and Peña will need to build on today's result quickly if he's to... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted May 27, 2010 Author Share Posted May 27, 2010 From Marca.com, published on the 9th of February, 2011. World Champions still have itIn one of the most interesting fixtures of yesterday's international friendlies, England showed the world the quality and fighting spirit that led them to become World Champions last summer in their return to South Africa, with a 1-3 win against the Bafana Bafana in Johannesburg. The hosts, still coached by young Spanish manager Leandro Peña (currently also employed by third division squad Cremonese in Italy), put up a good fight, but they had to drop their heads and concede defeat despite playing more than 60 minutes with eleven players against England's ten, due to the sending off of defender Ryan Shawcross in the 24th minute. Red cards aside, the first half gave the sixty thousand fans gathered in Ellis Park the best and most exciting minutes of football of the year in international football. The hosts struck first with a wide free kick by Elrio van Heerden, but the World Champions hit back immediately, first with a crossbar-bound header by Peter Crouch and later with a long range effort by Joe Cole that Moeneeb Josephs pushed wide with a good save. The goalkeeper was very lucky a few minutes later when another header by Crouch bounced on the crossbar and on his own legs before rolling into his outstretched arms. That's when Shawcross saw a straight red after a violent two-footed challenge on Benni McCarthy, and a very interesting game suddenly turned into a crazy one. Fifteen minutes of madness South Africa poured forward, looking to hit England's weakness at the back, and center-back Bongani Khumalo got really close with a narrowly wide header on a corner kick. On the 31st minute they finally found their reward: right back Siboniso Gaxa crossed, Glen Johnson failed to intercept the ball, and Bernard Parker calmly placed it past Ben Foster with a quality finishing to give the hosts the lead. The fans celebrated the goal as if it meant taking the title from the English squad, but the visitors reacted quickly and effectively. It took only two minutes for Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, both quite out of the game until then, to turn on the style and tear the South African defense apart with a quick combination through the middle finished by the Liverpool midfielder that meant the 1-1 draw. And only three minutes later, a suicide rush by Josephs ended in a poor clearance that fell straight at Gerrard, who didn't hesitate to lob it from the midfield line and score the 1-2 in a spectacular fashion. Nasief Morris could have tied the game again, but his header went wide by a few inches. England weren't so forgiving, and a quick break led by Crouch and Rooney ended with the first shooting, Josephs parrying and Rooney tapping in for the 1-3, only twelve minutes after Parker's goal for South Africa. Calm after the storm After such an exciting first half, the fans probably were expecting a repeat after the half time break. If they did, they were disappointed: England decided to kill the game in the second half with an ultra-defensive approach, giving the ball to the Bafana Bafana and holding on inside their own half. Their only shot at goal during the whole forty-five minutes, a piledriver by substitute Owen Hargreaves that went over the bar. Still, they also managed to limit South Africa's chances to a minimum, and only Morris with another wide header and Michael Modubi with a high long distance shot could get anywhere near Foster's goal. Despite the small letdown, and despite the defeat, the fans left Ellis Park satisfied by their players, and hoping that... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesterfan2 Posted May 27, 2010 Share Posted May 27, 2010 An excellent read sir, hoping for much more of this, keep it up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalbeider Posted June 2, 2010 Author Share Posted June 2, 2010 Thank you chesterfan2, here's more! ---- From La Provinzia di Cremona, published on the 13th of February, 2011 Grigiorossi go epic (4-2) After the victorious borefest against Perugia only seven days ago, few fans expected a game like yesterday's. Peña seemed to take a page from his midweek defeat against England with the South African national team, and the match against relegation threatened Foggia turned into a fantastic show, both for the local fans and for the neutral, ending in an important and spectacular 4-2 win for Cremonese. The few visiting supporters who travelled all the way from Apulia may feel disheartened that their team turned a pretty good performance into a clear defeat, but they can be proud of the fact that they contributed to one of the greatest games of the season in the Lega Pro Prima Divisione. Both teams showed their attacking intentions from the get go, with Cremonese taking the initiative while the Satanelli struck on the counterattack, and the madness started right there. The home team hit the woodwork no less than three times in the first fifteen minutes, after three unlucky finishes by Adam Szalai, Mario Tacchinardi and Eduardo, and Martín Colombo had a goal disallowed for offside, although the replays showed that only Szalai (who didn't take part in the play at all) was in an illegal position. To make things worse, veteran Norwegian striker Rune Lange profited from Jonathan Rossini's injury to break the offside trap and score the 0-1 with a well placed first time finish. Only seventeen minutes had gone by. Thankfully, Peña's players weren't exactly lacking in motivation yesterday. Only four minutes later a foul on Szalai turned into a fantastic direct free kick by Emanuel which fled straight at the top right corner of Rocco Pellegrino's goal, and the game was level again. Cremonese piled forward, and Rossini almost got the 2-1 with a half-volley that was cleared off the line by a Foggia defender. Finally, on the 32nd minute, Szalai sent a delicious through ball towards Colombo, who blasted it into the back of the net with all his strength to put Cremonese ahead. It was time for some goalkeeping heroics, and Marco Paoloni answered the call with two miracle saves, first against Lange's header, and later in injury time answering a point-blank finish by Filippo Sambugaro. The first half ended 2-1, but it could have been 5-3 easily. But the best was still to come after the break. First Paoloni stretched himself to save another great chance for Lange, then the visitors protested an unlikely foul inside Cremonese's box while the referee waved play on. Ten minutes into the second half Tacchinardi whipped a cross from the left, Pellegrino miscalculated his jump, and the ball reached Marco Gori on the far post in a perfect position for the right winger to simply tap it in and score the 3-1. The game seemed to calm down after that, and Peña took the chance to bring some subsitutes into the game, including Eder Baù and Riccardo Musetti, both returning from injury, and Lucas Finazzi. But only one minute after making the last change, Emanuel went down injured and was unable to continue, leaving Cremonese with only ten men on the pitch. The drama was back in full swing. Foggia didn't take their chance, though, and it was Musetti who had the next chance after a cross by Baù, heading it into the crossbar (that's four times hitting the frame, in case you've lost count). On the 71st the numbers became level once again, as Rune Lange also had to leave the field injured, but Cremonese didn't pause one bit in their relentless attack. Szalai kept looking for his first goal for the Grigiorossi but kept falling short, this time with a header saved by Foggia's goalkeeper's fingertips. He couldn't score with his next chance either, but this time it wasn't his fault: Rodrigo de Lazzari clearly fouled him from behind, and the referee didn't hesitate to award Cremonese a penalty kick. Musetti took it and scored the 4-1, with only eight minutes remaining on the clock. The game was sealed, but there was still time for another fantastic save by Paoloni in a one-on-one versus Foggia captain Mario Salgado and for Francesco Velardi to score the final 4-2 on the following corner kick, already four minutes into injury time. Despite their fantastic win, Cremonese aren't any closer to their objectives, still sitting eighth on the table and still ten points behind the playoff-granting places. Still, there is hope that their current form will bring them closer to the top in the remaining twelve games. Peña will have to manage without left back Emanuel for a while, though: early tests point to a serious hip injury that could keep the Brazilian players out of the team for at least three months. It is expected that this injury will force the Spanish manager to move Rossini to the... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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