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From a Blog to a Community

September 5th, 2008 | By: Julian | 42 Comments »

I’ve been blogging here now for probably close to 4 months. I realized though, that when I took over this blog from Chris, I never really introduced myself to you guys. I also saw that alessio did a Meet&Greet on the Juve offside a while back, and I thought it was a great idea.

In that vein, I’d like to turn this blog more into a community and I think the Meet&Greet would help this blog to grow. I’d love for this to turn into a place where any/all Azzurri discussion can go on (via the Comments section), even if I haven’t posted about a particular item. And I think that’d be easier to do if we got to know each other a little better.

So, I figured that maybe filling out some questions would help everyone describe themselves. You don’t need uber-specific answers or detailed paragraphs. Just a couple words so everyone can kinda know who they’re talking to :

1. What’s your name?

2. Where are you from?

3. Age? Even just a general range (ie, Teenager, 20s) would be fine

4. What’s your earliest memory of watching the Azzurri?

5. How did you become an Azzurri fan?

6. What’s you favorite/proudest Azzurri moment?

7. Are you Italian? If not, what nationalities are you?

8. Top 3 Azzurri players:

9. Top 3 favorite Italian players not currently on the senior squad:

10. 3 Azzurri players you can’t stand:

11. Favorite Azzurri goal:

12. Favorite tourney that the Azzurri were in:

Also- how am I doing so far? Any features you’d like to see that I’m not doing? Is there anything I’m doing particularly well that you’d like to see more of? Am I doing any really crappily and you’d like to see it changed? Any/all comments about how my blogging has been are greatly appreciated.

Tags: Group E

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Comments

Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 42 comments.

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By Julian | September 5th, 2008 at 3:12 pm

Great responses so far guys. I realize that I didn’t answer the Qs yet but I will later on tonight (I gotta run in 15).

But no one addressed the bottom part of the post, so if I could get some insight on that, it’d be much appreciated

Posted from United States

By Nina | September 5th, 2008 at 3:12 pm

1-1!

By tito | September 5th, 2008 at 3:24 pm

Yeah. This team has an issue with narcolepsy. :-/

Posted from United States

By Porchetta | September 5th, 2008 at 3:35 pm

Eric, why r u just blaming Zambrotta and Gattuso??They are both older (Zamb is 31, gattuso is 30) and have served their purpose..What about canna??he is 35..and cometh 2010, he will be 37..do u want him to be at the centre of the defence marking against torres, Drogba, Tevez, Messi, Villa, kaka, Van persie??no..i would rather we groom Chiellini and santacroce for the job..

Posted from Spain

By sofia | September 5th, 2008 at 3:51 pm

1. Sofia
2. Canada
3. 18
4. 94 WC final
5. Mother is Italian
6. 2006 WC - all of it
7. Mom is from Frosinone, Dad is Scottish
8. Buffon, ADP, Canna (that question wasn’t fair, I have so many more than 3! )
9. Maldini, Giuseppe Rossi, SuperSeba Giovinco!!
10. Materazzi, Quags, Di Natale
11. Fabio Grosso - WC 06 - Germany - Italy - his celebration was priceless, i think every italian got chills
12. WC 82, 06 - we won

Posted from Canada

By gianfranco | September 5th, 2008 at 4:02 pm

Julian your blogging great, your choice of club not so great. But in all honesty I think you are doing well at being unbiased and objective when you need to be.

So much hate for Matrix, without him pissing off Zidane we dont win the Cup, I know I posted him as hate too, but I cant seem to shake that fact.

Posted from United States

By Adam | September 5th, 2008 at 4:03 pm

1. What’s your name? Adam

2. Where are you from? USA

3. Age? Even just a general range (ie, Teenager, 20s) would be fine - 20s

4. What’s your earliest memory of watching the Azzurri? 1994 final vs. Brazil

5. How did you become an Azzurri fan? Grandparents are Italian (from Abruzzo and Sicily)

6. What’s you favorite/proudest Azzurri moment? winning World Cup 2006

7. Are you Italian? If not, what nationalities are you? American.

8. Top 3 Azzurri players: Roberto Baggio, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Del Piero

9. Top 3 favorite Italian players not currently on the senior squad: Antonio Cassano, Sebastian Giovinco, Riccardo Montolivo

10. 3 Azzurri players you can’t stand: I wouldn’t say I can’t stand them, but my least favorite would be Toni, Perrotta, and Di Natale.

11. Favorite Azzurri goal: Baggio against Bulgaria in 94 semifinal

12. Favorite tourney that the Azzurri were in: USA 94

Posted from United States

By Porchetta | September 5th, 2008 at 4:14 pm

what a disgrace our u-21 defence was..it was very shaky..i had great hopes on Andreolli but he was very shaky, maybe this is his first big game in a long long time so…Giovinco was rubbish..the only saving grace was super mario balotelli who scored a screamer and almost scored a winner in the last minute with a splendid over head kick..

Posted from Spain

By Sasha | September 5th, 2008 at 4:15 pm

1. What’s your name? Sasha
2. Where are you from? Washington, DC
3. Age? Even just a general range (ie, Teenager, 20s) would be fine TEENAGER
4. What’s your earliest memory of watching the Azzurri? Euro 2000
5. How did you become an Azzurri fan? WC06 Semifinal
6. What’s you favorite/proudest Azzurri moment? Cannavaro lifting the trophy.
7. Are you Italian? If not, what nationalities are you? Ukrainian
8. Top 3 Azzurri players: Camoranesi, Buffon, Gilardino
9. Top 3 favorite Italian players not currently on the senior squad: Maldini, Baggio, Totti
10. 3 Azzurri players you can’t stand: Perrota, Gattuso, Toni
11. Favorite Azzurri goal: Materazzi in WC2006 Final
12. Favorite tourney that the Azzurri were in: WC2006

Posted from United States

By Il GialloRosso | September 5th, 2008 at 4:32 pm

1. Tarek
2. Lebanon
3. Freshly 17
4. World cup 1998 the match where the azzurri lost
5. i just loved the team the moment i saw them play, they were the first team i ever saw btw.
6.Canna’s trophy shot.
7. Lebanese. ( italian by blood)
8. Cassano(hopefully)-Grosso-DDR!
9. Baggio - Maldini - TOTTI
10. Ambro, Gattuso, Toni
11.Grosso’s at the wc06 semi final.
12.WC2006

Posted from Lebanon

By Salvatore | September 5th, 2008 at 5:38 pm

1. What’s your name? Salvatore
2. Where are you from? Montreal, Canada by way of Frosinone (father) and Napoli (Mother)
3. Age? 29
4. What’s your earliest memory of watching the Azzurri? WC 90
5. How did you become an Azzurri fan? Family, and frequent trips to Italy as a child.
6. What’s you favorite/proudest Azzurri moment? Obviously, WC 96.
7. Are you Italian? If not, what nationalities are you? I’m a dual Italian and Canadian citizen.
8. Top 3 Azzurri players: Nesta, Baggio and Baresi
9. Top 3 favorite Italian players not currently on the senior squad: Rossi, Rosina, Santacroce
10. 3 Azzurri players you can’t stand: Totti, Perrotta, Matrix (a constant red card waiting to happen)
11. Favorite Azzurri goal: Grosso vs Germany
12. Favorite tourney that the Azzurri were in: WC 90 was special because I was in Italy during the tourney, and it was my first real exposure to the World Cup…but given the end result, I’d have to say the 96 WC.

Posted from Canada

By Sofia | September 5th, 2008 at 5:44 pm

salvatore - what part of frosinone is your father from?

Posted from Canada

By Salvatore | September 5th, 2008 at 5:54 pm

Arce, not far from Ceprano…but I also have family in Fontana Liri (the birthplace of Marcello Mastroianni!), which is nearby. Where’s your mother from?

Posted from Canada

By Julian | September 5th, 2008 at 6:07 pm

1. What’s your name? Julian

2. Where are you from? I was born in New Jersey but I’m currently attending college in Boston

3. Age? Even just a general range (ie, Teenager, 20s) would be fine: 18

4. What’s your earliest memory of watching the Azzurri? My God, the blue shirts have been on my TV as far back as I can remember. My dad’s a huge Azzurri fan (more on that in the next question) and I can vaguely remember some older tourneys. But Germany was the first one that I really paid attention to

5. How did you become an Azzurri fan? Through my dad who’s a huge Inter (I know, it sucks) and Italy fan. Both of my parents are fully Italian and spent a decent chunk of their lives over in Italy. WC 06 though fully converted me. The Germany game still gives me goosebumps

6. What’s you favorite/proudest Azzurri moment? Pirlo, to Grosso, past Jens Lehmann… absolutely beautiful

7. Are you Italian? If not, what nationalities are you? In terms of heritage I’m fully Italian but I’ve grown up in New Jersey all my life

8. Top 3 Azzurri players: All for different reasons: Cassano, Buffon, DDR

9. Top 3 favorite Italian players not currently on the senior squad: Giovinco, Cassano, Quags

10. 3 Azzurri players you can’t stand: Materazzi, Gattuso, and Christmas

11. Favorite Azzurri goal: I’m gonna break my own question and list 2: Both of Quags’ in Euro qualifiers

12. Favorite tourney that the Azzurri were in: Euro 2008 (kidding). It ahs to be WC 06. It was just magical

Posted from United States

By alessio | September 5th, 2008 at 8:59 pm

I’ll bite.

1. What’s your name? Aaron
2. Where are you from? Upstate NY, now New Orleans for college.
3. Age? Even just a general range (ie, Teenager, 20s) would be fine 21
4. What’s your earliest memory of watching the Azzurri? 1994 WC.
5. How did you become an Azzurri fan? Heritage and Baggio, nuff said.
6. What’s you favorite/proudest Azzurri moment? Of course, WC winning in 2006. Loved the Italy-Holland semis in 2000 though, despite all the penalties and being a man down, Holland just couldn’t beat us.
7. Are you Italian? If not, what nationalities are you? Dual Italian-American. Proud of both.
8. Top 3 Azzurri players: ADP, Buffon, Camoranesi
9. Top 3 favorite Italian players not currently on the senior squad: Baggio, Maldini, Tacchinardi
10. 3 Azzurri players you can’t stand: Gattuso, Materazzi, Pagiluca (I know)
11. Favorite Azzurri goal: I’ll break the trend a bit, ADP’s in Germany. I’m obviously a huge ADP fan and it just shut the door and put all of Germany in tears. Well taken goal as well.
12. Favorite tourney that the Azzurri were in: WC2006, no doubt. Euro 2000 was a great ride until the end.

Note: Stop ragging on ADP for bad Azzurri performances. He’s no Baggio in the blue, but he’s not god awful. And he has legit excuses for several tournaments-
1998- Injured.
2000- Still out of form from his major injury the year before.
2002- Well, did anyone play well? Grabbed an important goal for us though, and a great assist to Vieri ruled offside against Korea.
2004- Trappatoni sucks round 2.
2006- Good supersub role from Lippi. Hope that’s what he plays in WC2010 too.

Posted from United States

By Julian | September 5th, 2008 at 9:16 pm

So is the name “alessio” a reference to ADP or just an Italianization of Aaron?

Posted from United States

By alessio | September 5th, 2008 at 9:56 pm

Tacchinardi, baby.

Posted from United States

By alessio | September 5th, 2008 at 9:56 pm

Favorite player of all time.

Posted from United States

By asem | September 6th, 2008 at 11:00 am

1. Asem

2. Raleigh, NC

3. 19

4. Euro 2000

5. I picked them in the FIFA World Cup ‘98 and fell in love with them hahahha.

6. World Cup ‘06

7. No - Indian

8. Daniele De Rossi, Alberto Aquilani, Alessandro Del Piero

9. Francesco Totti, Francesco Totti, Francesco Totti

10. Marco Materazzi, Ambrosini, Luca Toni- not because I don’t like the guy, but he just lets down the team so much when they need him the most.

11. Totti’s PK vs. Australia

12. FIFA World Cup ‘06

By Sofia | September 6th, 2008 at 11:30 am

salvatore - my mother is from a town called Boville Ernica

Posted from Canada

By Porchetta | September 6th, 2008 at 1:44 pm

wow..nice to see that 99% of the fans r non-italian glory hunters..what a pity it is that real Azzurri fans from the land dont post in English blogs

Posted from Spain

By Porchetta | September 6th, 2008 at 1:56 pm

sto piangendo!!! FANCULO AGLI Furfanti INGLESI e spagnolo e americano e canadese SIAMO NOI I CAMPIONI DEL MONDO… SIAMO I NUMERO UNO NEL MONDO…

Posted from Spain

By John | September 6th, 2008 at 3:37 pm

1. What’s your name? John

2. Where are you from? Newcastle, England.

3. Age? Even just a general range (ie, Teenager, 20s) would be fine. 17

4. What’s your earliest memory of watching the Azzurri? Euro 2000 final (lol)

5. How did you become an Azzurri fan? Since the heartbreak of that night in Holland. Rooted for them ever since and gradually ditched the St. Georges flag in favour of the tricolour by Euro04.

6. What’s you favorite/proudest Azzurri moment?

Proud/Fabio Cannavaro lifting the trophy in the midst of the whole Calcipoli scandal. Telling the rest of the world that we are indeed the best.

favourite/ Trezegol making his way to the spot on that night in Berlin, something inside of me (despite being a big Juventino!) just knew that after what he put us through in Euro2000, that he was going to miss. It was a feeling I can’t explain and will likely never happen again, but i just was so confident that he would miss it.

7. Are you Italian? If not, what nationalities are you? I am English.

8. Top 3 Azzurri players: Alessandro Del Piero, Gigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro

9. Top 3 favorite Italian players not currently on the senior squad: Superpippo, Maldini, Vieri

10. 3 Azzurri players you can’t stand: Matrix, Mauro C, and I don’t have a third :S

11. Favorite Azzurri goal: Del Piero’s goal against Germany was fantasitc. Starting in the defence with Cannavaro, making its way through the midfield with a nice ball by Totti to Gilla, and then the nicest of weighed backheel touches to Alex Del Piero, who glanced it into the top corner. Brilliant. Grosso’s goal may have been the decider, but ADP 1) made sure of it and 2) provided the moment people will remember from that game.

12. Favorite tourney that the Azzurri were in: WC06. From the moment Totti scored that penalty vs Australia, you just got that feeling that we could do it.

___________________

On the subject of ADP playing for Italy. Is he really that bad? or is it just bitter Milan/Inter/Roma/Viola fans as well as Rome and Milan based press just bitching about him because he is the symbol of the club they can not stand and wish to be? The fact is he is always there for his country. Not like Totti or Nesta. What if he was not there vs Germany, or what if he was not there to be brave enough to take a penalty in the world cup final? People need to remember that he is not 11 men, he is one man, Italy or Juventus have never been a one-man team when ADP has played for them. When they fail, they fail as a team. When they triumph, they triumph as a team. No one man won the world cup in 2006, same as no one man won all of Juve’s honours over the past 15 years. Both were team efforts.

Posted from United Kingdom

By kari | September 7th, 2008 at 12:05 pm

1. What’s your name? Van

2. Where are you from? Vietnam

3. Age? Even just a general range (ie, Teenager, 20s) would be fine 20s

4. What’s your earliest memory of watching the Azzurri? USA 94

5. How did you become an Azzurri fan? USA 94

6. What’s you favorite/proudest Azzurri moment? Lifting the trophy in Germany 2006.

7. Are you Italian? If not, what nationalities are you? No, Vietnamese

8. Top 3 Azzurri players: Grosso, Aquilani, Buffon

9. Top 3 favorite Italian players not currently on the senior squad: Baggio, Inzaghi, Rossi

10. 3 Azzurri players you can’t stand: not really

11. Favorite Azzurri goal: Grosso vs Germany

12. Favorite tourney that the Azzurri were in: USA 94, Germany 2006

Posted from Viet Nam

By Marco Pantanella | September 7th, 2008 at 8:26 pm

1. Name: Marco
2.3. ASL: 26 yrs old, male, Montreal (Canada) (family’s from Salerno though)
4. Earliest Azzurri memory? Totò Schillaci during Italia ‘90, that goal vs. Uruguay was quality.
5. How became Azzurri fan?. Duh.
6. Favorite/proudest Azzurri moment? Duh. WC 2006.
7. Italian? Yes, pure-bred, from both parents’ sides.
8. Top 3 Azzurri players: Roberto Baggio, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Del Piero
9. Top 3 favorite Italian players not currently on the senior squad: Mario Balotelli, Sebastian Giovinco, Amauri (hah!)
10. 3 Azzurri players you can’t stand: Mmmh… no one really. For real. I’m not a hater.
11. Favorite Azzurri goal: Fabio Grosso. Italy-Germany. World Cup 2006 semi-finals.
12. Favorite tourney that the Azzurri were in: Duh. And USA 94 (despite the final outcome).