The Return of Francesco (No, Really. It might happen)

July 19th, 2008 | By: Julian | 220 Comments »

Firstly, I won’t be able to post for a week. Why? I’m going on vacation and the hotel I’m staying at is charging ridiculous prices for broadband. So consider it a week’s break from the blog, and hopefully when I get back, there’ll be a decent amount of news to discuss.

Onto today’s (very brief) Azzurri news. Surprisingly, one of the headlines over at Foxsoccer.com is about Totti contemplating returning to the national team. I say “surprisingly” because there’s been speculation for months about whether or not he’ll return, so it seems like Fox is just late to the party with the story. Interesting point to note: Totti says he’ll address the issue in six months to a year. So the earliest we’ll see him back on the team, if ever, seems like early 09.

And, uhh, that’s about it in terms of Azzurri news.

Other big soccer news- sites are reporting that Kaka wants to go to Chelsea, while others say Milan simply won’t let him go. I’d be shocked that he wants to leave Milan, if the former stories are true, considering he’s stated in the past that he wants to captain the side and loves it there.



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Displaying the most recent 25 comments from a total of 220 comments.

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Username By MAD | July 26th, 2008 at 1:18 am
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“And just to clarify once more, I don’t try to make anyone agree with me. It’s just that when someone says that the current active top-scorer of Serie A (who’ll soon probably be on the the top 10 scorers of Serie A ever) is only an “above-average” player I tend to disagree.”

–Who said, this? Was it me? ‘Cause it’s me you have been arguing with. I missed when I said this. Please post my statement.

“I never, ever, started cursing people though. I never took anything to the level of personal insults and I only implied MAD was acting MAD when he did.”

–MAD acts lots of ways. It usually depends on how someone acts to him first. In Bashars case, I may have taken prejudices I had against his fellows against him. He’s been relatively decent to me before and he went out of his way to be nice to me since. So I appreciate that. But I won’t apologize for swearing and insulting people I think deserve it. Only Bashar has ever apologized to me.

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Username By krkhan | July 26th, 2008 at 4:28 am
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“– I am merely calling you out for changing your stance. This is something I already said very clearly, above, please scroll up. If you don’t understand it, and I think you do, just read it again. And then make an honest argument, not a backwards insult, please.”

Where *did* I change my stance? I said “fully fit Pirlo and Totti”. You somehow assumed that I want Totti in there under any circumstances. The way I put it, you *presumed* a stance for me first, later changed your presumptions and then started blaming me for that.

“I actually never said this, but if it helps you, you can go ahead and claim it. I don’t care. Lie to make your point.”

“I actually haven’t seen the WC lately what with work and wife and real life… so I’m just gonna go on memory here”

“I also added, “right?” I did that because I had/have no idea how much Totti played those first games. But I did happen to say this”

Yeah, and I’m the hypocrite.

“I dare you to tell me where and when I called you a MOTHERFUCKER, kid. You do know you can just scoll up, right? I mean you only misquote me all over the place, here.”
“IT’S NOT LIKE YOU FUCKS DON’T ATTACK US NO MATTER WHERE THE FUCK WE ARE.. LIKE HERE! SO, FUCK OFF, ASSHOLE.”

QFT. Not literally MORTHERFUCKER, but your flaming and Anotonio’s flaming got mixed up. “FUCK OFF, ASSHOLE” isn’t any better though.

You called Roma fans collectively as FUCKS. Since I, as a Roma fan at the time, was also involved in an argument with you, I was an implied target there. If you wanted to curse someone specific, you could’ve done so.

“Dude, the point is he wasn’t essential. No one is. He was just the next man up. People THOUGHT that Carnavale was essential. But he wasn’t. That’s all sports is. You put the people out there. If someone can’t go, the next one does. If Totti can’t go, and he can’t, not on the National Team, then the next one goes. Have you ever played sports competitively? If you have it would be easier to understand.”

You’re trying to rhetorically debase the whole thing by messing up with the definition of “essential”. Here’s the deal, for every tournament, few players are essential. And Totti was essential in Euro 2000. He was essential in WC ‘06 and what I stated is that “fit Pirlo and Totti” shall be essential in WC ‘10. No, wait. I forgot. Essential can only be timeless. Oh?!

My wife and I have been chuckling about the multiple “directly responsible for…” lines. I even alluded to the humor once or twice above. The only thing that is directly responsible for a goal, is someone hitting it into the net. An assist is, by definition, indirectly causal. Here’s an example: A direct kick can be put straight into the goal and legally count. An indirect kick must be touched by someone else first. The person who touches it into the net? He’s directly responsible for the goal. :)”

People who make assists aren’t directly responsible for the goals? Pirlo, for all what you’d like to say about “tracking back”, *is* an essential part purely for the assists he provides. Someone who gets the last touch before the striker is, even though not as important as the striker, still a vital part in the scoring. That is the sole reason why assists are valued so much. If you aren’t getting quality assists to your striker, that person can’t “redirect the ball”.

“Who said, this? Was it me? ‘Cause it’s me you have been arguing with. I missed when I said this. Please post my statement.”

It wasn’t aimed at you. Just as I somehow inadvertently got involved in the argument between you and someone else because you flamed Roma fans in a general way, you got involved in this because I was aiming this to Nina and gianfranco who disagree with the opinion of him being great. I just clarified that I do think one of Serie A’s top ten scorers ever is great, and I’d just reply with*out* flaming when someone disagrees with me. I’m not trying to convert anyone over to my side and I haven’t been using any curse words either, for any person whomsoever.

Posted from Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia

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Username By t | July 26th, 2008 at 9:26 am
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Did everyone hear Italy’s gets to wear the World cup winners logo on their shirts. Can someone give me a link to see what they look like.

Posted from Canada Canada

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Username By t | July 26th, 2008 at 9:28 am
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Did everyone hear that Italy get to wear the WC winnig logo on their shirts. Can anyone give me a link to see what they look like.

Posted from Canada Canada

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Username By mike de robbio | July 26th, 2008 at 11:20 am
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FORZA ITALIA. We’re in the final of the uefa under 19 euros against germany. Lick off in 10 mins. Watch it in these places:

http://www.justin.tv/luchoquiroz1

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=1929371&ch=1929371&src=ukeurosport

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=1929421&ch=1929421&src=deeurosport

Posted from Australia Australia

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Username By mike de robbio | July 26th, 2008 at 11:43 am
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sorry..the game kicks off at 7pm czech time…

Posted from Australia Australia

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Username By Nina | July 26th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
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We are already down a goal.

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Username By Antonio | July 26th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
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God damn. Nice goal by Germany, but have had our chances.

Still second half to go.

Posted from United States United States

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Username By mike de robbio | July 26th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
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we are playing well…ownd the latter half of the second half and they’re down a man

Posted from Australia Australia

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Username By Nina | July 26th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
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Mike,hope we can take advantage of that.

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Username By mike de robbio | July 26th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
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of the first half sorry.

Posted from Australia Australia

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Username By Nina | July 26th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
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Is Gentile, Claudio Gentinle’s kid?

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Username By mike de robbio | July 26th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
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fuck it…it’s over now. 2-0

Posted from Australia Australia

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Username By Nina | July 26th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
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2nd goal, e finita!

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Username By Nina | July 26th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
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Well, they at least reached the final and were unbeaten in the qualifiers.I’m still proud of Rocca and the kids.

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Username By Nina | July 26th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
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2-1

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Username By mike de robbio | July 26th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
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2-1

Posted from Australia Australia

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Username By Nina | July 26th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
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Hey,we might be able to make it after all.Forza la nostra Italia

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Username By Nina | July 26th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
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I spoke too soon I guess!

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Username By Nina | July 26th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
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Tagliani looks malnourished.No wonder Rocca was saying that our kids are weaker than their counterparts in Europe.

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Username By il divin codino | July 26th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
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No matter, Italy is known for not being at their best in the U-19 but this italian side is talented but they could not beat the physically stronger Germans anyway when it comes for techniqual skills Italy will always be the best in Europe. Just look at Italy U-21, there´re none in europe that has half that talent. In true i believe Italy U-21 are the most talented in the world right now. But we must congrats Germany they played really well unfortunely Super Hiper-duper Wonderkid Forestieri was not in a good night today.

Posted from Brazil Brazil

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Username By Antonio | July 26th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
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They must of really fucked up Okaka in Modena, because that kid really looks terrible.

Good job anyways by our youngsters. we have the best young players in the world. BY FAR.

Posted from United States United States

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Username By Nina | July 26th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
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Even though Okaka and Forestieri weren’t themselves today, I fault our defense for the stupid goals we conceded. Mazzarani and Garibaldi did ok. The talent is there, but like Rocca said, their clubs need to seriously work on the physique of these kids.

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Username By mike de robbio | July 26th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
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our young keeper did a great job in places too…plus we should have had two penalties…one for a hand ball and one for a dodgy tackle…italian luck again huh? We were the better team for large chunks of the game…good to see positive, pacy attacking…lots of shots on goal

Posted from Australia Australia

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Username By Beethoven | July 28th, 2008 at 5:37 am
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il divin, Antonio, mike:

why do you have to brag and exaggerate way beyond truth? It was a clear, well-deserved defeat coming from a better team (the distinctly best of the whole tournament) - and better not only in terms of physical strength - that was in charge most of the time. Even in a phase when outnumbered. The Italy team was pretty good. But then again not t h a t good.
Why do you guys so often have problems with “la veritá” ?

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