Football transfer news

Italian Serie A: Genoa 1-1 Livorno
Boakye 51 (G), Tavano 87 (L)
Stadio Ferraris

Francesco Tavano was slapped by hooligans this week, but scored the goal that leaves Livorno some slender hope of avoiding relegation. The real star of the show was 17-year-old Richmond Boakye, who scored on a sensational Serie A debut.

It has been a hellish few days for Livorno, as hooligans stormed the training ground, slashed players’ tyres and even slapped Francesco Tavano across the face. Propping up the table and travelling to a side with one of the best home records in Serie A was a daunting prospect.

Genoa were without Dario Dainelli, Houssine Kharja, Bosko Jankovic, Robert Acquafresca and the suspended Giuseppe Sculli. Livorno left behind Leonardo Miglionico, Romano Perticone and Filippini.

Rodrigo Palacio fired off target from a David Suazo assist, but the Honduran picked up a muscular injury in that move and limped off for 17-year-old youth team player Richmond Boakye.

Nelson Rivas drilled a free kick wide, but the only real chance of the first half fell to Ghanaian Boakye. His right-foot curler skimmed the frame of the goal after 44 minutes of football.

Teenager Ricky Boakye broke the deadlock at the dawn of the second half. He chested down a Giandomenico Cross cross and prodded it right-footed past the goalkeeper from six yards to mark a sensational Serie A debut.

Boakye was a constant danger and his pace gave Dario Knezevic all sorts of problems. Francesco Tavano tried to score directly from the corner flag, forcing a tough save out of Marco Amelia.

Alberto Zapater drilled just wide and Boakye failed to get on the end of a poor backpass before Rubinho.

Livorno hung in there and equalised in the final minutes with Tavano, who refused to celebrate after his traumatic week. The Diniz cross was knocked down by Tomas Danilevicius for Tavano to bundle over the line from close range.

Serie A news

Cassano 1 (S), Pazzini 55 (S), Mantovani 75 (C)
Stadio Bentegodi

Sampdoria continue the push for Europe with this valuable away victory at 10-man Chievo.

Gigi Del Neri returned to the stadium where he started the ‘Miracolo Chievo’ with their first ever Serie A promotion in 2001, followed by UEFA Cup qualification. He was still causing upsets as Samp were in joint fifth place with Juventus and Napoli going into this Easter weekend. Daniele Mannini sat out a ban for the visitors along with the injured Nicola Pozzi, Luca Castellazzi and Marco Rossi. Chievo missed Michele Marcolini and Davide Moro.

Sampdoria were unbeaten here since 1999-00, but last conquered the Bentegodi with a 2-0 result on October 27 2004.

It took 45 seconds for Sampdoria to break through! A chaotic move with several shots charged down, including Fernando Tissone, eventually fell to the totally unmarked Antonio Cassano to tap in from seven yards.

Play had barely resumed when ex-Chievo man Franco Semioli sprinted into the box and the referee judged he was brought down by the goalkeeper. However, replays suggest Stefano Sorrentino got the ball and the referee changed his mind after consulting with the linesman.

Sergio Pellissier drilled over and Marco Storari flew to palm a fierce Simone Bentivoglio free kick out of the near top corner of the net.

De Paula nodded just wide from a Bentivoglio cross, as did Angelo Palombo with his effort, but on 44 minutes Semioli and Cassano combined for Giampaolo Pazzini to force Sorrentino into a safe.

In first half stoppages Storari accidentally got Pellissier’s knee in the face when rushing out to smother at his feet.

Giampaolo Pinzi drilled over from the edge of the box and Sorrentino kept out Stefano Lucchini’s header, but Sampdoria doubled their advantage.

A smart Cassano dummy let Tissone’s ball through and Pazzini sprung the offside trap. His first shot was charged down by Sorrentino, but Pazzo squeezed the second past the goalkeeper into an empty net.

Chievo went down to 10 men, as Morero was shown a straight red card for going through the back of Cassano’s heel. It seemed a little harsh, though his studs were slightly showing.

Nonetheless, Chievo got back into the game when a corner was knocked on and nobody tried to intercept Andrea Mantovani, who came sliding in from six yards at the back post.

Marek Hamsik’s delightful chip cancelled out a Sergio Floccari header to make it all square at the Olimpico.

Edy Reja faced his former club, having taken Napoli from Serie C to the UEFA Cup in a five-year spell. He was now desperate to keep Lazio in the top flight and they seemed to have turned a corner with seven points from three games. The Partenopei were chasing a Champions League spot and missed the injured Andrea Dossena. The Biancocelesti’s absentee list included Pasquale Foggia, Mourad Meghni, Francelino Matuzalem, Ousmane Dabo and Simone Inzaghi, but Mauro Zarate was dropped.

Lazio broke through almost immediately, as a Stefano Mauri cross came in from the left for the powerful Sergio Floccari header under the bar, giving Morgan De Sanctis no chance.

Nando Muslera parried a Juan Zuniga curler into the path of Ezequiel Lavezzi, who ballooned the volley over.

De Sanctis used his legs to block an Aleksandar Kolarov screamer and Floccari’s strike skimmed the crossbar, while at the other end Marek Hamsik wasted a good chance by firing over.

Napoli drew level in style with Hamsik, who pounced on a defensive error from Fabio Quagliarella’s ball over the top to go clear and delightfully chipped Muslera from the tightest of angles.

Lavezzi hit a blockbuster from 20 metres that saw Muslera soar to fingertip it out from under the crossbar with an acrobatic save.

Zarate replaced Tommaso Rocchi for the second half and had an immediate impact with several shots in the opening minutes.

Muslera smothered a Hugo Campagnaro half-volley, but nobody else was able to score.

Valdes 16 (A), Ferreira Pinto 70 (A)
Stadio Azzurri d’Italia

Siena are practically in Serie B after losing this relegation dogfight, as they drop to joint bottom place with Livorno.

This could be the decider in the relegation battle, as defeat would almost certainly spell doom for one of the teams. They went into this Easter weekend in 18th and 19th respectively with some very difficult fixtures ahead.

Atalanta were missing Paolo Zanetti, Javier Chevanton, Edgar Barreto, Leonardo Talamonti and Giampaolo Bellini. Siena were without Albin Ekdal, Francesco Parravicini and Luca Rossettini.

Play almost didn’t go ahead after heavy rainfall over Bergamo. Nicola Amoruso nodded just wide in the opening moments, but then got involved in a scuffle with Aleandro Rosi.

Atalanta broke through with a wonderful individual strike from Jaime Valdes. The Chilean took a step outside the box and smashed the right-foot screamer in off the inside of the near post.

Ferreira Pinto’s effort shaved a coat of paint off the woodwork, while Del Grosso’s free kick was off target. Just before half-time Gianluca Curci did well to deny Amoruso’s angled drive.

After the restart Andrea Consigli needed his first real save, at full stretch to palm Larrondo’s header off the line with one strong hand.

Simone Vergassola went so close to an equaliser by pouncing on a poor clearance from close range, but ballooned over. Siena also had penalty appeals for an Emilson Sanchez Cribari challenge on Amoruso.

Atalanta doubled their lead when Guarente’s free kick to the back post was knocked across by Manfredini for Ferreira Pinto’s free header from point-blank range.

Calcio news: Parma 1-1 Fiorentina (Calcio Serie A – 03.04.2010)

Stadio Tardini
De Silvestri 22 (F), Bojinov 68 (P)

Valeri Bojinov cancelled out a Lorenzo De Silvestri debut Serie A goal to keep thse teams locked in mid-table.

The Ducali were unbeaten in six and sat just two points behind the Viola going into this Easter weekend, so it was a play-off for Europa League ambitions. Alberto Paloschi was injured and Daniele Galloppa suspended, while the visitors missed Alessandro Gamberini, Marco Marchionni, Manuel Pasqual and banned duo Adrian Mutu and Massimo Gobbi.

It has been a rough week for Fiorentina, as President Diego Della Valle resigned following a public spat with Cesare Prandelli, though the Coach pledged to stay on.

Parma had their first chance in the opening 60 seconds when Valeri Bojinov intercepted a poor Cesare Natali backpass, but was crowded out by Sebastien Frey with a real risk of giving away a penalty.

Fiorentina had done precious little so far, but took the lead against the run of play. Stevan Jovetic’s inspired through ball sent Lorenzo De Silvestri through to toe-poke in his debut Serie A goal.

It was nearly 2-0 a few minutes later, as Cristiano Zanetti’s piledriver from distance was palmed low off the line by Antonio Mirante. At the other end Bojinov fired straight at Frey after great build-up work from Jonathan Biabiany.

Francesco Valiani drilled inches wide from distance for Parma, while De Silvestri nearly got his second with Mirante parrying the fierce drive from another Jovetic assist.

Mirante rushed off his line to stop Alberto Gilardino getting on the end of De Silvestri’s cross in a move inspired by Riccardo Montolivo.

Parma were laying siege to the Viola area and, after a miraculous Frey save, they found their way through. Frey punched the free kick straight at Jonathan Biabiany for a half-volley, but the goalkeeper somehow stuck out a foot to boot the shot off the line! Another set play was not cleared effectively and eventually ricocheted to Bojinov to fire in from six yards.

Fiorentina thought they had scored with Gilardino, but he was offside when redirecting Mario Alberto Santana’s cross.

Hernan Crespo came off the bench and nearly gave Parma the lead, as he nodded inches wide of the upright.

Mirante needed quick reactions to deny Gilardino from point-blank range on a Juan Manuel Vargas cross.