A tale of cigarettes, grappa, time travel and hopefully goals

Season 11 – 2007/08

Hubs mind was made up the moment Inter showed an interest in him.  He needs to be in Italy, helping develop the future generations, after the embarrassment of the 2006 World Cup, Italy exiting in the 2^nd round, losing 2-3 to Mexico. More importantly, Inter are the team that he has supported all his life.

A full squad rebuild one of the foci for the season, along with the standard plan of winning trophies and scoring goals.  Inter do have some players of note, Nicola Legrottaglie played with the Bison at Juve and Jose Maria Gutierrez Cano was a youngster at Barca when Hubs arrived.  There is also an aging Ronaldo and current European Footballer of the Year Johnny Levenard, who is a French striker with great stats. More than likely they will both be making for Dazzling Dazza.

The season begins with 2-0 win over Torino in the Coppa Italia 2^nd round, however things take a turn for the worse when Inter travel to Turin to face Juve in Serie A match week one.  It is a humbling experience, highlighting the work ahead for Dario and the team

A change of formation for the game against Reggina rewards Dazza with his first goal for Nerazzurri, an aging OG Ronaldo scores a hat trick and young Italian FLC Yuri Pagano, nicknamed “Giuseppe” gets the other.

Roma are the next team to visit the San Siro, DMC Legrottaglie scores both goals in a 2-0 victory.  Inter are in the UEFA cup this season, Dario had a brief experience in this competition back in season three, with Venezia.  However, he joined Juve half way through that season.  With this trophy presenting one of the three chances for silverware this year Dazza leads from the front against Bielefeld.

Serie A is proving more of a challenge than expected, Dazza’s back to where it all began and they don’t take it easy on him.

Dazza fails to find the net in the following four matches, there are some up an down results, highlighting the Nerazzurri’s inconsistencies.  A 1-0 win over Parma, Yuri P with the goal, followed by a 0-1 loss to Palermo, a 0-0 draw with Bielefeld, which is good enough to progress to round three and finally another 1-0 win against Cagliari, again Yuri with the goal.  When Dazza does score again it’s in another 1-2 loss, against Udinese.

One loss brings another, Dario fails to score again, as Bologna beat Inter 1-3 at the San Siro.  Following this Derby travel to Milan for the UEFA Cup 3^rd round.  Inter have loads of chances but Derby keeper Aleksei Kirjakov is MOM, which tells you the score was 0-0. Derby have Erik Nevland, Kieron Dyer and Jeffrey Brazier in their squad!

Inter have been trying to play the same way as Barca, the 4-2-3-1 with Dazza as the lone striker, it’s clearly not working and a change is needed especially as the next match is Bologna again, this time in the Coppa Italia.  Inter switch to the 2-3-1-2-2 formation that Dario played in at Juve.  Rather than pair OG Ronaldo or European Footballer of the Year Johnny Levenard with the Bison young Espedito Brioschi gets the nod.  It works.

It doesn’t go quite as well in the following match, a 2-2 draw with Torino, Brioschi with the equaliser, the Inter fans compare him to a young Enrico Chiesa.

It’s absolute pandemonium at the San Siro on Sunday November 4^th. Inter vs AC.  What a match for the Nerazzurri.  Is their season starting to pick up?

Dazza fails to score in the UEFA cup game in Derby, and their keeper Aleksei gets MOM again.  However young Yuri, who partnered Dazza up top, due to Brio not being eligible scores two fine goals, sending Inter through to round four.

After the sights and sounds of Derby, Inter travel to another city of culture to face Lazio.  They have bought Johnny Levenard, he doesn’t score, the game finishes 1-1, Legwinski cancelling out Brio’s goal in the 85^th minute.

Bisonte is back on the score sheet in the home game against Pescara, he certainly hasn’t been as prolific this season as his previous four, some say the defending in Italy is better than Spain, others say he hasn’t got enough room to store anymore bonus items having shipped his stash over from Spain, storage space in Milan is at a premium

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After beating Pescara it’s a quick hop to Holland to face FC Twente in the UEFA Cup 4^th round.  Needing some plane snacks for the return journey Dazza bangs in another couple of goals, as do Yuri and Mustapha Kadim, Kadim is a Belgian MC in the mould of Marc Emmers.

Games on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday could be even more silly than the scheduling in Spain.  Fortunately, Hubs seems to have found some form of late, helping Inter to three wins in five days.

After an extended break, two whole days, Dazza and Inter continue their strong run away to Bari.

Finally, after four games in the space of seven days there is a full weeks rest before Reggiana visit the San Siro.  All goes swimmingly until the 81^st minute when Reggiana stage a mini recovery.  It’s too little too late after a tense final five minutes.

FC Twente stage another fight back at the San Siro, going one better than Reggiana, unfortunately for them, they conceded six goals in the first leg so lose 9-5 on aggregate.

Hubs has been closing in on 50 international goals, while helping Italy qualify for the 2008 European Championships.  He’s made it to 49, and what better way to get to 50 than a friendly match against Saudi Arabia at the San Siro.

There’s no time to celebrate though, Cesena are the next opponents in the second leg of the Coppa Italia quarter finals.  Dazza fails to find the target for the first time in six games, however a 1-1 draw thanks to a Brioschi goal is enough to progress to the semi finals.  He’s back in the thick of it the following game, an early brace against Genoa paving the way for a 3-1 win.

Moving into January, the short December break allowed the batteries to be recharged with some smoke and ethanol, ready for the visit of Napoli.  Brio and Hubs are at it again.

At the half way point in the season Inter are six points behind Juve.  They have been on quite a journey in the opening 17 games.

The Nerazzurri have come a long way since that 1-5 hammering from Juve at the beginning of the season, unfortunately it’s not quite far enough.

Reggina are the next opponents, not to be confused with Reggiana, despite playing in the same kit and having near identical names.  Not even the might Taribo West can stop Hubs and Brioschi, probably because he got himself sent off in the 14^th minute.

Inter head to the capitol for the second time this season, this time they face Roma.  It’s a commanding 2-0 win thanks to Pagano and Del Giovane.

After the embarrassment of losing to old club Venezia at the beginning of the season, Dario rights those wrongs in the return game at the San Siro.

The Coppa Italia can produce some strange results, however the only strange thing about the first leg of the semi final against Napoli is that this is Dazza’s first hat-trick of the season, he got five in each of the last two seasons.  The hat trick moves Hubs to 24 for the season but also takes him past the 400 goal mark. 401 goals in 492 games.

Parma are beaten 1-0, thanks to Brioschi, before Palermo are put to the sword.

The second leg of the Coppa Italia finished 0-0, Inter keeper Tresoldi is to thank for this.  I think he is the regeneration of either Luca Marchegiani or Angelo Peruzzi, it doesn’t really matter, all that does, is that he is pretty damn good.  Inter are through to the Final.

The league game against Cagliari sees Hubs and Brioschi continue their fine form.

It’s UEFA Cup quarter final time at the beginning of March.  Inter have drawn Real Madrid.  Dazza knows how tough they can be from his time with Barca.  It’s a result, that had Inter been away from home, would be alright, but as the home team is disappointing and worrying.  It would have been worse without Dazza’s last gasp intervention.

Another 1-1 draw follows, away to Bologna, before a 3-1 at home to Torino.

After beating Torino it’s off to Spain for what everyone expects to be the end of the line for Inter’s europenan journey this season.  Young guns Pagano and Brioschi have other ideas and play without fear. Remarkably it’s on to the semi finals.

Following the highs of Madrid, Inter are brought back down to earth.  A 0-0 draw with Milan and a 0-1 loss to Lazio. Ex Inter striker Johnny Levenard with the only goal.

Heerenveen are Inter’s semi final opponents in the UEFA Cup it’s a strong result away from home.

Hubs hasn’t scored for a while, so he pops up with two against Pescara, just to keep things ticking over.

Inter score another three against Bari.  Valerien Ismael is getting old, however when called upon to play at right back he has delivered this season so it’s a nice touch to see him on the score sheet.

The 2^nd leg of the semi final is a tense affair, two goals in the 25^th minute cancel each other out but when El Kattabi scores in the 61^st minute Heerenveen only need one more to win on away goals.  They can’t manage it though and Inter are in another Cup final.

Inter’s last three league games are against Reggiana (I’m sure we just played them), Genoa and Napoli.  They win them all to finish the season strongly Dazza scoring five goals across the three matches, including hat trick number two of the season.

That leaves the two cup finals.  First the Coppa Italia which is a two legged affaire, although both legs will be at the San Siro, it’ a Milan derby for the final.  It’s almost too close to call, fortunately they still have away goals rules in 2008.

A trophy in his first season at Inter is more than Bisonte could have hoped for.  Six days later Hubs has a chance to make it two trophies, Lazio are the opponents in the UEFA Cup final.  Dazza puts in an inspired display, spurred on by the fact it’s a trophy he hasn’t won before.

Inter finished 2^nd in Serie A, you’ll have to take my word for it, I forgot the picture, again, and they collect two pieces of silverware, not too bad considering the start of the season.  However, there is one more trophy up for grabs, and it is a big one, the European Championships.  Things don’t get off the best start for Dario, fortunately the bloke in charge this time, understands how time works, so he doesn’t withdrawn Dazza from the squad, he’ll be back for the second or third match of the group stages.

Italy are a 2^nd seed team so are grouped with Germany, Bulgaria and Iceland.  They are going to line up like this for the tournament.  (Ignore Dario on the bench, I took this after the first game.)

Game one is against Germany, Marc Baumgart is the German keeper, Dario knows him from his Barca days, he’s good, really good.  Italy have 17 shots at goal, seven on target, but they still need a 90^th minute equaliser from Brioschi to rescue a point.

Dario has recovered and is on the bench for game two, hence the formation shot above.  Bulgaria are much less of a challenge and Dazza enjoys an eight minute cameo in an attempt to regain fitness.

Game three, Iceland, aided by Heidmar Thordarson’s sixth minute sending off, Brioschi and Dazza light it up.  Young Brioschi has seven goals in three matches, Dazza has four in two.

Game four, the quarter finals, against Holland, what should be a tough test, especially considering the memories of a 2-3 loss to Mexico in the World Cup.  Hubs removes that from his mind, and the minds of everyone else.

Game five, the semi finals, based on how championship draws work I think we should be on the other half to group mates German, but we are not, it’s a repeat of game one, except this time Italy have Tatanka in the side.

Game six, the final, England the opponents.  Darren Purse left Inter before Dario joined so there is no insider info there.  Looking at the England line up, and said with as little disrespect as possible, “How have they made it this far?”  Looking at the stats backs this up, they have scored six goals in five games, the lowest of any team to make the quarter finals.  England have two shots at goal during the final, only one of which is on target, you can see where this is going can’t you, or can you?

Unbelievable and unexpected! An international honour for Dazza and Italy.  Along with Dario, Inter teammates Tresoldi (GK), Legrottaglie (DMC), Pagano (FLC) and Brioschi (FC) claim winners medals.  Italy scored 19 goals, Hubs with ten and Brioschi with nine, two man team?  Dario’s goal in the final earns him the golden boot.  Surely these personal achievements mean Dazza finally wins European Footballer of the Year, you might think so, but no, that honour goes to team mate Mustapha Kadim! Go figure. Dario get’s his now least favourite personal honour, Football Writers Player of the Year.

Anyway, things are looking bright, can the six Euros medal winners push Inter to the top of Italian and World football?

Spreadsheet incoming.