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

Season 13 – 2009/10

It’s a World Cup year and the final season of the Dario blog, Dazza will be aiming to end it all on a high come July. The first order of business is the Supercoppa Italiana, Inter finally manage to beat Juve claiming an early trophy. No goals for Hubs, but strike partner Brioschi gets a hat-trick.

After beating Juve Inter only manage a 2-2 draw against Como in the Coppa Italia. Dario fails to find the net again. He finally gets off the mark against Lazio.

The beginning of the season has had more up and downs than a yoyo. From 5-1 winners to 0-4 losers against Torino, three days later. Followed by another win, 5-2 against Palermo, Dario failing to find the net again. Maybe his age (28) is starting to catch up with him.

Nothing like a bit of Champions League football to bring the old dog back to life, a brace against Bordeaux.

Inter make it through to the 3rd round of the Coppa Italia at the second time of asking, they shouldn’t have needed a replay.

The old dog seems to be finding his feet again, he just needed easing slowly back into the season. Two penalties help Hubs to a hat trick.

A strong showing against Fiorentina away sees Dazza bag another couple of goals. He seems to be well and truly back up, and running.

Inter make it through to the Coppa Italia fourth round with a win away to Pescara, Dario failing to score for the first time in a few games.

Inter finally seem to have the beating of Juve, Dario with a brace.

Inter have made solid progress in the Champions League, four wins out of four sees them qualify with two games to spare.

Dazza rounds off a nice run of eight goals in six games with a brace against the team where it all started.

A few games go by without Dario scoring, that all changes against Reggiana, Dazza scoring four in 6-3 goal fest.

At the half way stage Torino are providing stiff competition as Inter attempt to secure a second Serie A title. It makes that earlier 0-4 loss against them seem a lot less bad.

A 2-1 win against Lazio in game 18 is followed by a massive slump, 0-0 against Torino wasn’t so bad, however, 0-1 to Palermo, 0-1 to Parma and 0-2 to Genoa, those three games increase Inter’s losses for the season by over 100%. The result were so bad that the 1-1 Coppa Italia semi final first leg against Lazio seemed positive.

Finally a win, Bari are beaten 3-1 on Valentines day. However that is followed by a 1-3 loss to Lazio, Inter crash out of the Coppa Italia at the semi final stage.

You would be forgive for thinking that two wins, three losses and a draw would have seen Inter drop down the table, however the opposite is true. Torino were even worse, losing three and drawing three. Inter are now top, but it is mighty close between the top four.

A couple of wins should hopefully ease the pressure and build confidence before the Champions League quarter final against Monaco. Dario scoring another hat-trick.

March 1st, a quick stat check before the game against Monaco. Hubs is three games shy of 600, eleven goals shy of 500 club goals and twenty short of 100 international goals.

The game against Monaco couldn’t really have gone much better for Dario and Inter, Monaco’s goal the only slight blemish.

Typically for this season, a fine win is followed by an annoying loss, 0-1 to local rivals Milan. It doesn’t end there though. Inter only manage a 1-1 draw with Roma and sneak through 3-4 on aggregate, after losing 0-2 to Monaco in the second leg.

Things you thought you would never say playing CM9798, “I wish we could play Juve every week.” Dario is six goals away from 500 now and Inter are still top by a point.

Inter and Dario can only get themselves excited for the big games now. This really was the perfect first leg result.

With three games left in the league it’s toight like a tiger at the top.

Betis can’t come back from 6-0 down, a 1-1 draw at the Benito Villamarin is enough to see Inter through to the Champions League final to face Leeds. Before that, the final three games of the Serie A season.

Two wins in two, take Inter to 66 points, however Lazio have done the same, they sit a point behind on 65, it’s down to the last game.

Big game Bisonte gets the only goal, the Championship winning goal, his 500th goal. It was needed too, Lazio also won, so a draw wouldn’t have been enough. Winning the league with 69 points is a joke, seven losses!

The Champions League Final isn’t even close. Leeds are no match for Inter. Dario with a couple of goals, helping Inter to a well deserved win.

Dario finishes the season on 48 goals, and a team topping rating of 7.80. It’s another standout season for the Bisonte. All that’s left is a trip to Argentina for the World Cup Finals.

The opening match for Italy is against Zambia, and you could say that things definitely do not go to plan.

Fortunately the other opponents in the group are Bolivia and China, so after a humiliating start, Italy qualify top of the group with six points, Bolivia in second place. Dario scoring four in the group stages.

Dario can’t play in the 2nd round match against Holland thanks to two yellow cards. Any thought of redemption for Holland, after the spanking Italy handed out two years ago at the Euros is short lived.

The quarter final is against England, who Italy beat in the European Championships Final two years ago. This one isn’t even close, Dario fresh from his match off scores four, could of / should of, been five.

The semi final is against host nation Argentina, it’s not a thumping like the previous game, but a well managed 2-0 victory.

Italy face Germany in the final. The match starts well enough, Dazza scoring in the 19th minute. However Grandoni celebrates a little too hard, helicoptering around the pitch he whacks the ref in the jaw and gets himself sent off. Tactical changes are made, but will it be enough.

Dario Huber and Italy are World Cup winners! Dario’s 11 goals are enough to secure him the golden boot, he scored one more than former Barcelona teammate Vagner of Brazil and three more than Inter and Italy team mate Danny Benassi.

So that’s it, the final season of the blog done. Dario is the greatest striker ever to play the game so great in fact that he is finally honoured with the only award he has failed to achieve so far, European Footballer of the Year. He only had to score 48 goals in a season, 11 in the World Cup finals, win Serie A, the Champions League and the World Cup to do it, but he got there eventually.

We say a final goodbye with list of Dario’s achievements across 13 seasons of football.

P.S. – Dazza did continue for a bit longer, making it to 100 international goals. His stamina was better than mine, despite all his cigarettes.