Rosanero Roundup: Seven Days In Sicily
402. The number represents the amount of minutes that had passed by since Palermo had last experienced the feeling of putting the ball in the back of the net. Beyond ending the scoring drought, the rosanero managed to end another terrible streak, beating league leaders Milan to stop the free-fall at five consecutive defeats. After over a month of turmoil, the Sicilians finally gave their supporters a reason to smile again.
Going into only his third game at the helm, Palermo coach Serse Cosmi was already feeling the heat that comes with a job under President Zamparini’s watch. Th ex-Perugia boss had been brought in mainly for his ability to motivate players to perform but in the first two matches, the drive had been missing from the squad. With a visit from Scudetto hopefuls Milan looming, the situation did not look good for the Palermo mister.
Yet, the games that seem impossible can sometimes bring about the best in a team. Palermo was no different on Saturday evening. Cosmi had stressed the importance of defensive organization and concentration all week long and the practice would be put to the test against Serie A’s third highest scoring attack. The rosanero would welcome the return of Romanian international Dorin Goian from a long-term injury and his inclusion in lieu of Bovo’s suspension would prove pivotal to the team. Milan were without their star Ibrahimovic, but with the likes of Pato, Cassano and Robinho in the ranks, any such strike force would be one to be feared.
From the start, Cosmi raised many a rosanero eyebrow when he decided to keep Milan killer Fabrizio Miccoli on the bench while opting for Mauricio Pinilla up top supported by Javier Pastore and Josip Ilicic. The 3-4-2-1 formation was his third change in as many games and it remained to be seen how the squad would react to another switch. The answer was resoundingly positive.
Palermo put on a defensive spectacle with Munoz, Goian and makeshift defender Giulio Migliaccio putting in phenomenal performances. Migliaccio was given the captain’s armband from the start and managed to play perhaps his best game in rosanero. He was everywhere along the back line making critical stops on the Milan attackers on every occasion. Even though it was Goian who bagged the winner and Sirigu who made incredible saves, Migliaccio was the man singled out by the Palermo media as the player of the match for his inspirational play.
Beyond the individual displays, Palermo’s strength came from the performance of the team as a whole. Each player battled admirably for the entire game. The rosanero were content to sit back and counterattack Milan when they could – a strategy that paid dividends thanks to the concentration and grit exhibited by each member. If Palermo had lost its way over the past month, Saturday evening demonstrated that there just may still be something left in the tank.
The win over Milan at the Renzo Barbera extended Palermo’s dominance over the rossoneri. Since 2006, Milan have been unable to win in Sicily. Palermo ensured that Serie A would remain entertaining until the very end as Milan’s loss meant the Scudetto race is wide open with the Inter derby looming. Speaking of derbies, Palermo have one of their own after the international break comes to an end. The rosanero will have to travel to Catania where an even more important game awaits. The Sicilian derby is one of the most passionate in all of Europe and both sides always set aside their league form in order to battle it out for pride.
The team will have two weeks to rest and regroup before the Derby of Sicily with the international break in full swing. However, many Palermo players will be in action during that time as no less than eleven rosanero find themselves playing for their respective national teams: Sirigu, Nocerino and Balzaretti for Italy; Ilicic, Bacinovic and Andelkovic for Slovenia; Pastore for Argentina; Abel Hernandez for Uruguay; Pinilla for Chile; Goian for Romania; and the youngster Pajtim Kasami for the Swiss Under-21 team. It’s worth noting that there will be a Palermo flavor to the friendly between Italy and Slovenia when six rosanero players have the potential to face off against one another. Regardless of the result, the best thing for Palermo is to avoid injuries and come back to Sicily with the desire to end the season on a strong note.
