Your Monday Transfer Papers: Forlan Denies TFC Move, Notable European Switches.

Could Diego Forlan soon be wearing red in MLS? (Guardian.co.uk)

I don't do transfer gossip here on the blog, and there's a reason for that: so much of it is total BS.  Generally I try to stay away from transfers altogether until a player is officially unveiled by his new club.  Last night, MLS social media exploded prior to the end of the weekend's matches with a report from The Globe and Mail that Uruguayan star Diego Forlan was set to join Toronto FC and could be on the pitch for the Reds this week against Sporting KC.

Not so fast, my friends.  Multiple sources, including the Toronto Star, have now confirmed that Forlan, his current club, and his agent have all denied that this was the case.  Forlan himself cited his remaining contract and his desire to stay in Brazil through the 2014 World Cup.  Indeed, a switch to TFC might severely hamper Forlan's usefulness to his national side.

What I personally find hilarious is the reaction to this denial by various MLS fans and outlets.  "Oh, they're just denying it because they want more money.  He's definitely coming, this happens all the time." It smacks of the same line that was put out about Frank Lampard, who was supposedly a done deal to come to the Galaxy.  Now, I'm not saying this isn't the case, maybe he does show up, but you know what else happens all the time?  Transfer gossip gets blown out of proportion by media outlets and ends up being total BS.  In fact, I'd say this probably happens a lot more than players issuing false denials.  Perosnally, I don't think Forlan does that much for TFC if he does show up, but we'll wait and see.  Don't put all your eggs in the red basket just yet.

That being said, a couple of notable moves have gone down today in Europe.  First off, Barcelona striker David Villa will moving to Atletico Madrid, where hopes are that he can replace the goals taken away by the recently departed Falcao.  Villa was always likely to be deemed excess by Barca since the arrival of Neymar, and Barca's website has confirmed that the deal is worth up to 5.1 million euros.

Another Champions League caliber attacker is on the move today on the continent.  German international Mario Gomez has left Bayern Munich to join Italian Serie A side Fiorentina.  Bayern confirmed the departure today, saying it was the "player's wish to go to Florence."  The deal is set to be worth about 16 million euros.  Personally I think it's a great move for Fiorentina.

Mourinho Returns to Chelsea as Rafa Heads to Napoli--I'll Take It!

"The Special One" has returned to manage to Chelsea for a second time.

Today it became official, something that Chelsea fans have been waiting to hear confirmed for weeks--Jose Mourinho will return to Stamford Bridge to manage the Blues on a four year contract.  Financial terms were not disclosed, and Mourinho will be introduced at a Stamford Bridge news conference next Monday.

Mourinho first managed Chelsea from 2004-2007.  He had won the Champions League with Porto prior to that, and brought Chelsea their first league title in 50 years at the end of his first season.  During his tenure he won every available domestic honor: The Premier League, the League Cup, the FA Cup, and the Community Shield.  He left after 2007 failing to achieve the Champions League success that Roman Abramovich so craved.  From there he went to Inter Milan, where he won the Serie A and the Champions League, before starting his stint at Real Madrid.

Expectations will be high for Mourinho again at Chelsea.  The fact that the Blues won the Champions League in 2012 has not reduced Roman's desire, as Roberto Di Matteo found out the hard way.  Morale will be high, especially with the fans, who were never on board with the Benitez appointment.  Still, Mourinho has spoken fondly of Chelsea and it's fans, and for the moment anyway, it seems like a match made in heaven, again.

Former Blues "interim manager" Rafa Benitez has taken leave of the club to go manage Napoli in Serie A.  Napoli's previous boss, Walter Mazzarri, left the club to take over  Inter Milan, leading Napoli's owner to compare him to a "cheating spouse."  Rafa will have some big shoes to fill there, but the "Days of Our Lives" type coaching carousel will continue.

In the end, what do we make out of Rafa's stint at Chelsea?  Certainly it could have been worse, as he won the Europa League and secured Chelsea's place in next year's Champions League.  He also accomplished this under a TON of adversity.  Still, in my mind, that was pretty much the bare minimum.  With Chelsea's payroll and talent, they should expect to be in the Champion's League.  What irks me the most was the loss of the Club World Cup.  It might be a bit before we get another crack at that. 

In the end however, I wish Rafa well.  I still disagree with his appointment, but he helped bring the club European silverware, not an easy task, even if it was the Europa League.  When you consider how many fixtures Chelsea took part in this last season, he deserves some credit, in my humble opinion.

Now it's time to look toward the future, which I think will be bright for the Blues.  United will have a new look next year with Moyes, and City look to be going with a manager untried in the Premier League.  Depending on what happens with Bale, Tottenham could be right back in the mix, and Arsenal aren't going to go away.  Still, I think Chelsea and Mourinho are well positioned to compete with these guys. No doubt the Blues will make other moves during the summer window as well.

I, for one, can't wait!  Welcome back Jose Mourinho!

Puddle's Goal of the Weekend: Totti Bombs Juve

Roma's Francesco Totti defeated Juventus with a screamer goal on Saturday

I haven't highlighted any goals for awhile, which is a shame, because as football fans we all love goals.  That being said, you have to check out this absolute bomb by Roma's Captain Francesco Totti.  He volleyed home this stunner after a blocked free kick in the second half of Saturday's match against Juventus.  It turned out to be the game's only goal.

Louis Saha Joins Lazio

Lazio has signed French Striker Louis Saha on a free transfer.

Serie A club Lazio has had the need to fill a hole in their forward corps since Miroslav Klose went down with a knee injury.  They've turned to French International Louis Saha to try and fill that void.  That's right, that Saha, of Everton and United fame, among others.

Saha had been playing with Sunderland in the EPL this year but had failed to tally a goal in 11 appearances, all off the subs bench.  His contract with the Black Cats was terminated at the end of January by mutual consent.  We'll see how he does, as Klose is out at least eight weeks.  Saha's contract will last for six months.

Last year Saha spent the better part of the season at Spurs after leaving Everton.  He scored 3 goals in 10 appearances for Tottenham.  He was released in July 2012, then signed by Sunderland.  He has 20 caps and four goals for the French senior side.

Mario Balotelli Heading to AC Milan

City's Mario Balotelli is headed to Milan to seal a transfer move (Bleacherreport.com)

So it looks like one of the more controversial, and shall we say "interesting" Premier League tenures is about to come to an end.  The rumor that Man City striker Mario Balotelli would head back home to Italy and sign for AC Milan has been circulating throughout the transfer window, and now it seems to be all but a done deal.

According to AC Milan's Umberto Gandini, Milan have agreed to terms and signed a transfer agreement with City.  All that is left to do is for Balotelli to pass a medical and sign on to personal terms, rumored to be a 4 and a half year deal with the Rossoneri.  Hopefully the move back to his home country will be a good thing for the firebrand striker, possibly reigniting the form he flashed at Euro 2012.

Balotelli's time with City was always highly watchable, if a bit unpredictable.  He made many off the field headlines in England including car accidents, strip club sightings, and outrageous hairdos to name a few.  On the pitch he was involved in several training dustups, including a recent confrontation with City manager Roberto Mancini that was caught on camera.  Memorably, he lifted his jersey after scoring a derby goal against United last year to reveal a shirt underneath that asked "Why Always Me?"  However his form has left much to be desired this year.  After crapping out against United in December, he found himself completely relegated to the bench, only making two substitute appearances in the last two months.

It is worth noting that Balotelli did land a couple of trophies with City, the 2011 FA Cup and the 2012 Premier League title among them.  Personally, I would have loved to have had him back at Inter, but best of luck to him in his return to the San Siro with Milan.  I hope he can straighten out some but still find a way to entertain like few can.

Juventus Down Palermo In Conte Return

Antonio Conte returned from his ban to manage Juve on Sunday (AP/LaPresse)

Juventus got their manager Antonio Conte back for Sunday's match at Palermo after he had served a four month ban for looking the other way involving match fixing that took place before his managerial term at Juve.  They were able to welcome him back with a fairly convincing win, especially being that Sicily can be a tough place for opponents to come and play.  Of course, they did alright while he was gone as well, staying top of the table in the Serie A while advancing to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League.

Palermo came out the better side in this one though and controlled the first 20 minutes of play while Juventus looked vulnerable.  In the 11th minute Jasmin Kurtic sent a screaming drive in on the Juventus goal that forced a quality save from Gigi Buffon, and in the 14th minute a defender just managed to step in the way of a shot from Josip Illicic that was seemingly destined for the back of the net.  On 17 minutes Frabizio Miccoli found the back of the net for Palermo, but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside.

That seemed to be a bit of a wake up call for Juve as they gradually started to find their feet and push into Palermo's defensive third.  In the 30th minute Claudio Marchisio had a nice look from the center of the area, but just floated his shot over the bar.  In the 36th Marchisio had a shot blocked from close range and the rebound fell kindly to Mirko Vucinic, who just couldn't quite find his mark as his return shot clanged off the near post and rolled away for the Palermo 'keeper to collect.

Juventus would continue to look dangerous throughout the rest of the half, and nearly took the lead once again in the 44th minute.  This time it was Alessandro Matri that tested the Palermo 'keeper, firing a shot at him from point blank range.  Samir Ujkani's instincts did not fail him though, and he was able to corral it, preserving the scoreless draw going into halftime.

Juve announced their intentions right away in half number 2 though.  In the 46th minute Vucinic again went close, but found himself drawing woodwork for the the second time in the match.  However he totally redeemed himself in the 50th minute, sliding one of the niftiest backheel passes that you're ever likely to see to Stephan Lichtsteiner, who promptly slotted home the match's lone goal from close range to make it 0-1 to Juventus.

Both sides would put up one more quality chance in the match.  For Juve, Andrea Pirlo nearly handed Vucinic another assist in the 62nd, volleying his cross toward goal, but again Ujkani was up to it.  Palermo had their best chance for an equalizer in the 82nd minute when they managed to get the ball to the feet of Miccoli on a quick counter attack.  However the Italian international couldn't find the target, knocking the shot just high and sealing Palermo's 0-1 defeat to the Old Lady at home.

AC Milan Stumble Once More at Parma

Milan manager Massimo Allegri after his side gave up the equalizer (Getty Images)

If you like your football played in driving rain and puddles on your pitches, this was the match for you.  Parma hosted AC Milan in nearly monsoon like conditions yesterday in Serie A action.  The struggling giants were the first get on the board in the second half, but a defensive lapse gave the home side the chance they needed to salvage a needed point.

The conditions really were deplorable as the two sides kicked off and struggled to find their legs in the early minutes.  Neither side seemed like they were going to create a lot of clear cut chances, but the first of the match fell to Milan on 14 minutes as Kevin Prince Boateng sent in a low shot along the soaking surface.  It was a little tricky, but Parma 'keeper Antonio Mirante handled it well without giving up a rebound.

While Milan had the ball for the better part of the first half, Parma were able to create a couple of half chances or their own.  Their best looking chance of the half came on 26 minutes when an AC Milan defender was able to get in and block Carvalho Amauri's header.

Despite the conditions, Milan nearly took the lead right before halftime.  In the 42nd minute Bojan set up just outside of the box and drove a shot at Parma's goal.  Unfortunately for Milan, the shot just barely skimmed over the crossbar and the sides went to the break still level at 0-0.

The second half belonged to Milan though.  They came out absolutely on fire, led for the most part by Stephan El Shaarawy.   In the 50th minute the young midfielder took a pass from Bojan on the left side of the box and drove a shot past a diving Mirante to finally give Milan the 1-0 lead.

Milan continued to press their advantage as the rain started to lighten up in Parma.  Just two minutes after the goal Bojan sent a cross into the center of the box, where it met the head of Kevin Prince Boateng.  Despite the fact that he was totally unmarked, Boateng sent his header wide of the mark.  He would try his luck on 58 minutes but Mirante came up big and saved his effort on target.

Finally in the 66th minute Parma made Milan pay for failing to convert those chances.  The Rossoneri conceded a free kick right outside of their box and Daniele Galloppa stepped up to take for Parma.  He hit it low, and Milan's wall broke.  The ball slid into to the unguarded Milan post to tie the match at 1-1, which would be the score at full time.

The draw keeps both teams currently mired in midtable with Milan 11th on 7 points and Parma 14th on 6.  Milan will feel like they should have left Parma with all three points though, as the goal that they ended up conceding was from a dumb foul and totally avoidable.

Serie A: Cagliari Forced to Forfeit Match to Roma

Bad news for fans of Cagliari FC, as their club has been forced to forfeit this last weekend's home match to AS Roma.  The rules governing Italian Football provide for such a sanction, and today it was leveled at the Sardinian side.

The two clubs had been scheduled to play this last weekend's match behind closed doors after Cagliari's new stadium failed to meet safety standards.  The local government and the Italian FA had ordered the match go ahead without fans, but the club president encouraged Season Ticket holders to show up anyway, prompting an emergency meeting between government and club officials.  This meeting resulted in the postponement of the match and today it was announced that it would be forfeited to AS Roma.

Article 17 of the "Federcalcio" provides for this sanction, stating:

"Clubs are responsible for the fact that any acts interrupting the smooth running of a game can be punished with the loss of that match with a scoreline of 0-3 awarded."

 The added points move Roma up to fifth place, and while Cagliari does not drop for now, the 0-3 score will affect their goal difference.

Cagliari abandoned their former stadium last march, and had played the remainder of the 2011-2012 Serie A season at stadium more than 700 miles away from the city.

Montreal Forward Di Vaio Faces Charges In Italy

Montreal's Marco Di Vaio is attending match-fixing hearings in Italy (CBC)

It looks like the Italian match fixing scandal may be washing up on the shores of MLS, albeit ever so briefly.  Montreal Forward Marco Di Vaio will miss this weekend's match with the Philadelphia Union as he is in his native Italy answering charges related to the most recent allegations of match fixing in that country.

The charges stem from Di Vaio's time with Bologna.  Much like Conte for Juventus, he is not charged with participating in the actual match fixing, but failure to report the activity to the Italian Footballing authorities.  If found guilty on these charges, Di Vaio could face a six month ban from playing football anywhere, even in MLS.  His MLS salary would also be subject to fine.

Di Vaio maintains his innocence and unlike Conte, has not sought a compromise or plea bargain.  The Impact are confident that he will be cleared, and he's expected to return to Montreal on Sunday.  Impact manager Jesse Marsch says he hasn't given it a second thought.

Di Vaio has struggled thus far in his first MLS campaign.  He's only scored once in eight games, but his goal came in the Impact's last match against the Red Bulls, and the Impact were hopeful that he was finally finding his feet in the league.  Rookie Andrew Wenger will start in his place against the Union.

Related to the same charges. Bologna captain Daniele Portanova faces a three year ban if convicted.

Italian Scandal: Juventus Manager Has Plea Bargain Denied

Juventus Manager Antonio Conte faces a 15 month ban from Italian Football.

Many fans of Italian football, such as myself, have been nervously watching the scandal that's unfolded this summer over match fixing in the Italian professional leagues.  At one point it was even suggested that the entire Serie A season might be canceled.  It also nearly forced the Italians to withdraw from Euro 2012 after members of the side were implicated prior to the tournament.

Today some more big news came down the pipe, and it effects the manager of the defending Serie A champs.  Last year Antonio Conte led Juventus to an unbeaten season en route to what they count as their 30th scudetto.  Now he faces possibly being banned from Italian football for up to 15 months.

At issue are two matches that took place in 2010-2011 when Conte managed then Serie B side Siena.  Match fixing was found to have taken place in these matches, and Conte is accused of not reporting it to the Italian football authorities. 

For their part, Siena had submitted various plea bargains to the Italian FIGC, and one has finally been accepted.  They will be docked 6 points to start the new Serie A campaign this season.  Conte has been cleared of direct involvement in the match fixing, but has been seeking a compromise on these other charges.  Today the FIGC rejected a plea bargain that would have seen Conte serve a three month ban and pay a fine of 200,000 Euros.  Now he must submit a new offer to the FIGC or he'll face a tribunal.  Either of those options will most certianly result in a longer ban, perhaps up to 15 months as being mentioned by the Associated Press.

The scandal has hit other clubs as well.  Torino, which was promoted back to Serie A,  will start with a 1 point penalty and pay a 30,000 Euro fine.  Lower in the Italian leagues Novara, Varese, Albinoeffe, and Grossetto also will have various point penalties and pay various fines.

Michael Bradley Signs With AS Roma

Michael Bradley posing in his new AS Roma attire (MLSSoccer.com)

Big news came down the pipe today for fans of Americans playing in Europe.  US International midfielder Michael Bradley has signed on with Italian Serie A side AS Roma after having a standout year last season with Chievo Verona.

Personal terms were not available right off, but the Roman side did confirm they had paid a 4.6 million dollar transfer fee to Chievo for the American's services.  It's no surprise that Bradley seems to fit well in the defensive minded Serie A, and he should have a big role in settling down Roma's defense. 

According to the club, Bradley was already hard at work training with his new Giallorossi teammates on day one.  The Puddle wishes Michael the best of luck with his new club.  He'll represent the USA well.

Congratlualtions to Juventus, 2011-2012 Serie A Champions

Congratulations are in order for Juventus, the Old Lady of Italian football, for capturing the 2011-2012 Serie A Championship this last weekend.  Juve beat Cagliari 2-0, and second place A.C. Milan lost to Inter Milan 2-4 to seal things up for the club from Turin.

It's been a year of amazing things for Juve.  Not only did they clinch their 28th Serie A Title and their first in 9 years, but they opened a brand new stadium, and have assured their return to the UEFA Champions League.  To top it all off, with one match remaining in the Serie A season, they remain unbeaten in league play.  That's quite an accomplishment in any league, let alone a league with the likes of AC Milan, Inter Milan, Napoli, and Lazio, just to name a few.

Next year Juve will wear the "Scudetto" or "little shield" shaped Italian Flag on their jerseys that marks the Serie A Champions.  More controversially, Juve will add a third star to their crest.  In Italy, general practice to put a star on your crest for every ten scudettos won.  Juve claim 30, but the Italian courts stripped them of two titles after finding the club guilty of match fixing.  In the end, the Lega Calcio does not officially award stars, and the kit and crest design is totally up to the team, so likely it will happen but remain controversial.

At any rate, that should not detract at all from what this current crop of Juve players have accomplished in this wonderful campaign. 

Inter Milan Sack Claudio Ranieri

I don't know how many clubs, especially big clubs, have fired two different managers in the same season before, but tonight it's happened. Inter Milan have sacked manager Claudio Ranieri. Inter had only won 1 of it's last 10 league matches and crashed out of the UEFA Champions League.

They have confirmed that youth manager Andrea Stramaccioni will take the helm of the club on an interim basis, but you've got to think they'll be looking for a bigger name come next season. A couple of articles I've read are suggesting former Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas. As both a Chelsea and an Inter fan, I really hope not.

Ranieri, who has formerly managed clubs such as Roma and Chelsea, and won the Copa del Rey with Valencia. He was hired after Gian Piero Gasperini was fired last September. Stramaccioni becomes Inter's 5th manage since Jose Mourinho departed for Real Madrid after the 201o season.

Italian Match Thoughts: Juventus vs. Chievo Verona

Cheivo Verona's Michael Bradley (Goal.com)

It could be that more Americans were tuning in to watch Serie A and Chievo Verona this weekend after Michael Bradley's standout performance for the national team against the Azzurri this week. What they would have seen was in my mind pretty much a classic Italian away side performance from the Flying Donkeys.

Juventus took some sharp criticism for perhaps looking tired against AC Milan in their last match, particularly since Milan has been playing in Champions League and Juve isn't playing European football. Antonio Conte seems to have addressed that, because Juve came out with a hot hand in this one.

They nearly got on the board in the second minute. Paolo De Ceglie nearly got the job done as he squeezed a shot off on the Chievo goal, but got a little too fancy with it. This gave Chievo 'keeper Stefano Sorrentino a chance to size it up and turn it away.

De Ceglie got it right in the 18th minute though. Andrea Pirlo sent in one of his patent gorgeous free kicks. It was headed off the post and fell to De Ceglie, who put it in to give Juve the 1-0 lead. It was not without controversy though as replays showed he was offside. Still, the goal stood.

Juve would get one more good chance in the first half. Simone Padoin got a shot on goal in minute 40 that was saved, and the half ended with Juve holding the 1-0 lead.

Late in the second half the Flying Donkeys would make Juve pay for not adding that second goal. They hung in there all match long and just waited for their chance, which came in the 76th minute. Boukary Drame took a shot on goal for Chievo. Leonardo Bonucci tried to clear the ball off the line, but ended up actually helping it into the net to make it 1-1. The goal was awarded to Drame, and is his first Serie A goal. Chievo managed to hold on for the final 14 plus minutes and take a point off of Juve at home.

This could be critical as the result leaves Juve three points behind Milan for the top spot with a game in hand, they'll now have to win that game as the season continues to click towards it's climax. For their part, Milan thrashed Palermo 0-4.

Ibrahimovic Gets 3 Game Ban

Bad news came down the pipe yesterday for AC Milan as they head into a difficult stretch in their schedule. Forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been banned for three Serie A matches following an incident in the Milan match against Napoli last weekend.

In the 69th minute of the match, Ibra slapped Napoli defender Salvatore Aronica's face. He was sent off. Milan manager Massimilliano Allegri was also ejected in the 89th minute. He was not banned, but given a warning and a fine.

The suspension could cost Milan dearly. He will miss matches at Udinese (3rd place), at Cesena, and vs Juventus, the Serie A leaders. Milan is set to appeal the ban.

Ibra was banned twice by the Italian league last year, including once for punching a defender in the stomach.

Italian Match Thoughts: Atalanta vs. Juventus

Juventus has looked pretty much unstoppable this year, and Atalanta did nothing to dispell that in this match. Not that you'd really expect them to. They were hit with a 6 point deduction at the beginning of the season in regards to match fixing scandal, and they've been behind the eight-ball ever since. Odds that they would take anything off Juventus were pretty slim.

Right off the bat Juve had chances. In the 3rd minute Alessandro Matri had a good chance at goal courtesy of a cross from Simone Pepe. However he was disappointed to watch his volley go over the bar. It was the first of what would prove to be several disappointing misses for Matri on the night.

Atalanta just didn't see much of the ball throughout the match, particularly in the first half. They did get one little run of possession about the 19th minute that resulted in a shot for Giacomo Bonaventura. His shot was easily saved and it proved to be the best look they'd get in the half.

Juventus finally took the well deserved lead after halftime. In the 55th minute Andrea Pirlo sent in a cross to Lichsteiner who dove a header into the bottom corner to make it 0-1. That was all Juve would need but they did add one more as Giaccherini slotted home after a pass from Marrone that cemented our full time result at 0-2.

The end of the weekend saw Juventus back on top of the Serie A table. They're sitting 1 point ahead of Milan, 3 ahead of Udinese, and 6 ahead of surging Inter Milan. Atalanta sits 15th, 5 clear of the drop zone. If they had the six they were docked, they'd be in 8th. That might come into play at the end of the season.

Italian Match Thoughts: Inter Milan vs. Fiorentina

I'll be the first to admit as an Inter supporter that there hasn't been too much to cheer about with the Nerazzurri this season. Despite the early coaching change, they've been mired in the bottom half of the Serie A table all season. Now, maybe things are looking up just a bit. Inter won passage into the knockout round of the Champions League, and have strung together a couple of wins in Serie A. One of those came against Fiorentina last weekend at the San Siro.

Really this game was all Inter. Fiorentina never did muster much of a fight, but they did outlast a furious storm from Inter in the opening minutes. Giampaollo Pazzini got one of the best chances in the game in the 4th minute. Coutinho put a great ball in for him and he sliced a shot through at the 'keeper, who barely held on. Pazzini tried again with two headers in the 10 and 18th minutes, both of which narrowly missed wide.

After that it looked like Pazzini was going to be in the goals for Inter. He finally found the back of the net in the 41st minute. Coutinho again put in a ball for him, a ball that honestly wasn't as good as the 4th minute chance. However, Pazzini got to it and just managed to tap it past the 'keeper to make it 1-0 to Inter, which held until the interval.

The traffic in the second half wasn't quite one way like the first, but Inter wrapped up the three points fairly early on. In the 49th minute, two Fiorentina defenders collided going for the ball. That left it easily for Yuto Nagatomo, who calmly tapped it by the thunderstruck 'keeper to make it 2-0 Inter and seal the three points.

That win took Inter a ways from the relegation zone. Then on Tuesday they beat Genoa 0-1. That result puts them all the way up to 7th in the crowded Serie A table.

Italian Match Thoughts: Genoa vs. AC Milan

This particular match up has a history of some bad behavior by fans and players alike. Unfortunately, that reared it's head again in this one, causing a delay in proceedings. Luckily we were treated to a couple of goals and another impressive performance from the defending champions.

Nocerino proved to be a thorn in the side of Genoa from the early going, breaking into their 18 a few times in the opening minutes. In the 12h minute, he had a shot that was just saved, and Genoa looked like they had no answers for the AC Milan midfielder.

About the 16th minute, a cloud descended over the match. Literally. At first it appeared that a smoke bomb had been set off in the stands. However, fans started to vacate the area and cover their faces. The cloud descended onto the pitch and several players had to cover their faces from what appeared to be tear gas. The ref stopped the game for about 10 minutes, until the air could be cleared and the players could be attended to.

Even after the restart, Genoa had a tough time getting things going. Their best chance of the first half came in the 34th minute. Miguel Veloso sent a free kick in at the AC Milan goal, only to have Marco Amelia tip it over the bar. The two teams went to the half time break still tied at 0-0.

Milan took control of the match in the second half. Kakha Kaladze picked up two yellows for Genoa within 7 minutes in the second half to get sent off. The second was a conceded PK in the 54th. Zlatan Ibrahimovic nailed home the PK to make it 0-1.

Genoa really couldn't muster much over the remainder of the match, especially being down to ten men. Nocerino reared his pesky head again in the 80th minute, knocking in a cross from Kevin Prince-Boateng to make 0-2, which was the full time result.

If I'm honest with you, it wasn't Milan's best performance. However, Genoa just appeared to be toothless in attack all night. In the end, the defending Serie A champs did enough to pick up a vital 3 points on the road, keeping up the pressure on Juventus.

Italian Match Thoughts: Lazio vs. Juventus

For some reason I've been on this kick for watching Juventus lately. It couldn't be because they're playing some of the best football in Italy, could it? Yes, it probably could.

This one was really fun to watch as well. The low scoreline is a bit deceptive. Both sides created quite a few quality chances. It really was an example of some of the best that Serie A has had to offer so far this season.

The first 20 minutes pretty much belonged to Juventus. Claudio Marchisio got things started with a bang in the 10th minute as just BARELY missed with a header over the Lazio crossbar. He really should have scored. Andrea Pirlo stood up to take the next chance on 13 minutes, but found his shot blocked. He tried again with an absolutely gorgeous free kick in the 16th, that was only kept out by an equally brilliant save from the Lazio 'keeper.

After weathering the opening storm from Juve, Lazio got their feet. In the 21st minute they were helped out by a Juve defensive blunder which Tommaso Rocchi turned into a shot that was neatly saved by Buffon. However, just seconds later, Cristian Ledesma sent in a wonder strike that looked bound for the back of the net but somehow crept wide.

Lazio's failure to convert some of their chances in the first half eventually came back to haunt them. In the 34th minute, Juve sparked a counter and Matri managed to find Pepe with a beautiful cross. Pepe promptly banged it into the back of the net to give Juve the 0-1 lead at the half.

The second half slowed just a little bit, but again both sides had chances. Lazio went on a great run of attack from about the 60th-70th minutes. It featured great chances from Hernanes, who hit the post, and Miroslav Klose, who forced a quality save from Buffon. However in the end, they couldn't convert and Juve held on to the 0-1 win.

Juventus takes the three points and continues their great top of the table run, Lazio played a great game however, and gave the Old Lady all they could handle. I expecy both of these teams to be in the mix for the Champions League spots, if not for the Scudetto itself. Great match.

Italian Match Thoughts: Juventus vs. AC Milan

While the traditional Derby d'italia is Juve vs Inter. The Juve vs. Milan matchup is always one of the biggest matches of the Serie A season as well. This one had special meaning as the grand Old Lady of Italian football was hosting the champs for the first time in their new stadium in Torino. Juventus wanted a win.

Unfortunately though, there wasn't a lot to talk about, especially in the first half. It was like AC Milan didn't even really show up. To be fair, they played a Champions League match mid week, and Juve only has Serie A to worry about, but still, Juve dominated. However, they couldn't hit the broadside of barn and Milan somehow stumbled into half time still tied at 0-0.

In the second half, it was clear AC Milan were playing for a point. Juve almost got on the board in the 47th minute though as Bonucci chested one at goal from close range that Abbiati just managed to save. At the other end of the pitch, Milan got their only real chance of the night in the 51st minute. Cassano took a ball in and got a close range shot on goal, but Buffon got out of his easy chair and saved it to preserve the 0-0 score.

It all came apart for Milan in the closing minutes. In the 87th minute, Marchisio managed to just dribble a shot past Abbiati to make it 1-0. Then two minutes later, Prince Boateng got sent off for picking up a second yellow. Juventus took advantage deep into stoppage time as Marchisio nutmegged a flabergasted Abbiati to make the final score 2-0.

I think it's safe to say that after this weekend, both Milan teams need to wake up, or it's going to be a long season.