The mercury remains just shy of 36C here in Melbourne, as the arms of the clock, weighed down by the heat of this inferno, approach 8pm. With the crickets somehow finding the dedication to their cause to erupt with the evening chorus as dusk approaches, I must follow their heed and will – with whatever mental energy I retain – these fingertips to dance upon the keys and offer a snapshot of happenings within the Juventus youth sector.
Now Switzerland, presently -1C, seems a far more comfortable place to seek and find solace, if not adventure, and with several of our little ones farmed to clubs in their Super League, it seems a solid starting point for what will likely appear, when the printing press has worked its magic, the words of a man slowly melting…
Former primavera offensive star Tasos Donis (19) has made in-roads at Lugano (managed by Zdenek Zeman), who sit second to bottom in the table. The Greek winger cum second striker has made a total of 18 appearances in all competitions, netting five and making three assists. Below his side at rock bottom are FC Vaduz, where South African born Swiss full-back Joel Untersee (22) has made a commendable 15 outings for the club which look ever more doomed.
Both sides may well join Aarau in the second tier next term, where Swiss striker Zoran Josipovic (20) has toiled for 14 games with a solitary goal to show for his efforts.
Not quite the news I had been hoping for from our Swiss contingent. However, more promise is found in Belgium, where 23 year old speed merchant Mame Thiam has been performing excellently for Zulte Waregem. 9 goals and 3 assists from his 27 matches is a fine return thus far. With his side sitting a whisker outside of the playoffs in 7th.
Just over the border in the Netherlands, Ouasim Bouy has commanded a central midfield berth in the starting XI for several months, wracking up 4 assists and 1 goal from his 19 appearances. Zwolle are well placed in 8th for an assault on the top 7. Now 22, we can but hope that this first season close to fully absent of lengthy injuries will prove just what the lad needs to make good on the startling potential he displayed before his horrid cruciate ligament injury. Since when, he has moved from Germany to Greece and most recently back to his motherland of Holland. Where he has since settled and finally seems to have found a healthy rhythm.
Dropping down from the Eredivisie to the Eerste division, 20 year old Lithuanian midfielder Vykintas SLivka is doing his finest to keep Den Bosch out of trouble, yet despite his 2 goals and 24 outings, his side sit shamefully low in the rankings.
A brief mention, as always, for the arch angel Gabriel (Appelt Pires). Who continues to prove a mainstay in his favoured defensive midfield position for Spanish second division side Leganes, who are sitting pretty in top spot. The 22 year old Brazilian has played 26 games, scored 4 and assisted 2 goals for his comrades.
Closing in on 9pm now and the temperature has ‘kindly’ dropped to 34C. Draped around my neck is a half frozen tea towel. The vodka is making me drowsy and I am beginning to worry for the well being of my macbook pro, yet onwards, ever onwards…and the possums have appeared to add encouragement to finish what I have begun.
There is little reason for joy or woe to be found back in the peninsula’s second tier, where the following players are close to regulars, if not finding valuable minutes battling with the seniors, for their respective sides –
Strikers
Alberto Cerri (Cagilari) 17 games, 2 goals
Cristiano Bunino (Livorno) 13 games, 3 goals
Eric Lanini (Como) 21 games, 1 goal
Stefano Padovan (Virtus Lanciano) 18 games, 1 goal
Christian Pasquato (Pescara) 22 games, 4 goals
Lorenzo Rosseti (Cesena) 15 games, 1 goal
Midfielders
Fausto Rossi (Pro Vercelli) 13 games, 1 goal
Andrea Schiavone (Livorno) 26 games
Leonardo Spinazzola (Perugia) 28 games
Andres Tello (Cagliari) 17 games, 2 goals
Defenders
Pol Garcia (Cesena) 16 games
Hordur Magnusson (Cesena) 17 games
Goalkeepers
Vincenzo Fiorillio (Pescara) 24 games
Carlo Pinsoglio (Livorno) 25 games
What brings me encouragement from my delving into the multitude of loans we have presently in place is that many of those plying their trade domestically are close to the first XI. This is all we can ask at this level, when a fair portion of these players are in either their first or second season in senior football. Games bring experience and only experience will allow them to develop and prove their mettle.
La Primavera
Despite our 3-2 loss at the weekend away to Sassuolo, during which Kastanos grabbed both our goals, the news from the Fabio Grosso led U19 camp is very impressive indeed. Since losing to Borussia Monchengladbach in early November in the Europa League, the primavera have embarked upon a run of exceptional form almost in step with the seniors. How strange that the fortunes of both teams appear somehow linked, in results as well as shared quarters at Piedmont! In the 20 games played since that match, we have lost twice, drawn once and won 17. Whilst out of Europe, Grosso appears to have found a winning formula which has taken us to the final of the coppa italia and top of the league (by 5 points). Yet I conclude, that we have become formidable, not because of Grosso, but in spite of his apprenticeship standard man management and tactical nous.
We face our good friends of Inter Milan in the coppa final on April 8th. Yet approaching more readily on the horizon is a league encounter against Fiorentina, before the annual Viareggio tournament. A strange twist to the 68th edition of the games is that matches will be played with 40 minute halves, and from the knock-out stage onwards (the final excepted) any matches tied the final whistle will go straight to penalties.
Viareggio Fixtures
14/3 Deportivo Camioneros (ARG)
16/3 Crotone
19/3 LIAC New York (US)
Andrea Favilli, on loan from Livorno, leads the goalscorer charts with 14 from 24 games. The Italy U19 frontman also made his senior debut for the club, given a few minutes at the end of our 0-2 victory away to Frosinone in February). Hot on his heels are Luca Clemenza (12 from 26) and Nicolo Pozzebon (11 from 24).
The Argie whizkid we signed from Boca as part of the Tevez deal, Guido Vadala has only 1 goal from 20 games, yet he generally starts from the bench and remains a regular combatant. Di Massimo has settled in superbly, assisting and scoring several through his first couple of months in our colours.
Others further down the field, who have contributed the most to our presently very promising season, are central midfielder Roman Macek (baby Nedved), Pol Lirola at right back, Filippo Romagna and Carlos Blanco in central defence and of course the ever sturdy Audero between the sticks.
Of the loaned players outside of Italy, only Mame Thiam appears of possible potential to make his mark on a serious stage. On a far more upbeat note…Our primavera is probably the strongest set of youngsters I have come across since beginning to follow their fortunes and ranks a handful of years into the past. Romagna, Audero, Favilli, Lirola and Di Massimo I hereby mark as likely to succeed. Hopefully in our colours…
19th Century French Literature Quote of the week…
“Do you know how a man makes his way here? By brilliant genius or by skilful corruption. You must either cut your way through these masses of men like a cannon ball, or steal among them like a plague.” – The terrible and brilliant, Monsieur Vautrin
Classic HipHop
Nice piece mate! Just as we have come to expect from you eh!
Sad to read a big chunk of our youngsters isn’t doing too well. But then again, not all of them can be successes of course. I think our own Primavera should be focused upon, I don’t really expect any of those loanees to ever grace the Juve shirt. How is Cevallos doing by the way? Bouy and Appelt might perhaps return some day, but I don’t really expect this to happen..
I do hope for some homegrown talent to break through in the coming years. We don’t have a particular culture for that, but at least some part of Juve should be homegrown. I hope Audero has left a mark on Allegri’s mind since he is training with the seniors (I think Favilli too, but not sure of that?)
I think Marchisio is our only homegrown player?
Hola comrade…We avoided the option of signing Jose Cevallos when his loan expired in early 2014. He returned to Quito where he has since been slowly progressing with the seniors.
There have long been high hopes for Audero. He is one of a handful of talented keepers we have on the books. Obviously Leali is one most know of and he has been given plenty of practice at Frosinone. As to how much he has improved…I cannot say, yet the fact that he has remained their first choice between the sticks suggests he is offering solid service.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOQK5tvVJGY
Emil has been with the club for 8 years now I believe, has represented Italy from U15 up to U19 level. I am eager to see where we place him next season when he will leave the nest and seek adventure in senior football.
Fiorillo and Pinsoglio are also both well thought of, yet seem destined to be journeyman, makeweights in other deals rather than finding any opportunity at Juve.
With Leali and Audero to ponder, and Buffon showing no signs of his powers diminishing, it perhaps explains why we were not as forceful in pursuing Alisson as Roma, who seems a phenomenal prospect…perhaps he had no interest in moving to Europe unless he had a chance of starting. Which was not going to happen at Juve. We would have found him a loan club…
Its rare at most top sides to see a regular flow of youth to senior for the little ones. Barcelona had an amazing crop at one stage, as did Man United. Other than which Ajax in turn…other than which, I have not seen any side achieving serious success with a team made up largely of players matured from their youth sides.
However, as I mentioned, finally I see in our primavera a group of clearly talented, fast improving players, a handful of which may well find themselves in the senior squad. Also…our U17 (Allievi Nazionali) are top of their league, helped in no small way by Kean’s 19 goals from 19 games…
Oh wow, really? He came in and the way he was announced, you’d think he was the next big thing. But apparently he wasn’t that much of a big deal for Juve.
I wonder who will be entrusted with replacing Buffon once he retires…
Audero? Leali? Someone else?
I don’t expect Neto to be around by then..
Bouy has indeed been doing excellent, got a red card last week i think, but he’s being played in the CB position alot lately. I’m still not sure how to feel about that and if he’s being made into a centreback, we might not need him back anymore. I think we have enough players on that position for years to come. What i am happy about is that he has indeed found a healthy rhythm and is a started at Zwolle pretty much every week. I just hope to see him back in midfield soon, because that’s where he excels.
Also, i love how you even have information about the Eerste Divisie, Jupiler League we call it here xD, i don’t follow that league very accurately, it painfully reminds me of FC Dordrecht, my hometown team who played Eredivisie for the first time in 20 years last season, sinking deep into this second division after playing in the top of it the 3 years before promotion. And i hate the 2nd teams of Ajax and PSV being in it. Anyway, i had no clue we had a Lithuanian player playing at Den Bosch. How do you get this information? One thing i must correct though, you can’t relegate from this league yet, so they’ll never really be in real danger. There are plans for a relegation system between the ”Eerste Divisie” and the ”Topklasse”, which is the highest amateur division, they are going to add a ”Tweede Divisie” as 3rd professional league and some kind of border league between the pro’s and the amateurs. Also some clubs might go bankrupt soon, one of them in particular is in big danger, so things are gonna change big time in Dutch football. Relegation between the professional leagues and amateur leagues should do football in our country good though so these are good plans. I hope i kept that interesting enough xD
Greetings Dutch! Thanks for the education in terms of the league structure of the Netherlands! Your input is most welcome, comrade…
I am pleased with Bouy’s progress. He is still young enough to make a name for himself and it will be instructive to see where we place him in the Summer. When he will be 23 and ripe for returning to Italian football, ideally at a top tier club.
if we leave him in Holland, he may be happier and blossom more steadily. I had seen that he was playing far more often at CB than in his favoured CM role. Which suggests he has physically developed. Perhaps he can be a future Libero!
As for Slivka…he has always seemed an interesting player, physically robust, fierce look in his eye. Represented his country at many levels and has 7 caps to his name in the senior side which at 20 years old is a fine achievement.
Perhaps you could keep an eye out for Slivka and Bouy? Offer us a closer report!
Cheers, TGP
I’ll do my best. I try to read about Bouy on a dutch football news site, every time hoping for people who follow Zwolle to do their say about him, but all you see is Ajax fans complaining that he left them too early and was clearly out for the money. That is the truth ofcourse, but no one ever talks about his progress nor his injury.
Lithuanian players are usually huge strong guys, but not so good at football. Basketball is their sport. Maybe this guy can suprise.
At least that is a clear system, very much opposite to the mess we call the Belgian League 😛
Haha that’s true. Speaking of the Belgian league, Gent had a pretty good run in the CL this year.
Yes indeed, but then again, being mentioned in the same sentence is already an achievement for Gent 😛
They did excellent imo, I didnt expect them to survive the group phase in the first place.
I wish Juve could have drawn them, I could have seen them play live then. Better luck next time..
Same for PSV. Last time a dutch team reached the knock out stage was 2007, also PSV. Ajax qualified for pretty much every season in between and failed. They keep saying how it’s an honour to have these CL teams in the Arena and hope the big international team gives a pretty football show. PSV on the other hand haven’t lost yet in Eindhoven this season in the CL and managed to get out of the group stage. I’m all for them qualifying next season again.
If Juve got that draw against Sevilla we could have drawn either one of these teams.
Has it been that long for a Dutch team? I had no idea they did so bad in the CL. Ajax did get hard pools to play in for as far as I can remember though.
If Juve had been group leader we would be playing Kiev now.. And City would have had Bayern
Yeah that’s true, pretty much every season they’ve had either Barcelona or Real Madrid. And there was a possible match fixing case in their group in the match Lyon – Zagreb where Zagreb gave away free goals so it would end in something like 7-1. That pushed Ajax into 3rd place and Lyon into 2nd. But yes it has been that long. And PSV cannot be written off yet against Atletico Madrid. 0-0 at home.
Kiev would be alot easier but i don’t like my team going there. I thinnk City would have done worse than us.