I have been waiting all day for Rai to release some darned pictures or something. They gave us the show - and yet are refusing to cough up any pics from it. Perhaps they'll have some later.

MOVIES!! Interview with Malesani and Amoroso + game action. General report (game action) Thanks Rai!! :))

Well this was a pleasant enough couple hours (unscrambled) viewing! The rain was chucking it down in the Valle D'Aosta, but there was a decent crowd and the teams did their best to entertain.

We kicked off with 45 minutes of PARMA v NAPOLI. (I thought there was to be a "halftime", but didn't turn out that way). Our team lined up as follows:

PARMA (3-4-1-2): Guardalben, Sartor, Baggio, P.Cannavaro, Fuser, Lamouchi, Appiah, Benarrivo (Falsini 31), Montano, Di Vaio, Amoroso. Coach: Malesani

It really was a comfortable game for us and we came out 3-0 winners. (Amoroso 21, 33 (pen); Di Vaio 43). Also, of course, it was a chance to see how some of the "lesser" squad members would perform, as we were still without Cannavaro, Thuram, Micoud, Ortega, Almeyda, Conceicao - and the still slightly injured Boghossian, Torrisi and Buffon. The boys didn't do bad! Fab's brother and Dino were actually quite excellent in defence - Paolo showing much of his brother's athleticism and keenness. Sartor was solid - Fuser too. Appiah seemed pretty useful - but I cannot say I think the same about Lamouchi. I have read favourable reports - but I can't say I was all that taken with him. Benarrivo was his usual energetic self. Montano looked improved and more confident. Di Vaio looked the same (!) and Amorose also - although he had a determination written over his face which wasn't visible last season. I really think he wants to do well - which, of course, means doing his best.

So, comfy, comfy winners and 3 points to us!! Napoli looked rather a bedraggled outfit and I think they are going to take a bit of a battering in Serie A. Certainly they could do with Benito Carbone.

Next up was INTER v NAPOLI. Of course, Inter were also without many of their big boys - but Napoli "played for penalties" from the outset. Well, they got their wish - but were narrowly beaten.

INTER 7-8 NAPOLI (after penalties)
Scorers: Pirlo, Cauet, Bogani, Domoraud, Brocchi, Biakolo, Ferrari, Serena (Inter); Magoni, Amoruso, Paquito, Bellucci, Pecchia, Jankulovski, Russo (Napoli)

So, 2 points to Inter; 1 point to Napoli.

PARMA v INTER

This was how we played the 45 minutes:

PARMA (3-4-1-2): Micillo, Benarrivo, Baggio, P.Cannavaro, Strada (Saccani 37), Lamouchi, Appiah (D'Imporzano 39), Falsini (Sartor 35), Maini, Di Vaio, Bonazzoli. Coach. Malesani

I have to say that it was a very strange mix of old and new!! After only 3 minutes, Micillo made a blunder which saw him pass the ball to Pirlo, who crossed and found Biakolo (wondered who it was!) who could not miss. Oops! But we ploughed on - really very well. It was a surprise to see Strada on the field - but he performed well. Maini I never did see the point in - and I'm afraid that I can't enthuse about Falsini either. I cannot see how he can possibly be better than Vanoli. Unfortunately for him, he dislocated his shoulder towards the end of the game. Poor bloke! They were trying to straighten it out but failed dismally. Nice close-ups we had - and it looked, at one stage, like Falsini had fainted!! Bonazzoli I don't get either! He has a nice hairband and is built rather like Pips (skinny) but he seemed very ineffectual to me. Saccani and D'Imporzano I cannot comment on, because I don't think I noticed them for the few minutes they were on the pitch. Anyway, Di Vaio equalised on 40 minutes, with a really nice loop over the goalie - and that's how it remained. Our trophy!! (No need for penalties, because the worst we could've done would've been to lose to Inter - then we would've had 4 points each - but Parma having won a game, would've won the trophy. Get it?!? :))

It would've been nice to have seen Beni lifting *a trophy*, but unfortunately, Rai took it into their heads not to bother to show that!! Apart from the trophy, a good team spirit was shown tonight and things look promising for a good season.

Official Site Report

PARMA TRIUMPH OVER INTER AND NAPOLI

Alberto Malesani declared himself "satisfied" with his side's triumph in the Valle D'Aosta Trophy - a triangular tournament also contested by Inter and Napoli. "We only begun pre-season training a week ago, and the side did pretty much what I asked of them," he added.
Despite the recent departure of Hernan Crespo, Parma would appear to have few problems up front at this stage. Of the total of five goals scored across all three matches, four of them belonged to Parma. Both Marcio Amoroso and Marco Di Vaio claimed a brace, the former being voted the player of the tournament, the latter scoring the all-important equaliser against Inter.

Parma got off to a flying start with a 3-0 victory over Serie A newcomers Napoli. First Diego Fuser put Amoroso through, and the Brazilian made no mistake. Neither did he err from the penalty spot for Parma's second. Finally, it was left to Marco Di Vaio to clear up, with just seconds on the clock and Inter already on the edge of the pitch waiting to come on to face Napoli.

That encounter went to a remarkable 19-penalty shootout, which finally saw Inter triumph 8-7, leaving Napoli officially third in the three-horse race. There was everything to play for in the third and last match of the evening, with Inter and Parma battling it out for the tournament title. Inter took the lead through Biakolo, but their supremacy wasn't to last, and Di Vaio's equaliser assured Parma of victory.

"It was important to get off to a good start," concluded Malesani. "But it's misplaced to talk about us having got revenge on Inter for the Champions League play-off. We'll get to see the real football - and the real Parma for that matter - later on." Either way, there is no harm in getting off to a good start.