Different paths to goal

Lippi's Juve, Cuper's Inter in the best Italian tradition

If the game we love were like boxing or figure skating the quarterfinals of the Champions League would look somewhat different.

If the winner were decided on style points or punches landed, Valencia -- not Inter Milan -- would be taking on AC Milan next week. You could also make the argument that Barcelona, rather than Juventus, would be squaring off against Real Madrid in the other semifinal.

But the game doesn't work that way. The only stat that matters is goals, which is why reaction in some of the Spanish press which said that "Inter was the death of football" and that "Juve was lucky and undeserving" is rather moot.

Good fortune and fate have their place in soccer. And thank goodness for that. What is important is remembering not to place undue importance on results. Just because Inter knocked Valencia out of the competition does not mean Inter is a better team. Same goes for Juventus.

There¹s a danger in drawing generalizations. The fact that, after three years of underachievement, three of the four Champions League semifinalists hail from Italy does not mean Serie A is, once again, the dominant league in Europe.

Rather, looking at the individual performances of the four semifinalists offers an understanding of how their season developed and why they got this far.

Acres of press have been devoted to Real Madrid. Coach Vicente Del Bosque can rely on an array of attacking talent unmatched in decades. And Real always goes out to entertain, sometimes at its own peril.

It's no coincidence that Real has been beaten by Roma and Milan in this competition and that it has dropped points to the likes of Genk and Lokomotiv Moscow -- in fact, had it not been for an incredible last second miss in Moscow, Real would have gone out in the second group stage.

That¹s the price you pay for entertaining, rather than shutting down opponents. It nearly paid dearly at Old Trafford as well: with Real 2-1 up (5-2 on aggregate) the side started messing around with backheels and flicks and Manchester United stormed back to win 4-3.

On the one hand, it's a dangerous game to play, on the other Real Madrid is all about entertainment and, from a fan's perspective, it's wonderful to watch.

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Juventus presents a stark contrast. Marcello Lippi's side is all about efficiency and maximum reward with minimum effort. The criticism Juve received at the Camp Nou was excessive: until Edgar Davids' sending off it had actually taken more shots on goal than Barcelona. But there is no question that Juventus aims to control the midfield, seal off the back and rely on getting the ball forward quickly when it wins possession.

Describing its style as negative is unfair. When fully fit, Juve's front four of Alex Del Piero, David Trezeguet, Mauro Camoranesi and Pavel Nedved can hold their own against anyone. But, by and large, the team does rely on physical strength and quickness rather than artistry.

In some ways, AC Milan are a less smooth version of Real Madrid. Coach Carlo Ancelotti, largely to accomodate his many stars, has cobbled together a system based on possession and short-passing which, on paper, is ideally suited to the skills of Andrea Pirlo, Manuel Rui Costa, Serginho and Rivaldo.

The problem is that when you play this way you will always struggle to make inroads against opponents who shut up shop at the back, as Real has also been finding out this year. The creation of chances rests upon the ability of individuals in tight spaces and one is perpetually vulnerable to the counterattack. The upside, of course, is that, when it works, it¹s a joy to behold.

Inter, by contrast, can be diabolical to watch. Hector Cuper's strategy is simple: two banks of four defending the goal, Alvaro Recoba floating in space between three opponents and Christian Vieri up front, waiting for long balls from the back.

Only Vieri's superhuman efforts this season, coupled with the occasional sterling performance from goalkeeper Francesco Toldo (such as the Valencia match) have kept Inter afloat.

The frustrating thing is that there is quality in Inter's midfield in the form of Emre Belozoglu and Sergio Conceicao, but Cuper's ultra-conservative tactics seem to stifle them. Hernan Crespo will replace the injured Vieri in the semifinals, but the game plan won't change.

The four semifinalists' differing styles prove that, far from becoming more homogenous, the game offers different routes to success. As Nicolo Machiavelli wrote: "Each one aims to reach the goal by a different path."

Given the presence of Inter and Juventus in the semifinals it seems only fitting to cite Machiavelli, whose other famous quotation, of course, is: "The End justifies the Means."

GOOD WEEK/BAD WEEK

GOOD WEEK: Bayern Munich, who wrapped up its 18th Bundesliga title last weekend, thereby lessening the blow of its shock Champions League first round exit. Ottmar Hitzfeld did an excellent job at keeping things under control following the trauma last fall and the team responded brilliantly winning the league by a huge margin.

BAD WEEK: Leeds United, who, just two years after reaching the Champions League semifinal, is in serious danger of relegation or even bankruptcy. The club is groaning under a mountain of debt, virtually everyone is for sale and former chairman Peter Ridsdale, who used to be a media darling, is now about as popular as syphillis.

GOOD WEEK: Juventus, who all but locked up the Serie A title, beating Brescia 2-1 while second-place Inter Milan was held to a draw by Lazio.a A big chunk of the credit must go to coach Marcello Lippi, who kept the club on course despite a ravaged frontline: Alex Del Piero and David Trezeguet both had long injury spells, Marco Di Vaio endured his worst season in recent memory and Marcelo Salas was AWOL, both mentally and physically.

BAD WEEK: UEFA, who punished England with a paltry US$110,000 for the behavior of its fans in the European qualifier with Turkey last month. The Turkish players were subjected to xenohobic abuse throughout the match and, at one point, there was a pitch invasion which saw defender Alpay Ozalan attacked by fans. Considering that Slovakia was forced by UEFA to play its next international behind closed doors after England complained that some of its players had been subjected to racist abuse last January, it makes you wonder about double standards in the game: one for small, East European nations, the other for rich, Western ones who would be hit hard at the box office if they had to play in empty stadiums.

 

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