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The crew from CurvAmerica – a Giallorossi-focused podcast – are put on the spot with three topical football questions…
The Roma Question: Who is Napoli’s most underrated player?
Marco Ciarla / @CurvAmerica: “With all the attention going to Napoli's record-setting attack this season, its easy to overlook the players outside the front five for the Partenopei. In particular, podcast favorite Faouzi Ghoulam, aka "Gollum", has been an absolute monster (no pun intended). The slinky Algerian often starts the attacks from the back, and helps finish them by dishing out dimes with that precious left foot.”
Chris Ross / @CurvAmerica: “Napoli's midfield and attack highlights bring me as much joy as a new Curb Your Enthusiasm episode each week, which is to say those players are pretty good! In terms of most underrated, it's the defence, which has allowed only five goals in Serie A competition so far. Credit to the beautiful bald man in the back - Pepe Reina. The transfer rumors of him going to PSG as Serie A opened would've been an enormous blow to a promising Napoli campaign.”
Tad Burns / @CurvAmerica: “The drone used by Sarri in training sessions. I'm not exactly sure of his name, but he has some of the best field vision in the entire Serie A. It seems he sees the game from a loftier position and can anticipate where and when his teammates will be. It should be a household name but it doesn't get enough respect. And Jorginho for all of the above reasons.”
The Serie A Question: Which Serie A signing is looking like the best buy of the summer so far?
Marco Ciarla: “Inter fortified their defence by bringing in young Milan Skriniar, a 6'2" Slovakian man-child, recently nicknamed ‘La Diga’ ('The Dam'). Since his arrival, the Nerazzurri boast the best defence in Serie A. I'd say that's pretty good.”
Chris Ross: “We have joked on the podcast that Milan spent Neymar-level money on an entirely new starting line-up. PSG got one player for $250 million, Milan got 11. And they keep spending! So take your pick from the Rossoneri – Franck Kessie is a good one. I'm excited about the fact that Milan's moves got the soccer world excited about Serie A as a whole. Let's bring it back to the glory days of the early 1990s - Friends being back on TV, grunge music, and Serie A!”
Tad Burns: “Even though he isn't open to good transfer video ideas and used to play for OTFR (“Other Team from Rome”), I have to go with Aleksandar Kolarov. Maybe it is because we have the best left back in the Serie A for a steal, or maybe it's because he looks like deceased Beastie Boy Adam "MCA" Yauch lives on as a tattooed, angry Eastern European soccer player. I can't decide.”
The General Football Question: Aside from Totti, whose retirement is most notable/saddening this year?
Marco Ciarla: “Here at CurvAmerica, our goal is to be the voice of the American Serie A fan, and we try to stay unbiased as much as we can. But there is no hiding that we are Roma fans through and through, and therefore, will be sad about Francesco's retirement for the next five years. There is none aside from Totti, Totti is everything. C'è solo un Capitano!”
Chris Ross: “I am immersed in Netflix's Gomorrah series, which takes place in Napoli - so I reserve judgment on whose ‘retirement’ will be the most notable this year. But in all seriousness, seeing Pirlo hanging them up here in the US with NYCFC after an amazing career in Serie A and with the Azzurri is definitely notable. As a New York metro-area native, it feels like the city will be a little less Italian without him playing in the Bronx. Godspeed Maestro.”
Tad Burns: “The twelfth Antonio Cassano retirement was particularly brutal for me. I really thought he wasn't going to stay retired this time, but the world is a dark and cruel place. I remember eating a lot of ice cream in bed, gaining and losing massive amounts of weight, fits of uncontrollable crying and late night existential phone conversations with Marco and Chris. Buffon will be a tough one too.”
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