The 28 year old Honduran striker was one of Inter’s many purchases before the end of the August transfer period for 2007. And by all accounts, he has proved to be one of the better investments by Inter president Massimo Morratti.
The genuine motive behind Inter’s surprise move for a fifth high ranking striker is a bit blurred. No one is doubting Suazo’s impact in Serie A, yet the controversy surrounding his signing plays well into the mindgames and politics between the Inter and Milan clubs. There was a tug-of-war going on for Suazo between the two Milan clubs. Inter being the first to claim his services, then Milan, and eventually Suazo was unveiled in the Inter jersey after heavy media coverage. With the departure of Andriy Shevchenko to Chelsea and Alberto Gilardino not being able to deliver on a consistent basis, Milan’s only established goal scorer was in the form of Pippo Inzaghi. But at 34 years of age, Inzaghi cannot be charged with a full campaign consisting of Serie A, Champions League, Coppa Italia, and the Club World Cup. Using Kaka as an out and out striker did have some success, but few people will disagree that Kaka is best utilized running at defenders from a deeper position. Milan needed David Suazo much more than Inter did. And with a minimal 10 million Euro price tag, Suazo’s transfer can easily be seen as the most important internal transfer in Serie A.
In Cagliari, Suazo had two seasons in Serie B due to relegation but continued to produce the goals. Promotion back to Serie A also saw the arrival of Gianfranco Zola. Truly a great player with a world class reputation. Make no mistake about it; having a great player such as Zola within your team ranks can greatly improve player development. Zola himself was privileged enough to play alongside Diego Maradonna at Napoli when he first began his career in Serie A and to this very day admits he learned everything from the Argentine. The learning circle continues as Suazo scored 43 goals in Cagliari within Serie A, with a large chunk of goals coming from the creative genius of Zola. Suazo is not only a certified finisher of exceptional quality but he has also been educated in Italian soccer with a prestigious teacher in Zola.
Currently, the 2007/2008 season has seen Inter score 48 goals. Unfortunately for Suazo, the combination of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Julio Cruz have accounted for 24 of the 48 (Ibrahimovic claiming 14 and Cruz with 10) and has limited his playing time. Suazo has still made the most of his opportunities in both Serie A and the Champions league, netting goals in both competitions. On Saturday, Suazo scored a brace to beat Livorno 2-0 as Crespo and himself partnered up to rest Ibrahimovic and Cruz ahead of the Champions League tie against Liverpool. Inter’s ability to field two proven and effective pairs of strikers are the reason they are in first place in Serie A with 59 points (9 ahead of second place Roma, and 21 points ahead of fourth place Milan) and why they are favoured to take this year’s Champions League title. The arsenal of offence available for Coach Roberto Mancini is allowing him to keep his strikers rested, healthy, and hungry. With a world class midfield, strong and fearless defenders, and the goaltender that is Julio Cesar, Inter are finally becoming the team they’ve always wanted to be.
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the back four 
The depth and skill of today’s team is outstanding—ridiculous, actually. If the team was split in half, I think the two sides would finish 1-2 in the championship.I wonder—me and you are way too young to know the answer to this question—how the current squad compares to the famous Grande Inter team of the 1960s. They come up again and again in John Foot’s essential English-language tome on Italian soccer, Calcio.
Comment by il mediano February 17, 2008 @ 10:17 pmThat is a good question.
Comment by terzatempo February 18, 2008 @ 12:20 pmI don’t really know the answer to that, but I will look into it. It is important to remember the great teams of the past, but with soccer continually evolving I can’t help but think if the comparisons are even relevant anymore. I know people who remember those teams will kill me for saying that, but do you think the level of competition is the same as it was in the 1960s?