Filed under: Players, Serie A | Tags: Antonio Cassano, derby, Derby della Laterna, Genoa, Sampdoria
I have heard a lot about Antonio Cassano’s brilliant play for Sampdoria this season. I’ve read a lot about it, too. I have seen the choppy, blurry YouTube highlights of his many goals, his many near goals, and his many set-ups. But due to my reliance on TLN for Italian soccer coverage, I had not seen Cassano play an entire game until this morning, when I watched Samp take on their derby rivals Genoa.
The jewel of Old Bari was by far the best player on the pitch in the Blucerchiati’s 1-0 win, delivering several magnificent through balls, including one that followed a wicked spin deke in midfield. He set up the game-winning goal by dribbling around two defenders and curling a perfect back-post cross to goalscorer Christian Maggio. When the ref blew the final whistle to end the match, Cassano, who was substituted in the final minutes, dumped a bottle of water onto the head of Samp manager and Dustin Hoffman lookalike Walter Mazzarri to celebrate.
Cassano is occasionally known by the nickname Peter Pan, due to his seeming inability to grow up. (A nickname less commonly used in the media but probably more commonly used among fans is “Whiny Bitch.”) Though his immaculate skills shone in today’s Derby della Lanterna, the immaturity and petulance that makes him one of the most despised players in the game today was also on full display. He yapped at the official incessantly, drawing a yellow card for arguing in the 26th minute. On several occasions, he went to ground without provocation, clutching his face like he’d taken a punch from Joe Frazier.
Despite all this, Cassano seems to have found a home with his new club (although it should be remembered he’s still on load from Real Madrid). The club, including Mazzarri, seems willing to put up with Peter Pan’s antics so long as he leads them to victory, and hopefully, a UEFA Cup spot. Cassano, for his part, is at his best when he doesn’t have to share the spotlight. Unfortunately, like a child, sometimes he doesn’t seem to care whether the attention he gets is good or bad.
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