Juve Youth Update January 18th 2015

By tdf, January 18, 2015

U19

The primavera have endured a haphazard season to date, with a constantly changing first XI and boss Fabio Grosso still learning on the job. Our latest outing was a home tie against rock bottom in the league Varese. Which we won 4-3. After racing to a 2-0 lead, the perennially prone to injury Captain Romagna was removed for Varga as we conceded for 2-1. With Parodi minutes after obliging the opposition by scoring a bizarre own goal for 2-2 at the break. Marzouk scored a blinder to put us back in the lead, before a swift counter again drew us level for 3-3. Thankfully, the player who seemed at home with the seniors during pre-season, Mattia Vitale, grabbed the winner in the dying minutes. Audero made a decisive save in the final seconds to ensure the victory.

Juvenuts (4-3-1-2): Audero, Roussos, Coccolo, Parodi, Romagna (Varga), Vitale, Muratore, Kastanos, Clemenza, Buenacasa(Sakor), Bnou-Marzouk(Udoh).

SUBS- Vitali, De Biasi, Sakor, Varga, Hromada, Mestre, Macek, Soumah, Udoh

Scorers- Marzouk 2,  Clemenza, Vitale

The result places us in 4th spot on 26 points, one point behind Spezia who we play in the next round on January 24th.

Loaned/ Co-owned-

Former primavera target man Stefano Padovan grabbed his first of the season for Crotone, coming on late on to score a consolation as his side went down 2-1 away to Ternana (Masi seems injured). Having barely featured for the relegation favourites, let us hope the goal leads to more minutes on the field.

Andrea Schiavone’s 7th minute strike was enough to see Modena earn a point away to basement dwellers Citadella. The Italy U21 defensive midfielder has been a mainstay in the first XI all season, the goal his third for the campaign. Carlos Pinsoglio, their number one between the sticks also played well. Only 3 points away from the play-offs, Modena are presently 12th in the table. Also at the club is Stefano Beltrame, who has played regularly from the bench, yet is still to reproduce his brilliant primavera form at senior level.

25 year old Christian Pasquato scored his 5th and 6th goals for Pescara in their 2-4 away victory over Trapani. It is warming to see a player who has long been talked off as hugely talented finding his rhythm and the net albeit in the second tier. Strange to still find him on our books, yet perhaps the Juve management has retained hope that our investment will come good in time.

His former team-mate at Pescara, Brazilian midfield maestro Gabriel Appelt has moved to Livorno on loan for the remainder of the season.

Swiss U21 international right back Joel Untersee continues to impress for FC Vaduz. Already a first team regular, the 20 year old is progressing nicely this season and could well be considered for a return to Italy in the Summer if he continues to impress for club and country.

Over in Holland, Elvis Kabashi and Edoardo Ceria played from the start in Den Bosch’s creditable 1-1 home draw with Sparta Rotterdam. Young defender Fillipo Penna continued his journey back into the first XI after been out for a couple of months injured, by making a sturdy appearance in the second half. All three of the players are developing well and once Penna is fully fit, I expect to see them all working hard to help their side move up the table of the Dutch second division, where they currently sit in 12th position.

Returning to the Appenine peninsula…

It is easy to forget that Domenico Berardi is only 20 years old. His startling – outstanding in patches – form last season for his debut campaign in Serie A was noted by many. And there were calls for the club to buy out his remaining 50% in the Summer and bring him into the Piedmont fold. Some called into question his discipline, whilst others bemoaned the apparent lack of substance and ambition by Beppe Marrotta when the player remained at Sassuolo, the team he had helped reach the top level in Italy.

What many failed to either understand or accept was that the player himself clearly stated that his preference was to stay at Sassuolo. Perhaps he felt that he would develop more fruitfully playing more regularly for the Emila-Romagna outfit. Maybe he felt he owed them something. Regardless of the reasoning, Domenico wanted to stay. And Juve respected his wishes.

After consolidating their place in Serie A after their maiden campaign in the top flight by the skin of their collective fangs, Sassuolo have improved and are well worth their 11th position in the table, one below AC Milan. With 3 goals and 9 assist from 16 games, Berardi has continued to excel. He is maturing. Second on the goalscoring list for his club, by far their chief creator and clearly their finest passer of the ball in the final third. Whilst disciplinary issues remain, the rest of his game is becoming too consistently potent for Juve to fail to bring him into the ranks in the Summer.

His Whoscored.com ratings are very encouraging…Second highest assists in the league with an average 7.17 match score. His passing is already consistently sublime. If he can improve his decision making and finishing, he could become a globally recognized star.

Alongside him at Sassuolo, Simone Zaza is another player in whom we have a stake, albeit, a buy-out clause (16m this Summer, 18m the next), who has been maturing and staking a serious claim for a role in our squad.

Weighing in with 8 goals from 13 starts, there has been talk of Juve taking up the 16m option this month during the winter mercato window. Simone seems a pure prima punta in the Vialli mould. Physical, unerring when striking for goal with an eye for space in prime positions. Presently in such an area we have Llorente and Morata, both of whom offer different options and skill-sets. It appears that Giovinco is set to remain at the club, let his contract wind down and move on a free in the Summer. If that situation were to change, I suspect we would move for Zaza. For his physicality, directness and finishing talents would be most welcome.

Lastly, but not leastly, Genoa’s 21 year old midfield dynamo Stefano Sturaro is rumoured to be on his way to Turin in the coming days. The player we signed for 5.5mEU last Summer, has been on loan at high flying in 7th Genoa. The Italy U21 defensive midfielder has played a major part in his side’s assault on the top half of Serie A. As with Zaza, he represents something we presently lack in the squad; a powerful anchorman naturally eager to break up opposition attacks and move the play forward.

Having played a system which involves Pirlo as the fulcrum of the midfield and side as a whole for several seasons, it makes sense to plan for the future to consider a natural monster in front of the defence. If we were to make our move for Sturaro this month, it would surely suggest a move to a 4-3-3 formation. For at best, we can call Sturaro a cultured Gattusso.

I was lying when I wrote ‘Lastly’ for surely a quick mention of Daniele Rugani is warranted. After yesterday’s draw with Inter, Empoli occupy a commendable 14th. The 20 year old stopper has played in every Serie A fixture this season. And what astonishes me, is that he is yet to receive a yellow card…Comfortable on the ball, majestic in aerial duels, Rugani appears a phenomenal talent. Surely a definite purchase in the Summer.