Juventus Primavera update 7th December 2014

By tdf, December 7, 2014

Primavera Coppa – Juventus v Livorno

Our opponents were sitting pretty in the top five of League C of the U19s and in half decent form. With our own domestic progress this term haphazard, already out of the UEFA Youth League with one game still to play, it was hoped that we could begin to salvage some pride and build up momentum heading into the festive period.

Audero

Roussos Blanco Parodi De Biasi

Macek Vitali Sakor

Donis

Clemenza (Buenacasa 15′) Marzouk

(4-3-1-2)

Roussos opened the scoring with a solid strike from the edge of the box in the 15th minute. Yet we were pegged back to 1-1,  conceding after a midfield scramble with 23 minutes on the clock. It was than man again, Roussos, who doubled the lead in the 33′. Unfortunately before the first period ended, we conceded yet again, to head into the break drawn at 2-2.

The second half was a more cagey affair, the winner arriving from the nimble feet of Luca Clemenza ten minutes from time. We must wait until later in December to find out our opponents in the quarter-finals, as other games were postponed.

Scorers – Roussos 15′ and 33′, Clemenza 80′.

Final score 3-2

Primavera League Juventus v Modena

Aiming to make it four wins on the bounce in the league campaign, Grosso lined his young starlets up against lowly Modena as follows-

Audero (c)

Mestre Varga Blanco De Biasi (Coccolo 68′)

Muratore Vitali Sakor

Clemenza

Marzouk (Soumah 55′) Buenacasa (Morselli 90′)

4-3-1-2

Scorers – Varga 64′ and Sakor 70′

The win was an important one as it maintained our improving league form and kept us hanging onto the coat tails of Spezia and Torino on 27 points in 2nd and 3rd respectively and league leaders Fiorentina on 29 points. We sit in 4th with 22 points from 11, having won 7, drawn once and lost 3, yet importantly we have a game in hand on all teams above us.

And so onto our loaned and co-owned contingent, briefly but usefully…

After a hellish ACL injury suffered in 2013 and ill-fated stint earlier this year in the bundesliga at Hamburg, dutch flair merchant Ouasim Bouy finally seems to have regained his form and fitness in Greece. Where he has been on loan at Panathinaikos since the summer.

Having made his european bow in the Europa League, Ouasim has moved, of late, from bit-part player in the league to a regular member of the first XI. He started and played well in the recent 0-1 victory against Panaitolikos which lifted his side to a promising 3rd spot in the table. Still only 21 years old, the attacking midfielder appears to be making solid progress, which if continued, could land him a loan deal back home in Italy, a step closer to the Juve senior squad.

Another midfielder (also 21) whom I have kept my eye upon since his signing for Juve two years ago is Gabriel Appelt, who this season, has been doing his best to avoid injury and develop his talents at Pescara. Whilst more defensively minded than Bouy, the Brazilian regista appears to also be finding his feet at senior level at the Serie B outfit. A first team regular, Gabriel has made 15 appearances for Pescara this term, all of which were first XI starts other than when returning from a brief injury. His side sit in 13th, 5 points of the play-off positions.

Appelt played the whole match in Pescara’s impressive 0-4 drubbing of Pro Vercelli.

Mercato Matters

With Barzagli seemingly close to becoming a perpetual sick ward patient, and Caceres also sidelined of late, it comes as no surprise that rumours abound regarding our stake in Empoli and Italy U21 centre-back Daniele Rugani. The defender has earned rave reviews this term as his newly promoted club have held their own in Serie A. At just 20 years of age, the stopper seems more likely than not to remain at Empoli until the Summer as apparently, such things were discussed and agreed prior to the start of this current campaign. Which is probably for the best, for given our recent change to a flat back four, he is unlikely to find much playing time when challenging the likes of Bonucci and Chiellini, with Caceres to soon return from injury.

Unfortunate news arrives from the press vis-a-vis croatian hitman Kramaric, with Chelsea and Leicester hot on his signature and both sides prepared to pay a transfer figure a few million higher than what Beppe and Paratici have earmarked. 8m is the rumoured fee. Which seems crazy for a player yet to prove himself in even a half decent league.

On a more positive note, we are close to signing – if di marzio and other sources are to be given credence – colombian winger Andrés Felipe Muñoz Tello. The youngster, compared by some to Fiorentina star Cuadrado, has been ear-marked for success and a move to Juve now appears on the horizon, after starring this season for Colombian side Envigado. The 18 year old is said to be the focus of a potential 1.2m move from Juve, after which he would either join our primavera in January or be loaned to Cagliari. However, a problem may arise from connections between Envigado owners and drug cartels…