The Serie A returned over the weekend but Palermo must have been wishing for some extra time off as the Rosanero once again failed to come home with any points from their travels as they fell 2-1 to Parma at the Tardini. The Rosanero were minutes away from gaining what would have been a valuable point, but instead were done in by a goalkeeping howler by Francesco Benussi that allowed ex-Palermo striker Amauri to claim the game winner.
It wasn’t the way the Rosanero had hoped to get 2013 started, but defeat on the road has become a routine endeavour for this season’s outfit as they remain the only Serie A team without a road victory. With Fabrizio Miccoli unavailable for the match it came as no surprise that the team struggled to finalize the many scoring chances they created, as the need for another goalscorer reared it’s ugly head and prevented the Rosanero from taking any points from the match. Despite a stellar performance from Josip Ilicic (who will miss Sunday’s match at Napoli due to suspension), Paulo Dybala and Franco Brienza failed to shine, with Brienza’s wasted chance in the 88th minute weighing heavily on his performance.
A welcome sight: new signing Andrea Dossena gives the thumbs up after joining Palermo.
It is difficult to be too critical after the defeat as it has been well documented in this Club Focus that the current squad needs a major overhaul in order to climb out of the relegation spots. Despite the arrival of Salvatore Aronica and Anselmo (both of which played on Sunday), further signings are needed in order to give Palermo a chance to battle out of the doldrums they have admittedly created for themselves.With Andrea Dossena signing during the week and Stefano Sorrentino reportedly close to signing, the transfer news has been a welcome source of hope for what has been a poor on-field product to date.
While it is easy to get caught up in the negatives of this squad (and up to this point there have been too many to count), there were two things that hopefully cracked a smile out of even the staunchest of Palermo supporters. Giulio Sanseverino, a Palermo youth team product from the city, made his Serie A debut for the club and did not show his inexperience for the 68 minutes he was on the pitch. Deployed on the left side of the pitch, the 18-year-old midfielder was more successful in containing the pacey Jonathan Biabiany (not easy for a debutant) than he was in creating moves going forward.
For a club that has so often opted to sign and play young foreign players at the expense of home grown youth products, it was a welcome sight to see. While we hope it is a trend that continues as we move along in the season, it is probably that the Rosanero will revert to playing more experienced players in that position given that their precarious position in the standings means they have little room for error.
Budan celebrating the birth of Amber in March 2010 with a goal against Juventus.
However the story that should warm the hearts of Palermo and Serie A fans alike came in the 85th minute when off a cross from Michel Morganella, Igor Budan deposited a header to the left of Antonio Mirante to draw Palermo level at the time. A routine goal, and one that was ultimately fruitless as the Rosanero were only level for a few minutes after.
Instead, you only have to look at the reaction from the Palermo players and bench to realize that it was more than just a goal. Budan lost his 2-year-old daughter Amber over the summer due to a rare form of meningitis (there are an average of 10 cases reported in Italy every year).
Due to form and coaching decisions, Budan’s chances have been limited this season and his goal on Sunday was his first of the season and thus his first chance to dedicate a goal to young Amber. While it is difficult to even begin to imagine what these past few months have meant to Budan, his goal on Sunday and what it meant to him put was something to behold. It put Palermo’s seasons and all the problems that have come with it into perspective, and that is something that is easily forgotten in the day-to-day happenings of this ‘game’ we passionately love. Regardless of how Sunday’s match at Napoli goes or how the rest of the season plays out, the scenes that were on display at Parma on Sunday are moments that no trophies or awards can ever really capture but ones that will leave an indelible mark on me, and hopefully many other Serie A fans.
Follow Adriano Boin on Twitter: @Boin44
