It’s incredible how quickly momentum shifts.
After losing 3-2 to Serie A surprise Hellas Verona this past weekend, Parma proves that to stay up top, one must stay up top.
As the season began, Parma got off to an incredibly disappointing start.
They had trouble scoring goals, they couldn’t defend and as a result, they had trouble producing many quality results.
In fact, they failed to get one win in their first four matches.
Prospects looked bleak at the Stadio Ennio Tardini.
Then came their game against Atalanta. While Atalanta was not perceived to be any sort of powerhouse, Parma’s lack of goals led many to believe it was a hopeless cause.
A 4-3 goal frenzy ensued, with Parma emerging victorious for the first time this season.
But they weren’t done just yet. The world still perceived the victory as some sort of fluke. It was bound to happen at least once that season.
The next week, traveling to Fiorentina, they managed a 2-2 draw against the mighty Viola.
Excitement had reached a high and the result of occurred the next week when Parma decimated a reeling Sassuolo 3-1.
Cue this week: Parma falls flat and loses against Hellas Verona.
Sadly, this game could have easily gone Parma’s way.
After Hellas Verona’s Fabrizio Cacciatore scored the opening goal in the ninth minute, Parma took the next two.
Marco Parolo got the first goal for the Crociati in the 19th minute, followed shortly from a goal by Antonio Cassano in the 25th minute.
Parma could have easily increased the lead to 3-1, but defender Alessandro Lucarelli had his header ricochet off of the crossbar.
With the onset of the second half, Parma saw their lead evaporate before their eyes. And worse yet, it was of their own doing.
First, Hellas Verona striker Luca Toni was brought down inside the penalty area by Mattia Cassani.
Jorginho took the penalty and evened the score at 2-2.
In the 88th minute, Jorginho was given the opportunity to take another penalty as he was fouled by Marco Marchionni.
He didn’t disappoint and, in the end, Hellas Verona walked away with the 3-2 victory off of the heels of Jorginho’s two penalty kicks.
Parma leaves the match still searching for their first away victory of the season.
However, despite the loss, there were positives.
The days of a goal-scoring drought appear to be over. After struggling to score goals at the beginning of the season, things have picked up. And, even in a loss, they still managed to strike twice.
Also, this is the Hellas Verona team that knocked off AC Milan to open the season. Parma put up one heck of a fight against a team that currently sits fourth on the tables.
If Parma wants to improve, they need to figure out how to hold on to leads.
They could have beaten Hellas Verona — owning the lead for most of the game and the two teams being pretty much even in most statistical areas.
Hellas Verona is impressive, but not that impressive.
Perhaps most unfortunately, this is Parma’s last real chance to get a solid win before beginning an absolutely grueling part of the season.
This week, they host AC Milan. After that, they get a brief rest traveling to bottom feeder Genoa, before taking on Juventus, Lazio and Napoli in subsequent weeks.
Ultimately, Parma’s handling of adversity will go a long way toward determining how they finish on the year. These next few weeks are crucial if Parma hopes to improve on their 10th place finish last season.
