On a selfish note, allow me to divulge into the gravitational connectedness between my wife and I and this Coppa Italia final. Regardless of the outcome on Wednesday, it is still a good day in our household – because it is our anniversary. The best gifts in the world will already be given to me, but I’m not austere enough to not enjoy some more indulgence in Atalanta’s first trophy since Bob Dylan ditched his acoustic guitar.
But that’s not it. The last time Atalanta and Juventus met in the Coppa Italia final, my wife and I were on our honeymoon in the football crazy town of Istanbul. I still remember watching the match on this little rinky dink television at this loaded baked potatoes and waffle restaurant (insanely good btw, I’ll find the name if you happen to be in Turkey) that was right next to our AirBNB. I don’t recall how I even communicated with the guy to find the match on TV, but there we were, sitting on plastic chairs and petting the street cats as they strolled by, celebrating Ruslan Malinovskyi’s first half strike. But then only to be left disappointed by a second half Juventus surge.
This time is bound to be different three years later, right? Let’s just hope there’s no Paramount Plus curse.
Times are crazy when Atalanta is actually favored in a match against the Old Lady. More so for one that isn’t within the friendly confines of the Gewiss Stadium. Take a step back, and you can peer into the mind of a bettor and understand why the lines are falling in Atalanta’s favor. Asides the fact that Atalanta is a strong team on paper, they’re going against a Juventus squad that hasn’t won a match since April, has won twice since March, and having locked up Champion’s League football comfortably hasn’t played a meaningful match in quite sometime. I don’t have to remind you of the pure adrenaline rush Atalanta has faced since the March international break. No sleep ’till Brooklyn, or in this case Dublin. Atalanta’s schedule has been the equivalent of that Free Solo dude climbing up mountains without harnesses – adrenaline junkie schedule, and we’ve been rewarded for it.
Now we just need it to last eight more days.
Atalanta’s biggest setback will undoubtedly be the absence of yellow card magnet Gianluca Scamacca. I don’t even remember the foul that forced his suspension against Fiorentina, but all I do know is that it was likely unwarranted and probably a result of referees assuming the worst from the firey striker. Its a large blow for Atalanta to be without one of its brightest second half options, but maybe its also not the worst thing.
Assume Scamacca starts, he gets paired up against Bremer who unleashes every ounce of muscle in his body to stop him. We’ve seen the same when Duvan Zapata was paired against Bremer, and the refs always seem to let two big bodied guys get away with things that would be considered assault against guys with the body type of Nicolo Cambiaghi or Barella. Or Ademola Lookman for that matter. Perhaps its better to have runners just going down the throat of Juventus’s defense? Danilo is out, so Juventus is already not at full strength at the back. So throw Teun Koopmeiners, Lookman, Charles de Ketelaere, and even upstart El Bilal Toure at the back line to see what magic they can all conjure up together. Keep the game moving, and don’t get caught in a static target man isolation effort. This is not to say that Scamacca shouldn’t have started, no one can change a game instantly like him, but the situation isn’t dire for Dea. The wealth of attacking options has been of envy all year, and we’re finally seeing it all come together these last few weeks.
As thin as always everywhere else on the pitch, there’s no rest for the weary behind the front three, and the A squad also has to be the B squad in most situations. Maybe Mario Pasalic makes a sneaky appearance somewhere, but don’t mess with the recent formula that has worked. Goalkeeper is probably debatable, and maybe Gasperini chooses the veteran to avoid the howler that Carnesecchi can be predisposed to. Regardless, its a lineup capable of taking home hardware. Now they have to go execute.
Do or die with hardware on the line. Clubs like Atalanta aren’t supposed to be mentioned in that breath. But time and time again, Atalanta and Gian Piero Gasperini prove the doubters wrong, demonstrating alternative ways to develop teams that don’t rely on high wage bills and transfer fees. A piece of silverware alone won’t make this era a memorable one, but it is damn sure validation that the process put in place in Bergamo is the right one. The team and city deserve it, so let’s continue to make this May one of the greatest months in the club’s history. We can do it, Dai! And as always, Forza Atalanta!
