Finally, the day we’ve all been waiting for all summer is reaching it’s end. We’ve got to witness our old beloved Inter walk out on the old stadium with a new coach and a very fresh team. My first thoughts after the first round of this years Serie A? This might just be good.
Of course, I’m not the one to take out a Scudetto in advance or even glance at Champions League-places, but this was a really really good start for Inter. The first thing I need to point out is the extremely aggressive pressure that Inter’s midfielders and strikers were a able to put on Genoa, which forced them to rash decisions and hasty actions, which in many cases resulted in a bad pass and Inter could once again reclaim possession of the ball. Very impressive and very important, none the less. I would also like to point out how the parts of the team worked together like a football team are to. On the pitch I saw eleven Inter-players, not two strikers, five midfielders and three defenders. Just eleven players who helped each other and carried one another all through the game. We were playing as proper team and I’m sad to say, but I haven’t seen that in a while.
Even though this was a win for a team rather than a single player, I must point out a couple of individuals on the pitch who performed admirably. My man of the match is a tight battle between Ricky Alvarez and Hugo Campagnaro. But in the end, I must give it to Campagnaro. You can tell that he’s been working with Walter Mazzarri before. I don’t recall seeing another central defender run like that since Ivan Cordoba in his absolute prime, if even back then. Fantastic to see a new player make such an effort for the team and I can say without any doubts that Hugo Campagnaro will be one of the most important players for Inter this season. Can you even believe we got him on a free transfer? I think I owe Branca a kiss…
I also must comment on a little detail concerning Ricky Alvarez who performed very well during the preseason and did an excellent match today. But have Ricky been training with the defenders lately? I’m very impressed with his defensive work on the midfield where he manage to win ball after ball and restart the game from a midfield position. Absolutely stunning and a remarkably good performance from Ricky Alvarez and I must declare myself beaten, I’d always thought he’d flop Quaresma-style.
If you look at this team, there is not much discuss anymore. It oozes with skill and quality and a beautiful outlook on the future. With players like Mateo Kovacic, Mauro Icardi, Ishak Belfodil and, although we’ve only got a glimpse of him today, Saphir Taider, we’ll be a very strong team in a few years, maybe not as many years as some might think either.
