By Myles Palmer
AC Milan have the flair of Seedorf and Rui Costa and Shevchenko.
Juventus are Italian champions with a powerful core of experienced warriors who have been together for seven years.
It will be close.
But remember this : Milan and Juve will not be overawed by the event.
Or by each other.
Each enjoyed a 2-1 home win in Serie A this season.
I first saw Shevchenko play for Kiev against Arsenal at Wembley and I haven’t seen a player as gifted since. Only Ronaldinho is in that class.
Awesome as Shevchenko was,I never dreamed he could emigrate to Milan and finish top scorer in Serie A two years running, scoring 24 and 24.
I didn’t think anybody could come from outside Italy and do that. Newcomers find it very hard, especially up front, so if you are not super-smart, super-skilful and super-tough, you have no chance.
Goalscorers are marked men in Italy and the stoppers are vicious.
Andreij Shevchenko is the best living player never to have played in a World Cup and I would love to see him win this final for Milan.
Against any other team, even Valencia, I would be fairly sure he would win the game.
But here has to get past Thuram, the best defender in the world. And Ferrara and Montero.
And if he beats them to get in a shot or a header, he has to beat Gigi Buffon, the world’s top keeper.
In the semi against Inter, Shev took a lovely pass from Seedorf, held off Cordoba, and buried his shot inside the near post , past Toldo, Italy’s No 2. keeper
That goal demonstrated his explosive power and skill.
That goal showed that he is fit,confident, back on form.
Oddly enough, Shevchenko scored the greatest goal of his scintillating career against Juventus during 2001-2002.
But nobody could score a goal like that twice in a lifetime.
Inzaghi used to play for Juve.
And Davids used to play for Milan, where he broke his leg in a collision with a goalkeeper, I can see it now.
Back in 1996, Davids was in an all-star team that included George Weah, Marco Simone, Roberto Baggio, Desailly,Boban, Savicevic was still there.
Too many egos for a season where Capello had just left for Real Madrid.
New coach Oscar Washington Tabarez was sacked in December, Arrigo Sacchi came back, and the mighty AC Milan finished 11th.
Yes, 11th.
As in : eleventh in a league of 18 teams.
JUVENTUS is a very well run club that never sinks that low.
Today both clubs are very well-run.
The teams are very good. But it’s always worth bearing in mind that the clubs are very good too.
They know what they are doing OFF THE FIELD as well.
Tonight’s spectacle?
Del Piero is important.
He used to be fast and dribble round keepers.
Now he relies on composure, a gift of enonomy, a knack of finding two tiny fragments of time within the 90-minute storm, where something deadly can be done.
Del Piero has won only one of his three finals.He wants another win.
He has become, since his cruciate, the eye of the storm, the assassin who vanishes and comes back to kill.
I wouldn’t wanna be referee Markus Merk when Edgar Davids, the bionic pitbull, clatters into Gennaro Gattuso, the human tank.
Merk has no action replays, only two Mk. 1 human eyeballs, and he is supposed to call every decision correctly.
Enjoy.
Ciao.
27th May 2003
PS
Been busy lately but next week I will collect my thoughts for an ANR season summary.
And write something about transfer prospects.