:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44252314/459751372.0.jpg)
Andrea Pirlo, man.
I seriously sat here in my recliner for about 10 minutes trying to think of a better way to start this thing. But that first sentence above seems like the only appropriate thing to write right now. Just "Andrea Pirlo, man." I don't really know what else to say after such a ridiculous ending in a game that looked destined to finish 1-1 and leave us all frustrated to all hell.
It was the ultimate snatch-and-grab. Juventus just stole a win right when Toro thought they were getting a point away from home. Everybody thought it was going to be a draw. Andrea Pirlo, still full of magnificent moments, had other ideas.
Let's just have the man himself describe the goal, okay?
.@Pirlo_official: "I followed the play and Vidal did brilliantly to spot me at the last moment. I shot, it went in and we're delighted."
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) November 30, 2014
On a rainy night in Turin where Juventus looked out of ideas offensively as Torino packed every single player possible behind the ball, there was Pirlo to save the day and bring home another three points. The announcer on my stream was just about ready to put an end to Juventus' home winning streak — and I can't blame him. Just moments earlier Pirlo had skied a chance to get the go-ahead goal, blasting it into the stands as Juve looked for the winner despite being down to 10 mean.
But this time it was different.
Patrice Evra won the ball back on the left wing, Álvaro Morata made the run toward goal. Arturo Vidal made the right decision and passed it to Pirlo, and the bearded wonder did the rest. A completely unexpected goal right before the final whistle. And Max Allegri's reaction? Just walk right on down the tunnel. I guess he was left speechless just like the rest of us.
You know how they say "Fino Alle Fine"? Well, it couldn't be more true after this one.
Andrea Pirlo, man.
.@kingarturo23: "Pirlo is an incredibile player. It was all his doing, I just teed him up. He was far out, only he could have scored that."
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) November 30, 2014
Random thoughts and observations
- As one of my favorite baseball announcers likes to say, "Ownage is ownage." Juventus certainly has some ownage on their city rivals. Sorry, but not all that sorry.
- Torino scored a goal in Serie A for the first time in a month and still lost. Poor things.
- I'd sure like Juventus to sign Matteo Darmian whenever it's possible. As we saw with Evra's so-so at best showing against Torino, the need for a left back is clearly still there.
- And that goal was absolutely insane. Pace to fly past everybody down the wing, power to hammer it home, pure dumb luck that Giorgio Chiellini decided to give Bruno Peres plenty of space to have so much room to shoot.
- Juventus had three shots on goal, two of them were goals. Even when they play like crap they're efficient. Well, kinda.
- Clean sweep for the month of November. Who here would have thought that would happen after Juventus absolutely labored though October and then had their own last-second loss in stoppage time to Genoa at the end of the month?
- Fernando Llorente really, really struggled against Torino. I wouldn't mind seeing Álvaro Morata against Fiorentina on Friday. And from the opening whistle, too. He deserves the chance to start.
- We definitely know Stephan Lichtsteiner won't be playing against La Viola in Florence in five days. The first yellow was stupid, the second yellow card was stupid. An argument can certainly be made that says both were preventable, especially the second one. Just a rash tackle when you know you're on a yellow.
- Who else was left scratching their head when Max Allegri took Carlos Tévez off for Angelo Ogbonna in the 82nd minute? I understand that the game was looking like it was headed for a draw — especially with Lichtsteiner being sent off a couple minutes earlier — but that was quite an odd sub.
- No Gigi Buffon, no problem. (Marco Storari played pretty well, by the way.)
SLIPPERS#SKY: Buffon came out running in slippers to celebrate.. Pirlo "Yes, yes, it's a joy that is shared with everyone."
— Tarek Khatib (@ADP1113) November 30, 2014 - One more time good measure: Andrea Pirlo. Man oh man.
Andrea Pirlo scores his 1st goal from open play for club & country since 17 March 2012 v Fiorentina (18 set piece goals in between). #Pirlo
— Infostrada Sports (@InfostradaLive) November 30, 2014
