Tag: Antonio Candreva

Antonio Candreva asks, why put it in the mixer when you can just score?

Just a typical 90th minute equalizer scored from the touchline

What do you do when it’s the 90th minute, you’re down 1-0, and you’re stranded out on the touchline?

For most players, the answer is going to be one of two options: get it in the mixer, or beat your defender and get to the endline. The former has a century or so of use as a method, while the latter provides the possibility of a cutback, modern soccer’s preferred mode of chance generation from out wide.

If you’re Antonio Candreva, you have other options. The 36-year-old was in fact out on an island along the touchline in the 90th minute of Salernitana’s clash with Inter on Friday. Candreva’s a wily old veteran, but given that he has more appearances for Inter than any other club in his career, the Milan giants should know what tricks he has in store.

And yet, Candreva still conjured up a new solution. Who needs a cross or a cutback when you can just score yourself?

With Federico DiMarco standing well off of him, presumably out of fear of Candreva cutting inside on the dribble, the veteran sized the situation up. He bought some real estate first, hinting at an intention of crossing early before taking one more touch down the line to leave DiMarco too hesitant to close the space.

From there, Candreva repeated the movement, but this time he struck what Inter probably believed was going to be a cross…until it wasn’t.

Candreva’s ball in floated over AndrĂ© Onana, who on the play seemed to anticipate a cross, then shuffled right because Candreva could have just fired towards the near post with power.

While that was playing out with Onana, Candreva’s choice was to go back post, with a swirling delivery that dipped down at the last moment to get under the crossbar, inside the post, and give Salernitana a dramatic equalizer.

Candreva’s goal notable for both clubs

The goal may have a big impact at both ends of the Serie A table. For Salernitana, it secured a fifth straight draw, which is both strange and also probably just enough to make sure they won’t fall into the relegation scrap. They’re 15th in the 20-team league, but thanks to their recent run of avoiding losses (their last non-draw was, helpfully, a win), they have a 10-point cushion keeping the out of the drop zone.

The lost points are far more of a problem for Inter, who saw their winless run extend to six games. In that span, they’ve been passed in the table by AC Milan, and they could well find themselves out of a Champions League place by the end of the weekend. Roma trails both Milanese clubs by a point with a game in hand, while Atalanta would pass Inter with a win over Bologna on Saturday.

[lawrence-related id=14671,12975,14557]