Sizing up Serie A

Purists will tell you the best soccer (or "football," as they call it almost everywhere except in the U.S.) is played in Italy, that the best tactics and technicians can be found in Serie A.

One of the more compelling arguments for that stance can be found in the World Cup, where Italy has become a world power - winning titles or at least advancing deep into the tournament every four years even when far more talented teams are knocked out. But that argument also seems sepia-toned in recent years, with Italian teams failing to impress in the Champions League or UEFA Cup (or its pale successor, the Europa League).

Perhaps the best way to sum up the Serie A this days can be found in words written recently by Soccernet's Roberto Gotta:

"Almost every year, a match-fixing scandal erupts, leading to point deductions, bans and a general feeling that what we see out on the pitch - especially results from March onwards - should not be trusted in its entirety. The Lega Serie A, the top-flight's governing body, is a fractious assortment of owners and directors who should be sued for improper use of the term 'league' by bona fide organisations like the NFL, as the clear goal of most of them is to create an uneven playing field and a financial divide with the others.
Most games are played in dilapidated, uncomfortable grounds where access is complicated by a general lack of advance information about something as simple as how to get a ticket..."


And yet people are drawn to Serie A, as if to see whether the football fashionistas can craft more sublime play - not unlike checking the runways of Milan to watch for the next stunning clothing trend.

So I'll offer my picks for Serie A this season, which seems to have more teams poised to pursue the prized Scudetto than in many years. At the bottom end of the table, this year's newly promoted teams offer intrigue of their own. And so, without further ado....

1. AC Milan - Milan ended Internazionale's 5-year reign as champions last season, and seem well-positioned to defend their title. With Pato, Ibrahimovic and Cassano up front and Seedorf and Ambrosini feeding them crosses, Milan has the firepower to trouble any back four.

2. Napoli - Shrewd acquisitions have strengthened a team that finished third last season, and Naples could celebrate its first title since the legendary Mardona strolled in the shadows of Mount Vesuvius. This is a team with real flair, but the title could be determined by the strength of the defense.

3. Internazionale - Dethroned and in disarray, no one seems to know what formations the 2010 Champions League winners will favor. Selling Samuel Eto'o to cut the wage bill can't help but make Inter fans fret. The team seems a step slower, too. But there's still a number of world-class players on the squad, though, so Inter can't be counted out.

4. Juventus - A new stadium and a bundle of new faces for the Old Lady of Italian soccer. But will all the changes bring a change in fortune for the titans from the Italian Alps? Historically, such dramatic change doesn't succeed quickly.

5. Roma - Just as Juventus fell on hard times in recent years (relatively speaking) for one of the nation's football giants, Roma appears ripe for a dip in form. A new owner, from America no less, and dissension in the playing staff are combining to drift a cloud over the team as the season gets under way.

6. Lazio - Rome's "other" team seems well-placed to finish higher in the table than their illustrious arch rivals.

7. Udinese - Shorn of much of the talent that earned Udinese a surprise Champions League spot last season, this team is a favorite among pundits to slip to mid-table mediocrity. But I'm reading that coach Francesco Guidolin has recruited wisely, and this could be a better team than expected.

8. Bologna - One of Italy's more successful teams years ago has re-established itself in the top flight. And the Bolognese seem primed for a climb up the table this season by adding quality depth.

9. Fiorentina - Gone are the heady days of the Champions League for the Viola. That won't please the fans, but free-spending ways have to be a thing of the past or the plunge into relegation territory that baffled observers recently won't be just an anomaly.

10. Genoa - An ambitious club that hasn't matched its expectations, Genoa has endured mid-table mediocrity - with the exception of one foray into the UEFA Cup - since returning to the top flight several years ago. There's little to suggest that will change this season, either.

11. Chievo Verona - Any team nicknamed the Flying Donkeys deserves a smile and a casual rooting interest. This team has done remarkably well living on a shoestring budget - having earned a Champions League and UEFA Cup spot despite having only been in the top flight for the first time in its history this decade. Nothing that dramatic this season, however.

12. Palermo - Key personnel losses could see Palermo dive to near the relegation places, particularly if backroom unrest isn't settled soon.

13. Parma - From here on down, relegation worries will linger. If someone were to tell me Parma is relegated, I wouldn't be surprised. They've been up and down more than once in the past decade.

14. Cesena - Remarkably managed to stay in Serie A last season after two consecutive promotions. I'm hard-pressed to remember the last time that happened. Some nice additions should keep the Seahorses in the top flight another year as well.

15. Catania - The Sicilian derbies with Palermo give the Serie A some of its strongest flavor. But Catania appears to be weaker this year, and for a team that has flirted often with relegation that spells trouble.

16. Siena - A promising coach and more steel in defense should do just enough to keep Siena from dropping straight back down to Serie B.

17. Cagliari - Masters at staving off the drop, Cagliari may not be so fortunate this year.

18. Lecce - They try to play attractive, attacking football, but that has led to an awful lot of goals given up on the counter-attack.

19. Novara - Like Cesena last year, reached Serie A after back-to-back promotions. They play attractive football, and may be helped by the fact that the bottom third of Serie A is filled with weak teams.

20. Atalanta - Starting in a 6-point hole due to match-fixing won't help what promised to be a challenging campaign at all. Reggina overcame it a few years ago, but that was swimming against the tide.