Taking to the pitch -|Tyler Kovach|-

[K0ZZ]

Grosseto holds off Vercelli in opening round

With the opening round now out of the way, Grosseto took a 2-1 decision after jumping out 2-0 midway through the second half, after a nil first half. The Griffons had a lot to be proud of, they controlled the ball, the goaltender swarmed the ball and aside from a slightly late jump on the ball on the penalty kick, he would've had a clean sheet.

It took the 90th minute on a penalty shot for Vercelli to score, when the attack was ended inside the penalty box when a sliding tackle caught the heel of a Vercelli striker and knocked him to the turf, Federico Carraro got the opportunity to put up the points and he converted the penalty kick, the ball would than never leave their defensive zone, Grosseto managing to keep the ball in their zone.

Young talent, Luigi Verratti got a chance to play, after going up 2-0, Kovach pulled several starters and put Verratti out on the pitch. It was a mixed bag, he was the one responsible for the penalty kick, but he managed to break away and put a shot on goal late in the game. Out of ten he was given a 4.0 form rating. A low rating but he has plenty of time to grow.

Thomas Som was the man of the match, the left defender converted 13 tackles, while having a terrific 80% pass percentage, while not being responsible for a single foul, he played a huge part in keeping the ball out of the defensive third for a good majority of the game and taking pressure off the goal keeper.

Jul 27, 2012 - Vercelli vs Grosseto
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
Vercelli (0-1-0)	0	1	1
Grosseto (1-0-0)	0	2	2

Team Stats Comparison
Vercelli		Grosseto
1	Goals	2
7	Shots	26
4	Shots on Target	13
15	Tackles	42
3	Fouls	2
0	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0
0	Injuries	0
57	Shot Accuracy	50
78	Passing Percentage	80

[K0ZZ]

Kovach fined following 2-4 loss to La Spezia

"It was pretty obvious; we weren't about to win but when you hand the opposition a goal like that.. it's ridiculous. My team should've played better but when your handing the other team so much leniency..it's just messed up. The game was definitely called like they had a point in mind to make us lose.." ranted Tyler Kovatch who was shortly fined and reprimanded by the administration of Grosseto football club.

The Griffons surrendered goal after goal to Spezia, falling down 0-3 midway through the second half, managing a strong attack than stealing the ball and getting a free kick on the edge of the penalty kick. Ballon knocked in the shot from the free kick to make it 2-3. The controversy struck right after. Throughout the whole game, Spezia was throwing Grosseto players to the pitch but only had received one card and one scolding. The play however was Spezia striker, Okaka Chuka who seemed to be fully offsides on a long play downfield when the Griffons attempted an offside trap. Many fans expected the call but it never was made and Okaka Chuka knocked the ball into the net as a stunned Bremec tried arguing with an official that Okaka Chuka had penetrated the back line prior to the pass.

The yelling fell on deaf ears and the score would ride out 2-4 as the offensive unit went into a frenzy trying to pick up two scores in five minutes [there was also no given injury time]. Oddly enough the referees whistled the game dead on a Grosseto counter attack, despite being down two. This is the first competitive loss for Kovach as the head of the Grosseto program. Even in a losing effor, Ballon was named man of the match and youngster Luigi Verratti got the start in the backfield and was given a 6.8 performance rating.

A tough loss that knocks the Griffons from Coppa Nazionale; their eyes set forward on their opening league matchup.

[K0ZZ]

La Spezia takes two

Things bittered between Grossetto and striker Ferdinando Sforzini who wasn't given a spot in the first XI. Sforzini felt slighted and went to Tyler Kovach seeking answers and left on the transfer listings. The two seperated and wouldn't talk again until the La Spezia game where Sforzini was sent out in the 68th minute to freshen up the line.

Sforzini got heated with Kovach at the end of the game making claims that he would've won had he been in the entire time and the two once again were split. This was the final straw and the slightly 'low-ball' offer of $975,000 for the striker was accepted and quickly he accepted the contract offer and was shipped out.

His new home? None other than La Spezia. Spezia had no issues with goals against Grossetto but they definitely weren't strong in this area on paper. Technical errors had cost the game for Grossetto and they won't always be so lucky, Sforzini will come off the bench early in the season as he adjusts, but will end up starting after a few fixtures, in his fresh new kit. The two clubs won't face eachother until December 1st than again on December 15th as they reverse through the table.

The only rumors circulating are involving Wolverhampton and the purchase of a player from them, the who is not yet evident however.

[K0ZZ]

Grosseto wins big 5-2

This one wasn't mean't to be a blow out, it was supposed to be a tight matchup especially considering the scoring woes displayed by the Grosseto side and after losing a key contributor in the striking third, yet it led to two midfielders each picking up a pair of goals en route to a 5-2 victory over Reggine. Delvecchio was man of the match being rated 8.3 for his performance. He knocked in two goals and made key stops showing absolutely no sign of age in this one.

Crimi added two goals and striker Lupoli added one of his own on the way to the five points, leading Reggina fans to claim that Kovach had run up the score on their side, which Kovach dismissed as anger towards the home sides inability to perform. Cards were definitely not at a premium, six yellow cards levied against Grosseto, despite this they managed to hold onto a firm top lead.

This was the opening fixture of the season and to start at the top of the table is huge. With the impending acquisition of a Wolverhampton player lingering in the distance, it definitely proves to be a good time for Grosseto.

[K0ZZ]

Transfer window closes with big signing

After a rally to force a draw against Crotone which would be the only draw on an evening of Ligue 2 fixtures, Tyler Kovach admitted his mind wasn't entirely on the game with the deal of signing Ebanks-Blake from Wolverhampton was denied by the young striker. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake cited his desire to remain in England rather than to branch out abroad was a huge factor in making the striker remain in Wolverhampton. This could've opened the door to an even bigger move.

Kovach put in bids for Julien Gorius, the french striker is exceptional at long kicks from outside the box, Sacha Kljestan; an United States native that has been playing abroad. Also going after Braga of Portugal, a footballer with excellent use of both feet and excels from outside shots. The obvious hunt for a playmaker finally came to an end when they managed to sign Martin Bravo.

Bravo has huge speed and agility, his skills with his feet are unmatched and while he isn't a masterful striker, he is expected to slot in at the attacking midfielder position for Grosseto and cause havoc down the middle of the pitch. The Argentina native stated "pure excitement" to become the focal point of this attack.

Grosseto has four points as they head towards their next fixture.

[K0ZZ]

Bravo nets two in debut

"A game they should've never won. We lost the game, they didn't win this one. This is absolutely embarrassing. We didn't put it out on the pitch, so many missed opportunities in the attacking third that we didn't get. They missed so many offside traps leaving three guys to shoot on net and we couldn't get any of the late goals in? They had two sixteen year olds on the pitch too!!?! This was just embarrassing.. none of these men should feel proud of their performance" Spoke Eusebio Di Francesco the coach of the Sassuolo side.

Despite getting more shots on net, more attempts off fouls and making smarter plays, Sassuolo ends the night without any points thanks to Martin Bravo. Bravo had a mixed performance, he struggled to set up shots for others at the CAM position. Yet he had no struggles legging out shots, taking four and netting two on his way to earning man of the match honors.

Youngsters Luigi Verrati and Luigi Mammarella came in to relieve Delvecchio and Jadid and Verrati quietly blossomed leading to a late score for Bravo, while Mammarella had his struggles maintaining his mark at the deep midfielder position.