Mirko Vucinic - The Silent Magician
Juventus forward, Mirko Vucinic may not have a supersonic pace of Cristiano Ronaldo or the skill of Lionel Messi, but the five time Montenegrin Player of the year award winner has all-round abilities which most top forwards in the world lack. Mirko has played an exceptional but silent role in Juve’s unbeaten run in this season till now.
Juventus bought Vucinic from rivals Roma in the summer for a moderate fee of €15 million, he was a part of Juve’s reconstruction plan. Coming from a decent spell with the Giallorossi, Mirko soon fitted perfectly into Conte’s (new manager) formation of 4-3-3. Being a Natural forward he was comfortable to play on the left wing or just behind the main striker, Alessandro Matri.
Mirko has a very unique style of play, the Montenegrin hitman ventures forward dribbling, turning around past defenders. It’s not just the eye for goal which makes him special, as he is also an intelligent playmaker. With seven assists to his name, they are enough proof of his abilities. His way of reading the game is totally unquestionable, no surprises that with a veteran like Andrea Pirlo in the heart and Vucinic up front the Bianconeri have been ultra creative in their attack this season.
Mirko scored his first official goal in Black & White in a crucial 1-1 draw with Bologna at home, unfortunately he was sent off in the very same match for a second yellow. His performances raised a few eyebrows and was often criticized for his lazy style of play.
Soon Vucinic found the net again in the famous derby of Italy, as he netted a rebound of Alessandro Matri’s effort which was initially saved by Julio Cesar. In the end, it helped Juve pull a 1-2 victory at the San Siro against their rivals.
There after, Vucinic was again criticized for his laziness on the field and inconsistent performances. Things got worse when he sustained a muscle strain in his right leg during the Cesena game, for which he was briefly sidelined for 20 days.
In his absence Juve were certainly wounded up front, the attack clearly lacked the creativity of the 28 year old. He soon made his return in the lineup and Juve regained their dominance. Vucinic may not have scored as many goals as Alessandro Matri but his style of play, certainly suits the Juve attack.
Mirko again returned to scoring in a 0-5 away thumbing of Fiorentina, his Performance in the match was absolute world class. Not only did he score an unstoppable goal but also brilliantly set up three other goals for team mates Vidal, Marchisio, and Pirlo. Mirko was totally unstoppable in the game.
As his good form continued, Vucinic fired Juventus into the Coppa Italia final by scoring a sensational 30 yard goal in extra time. Milan keeper Marco Amelia did his best but the shot was clearly unstoppable as it flew past him and into the top corner.
Vucinic was once again criticized not just by the pundits but also by Juventus fans clearly because of his low scoring ratio. Once again he proved everyone wrong by scoring the opener against Napoli which was deflected by Leonardo Bonucci in the net.
His amazing playmaking abilities and threatening the goalkeeper from various angles continued over Juve’s fantastic winning streak of five games in row. In the game against Roma, Vucinic was clearly all over the field as he was instrumental in all four goals scored as it took Juve’s winning streak to six games.
With only five more games to go and the Coppa Italia final date nearing, Mirko Vucinic is surely going to be an important factor in Juve’s bid to win the double. Even with all the criticism, he has proved everyone wrong from time to time.