16 February 2015
This week’s Talent Track begins by looking at goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli, one of the newer faces of Juventus.com’s guide to players currently out on loan or co-ownership deals.
The 23-year-old, who joined the Bianconeri on a permanent deal in January but will remain with Ternana until the end of this campaign, performed admirably as he kept a clean sheet during Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Serie B’s second-placed side Bologna.
Having progressed through the youth ranks at both Montichiari and Lumezzane, Brignoli signed for Ternana back in 2012 and has been a virtual ever present since. His impressive displays during the 2013/14 season saw him establish himself as one of the best shotstoppers in Italy’s second flight and led Juventus to swoop for his signature last month.
Sticking with Serie B, Mame Thiam was on target as his Virtus Lanciano outfit gave their promotion hopes a boost with a 2-0 home success over Brescia.
Arriving in Italy at the tender age of 14, the Senegalese winger joined Treviso's youth academy before plying his trade with Inter, Avellino, Sud Tirol and now current employers Lanciano who hold a co-ownership deal with Juventus.
Thiam’s strike, his sixth of a domestic campaign in which he also has four assists to the name, added to Gaetano Monachello’s earlier goal to ensure a comfortable win for the Abruzzo-based team in their own backyard. The result keeps them in seventh as they remain in the hunt for a promotion push whilst also bringing a three-game winless streak to an end.
Heading over to the Premier League, Mauricio Isla’s QPR bagged their first away triumph of the term as they ran out 2-0 victors over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light last Wednesday.
The Chilean international, who won two Scudetto-Super Cup doubles in as many seasons* *with the Old Lady, was making his 20th league appearance of the 2014/15 campaign as he started in the right-back berth.
Approaching the encounter on the back of 11 straight defeats on the road, first-half goals courtesy of Leroy Fer and Bobby Zamora allowed the West Londoners to haul themselves out of the dreaded drop zone with three priceless points on Wearside.
Last but certainly not least, James Troisi was on the scoresheet once again as his Zulte Waregem side drew 1-1 at home to Standard Liege on Saturday evening
Fresh from his extra-time winner in a 2-1 victory against Japan that ensured Australia’s inaugural Asian Cup triumph earlier this year, the 26-year-old popped up with an 86th minute equaliser, his fifth Jupiler League strike of the season, which keeps Waregem 10th in the domestic standings.
