Francesco Totti - Il Gladiatore di Roma

Bloody Juventus! haha but great work keeping them on your heels and I'm sure Roma will take the title!

Thanks to all of you guys for all of your support!

Over the course of the season thus far, Francesco Totti’s AS Roma has become synonymous with attractive, expansive, passing football that always provides plenty of entertainment. Even during their somewhat barren spells, Roma tried to keep the ball and attack. Against Juventus, however, everything changed.

Juventus demand a lot of respect, of course, having won the last two Scudetti in a row. However, after the Giallorossi humbled the defending champions at the Stadio Olimpico with a solid 1-0 win, most people expected the capital city side to really go after the game; this was a potential title decider, as the sides are equal on points atop the table.

Totti decided that parking the bus was the solution to this match. Lining up in a 5-1-2-1-1 of sorts, Roma kept as many as 10 men behind the ball almost every time the Bianconeri attacked. The Old Lady, of course, dominated the match, ending with 64% possession, but just barely couldn’t come away with the 3 points.

Just four minutes in, Juve had their first chance. Andrea Pirlo’s delivery from a dead ball found the head of Stephan Lichtsteiner but the Swiss international’s attempt at goal struck the upright and ricocheted clear. Roma almost took the lead shortly thereafter when Michael Bradley’s header from Miralem Pjanic’s corner crashed off of the crossbar.

It seemed that Totti’s ‘catenaccio’ style football, though not very pretty, was working quite well. That is, until Fernando Llorente struck. Paolo De Ceglie had gone on a bursting run down the left and served in an inch-perfect cross for the big Spaniard to half-volley home to give Juve the lead 28 minutes in.

At halftime, Francesco Totti decided enough was enough. He made a surprising triple substitution and instructed his men at half time to start attacking once more. Dodo, Gervinho, and Mattia Destro were introduced for 3 players who had been very poor thus far; Federico Balzaeretti, Gianluca Caprari, and Miralem Pjanic.

Conte’s infamous 3-5-2 proved difficult to beat, however, and with time starting to run out, it seemed as though AS Roma may just fall to their second defeat of the season and lose their spot atop Serie A. However, half time substitute Gervinho had other ideas.

American midfielder Michael Bradley pinged the ball into the winger who with two deft touches turned and had a strike at goal, and what a strike it was. Destined for the bottom corner as soon as he hit it, the ball dipped and swerved before nestling in the bottom corner, out of Buffon’s reach. The match ended 1-1, and Roma stay atop the league on head-to-head.

“Perhaps we did not play wonderful football, but we got a very strong point in a difficult stadium to play at,” said an elated Francesco Totti after the match. “We have taken 4 points off of Juventus this season, and we are showing that we are capable of playing with the best teams.”

After the match, the Serie A table looks as follows:


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Parking the bus are ya? Glad Gervinho scores anyways. Solid point

A very flowing, superb update. I love the analysis and you're still going strong, keep it up

P-KIDDY: Haha sometimes defense is important

Walter: Cheers mate

At long last, player-manager and inspirational captain of AS Roma Francesco Totti returned to first team football yesterday as he led his top of the league side past Inter Milan by a score of 2-1, scoring a cracking winning goal in the process.

Totti had missed 3 weeks of football with a twisted knee that he had picked up against Napoli in the Giallorossi’s 1-0 win over the Partenopei and ended up missing 7 matches. While Rome’s Golden Boy cut an imposing figure in suit and tie (albeit with a knee brace) for the first time on the sidelines during those weeks, it was a relief to everyone to see the legendary striker return to action once more against Inter.

The Nerazzurri have had a season to forget thus far. Under Walter Mazzari the club won a mere 3 of its first 16 matches in Serie A, and, following a disappointing home loss to Chievo Verona, Mazzari was promptly sacked. Luigi Cagni was brought in a few days later, who has gone 4-0-4 and brought Inter back to 9th place.

Any hopes of a surprise victory over league-leading Roma were given a severe dent just 4 minutes in, however, as Mattia Destro ferociously ran down Maicon’s long ball before cutting across Handanovic and slotting the ball home into the empty net.

Just 8 minutes later, however, Inter pegged Roma back. Promising young attacking midfielder Mateo Kovacic was fouled directly outside the box by Michael Bradley, and the Croatian stepped up to take the free kick himself. Kovacic’s swerving hit smashed off of the underside of the crossbar but Ishak Belfodil was there to poke home a quick fire equalizer for his side.

The Totti/Ljajic/Florenzi trio of attackers that had excelled so greatly during the early parts of the season struggled to impose itself upon the game, but the first name of that attack certainly stepped up after the break.

Alvaro Pereira had brought down Maicon on the right side of the box about an hour into the match, and Totti trotted over to whip in a deadly cross. However, the ever-creative maestro very suddenly stepped up and hit the ball directly at goal, catching Samir Handanovic off guard and scoring a wonderful goal.

“I’m delighted to have scored, but the important thing is that we won,” said a clearly pleased Totti after the match. “Inter may not be having their best season but they are still a good team, a team that the fans like to watch us beat, and we are happy to have obliged them this afternoon.

Inter continue their season in a few days’ time when they take on Catania in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals. After this key win over Inter Milan, the Serie A table looks as follows:


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Love it Neal, brilliant result and keeping yourself firmly at the top of the table

Nice one for Totti. What a mess Inter are on this! They need that Bergomi magic

Great result! I hope you'll win the league!

Great result and it's good to see you top of the table still

joethequin: Cheers, and not so firm, only head to head!

P-KIDDY: Cagni doesn't quite have the Bergomi talent

AAN: Thanks, me too!

pompeyblue: Cheers bud

When AS Roma fell to archrivals Lazio in last season’s Coppa Italia, it seemed that the taunts of being ever stuck in second place would return. It was almost a habit for the Giallorossi; always getting so close, but never managing to actually win anything. However, this season the red half of the capital will have a second chance at breaking that Coppa duck.

After defeating Napoli in a dramatic shootout in the quarterfinals, Roma were faced with Serie A overachievers Catania. The side was expected to be mid-table but instead finds itself in fourth place, fighting for a UEFA Champions League spot. A two legged tie against league leaders AS Roma, however, would be a big test for them in the domestic cup.

The first leg took place at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, and it was really in this match that the tie was almost put beyond doubt. Within the space of two minutes midway through the first half Roma nearly broke the deadlock twice, only to see Alessandro Florenzi and Mattia Destro’s headers crash off of woodwork. A few moments later, however, Miralem Pjanic used his fancy footwork to break free and crack home a goal to make it 1-0.

Ljajic doubled the Giallorossi’s advantage on half an hour after poking home a rebound following Destro’s second header to find the crossbar. Gervinho and Maicon were finding loads of space down the right hand side and made use of it just before half time when Maicon’s cross found Destro again, and this time the striker finally managed to scoer. The match remained 3-0 throughout the second half thanks to a number of top saves from Antonio Adan, and Roma took that lead to Catania the next week.

The Stadio Angelo Massimino knew that a Catania comeback would be nothing short of a miracle, and so weren’t that optimistic going into the home tie against the reigning runner up. The first half passed mainly without incident, and it seemed a counter-attacking set up Roma side would waltz into the final once again. In the second half, however, the match sprung to life.

Just 2 minutes into the second period Cristiano Biraghi struck the crossbar with a fierce strike from distance and Sergio Almiron’s follow up was incredibly saved by Morgan De Sanctis. Moments later Nicolas Spolli’s header ricocheted off of the post after he had connected to Pablo Barrientos’ free kick. Roma were struggling to keep a handle on things.

Morgan De Sanctis then pulled off two outstanding saves against Barrientos and Lucas Castro, diving acrobatically to deny each of Catania’s talented attackers. The Italian shot stopper was having a fantastic game, assisted by his post, who late on once again saved his skin as it deflected another shot from Almiron.

With just a few minutes remaining, Catania threw everyone forward, but it was Gervinho on the counterattack that danced past his defenders and slotted home for the winning goal, 1-0 on the night and 4-0 on aggregate. Roma moved onto the final.

After the second leg, Francesco Totti said, “What a match. Catania threw everything forward and perhaps deserved to win, but Morgan [De Sanctis] was downright incredible. Now we cannot wait for the final and hopefully win some silverware for the fans to enjoy.”

AS Roma will next play Udinese in the cup final. Udinese had quite inexplicably thrashed AC Milan 3-1 at the San Siro before holding out for a 0-0 draw at home to make the final. The two sides will play on May 4th at the Stadio Olimpico to see who will take home the trophy.

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Good luck against Udinese in the final!

pompeyblue: Thanks bud, it's gonna be an exciting game!

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