GIALLOROSSI YORKSHIRE BLOG
See which five players this week's participant chose for his ideal Roma five-a-side team.
Name: Colin Withero Location: Tipperary, Ireland Team: In goals: Julio Sergio: I know a lot of people are thinking who? or what is this fella on? But Julio was a good shot stopper who never got a good run of games. But when he fractured his ankle late in the game against Brescia back in 2010 he stayed on because we were out of subs and even though he was in serious pain he managed several top drawer saves. Any man who gives that much for Roma deserves special mention. My two defenders are a pair that together had the best partnership we probably ever had. Philippe Mexes and Cristian Chivu together the were a forced to be reckoned with. Chivu with his pace and Mexes with his no nonsense tough tackles. They worked so well together and it's just a pity we didn't win as much as we should have with these two. In midfield: Daniele De Rossi: This man lives and breathes Roma. A one man wrecking machine that leads by example. He could have gone to other clubs and won lots more but he is Roman and he knows what it means to the Roma shirt. Up front: the one and only King of Rome... Francesco Totti. In my opinion our best ever player. Like De Rossi he could have gone to other clubs for big money and have a packed trophy cabinet at home but he loved Roma as much as we do. His passes and vision were second to none, just a fantastic player and a delight to watch.
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Roma recorded a fourth straight Serie A win last night, beating Cagliari 1-0 in Sardinia.
It was the same scoreline as in the reverse fixture earlier in the season, although the Lupi didn't leave it as late this time. Cengiz Under's first half goal was enough to separate the two sides, although the relegation-threatened hosts put a lot of pressure on Roma's backline. Roma managed to win ugly though, moving them closer to their target of securing Champions League football for next season. Capradossi makes steady debut When Kostas Manolas was injured in the warm up, Eusebio Di Francesco called upon Elio Capradossi to cover at centre back. It was the Italian Under 21's debut for Roma, and he did reasonably well. Sitting alongside the experienced Federico Fazio at the back helped the 22-year-old, and the duo contributed to Roma's clean sheet. Capradossi showed he still has a few things to learn - such as recovering his position before trying to win the ball back after being beaten - but was reliable enough overall to repay Di Francesco's faith in him. Kolarov covers at centre back Aleksandar Kolarov started the game at left back, and looked tired throughout the game. The 32-year-old had played the full game against Liverpool on Wednesday, and his age was catching up with him as he misplaced passes and crosses. However, when Capradossi was substituted off, the Serb slotted in at centre back, a position he played in a few times for Manchester City last season. Perhaps this is where Kolarov's long-term future lies, as the physical demands of being a modern day full back may become too much to ask as he gets older. Cengiz shows variety of finishing Cengiz Under has scored some great goals this season, but showed a different type of technique for his 15th minute strike. Instead of hitting another powerful or curling drive, Under used finesse to pick out the bottom corner of Alessio Cragno's goal. It was a difficult finish to execute - there was a sea of bodies in between him and the goal, and he had to place the ball right in the corner to ensure Cragno couldn't save it. He managed to do just that to score his eighth goal of the season. Roma's Champions League dream may have come to an end on Wednesday, but another one may soon begin, as they look to qualify for next season's competition.
Roma need six points from their last three games to guarantee a top four finish, and will be looking to start accumulating them tomorrow night, as they face Cagliari. The trip to Sardinia is Roma's penultimate away game of the season. The opponents are in a battle of their own at the other end of the table, lingering just two points above the 18th position currently occupied by Chievo. Diego Lopez's side have won just one of their last seven games, which was a 2-1 triumph over Udinese. One of their goals that day was scored by Leonardo Pavoletti, who with 10 goals this season is their danger man up front. Another key player is Niccolo Barella, the 21-year-old midfielder who has caught the eye of many this season with his impressive performances. Roma travel to Sardinia without Kevin Strootman, Diego Perotti and Juan Jesus. One man who retains his place in the squad is Mirko Antonucci, who made his Champions League debut as a late substitute against Liverpool. Eusebio Di Francesco hinted in his press conference that he was open to the possibility of Daniele De Rossi and Maxime Gonalons both playing in midfield, which could compensate for Strootman's absence. Kick off is scheduled for 7:45pm tomorrow (UK time). Every Friday on Giallorossi Yorkshire, a Roma fan selects their dream five-a-side team made up of Roma players.
Samson Delgado supplies today's choices. Name: Samson Delgado Location: Manhattan, New York, USA Team: Alisson: Becker is the greatest keeper I have seen play for Roma. I just hope he stays with us for a few seasons. A treasure! Emerson: The man could defend and make defenders look foolish. Perfect balance for a 5v5. Daniele De Rossi: Because someone needs to do the dirty work. His passion is second to none. Francesco Totti: Speaks for himself. The man who made me fall in love with calcio and Roma. I haven’t looked back since. Gabriel Batistuta: BATI BATI BATI BATI BATI BATI GOOOOL! (Sub: Falcao: I could watch highlight reels of this man all day. An artist with the ball at his feet.) You could see it in his eyes. The way he shrugged his shoulders, how he just turned around and walked away. Radja Nainggolan knew it was too little, too late.
Roma were chasing the game against Liverpool, needing three goals in the last five minutes to take the game to extra time. The clock was running down, and an incredible comeback was looking less and less likely. But that didn't stop Roma going forward. After Liverpool's Georginio Wijnaldum tried to latch onto Ragnar Klavan's clearance, the ball fell to Maxime Gonalons, who carried it a few yards before laying it off to Aleksandar Kolarov. Instead of whipping in another cross from the left, Kolarov spotted Nainggolan in acres of space, squaring the ball to him. And then it happened. Bang. First time, Nainggolan struck the ball cleanly after letting it run across his body. The ball travelled like an arrow into the bottom corner of Loris Karius' goal. There was nothing the Reds' keeper could do, as it rocketed into the net. Karius' body language said it all - he turned around, stared at the ball for about two seconds, then looked helplessly out at the rest of the pitch. He wasn't angry with himself, for he knew he'd been beaten by a wonder goal. But another man's body language spoke even louder. The architect of the goal himself. Radja Nainggolan had just scored the best goal of his season. He'd found the perfect space to place the ball, and powered it home, intent that it would end up nowhere else. But the Ninja's celebration was muted. He was tired, yes, and probably frustrated, but he could barely muster a smile. Maybe it was because he knew that that goal, and its timing, summed up his entire campaign. Roma, drained of energy, had just four minutes plus stoppage time to find two more goals, which would've sent the game beyond the regulation 90 minutes. In the end, it proved too much to ask. The team had played well in the second leg, but Nainggolan's goal was too late to be the foundations for a comeback. A great goal, too late. It represented the whole 2017-18 season for Radja Nainggolan. Last season, he was scoring goals for fun, shooting rockets from distance that left keepers stranded. The 11 goals he scored in Serie A were crucial to the team's securing of second place. As much as it was Edin Dzeko and Mohamed Salah linking up and claiming the main plaudits, without Nainggolan's help, the team wouldn't have got to the position they did. This season has been different. Roma haven't scored as many goals, and whilst some of that can be attributed to Salah's departure, Nainggolan's ineffectiveness in front of goal has been a key factor. This season, it's just been the four league goals for Radja. Yes, he's been playing in a slightly deeper role, but he's had more than enough chances to reach double figures. Nainggolan has had 58 shots on goal over the Serie A season. However, only 30% of those have been on target. The rest, quite frankly, could have gone anywhere. He hasn't been able to zone in on a target in the same way that he did in 2016-17. As a result, he has scored less than half the number of goals he did last time around. Sadly, he hasn't been able to replicate the wonder strikes he delivered so consistently last season. And, when he finally managed to do so, in May, it was nothing more than a consolation. Nainggolan's goal fell too late to be the spark for anything, and showed what's been missing from his game this year. Radja is a player who knows what he's capable of, but knows he hasn't done it enough this season. Roma bowed out of the Champions League at the semi final stage last night, bringing an end to a remarkable campaign in Europe.
Eusebio Di Francesco's side needed to win by three clear goals to reach the final, and put in a great performance. Sadly, they fell just short, winning 4-2 on the night. Three second half goals - after a James Milner own goal in the first half - weren't quite enough to see Roma through, although they were greeted with rapturous applause upon the final whistle. Roma's mentality shines through Conceding the first goal early on could have been a hammer blow for Roma, who were already up against it. Sadio Mane's opener came against the run of play, and left Roma with four goals to get. However, the Giallorossi didn't shy away from the challenge, and continued to believe in themselves for most of the game. It was a resilient performance, bouncing back to derail the Premier League side and hand them their first defeat of the Champions League campaign. Controversial refereeing decisions It was a game of 'what ifs' for Roma, and several of those revolved around pivotal refereeing decisions. Roma should have had two more penalties in the match, with Edin Dzeko incorrectly being ruled offside before being brought down by Loris Karius, and Trent Alexander-Arnold stopping the ball with his hand. Neither were awarded, adding a flavour of frustration to fans' reflections on the match. Return to back four worked well Di Francesco returned to a 4-3-3 for this leg, after the 3-4-3 used at Anfield was exploited ruthlessly by Liverpool. The change in system was beneficial, as Liverpool created fewer chances than in the first leg, and Roma looked dangerous going forward. EDF was right to go 3-4-3 against Barcelona, but the lesson to be learnt is adaptability to opponents. 4-3-3 was a much better shape to use against Liverpool. A campaign full of pride Roma may have missed out on the final, but still managed to beat their best ever record in the Champions League era. Fans have been delighted at the club's performances across the continent this season, and will have high expectations of what this team can achieve in the future. Di Francesco deserves great credit for instilling a positive mentality on the players, where previous Roma sides would have crumbled. Remember, he had never coached in the Champions League before this season. And his side made it to the last four. What a journey this has been. Three goals and a clean sheet stand in the way of Roma and the Champions League final, and tonight is the night they have to achieve that.
Following on from last week’s 5-2 first leg loss to Liverpool, the Stadio Olimpico is centre stage tonight, the battleground where Roma will try to overturn the deficit. It will need another miracle, like against Barcelona in the last round, but the squad seem to be entering the game with belief and confidence. It’s a squad that doesn’t feature injured duo Kevin Strootman and Diego Perotti (who scored Roma’s second away goal last week). Therefore, Lorenzo Pellegrini is likely to keep his place in the midfield. Patrik Schick is expected to occupy one of the forward positions after coming on as a sub in the first leg. Schick has scored two goals in his last two league games, so will be entering the game in a confident mood. His fellow striker, Edin Dzeko, has scored in his last four consecutive Champions League appearances, a run that has been pivotal to the team’s European success. He will be the focal point tonight, with his teammates hoping he can continue his good run. Liverpool are expected to have Sadio Mane and Jordan Henderson available after injury concerns. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is out though, after injuring his ACL in the reverse meeting. It will be interesting to see how Mohamed Salah fares on his first return to the Olimpico since leaving Roma in the summer. He was the best player on the pitch by some distance in the first leg, but will he get a hostile reception from the sell-out crowd? And how will he react? He's answered all the questions in terms of technical ability, but tonight we will see how strong he is mentally. He will probably be the most dangerous threat to Roma on the night once again. At the weekend, Liverpool could only draw 0-0 with Premier League strugglers Stoke, whereas Roma beat Chievo 4-1. Fans will be hoping the momentum is with Roma as a result, and that they can stage another unbelievable comeback. It won’t be easy, but Roma aren’t here to fade and die. It’s time for them to try and make it to their first ever final in the Champions League era. Everything will be decided tonight. Tomorrow night sees the second leg of Roma's Champions League semi final against Liverpool, with the side trying to overturn a 5-2 deficit.
All Roma need to do is repeat the 3-0 scoreline that saw them remarkably knock out Barcelona in one of the greatest comebacks in Champions League history, but this task is generally seen as harder. Perhaps it's because of the gulf in quality between the two sides in the first leg. Liverpool were far better on the night than Roma, with Mohamed Salah in particular haunting his former club. As a result, some Roma fans believe Eusebio Di Francesco should rest players against Liverpool, so that the team can fully concentrate on finishing in the top four in Serie A. The Champions League has been a great journey so far, but maybe it's time for Roma to give up. After all, the race for a top four finish is tight, and the financial implications of getting across the line are too important to miss out on. But the club are giving no indication that they will let their Champions League dream fade tomorrow night - and rightly so. Interviews and press conferences have seen Di Francesco, Monchi and co. talk of how Roma must back themselves, how they will field a strong side, and how they still believe they can make it to the final. Their approach to this tie is the correct one. Roma should be confident enough of finishing in the top four that they don't need to see the Champions League as a distraction, but as another competition to make a big effort in. Currently, Roma are four points ahead of 5th-placed Inter, with just three league games left. The Giallorossi have the superior head-to-head record over Lazio, who are in fourth, meaning that if they finish on the same points tally as their cross-city rivals, they will be placed above them. That means that even if Inter overtake Roma, all EDF's side need to do is match Lazio's record to qualify for the Champions League next season. Although Roma still have to play Juventus, there's another upcoming fixture that will have major implications in the race to finish top four. On the final day of the season, Lazio and Inter face off. Obviously, they both can't win, so one or both of those teams, will lose ground. If Roma do what they should, and win against Cagliari and Sassuolo in their other two remaining fixtures, a top four place will be guaranteed. So, Roma shouldn't be too concerned about coming in the top four. It's not a given, but they have arguably the best chance out of the three sides competing for the final two spots. Which means they are more than free to go for it tomorrow night. Di Francesco should pick the best team available to him, and ask for maximum effort from all his players. The opportunity to play in the Champions League final doesn't come around often, so why decline it when it does present itself? Roma should try everything in their power to make it through. If Roma can manage to make it to the final in Kiev, it will make the team a far more attractive destination for potential new players and sponsors. The team could be improved in the summer with an influx of quality players inspired by the Roma shirt. Then, the team could continue their progression next season. Beating Liverpool by three clear goals will not be easy, by any means, but an early goal can change the whole dynamic of the game - just as it did against Barcelona. If Roma make sure they score it, and do so early, anything could happen. There's a good saying that can be applied to this situation. It's better to regret doing something, than to regret not doing something. Well, tomorrow, Roma should leave with no regrets of not trying their absolute best to beat Liverpool. There's simply no point wondering what might have been. Roma may lose in doing so, but even if they do, and if they fail to qualify for next season's competition, it's been an adventure - one definitely worth trying to complete. Opponents of this theory may point to the financial benefits of sacrificing the Champions League in order to qualify for it next year, but the club have made enough money from this season's competition - and the recent sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways - to be in a comfortable position in this regard. It's time to put all that aside and be confident. To dream and to have faith. Because if Roma do pull it off, it will be one of the greatest achievements in the club's history. And you won't want to look back and remember that you didn't want it to happen. So, tomorrow night, forget about Serie A. Forget about Inter and forget about Lazio. Forget about the Cagliari game at the weekend. Leave it all at the door and dream that Roma can achieve the unthinkable. Wish success on the team every single step of the way. Celebrate everything they do well, and hope for one giant celebration at the end of it. In doing so, you will be a supporter in the purest sense of the word. Let's go. Forza Roma. |
samuel bannister
Founder and editor of Giallorossi Yorkshire, who is also a columnist for Roma's official website about the women's team. Categories
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