A Wednesday Night in Serie A
Thursday, 21 December 06, 07:34 AM
Three games in a week, then the longest stop we’ve ever seen in serie A between Dec. 24th to Jan 14th. This evening we’re in the middle of the “Tour de Force”, with Inter Milan and AS Roma away for very dangerous matches. In particular, it won’t be easy for Inter at Stadio Olimpico in Rome. The Nerazzurri has a very bad tradition against SS Lazio, its “bete noir”. They lost twice a scudetto there at the very last game, in 1935 and 2002, with the same score: 4-2. Inter fans don’t forget Ronaldo seated on the bench after the substitution, sobbing like a baby, on that damned 5th of May.
Today it’s another Inter, not only for technical characteristics but also for its strength of mind. Even Adriano’s delay last Monday, when he didn’t show up in the morning training session, something that would have created a case last year, has been tolerated by coach Mancini. So, the Brazilian striker is in today’s match list. SS Lazio is in good shape, after its win in Rome derby the Biancocelesti drew in Livorno (but they deserved to win) and still want to confirm the tradition: last win at the Olimpico for Moratti’s team is dated March 3rd, 1996: 1-0 with an own goal by Alessandro Nesta. Will Inter invert the course? Mancini, former Lazio player and coach, hopes so.
Another “Stadio Olimpico”, this time in Turin, is the stage of the second most important match of day 17, Torino-AS Roma. The Turinese, after a bad beginning of season, has marked 13 points in last six games, drawing only with Milan away. Coach Zaccheroni is very experienced, and President Cairo did well leaving him at his place,even when everybody was asking his dismissal. Young star Alessandro Rosina is new idol for the Granata fans. It won’t be easy also for AS Roma, despite the good match Sunday night (4-0 to Palermo). By the way, for January transfers session the Giallorossi have signed Francesco Tavano, on loan from Valencia.
Elsewhere, Palermo can take its revenge, playing home against taillight Ascoli, AC Milan needs an important success facing outsider Catania (the Sicilian are fourth, fighting for UCL qualifying). Atalanta vs Udinese, Messina vs Parma, Chievo vs Reggina, Sampdoria vs Livorno, Empoli vs Siena (a Tuscany derby) and Cagliari vs Fiorentina complete day 17. We just hope this evening we won’t see all referees’ mistakes as last Sunday, when everybody (players, coaches, executives) made a scene for everything.
Today it’s another Inter, not only for technical characteristics but also for its strength of mind. Even Adriano’s delay last Monday, when he didn’t show up in the morning training session, something that would have created a case last year, has been tolerated by coach Mancini. So, the Brazilian striker is in today’s match list. SS Lazio is in good shape, after its win in Rome derby the Biancocelesti drew in Livorno (but they deserved to win) and still want to confirm the tradition: last win at the Olimpico for Moratti’s team is dated March 3rd, 1996: 1-0 with an own goal by Alessandro Nesta. Will Inter invert the course? Mancini, former Lazio player and coach, hopes so.
Another “Stadio Olimpico”, this time in Turin, is the stage of the second most important match of day 17, Torino-AS Roma. The Turinese, after a bad beginning of season, has marked 13 points in last six games, drawing only with Milan away. Coach Zaccheroni is very experienced, and President Cairo did well leaving him at his place,even when everybody was asking his dismissal. Young star Alessandro Rosina is new idol for the Granata fans. It won’t be easy also for AS Roma, despite the good match Sunday night (4-0 to Palermo). By the way, for January transfers session the Giallorossi have signed Francesco Tavano, on loan from Valencia.
Elsewhere, Palermo can take its revenge, playing home against taillight Ascoli, AC Milan needs an important success facing outsider Catania (the Sicilian are fourth, fighting for UCL qualifying). Atalanta vs Udinese, Messina vs Parma, Chievo vs Reggina, Sampdoria vs Livorno, Empoli vs Siena (a Tuscany derby) and Cagliari vs Fiorentina complete day 17. We just hope this evening we won’t see all referees’ mistakes as last Sunday, when everybody (players, coaches, executives) made a scene for everything.
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More Than a Football Match
Tuesday, 12 December 06, 01:21 PM
Living in Rome without being a fan of Roma or Lazio allows you to see things with neutral eyes. The very first time you meet someone, be sure he (or she) will ask you “Which football team do you support?”, and will behave towards you depending on your answer. Of course, if you are –for example- an Inter Milan or a Juventus fan, they will try to make you change your mind and –if you won’t- they’ll look at you with a little compassion, never involving you in football discussions. Except if you come from another part of Italy.
The week before the derby , everywhere you go you can hear people of any age, sex, classes talk about Totti’s ankle or Lazio coach Rossi saying he will dive into a famous fountain if his team wins.
AS Roma fans, as usual, claim they’re Rome first team, and say Lazio fans are “burini”, meaning they all come from the countryside in the surroundings of the capital, while “true Romans” are 100% yellow and red. On the contrary, Lazio fans are claiming they are the first team in Rome, as Lazio was founded in 1900, while AS Roma came out of the merger of three different football teams, in 1927. Well, this is just a sample of the way people live the moments before the most important match of the year.
Then, one hour before the kick-off, streets are empty: people are inside the Olympic Stadium or watching the game on TV, at home or in one of the many pubs in the city. The only voice you can hear is the TV commentator’s one, unless nothing important happens. But when someone scores, obviously people shout or curse.
Yesterday, it happened that SS Lazio won 3-0, and this is not usual. Consider that in 2000, when Lazio won the scudetto, they lost 4-1, and Roma scored its 4 goals in 25 minutes. So, you can imagine this morning in offices, pubs, supermarkets: you could see someone smiling and showing 3 fingers to an angry friend of his, and in some popular quarters small groups of old men shouting and arguing. Be sure that this goes on until April 29th, when AS Roma may have its revenge in the second derby of the season.
PS: last night coach Rossi really dived into the fountain, with 10°C…
The week before the derby , everywhere you go you can hear people of any age, sex, classes talk about Totti’s ankle or Lazio coach Rossi saying he will dive into a famous fountain if his team wins.
AS Roma fans, as usual, claim they’re Rome first team, and say Lazio fans are “burini”, meaning they all come from the countryside in the surroundings of the capital, while “true Romans” are 100% yellow and red. On the contrary, Lazio fans are claiming they are the first team in Rome, as Lazio was founded in 1900, while AS Roma came out of the merger of three different football teams, in 1927. Well, this is just a sample of the way people live the moments before the most important match of the year.
Then, one hour before the kick-off, streets are empty: people are inside the Olympic Stadium or watching the game on TV, at home or in one of the many pubs in the city. The only voice you can hear is the TV commentator’s one, unless nothing important happens. But when someone scores, obviously people shout or curse.
Yesterday, it happened that SS Lazio won 3-0, and this is not usual. Consider that in 2000, when Lazio won the scudetto, they lost 4-1, and Roma scored its 4 goals in 25 minutes. So, you can imagine this morning in offices, pubs, supermarkets: you could see someone smiling and showing 3 fingers to an angry friend of his, and in some popular quarters small groups of old men shouting and arguing. Be sure that this goes on until April 29th, when AS Roma may have its revenge in the second derby of the season.
PS: last night coach Rossi really dived into the fountain, with 10°C…
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Gabriele
Roma, IT
Un posto diverso da Calciopoli, molto più bello!
On Wambach-Boxx-Lilly, and the US go to the semi-final!