Today Liverpool traveled to Madrid and Fulham to Hamburg for some semi-final action for the Champions League's little brother. While Liverpool took the train into France then hopped on a short flight, Fulham went the entire way via bus, stopping only to play on the autobahn.
The Premier League sides managed a total of five shots between them, none of which were on goal. Comparatively, Atletico hit the target 4 times on 7 attempts, with Forlan scoring one. Hamburg fired off 17, 6 of which were on frame, but came away empty-handed thanks to some fine saves from Schwarzer.
The return legs are next Thursday, and neither Atletico nor Hamburg will need to take buses and trains.
From what I saw of the tie in Germany, our boy Clint Dempsey was looking good, making intelligent runs, dribbling at defenders, and taking some shots as the lone striker up top in the Cottagers 4-5-1. Fantastic sight considering in January it was unsure of whether or not he'd make the world cup. Unfortunately, no delightfully cheeky goals like against Juve.
As much as I love to hate the self appointed “special one” Jose Mourinho, it seems that his talents truly helped Inter achieve a terrific 3-1 victory at the San Siro over visitors Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals. Barca forward Pedro struck first, which is normally enough to rattle any squad, but Mourinho’s experienced men stepped up their game in response to the goal, scoring three unanswered to shock the title holders. A first half goal by Wesley Sneijder was followed by second half strikes from Maicon and Milito respectively. As an admitted Barca fan and Inter hater, the result was shocking for me to say the least, but it should be very interesting to see whether or not Barcelona can continue their epic run of success and come back at the Nou Camp in the second leg next Wednesday. So without further ado, here are one mans version of the games player ratings, on a 1-10 scale. Comments and critiques welcome.
Barcelona
Victor Valdes GK : This performance no doubt reminded many Barca fans of his shaky performances of old. None of the goals were directly his fault, but he also made no defining saves and failed to catch aerial balls. Rating-3
Carlos Puyol CB: Also not one of Puyol’s typical performances, other than his yellow which keeps him out of the return leg. Often got caught up the pitch too high and should’ve been stronger on the 2nd goal. Rating-4
Gerard Pique CB: Was randomly Barca’s best attacking threat in the second half, as he got on the ball multiple times in the thick of the Inter box, forcing Lucio to help out his keeper. Yet it reflects poorly on him that Barca gave up three goals, which is an extreme rarity. Rating-5.5
Dani Alves RWB: One word, Poor. This was one of the few matches where Alves hurt his team much more than he helped. He couldn’t get forward effectively until very late, and left Sneijder all alone at the back post for the first goal. This should have been a wake up call, but Sneijder was wide open again for the Inters’ final goal. Rating-2.5
Lionel Messi CF: Playing centrally once again, Messi had a tough time finding space. He often beat one Inter defender only to find another one tackling the ball away. Had some shots on goal, yet also lost the ball that led to the first Inter goal. This was a performance nothing like his 4 goal masterpiece against Arsenal. Rating-5
Zlatan Ibrahimovic ST: Never really got involved. Perhaps his best chance came in the opening minutes when he was reluctant to lay his body on the line for a nice Maxwell cross. Subbed off after the 2nd Inter goal. Rating-4
Xavi CM: One of the few bright spots as usual for Barca, he controlled the midfield for long stretches. Created several good chances, but was not able to fully unlock the Inter defense. Rating-7
Sergio Busquets CDM: While he had his typical quiet game, the team gave up three goals, which reflected poorly on him. In addition, had a great chance from an unmarked corner, but his header was well saved by Julio Ceasar. If he had put that ball in the back of the net, it would have changed things greatly Rating-4
Seydou Keita CM: Didn’t provide much initial support to Xavi, but was seen aiding Maxwell in defense on occasion. Played much better towards the games end when Barca had all the possession. Rating-5
Pedro LF: Once again showed why he deserves to make Spain’s WC roster. Had a classy finish on the goal, and made several sick moves to draw fouls against helpless Inter defenders. Rating-7.5
Maxwell LWB: Did all the work to brilliantly create and set up Pedro’s goal, and also got forward often. However, he felt the wrath of Maicon in the second half, which included scoring Inters’ second goal. Rating-7
Substitutes
Eric Abidal LWB: He was subbed on for Ibra of all people by Guardiola. Yet the move was mostly effective, as he was able to combine with Maxwell up the left flank to put in some dangerous crosses. Rating-6
Internazionale Milano
Julio Ceasar GK: Good game by the Brazil International who is slowly rounding into form after his nasty Lamborghini crash in February. Had no chance on the goal, yet came up huge later. His saves against Busquests and Pique were world class. Rating-7
Lucio CB: While his giveaway ended up leading to the first goal, he worked hard as always. He made several acrobatic clearances and was tough in the second half. Rating-5.5
Walter Samuel CB: One of the unsung men of the match for Inter, he kept the defense from breaking on many occasions. He also had a goal saving block on a Pedro shot. Great game. Rating-7
Maicon RWB: A tale of two halves for the talented Brazilian. In the first, he never got forward, and inexplicably ran away from Maxwell as he was flying up the wing to create the opening goal. Yet he came out a changed man in the second, with a tricky finish off a long run to score the crucial go ahead goal. His night ended in pain as he was caught in the chin/mouth by an accidental Messi shoulder that resulted in his being stretchered off the field looking in a great deal of pain. Rating-5
Samuel Eto’o ST: Not involved as much in the game as much as his teammates, he nevertheless was able to drop into midfield on occasion to aid in possession. His poor cross somehow found Sneijder for the tying goal Rating-6
Diego Milito ST: A great game to go along with a quietly terrific season for the Argentine. He never got discouraged despite missing some marvelous early chances, and it paid off. He got the first two assists by not panicking in tight spots, and scored after Sneijder’s terrible header bounced to him in his questionably onsides position. Rating-7.5
Esteban Cambiasso CDM: Played his typically solid game in midfield with good vision. Yet he had trouble trying to contain Xavi and was caught out for pace by Maxwell on the goal, but received no help from Maicon. Rating-5
Tiago Motta CDM: As always, the one Inter player invisible on the pitch. Occasionally blocked a shot, but he has to be given some credit for not letting Messi run riot. Rating-5.5
Wesley Sneijder CAM: Good, Bad, and Ugly. Only two plays kept him from a stellar performance. His Intramural level finish on an open header somehow bounced to an offsides Milito for the final goal, and also trapped a through ball on goal out of bounds. Yet he managed to score a goal and create numerous other chances. Rating-7
Goran Pandev LW: Never really pushed up with the strikers, and had only one move up the left that merited mentioning. Was subbed in the 56th and replaced by Stankovic. Rating-5
Javier Zanetti LWB: Another good match for the experienced Argentine.Made a stellar one on one tackle against compatriot Messi, and showed his versatility when he switched to the right side after the injury to Maicon.
Rating-6
Substitutes
Dejan Stankovic CM: Was an effective substitute for Mourinho. He was especially committed in getting back and aiding the defense. Unfortunately drew a yellow that will see him suspended for the return leg. Rating-5
Mario Balotelli ST: Was a late sub for Milito who went off with a calf cramp. Wasn’t on the pitch long enough to get involved, but could’ve scored if Sneijder was able to control a through ball. Rating-INC
Lets just get down to business. We all know the accolades of both sides. The biggest battle will be Mourinho versus Guardiola, or, more significantly, how Mourinho decides to neutralize the threat of the Barcelona passing game.
I expect Inter to absorb Barca's attacking; trying to pressure Barca high up the field in order to prevent them from advancing is merely delaying the inevitable. They are all too good on the ball, and have the patience to play the ball back to Valdes and start all over again if they feel it is necessary. I think Mourinho's intention will be to cut the supply lines as soon as the Catalans advance, preventing the always-safe back pass. Mourinho will likely employ either a 4-2-1-3 with Eto'o up top, flanked by Milito and Pandev and supported by Sneijder, or a 4-3-1-2 which demotes Pandev to the bench. I would bet more on the latter. Much like against Chelsea, Inter's forwards will press high and work hard to harass Barca's back line and disrupt the side-to-side passing that they enjoy so much in possession.
A huge battle will be between the conductor of the Spanish symphony, Xavi, and the evergreen enforcer Cambiasso. I would seek to man-mark Xavi with a combination of Cambiasso and Sneijder in order to cut out the most used pivot of Barca's ever rotating offense. Limiting the influence Xavi has on the game is like capturing an army's general. Doing so will force Barcelona to play entirely differently and would limit the ammo Xavi can provide for Messi, Sergio, and Ibrahimovic.
On offense, Barca will play on the ground and quickly. Inter's size advantage makes aerial battles for long balls one-sided; even Zlatan's huge frame will be under wraps by centerbacks Lucio (the scariest man in football) and Samuel. Barcelona will, of course, play a possession based game as always, being patient and trying to unlock Inter's defense.
Here are a few keys to the game:
Did Messi eat his Wheaties? As always this year, the world's best player is at the center of attention. If Messi is in another unstoppable mood, then tough shit for Inter. He is in terrible form as of late, having not scored in two games now!! As Mourinho stated in his interview, Messi will not be man-marked. Trying to do so is as foolish as trying to catch a butterfly with two spoons.
Opposite corners-the battle of the right backs. While Maicon (inter) and Dani Alves (Barca) are well known as tough defenders, their offensive contributions are certainly nothing to scoff at. Both go on Cafu-esque marauding runs down the right side, wrecking havoc on unlucky left midfielders. Both teams will push high on the left side in an effort to pin down these wing backs, but both contain the speed and endurance to honor both defensive and offensive tasks all game long.
The central midfield. Will Xavi find himself with a new shadow all game (Sneijder or Cambiasso)? Or will he be allowed to roam free, receiving and distributing killer passes like he is playing against the Barca youth team.
Dealing with Inter's counter attack. When Inter wins the ball back in their own defensive third, they will look to get the ball to Sneijder who can then dump perfectly weighted balls to Eto'o and Milito (and possibly Pandev). Mourinho is not going to beat Barca at their own game and has no problem playing much of the game on the wrong side of the ball. However, if they can catch Alves or Maxwell creeping too far up field, a quick counter could expose Barcelona's rear guard. Pique and Puyol are both intelligent and fast enough to deal with such attacks, but as it is in football, you never know what will happen.
In my opinion, whoever advances over the two legs will win the Champions League. Inter is the only team capable of beating Barca, and that can be attributed in a large part to the genius of Jose Mourinho. I hope for a good game, but I am worried about Inter deploying "anti-football" tactics to derail Barcelona's football train. Otherwise, we should experience a thrilling tie.
My prediction: 2-1 Inter, with plenty of chances being created at both ends.
The European season may be winding down, but the 15th MLS campaign is off to a roaring start with a few surprises and disappointments thus far.
HOT: Edson Buddle and the Los Angeles Galaxy No Beckham? No Problem. L.A. is the only MLS side with a perfect slate in this young season. A large part of that is due to the reemergence of the longtime MLS stalwart Edson Buddle. With the exception of that short Argentinian dude for Barcelona, no one in the world has been scoring at the pace of the Galaxy, who in just 4 games has put 7 goals in the back of the net for defending Western Conference Champs. In a rematch with titleholders Real Salt Lake on Saturday, Buddle put two more in the net to end a six game losing streak to the Utahans. Although it may be a little late for the once-capped American to be called up for USMNT's World Cup squad, there's o question that Buddle has gained the attention on Bob Bradley. The game also ended the three game clean sheet streak of Galaxy GK Donovan Ricketts, who otherwise has been the standout keeper of the season so far. But that's not exactly saying much...
NOT: League Goalkeepers It's hard to find the proper words to describe the play of MLS keepers so far this season. For this post, I think I'll go with "putrid". Especially egregious has been the play of Chris Seitz for the expansion Philadelphia Union. Once hailed as one of the next great American keepers, Seitz has struggled mightily since leaving the University of Maryland. He certainly showed his youth a week ago with careless ball handing that allowed D.C. United veteran Jaime Moreno to extend his lead on the MLS All-Time leading scorer list. Seitz allowed two more cheap goals to Toronto on MLS Primetime Thursday, causing head man Piotr Nowak to openly consider other options. Even more embarrassing was New York Red Bulls GK Bouna Coundoul's U-8-like clearance effort against Chivas USA last weekend. To his credit, the Senegalese international rebounded on Saturday with a strong effort, helping NYRB to nab 3 points at home against Dallas. But other weak performances from Chicago's Andrew Dykstra, Houston's Pat Onstad, and D.C.'s Troy Perkins have MLS supporters longing for Howard, Guzan and Hahneman to return from abroad.
HOT: Ryan Smith The 23 year-old Brit has been a revelation for Kansas City this season, providing the speedy striker that the Wizards have been lacking since Preki retired. A player once coveted by Arsene Wenger, Smith struggled in the Coca-Cola Championship for several seasons, bus has seemed to have found his groove in the MLS. Despite a heartbreaking 90th minute loss away to Seattle on Saturday, Kansas City has been one of the pleasant surprises of the young MLS season, taking advantage of slow starts by Chicago and D.C. to put themselves towards the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
NOT: D.C. United Can it get any worse for the Screamin' Eagles? D.C. has yet to adjust to new head coach Curt Onalfo and it shows on the pitch. With an 0-4-0 record, United are the only side in the league withouta point. An embarrassing loss to expansion Philadelphia and three shutouts at the hands of KC, New England and Chicago have D.C. struggling for answers. With Commissioner Don Garber pressuring the team for a new stadium deal and rumors of a relocation to Baltimore, a team that was once the league's model franchise is fraught with turmoil.
Dave's Fab Five - Week 4 1. Los Angeles Galaxy - 4-0-0 - Unquestionably the top side so far this season. 2. New York Red Bulls - 3-1-0 - New digs (in which they remain unbeaten) and a new manager (Hans Backe) have made NYRB the feel good story of the season, despite the poor play of Juan Pablo Angel. But how much longer can the optimism last for the league's most stagnant franchise? 3. Seattle Sounders - 2-1-1 - There are still questions that remain about where the goals will be coming from this season, but Seattle has so far continued their winning ways from last season. 4. Kansas City Wizards - 2-1-0 - If not for Michael Fucito's 90th minute goal at Qwest Field on Saturday, KC would be alone atop the Eastern Conference standings. 5. Houston Dynamo - 2-1-1 - Despite the loss of Ricardo Clark and Stuart Holden (along with Brian Ching to injury), the Dynamo seem to be humming along.
Dave's Terrible Two - Week 4 15 - Toronto FC - 1-3-0 - It seems as if Dwayne DeRosario's best days are behind him. 16 - D.C. United - 0-4-0 - The talent is there for D.C. to compete in the muddled East, it's just a matter of shaking off the rough, rough start to this campaign. Game of the Week - Week 5
Real Salt Lake @ Columbus, Saturday 4:30 PST
The Crew look to avenge their surprising first round playoff loss from last season. Due to a quirk in the schedule, Columbus has had the last two weeks off while RLS looks to rebound from a 2-1 loss to league leaders LA.
Maicon's sublime goal, complete with crafty touches and a smashing finish.
Red Bull Salzburg goalie Eddie Gustafsson was complain about his flexibility, so LASK Linz striker Lukas Kragl was nice enough to give him a third joint in his leg.
Croatian league action: the goal scorer loses his bearings and attempts to celebrate with an opposing fan. Somebody should have told him not to fall for the "what did the five fingers say to the face?" joke.
Videos I couldnt find: goals by N'Zogbia and Nzonzi, West Ham's Kovac going studs up through a teammate in the Liverpool game today.
For those of you keeping score at home, thats three puns in one title. Tottenham striker Jermaine Defoe was caught getting an oral groin inspection from a broad in the back of her RAV4. I linked you to what I thought was the best picture of the bunch; I was unaware Defoe employed Shaft as a body guard.
Besides this being an overall dumb and classless decision by Defoe, I wonder what made him think a residential area near kids playing was better than having a driver bring her to his mansion. Of course we should expect none less from a striker who is always caught offsides and loves wearing big bras on his head.
Paul Scholes gets a kiss full on the lips for his injury time winner in Saturday's Manchester Derby. Man U wins 1-0, but will lose Scholes for the rest of the season, the midfielder needing 19 stiches to repair "clear through bite marks" on his lips. In other news, D-becks says he will no longer cook for Gary, commenting "Gary, I thought we had something."
When the current edition of the Champions League started back in August, you would have been a fool to bet on these two teams still being in it at this stage. An extended run in the Champions League looked highly unlikely for a team that had sold top scorer Karim Benzema to Real Madrid. And Bayern coach Louis Van Gaal was at one time four games from the sack after a poor run of form before Christmas. But it is by no mean a fluke that these two are here still in it. Despite finishing second in their group to Bordeaux, Bayern had made their threat known with a 4-1 thrashing of Juventus in Turin on the last day of the group stage. And Lyon's path to the semis includes a 2-1 win at Anfield in the group stage and a 2-1 aggregate win over Real Madrid (and old boy Benzema) in the round of 16.
Bayern's attack has been bolstered by the summer signing of Arjen Robben, who has chipped in with a career best 19 goals in all competitions this season. The front three of Robben, Ribery, and Olic, with Gomez coming off the bench, has the pace and skill to trouble any back four. And with the revelation of Bastien Schweinsteigger as a holding midfielder partnered by the experienced Mark Van Bommel, Bayern can say they have the advantage in the middle third of the park as well. The problem for Bayern has been in keeping the goals out. Both Man U and Fiorentina put four past Hans Jorg Butt over their respective ties. Martin Demichellis has played horridly, and was directly at fault for at least three of Man U's goals in that tie, including this horrible first minute sequence in the first leg in which he needlessly fouled Nani in the corner before losing his mark (a certain Wayne Rooney) and allowing him to walk in unchecked to volley into the net. Demichellis was embarrassed once again in the second leg, Antonio Valencia juggling around him as if he weren't there before squaring for Nani's second goal of the game.
Lyon's recent form has been enviable of late, winning four and drawing one of their last five in Ligue 1. While Lyon's attacking talents of Lisandro Lopez and Pjanic usually grab the headlines, it is their steel in the defensive third that sets the platform for the attackers. In front of the increasingly impressive shot stopper Hugo Loris sits center back Cris, whose bald-headed, no-nonsense defending evokes memories of Jaap Stam. Real Madrid could only manage one goal against Lyon over the two legs of their round of 16 tie. And a win and draw versus Liverpool in the group stages shows that Lyon can box with the best of them. With Bayern's wealth in attacking options, Cris, Loris, and French international Jeremy Toulalan, who looks set to partner Cris in central defense, will have to be on top form to advance to the final.
Look for Lyon manager Claude Puel to play ultra conservative, especially in the first leg away from home. Just as they did in the second leg against Bordeaux, they will look to frustrate their more attack-minded opponents with a solid defensive shape, getting nine or ten men behind the ball at all times. And although the focus will be on defense, Lisandro Lopez, Lyon's replacement for Benzema, can certainly produce the goods. A 90th minute goal against Liverpool sent Lyon into the knockout stages, and he had two goals in the first leg 3-1 victory over Bordeaux.
Although Lyon are extremely well organised and can attack or shut the game down when they please, I see Bayern just having the edge. The atmosphere at the Fussball Arena will be absolutely rocking, with the giant club searching their first Champions League final appearance since 2001. You have to feel that the win over Man U has finally exorcised the demons of the 1999 final, and truthfully, Bayern were the better side for the majority of both matches, despite allowing some awfully cheap goals (ahem!, Demechellis). An interesting side note will be how the 800 km minibus ride (their plane is still grounded due to the volcanic ash cloud) to Munich will affect the legs of the Lyon players. They might just be wishing they had signed Adrian Mutu...
Unfortunately I missed the game live and had to watch on the DVR, and I knew the outcome ahead of time. Still, it was impossible to take the joy out of watching a convincing victory over Chelsea which now leaves us in fourth, two points ahead of Man City after their derby loss to a header from the ginger ninja.
Spurs played with same furor and composure seen against Arsenal, pressing hard together as a unit but not wasting energy chasing the ball when Chelsea had possession in non-dangerous areas. Everyone played well, with exceptional performances from Dawson, Modric, Bale, and Gomes when he was called upon. Even Younes Kaboul somehow managed not to get torn apart by the in-form Malouda out on the wing. Before the game, the worry was that Tottenham wouldn't have the energy after an extra-time Wembley loss to Pompey and a labor intensive fight with Arsenal, but that was far from the case. Despite seven players playing three games in a week (Gomes, Dawson, Bale, Modric, Huddlestone, Defoe, and Pavlyuchenko), Spurs we're attacking and defending with gusto all game; much of this can be attributed to the Spurs' youth. The average age of their outfield ten was 24.7 years, whereas the Pensioners fielded a team averaging nearly 30 years of age (29.8). All one has to do is look at the way Gareth Bale (age 20, also playing like the world's best left wing back right now) turned Paulo Ferreira (31) inside out before blasting past Cech with his weaker foot (seen here, about 3:30 in) . On a related note, Chelsea is too old to fight on so many fronts. I said this in the summer, predicting a CL exit, and I still think they can only win either the Prem or the FA Cup, but not both. This is barring a return to fitness of Essien, Cashley, and Carvalho, which would provide fresh legs (although not match-fit ones). Saturday was forgettable for Chelsea and, in particular, John Terry, who was sent off for two mistimed tackles even though he claimed "twice I got the ball." Apparently JT does live in an alternate reality from the rest of us, both on and off the pitch. Chelsea played with the same indifference shown by Spurs against Sunderland two weekends ago. While watching the game I was dumbfounded by their apparent lack of urgency; Ancelotti must have felt the same way. Only Lampard did not look like a League 2 player, being ever-consistent in what is one of his best career seasons. While Chelsea could hardly find any positives, the opposite was to be said of Spurs. Their mistakes came on the offensive front, where they failed to put away a plethora of "easy" chances. This was epitomized in stoppage time when a 3 v1 led to Bale playing Super Pav through on goal, only for his shot to be pushed agonizingly wide. If Tottenham wish to continue their rampage through the top of the table, they cannot waste chances like that next week at Old Trafford. Bouncing back to beat Arsenal and Chelsea after losing in a semi-final to a relegated team is never easy, but Spurs can keep their heads held high in their quest for Champions League football. Its gonna take another spectacular performance against Man United on Saturday.
With just five games remaining, and only four points separating three of Italy’s top clubs, round 34 of Serie A action promised to produce some intriguing calcio this weekend. The action started early, with Inter facing Juventus at the San Siro in the Derby D’Italia on Friday.
Going into the match, Jose Mourinho’s Inter had the opportunity to gain a temporary two point edge on leaders Roma, but it was going to be no easy task against a Juventus side that had been playing better of late after a very disappointing season.The match remained tight early until towering Juve midfielder Mohamed Sissoko foolishly picked up his second yellow card in only the 37th minute, with a cheap foul against the Inter left back and ageless Argentine wonder Javier Zanetti.
Down to ten men, Juve fought off wave after wave of Inter attack, no doubt bolstered by the return of their leader, keeper Gianluigi Buffon.It took a moment of sheer brilliance by Inter’s Maicon to change all that.In the 75th minute, Maicon controlled the ball outside the area, and proceeded to juggle the ball over and around Amauri before smashing a volley into the far corner, in an effort that could only come from the world’s finest right back.
From then on, the result was a foregone conclusion, as Inter striker Samuel Eto’o put the game away with a finish off a low cross in stoppage time. The win put Inter six points ahead of rivals AC Milan and two ahead of AS Roma heading into the Sunday matches.
Sunday afternoon saw contenders AC Milan travel to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris in Genoa to face a talented attacking side in Sampdoria.Milan started the game brightly, with the help of Clarence Seedorf, getting the start ahead of Andrea Pirlo, due to his yellow card suspension.Seedorf's inspired play soon paid off, with Milan’s in-form striker Marco Borrielo smashing in a fierce header from the corner.However, with the backing of their home crowd, a Sampdoria side led by the always entertaining and controversial Antonio Cassano was able to create several good chances before the halftime interval.
The pressure on the Milan goal continued into the second half, until Milan defender Daniele Bonera committed what could only be described as a combination of an American football tackle and a European one, denying Cassano a clear goalscoring opportunity, which resulted in a penalty for Sampdoria and a sending off for Bonera in the 47th minute.Cassano coolly slotted the penalty home under the outstretched arms of Milan keeper Dida, knotting the game at 1.Despite their numerical advantage, Sampdoria were unable to take advantage for much of the second half against an old and tired Milan side, due mostly to the inspired play of the one and only gap-toothed wonder, Ronaldinho.Dinho moved more centrally once Milan were reduced to ten men, and the tactical change helped him to see more of the ball, however Milan could never quite find that final ball to regain the lead.
The game seemed about to fizzle out with a draw until Sampdoria poured on the pressure in the final five minutes. Samp striker Giampaolo Pazzini decided to emerge from his slumber and outleap Massimo Oddo for the game winning goal in stoppage time.If Milan’s Scudetto hopes were still alive, they surely drowned in Genoa with the Pazzini goal.
The final and most scintillating matchup of the weekend was reserved for Sunday evening with a derby match in the Eternal City.With a crowd of 45,000 on hand to witness the match between AS Roma and Lazio in their shared Stadio Olimpico, and the Scudetto in the balance, both teams understandably came out of the gates a bit cautious.As usual, there was a bit of violence, however this time it came on the pitch, due to an accidental boot to the nose of a Lazio defender Guglielmo Stendardofrom Roma striker Luca Toni, resulting in a large amount of blood and possibly a broken nose.For most of the first half, Roma played terribly, seemingly content to dump the ball up to Toni, despite the fact that this resulted in their losing possession every time.They were finally punished by Lazio for their lazy play in the 14th minute as Captain Tommaso Rocchi made a smooth finish against the keeper off a pass that left Roma defender Nicolas Burdisso looking as if he had never defended an aerial through ball in his life.
By halftime, it was clear that changes needed to be made to the Roma squad, and Manager Claudio Ranieri was unafraid to do so, taking off not one but both of Roma’s leaders and star players, Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi.With Ranieri’s success this season however, perhaps if should have been no surprise that the move paid off with substitute Jeremy Menez being particularly effective throughout the second half.Yet as the half began, Roma remained asleep, conceding a penalty two minutes in after a brilliant run by Lazio winger Aleksander Kolarov.However, a poor penalty by Sergio Floccari was saved up the middle, giving Roma new life, which they turned into their own penalty chance just five minutes later.With Totti already substituted, it was unknown who would step up for Roma in such a crucial match.The answer was provided by leading scorer Mirko Vucinic, who coolly slotted the kick into the side netting. With the score even, the game began to be even more closely contested, until Roma drew a free kick just on the edge of the area in the 64th minute.In what has to go down as one of the worst walls of all time, Lazio midfielder Christian Brocchi ran out of the way just as Vucinic smashed the ball into his vacated space and past a helpless Lazio keeper Fernando Muslera.Neither team came particularly close to scoring the rest of the way, as Roma held on 2-1 with a finish that was notable only for the red card that Lazio winger Cristian Ledesma drew out of frustration at the referee in stoppage time.
As the Roma players and fans wildly celebrated to close the weekend of calcio in the Serie A, the top of the table remained essentially the same as it had at the start, with Inter one point behind Roma with only four games remaining.The only significant change came from Milan’s loss, which puts them seven points back, surely ending their admittedly scarce Scudetto chances and leaving their focus on keeping the leagues last allotted Champions League place.While Milan now look toward the summer and the work they desperately need to do in the transfer market, the race between Inter and Roma has only grown tighter, and will undoubtedly come down to moments of class and composure, as provided by Maicon and Vucinic this weekend.
