Roma Roundup: A Tale of Two Penalties
Rigore, as penalty kicks are known in Italy, are games of luck. A well-aimed kick has a much better chance of going in than being saved by the goalie, who often must take a literal leap of faith before the ball is even struck. For Roma, however, there is of course more to the story. Claudio Pizarro has proven that he has the bottle to take a decisive spot kick when it matters. Marco Borriello, on the other hand, cost Roma any slim chance they might have had in progressing through the Champions’ League round of sixteen.
It should be noted that the Chilean is the designated rigore taker under Vincenzo Montella: away against Lecce last weekend, it was a fact of which Borriello himself needed to be reminded. As usual, the Giallorossi had taken a lead and, as usual, they watched it crumble. Mirko Vucinic gave the away side the lead in the thirty-second minute, after a delightful run and low curved shot that made its way past Antonio Rosati. The Montenegrin captain refused to celebrate the goal against his former side. From then on, Alexander Doni was in top form, making multiple saves to keep his side in the lead. Lecce however continued to pour on the pressure, and finally got the goal they so deserved.
It was the seventy-fifth minute, and it came from awful Roman defending. A cross was whipped into the box which home side captain Guillermo Giacomazzi headed in past a helpless Doni despite being sandwhiched by two Roman players. Roma, who have conceded twenty five goals in the last half hour of matches all season, continued their worrying trend of shutting down late on. However, under Montella, it seems that luck has changed. The side were awarded a penalty on nearly the last kick of the match after a handball in the box. Borriello strongly desired to take it, but Pizarro brushed aside his claims to coolly slot the ball in. Roma, for the first time in what seems like seasons, had finally prevented a late-game meltdown.
If it was a penalty that saved the side in Serie A, it also condemned them in the Champions’ League. Playing away to Shakhtar, the Italian side dominated the first twenty minutes, knowing that nothing but a two goal win would see them advance. However, on one of their first chances of the night, the home side scored one of the more bizarre goals of the season. Willian beat his marker Pizarro on the left to whip in a cross, which barely grazed Tomas Hubschman before rolling slowly into the net, off the far post. Roma suddenly needed three goals, and capitulated in spectacular fashion.
However, it nearly turned out to be an entirely different affair. After being dragged down in the box and awarded the penalty, Borriello got his chance to slot one in. His kick was saved, however, and any chance of a comeback now was surely drained. Philipe Mexes was sent off for two yellow cards before halftime, and captain Daniele De Rossi should have followed after an elbow on Darijo Srna. Shakhtar, now with a man advantage and little reason to pour forward, rather comfortably controlled the game and scored another two goals to send the capital side crashing out six to two on aggregate.
It is difficult to say how much this loss reflects on Montella. Had Borriello heeded his command and let Pizarro slot home the penalty, Roma may have gone on to rally (Just ask Bayern Munich about i lupi’s ability to come back from being down). However, the tie was realistically lost in a three-two home defeat in the first round, and thus it is difficult to blame the new coach. Some players, however, can be accused of making the scoreline worse, such as substitute Aleandro Rosi. The fullback’s backpass to Doni was embarrassingly under-hit, which allowed Eduardo to rush in and send the ball past the goalie.
Roma now must surely focus on fourth place in the league and securing a qualifying position for the Champions’ League next year. At this point in the season, it seems as if it will be a three-way race between the side, a rising Udinese, and their bitter crosstown rivals Lazio. What better way to gain ground, then, than in a weekend win in the Derby Della Capitale?
