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Roman Rule: Testy Tie
De Rossi went off with a broken cheekbone, Mourinho rated one of his players a zero, Ranieri fumed, and Stankovic pouted. Roma versus Inter lacked goals, but certainly not passion. Zac Lee Rigg explains before recapping the week in Serie A.
Nov 9, 2009 10:21:40 PM
By Zac Lee Rigg
Jose Mourinho overplayed his hand.
Midweek, the ballsy Inter manager reaped heaps of deserved praise for his impulsive and early tactical shifts that won the game against Dynamo Kiev.
Trailing 1-0 at half, the Portuguese coach hauled off Christian Chivu and Esteban Cambiasso for Mario Balotelli and Thiago Motta. Instantly, his lethargic team jumped for the jugular, showcasing the necessary urgency and pep to get its Champions League campaign back on track.
A later substitute, Sully Muntari, cranked the shot on net that was eventually bundled in by Wesley Sneijder for the winner in the 89th minute.
Trailing by a goal on the weekend, Mourinho tried the same tactic. Perhaps his team was jaded of the tactic by this time, maybe tired, or possibly Roma's ultra-deep defensive lines were just too good on the day.
With 10 of Roma's players lining up within 20 yards of the box, Inter couldn't find room to string any passes together. The addition of Balotelli and Sneijder for Patrick Vieira and Muntari at halftime didn't work. Though the Serie A leaders could control the ball along the wings or deep, they couldn't penetrate Roma's stern defensive line.
Mourinho was in quite the mood after the match. He railed the referee and labeled Balotelli's performance a zero out of 10. Much of his anger at the Italian youngster probably stemmed from Mourinho's awareness that throwing him on at halftime was unnecessary. Sneijder alone would have sent the same message to his team and not left a two-man midfield to be overrun on frequent Roma counterattacks in the second half.
The Special One wasn't the only coach in a sour mood after the draw. Roma's Claudio Ranieri has held a beef with Mourinho ever since some barbed remarks by the Portuguese manager when Mourinho replaced Ranieri at Chelsea. Feuds while Ranieri managed Juventus only exacerbated the strained relationship.
"He's always complaining," Ranieri complained to Sky. "There were a number of fouls tonight, but we didn’t complain, we just continued to play. It surprises me that he has complained about the referee, it’s just something he always has to do. Does he know that his side were awarded double the amount of fouls than us?"
Ranieri had one more beef left over from his time in England.
"Thank you, [Patrick] Vieira, because now [Daniele] De Rossi needs an operation," the Tinkerman said. "He always jumps high with his elbows, he did it in England as well."
The teams shared just like their mothers taught them, but no one went home happy.
Julius Cesar
Consul Of The Week
Since an idea can't reign, this prize will have to go to Mauro German Camoranesi in place of Juventus' winning spirit. The perky attacking midfielder hit a first half brace to get Juve on its way against Atalanta. He took the goals well, but the real moment of truth came in the second half. Atalanta hit back through Valdes to half the deficit. Instead of holding on, Juve put the game to rest, scoring two goals called back for offsides before Felipe Melo's scorching blast restored the two goal cushion. Antonio Conte's men kept at it, scoring again, but a late two-goal haul gave Juve all three points.
The quick retaliation and ability to brush aside referee decisions sealed it in the end for Juventus, helping shrink Inter's lead atop the table to five points.
Cleopatra
Beautiful Moment Of The Week
Mathieu Flamini thought he had scored.
AC Milan spent the second half under intense pressure from host Lazio, desperate to win for the first time in 10 league games. A Thiago Silva own goal made the difference a mere goal. Thrown on late to freshen up Milan's midfield, Flamini almost put his side two goals clear. Massimo Oddo dumped a cross into the box which Edmilson Cribari acrobatically headed out. The French midfielder caught it sweetly on a full volley from nearly 30 yards.
Fernando Muslera made three saves all game, all of the highest order. This one, though, was the best by far. He seemed to dive before Flamini even hit the ball, getting to the top corner just as the rocket shot did.
The header, the volley, the save -- it's a magnificent little interchange.
Cicero
Quote Of The Week
"I close my ears because I don't want certain things to influence us," Juan Manuel Vargas said to Puntosport.net, most likely holding his hands over his head and shaking it back and forth stubbornly. "Everyone loves me in Florence. Fiorentina is my club and I don't want to think about my future."
Guess Real Madrid will have to use more enticing methods than newspaper flattery to lure the left winger away from Florence.
Brutus
Backstabber / Club Hindrance Of The Week
Former table-toppers Sampdoria came into the game versus Cagliari at the weekend with every intention of walking away with three points. Shortly before halftime, however, those plans took a turn for the worse. Cagliari broke on the counter through Andrea Cossu, who played a nice ball through to Jeda. Out of position, and out of ideas, Marius Stankevicius hauled down the Brazilian, earning himself a red card and leaving his team a man down. Eventually, the man advantage paid off, and Cagliari put two goals past the ‘Doria defense, earning an unexpected win and gifting ‘Stankevicious’ his title as this round's Brutus.
Before the match, Samp coach Gigi Del Neri said to Ansa, perhaps prophetically, "The only thing that matters tomorrow afternoon is that everyone stays calm." After the match, he pretended that his team is being penalized for doing well by earning phantom red cards, but privately he'll know Stankevicius had no business going in from behind, costing his team three points against a Cagliari side it really should beat.
Results
Atalanta 2-5 Juventus, Bari 1-0 Livorno, Bologna 3-1 Palermo, Cagliari 2-0 Sampdoria, Catania 0-0 Napoli, Genoa 4-2 Siena, Inter 1-1 Roma, Lazio 1-2 Milan, Parma 2-0 Chievo, Udinese 0-1 Fiorentina
Zac Lee Rigg is an associate editor of Goal.com
Keep up to date with Serie A and Italy news with Goal.com's Italy page
Jose Mourinho overplayed his hand.
Midweek, the ballsy Inter manager reaped heaps of deserved praise for his impulsive and early tactical shifts that won the game against Dynamo Kiev.
Trailing 1-0 at half, the Portuguese coach hauled off Christian Chivu and Esteban Cambiasso for Mario Balotelli and Thiago Motta. Instantly, his lethargic team jumped for the jugular, showcasing the necessary urgency and pep to get its Champions League campaign back on track.
A later substitute, Sully Muntari, cranked the shot on net that was eventually bundled in by Wesley Sneijder for the winner in the 89th minute.
Trailing by a goal on the weekend, Mourinho tried the same tactic. Perhaps his team was jaded of the tactic by this time, maybe tired, or possibly Roma's ultra-deep defensive lines were just too good on the day.
With 10 of Roma's players lining up within 20 yards of the box, Inter couldn't find room to string any passes together. The addition of Balotelli and Sneijder for Patrick Vieira and Muntari at halftime didn't work. Though the Serie A leaders could control the ball along the wings or deep, they couldn't penetrate Roma's stern defensive line.
Mourinho was in quite the mood after the match. He railed the referee and labeled Balotelli's performance a zero out of 10. Much of his anger at the Italian youngster probably stemmed from Mourinho's awareness that throwing him on at halftime was unnecessary. Sneijder alone would have sent the same message to his team and not left a two-man midfield to be overrun on frequent Roma counterattacks in the second half.
 |
"He's always complaining," Ranieri complained to Sky. "There were a number of fouls tonight, but we didn’t complain, we just continued to play. It surprises me that he has complained about the referee, it’s just something he always has to do. Does he know that his side were awarded double the amount of fouls than us?"
Ranieri had one more beef left over from his time in England.
"Thank you, [Patrick] Vieira, because now [Daniele] De Rossi needs an operation," the Tinkerman said. "He always jumps high with his elbows, he did it in England as well."
The teams shared just like their mothers taught them, but no one went home happy.
Julius Cesar
Consul Of The Week
Since an idea can't reign, this prize will have to go to Mauro German Camoranesi in place of Juventus' winning spirit. The perky attacking midfielder hit a first half brace to get Juve on its way against Atalanta. He took the goals well, but the real moment of truth came in the second half. Atalanta hit back through Valdes to half the deficit. Instead of holding on, Juve put the game to rest, scoring two goals called back for offsides before Felipe Melo's scorching blast restored the two goal cushion. Antonio Conte's men kept at it, scoring again, but a late two-goal haul gave Juve all three points.
The quick retaliation and ability to brush aside referee decisions sealed it in the end for Juventus, helping shrink Inter's lead atop the table to five points.
 |
Beautiful Moment Of The Week
Mathieu Flamini thought he had scored.
AC Milan spent the second half under intense pressure from host Lazio, desperate to win for the first time in 10 league games. A Thiago Silva own goal made the difference a mere goal. Thrown on late to freshen up Milan's midfield, Flamini almost put his side two goals clear. Massimo Oddo dumped a cross into the box which Edmilson Cribari acrobatically headed out. The French midfielder caught it sweetly on a full volley from nearly 30 yards.
Fernando Muslera made three saves all game, all of the highest order. This one, though, was the best by far. He seemed to dive before Flamini even hit the ball, getting to the top corner just as the rocket shot did.
The header, the volley, the save -- it's a magnificent little interchange.
Cicero
Quote Of The Week
"I close my ears because I don't want certain things to influence us," Juan Manuel Vargas said to Puntosport.net, most likely holding his hands over his head and shaking it back and forth stubbornly. "Everyone loves me in Florence. Fiorentina is my club and I don't want to think about my future."
Guess Real Madrid will have to use more enticing methods than newspaper flattery to lure the left winger away from Florence.
 |
Backstabber / Club Hindrance Of The Week
Former table-toppers Sampdoria came into the game versus Cagliari at the weekend with every intention of walking away with three points. Shortly before halftime, however, those plans took a turn for the worse. Cagliari broke on the counter through Andrea Cossu, who played a nice ball through to Jeda. Out of position, and out of ideas, Marius Stankevicius hauled down the Brazilian, earning himself a red card and leaving his team a man down. Eventually, the man advantage paid off, and Cagliari put two goals past the ‘Doria defense, earning an unexpected win and gifting ‘Stankevicious’ his title as this round's Brutus.
Before the match, Samp coach Gigi Del Neri said to Ansa, perhaps prophetically, "The only thing that matters tomorrow afternoon is that everyone stays calm." After the match, he pretended that his team is being penalized for doing well by earning phantom red cards, but privately he'll know Stankevicius had no business going in from behind, costing his team three points against a Cagliari side it really should beat.
Results
Atalanta 2-5 Juventus, Bari 1-0 Livorno, Bologna 3-1 Palermo, Cagliari 2-0 Sampdoria, Catania 0-0 Napoli, Genoa 4-2 Siena, Inter 1-1 Roma, Lazio 1-2 Milan, Parma 2-0 Chievo, Udinese 0-1 Fiorentina
Zac Lee Rigg is an associate editor of Goal.com
Keep up to date with Serie A and Italy news with Goal.com's Italy page
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