An Unsexy Valentine’s Day Preview

By: chris | February 14th, 2009

Atalanta v Roma

I’ll leave the sexiness up to you fine guys and gals. And Rodrigo Taddei. (He sends kisses.)

It’s the same every year – at least since their return – with Atalanta fixtures: I could not possibly be more indifferent. Yeah, they’re sorta good, but they’re also not that good. They’re footballing purgatory. Right there, smack in the middle. Not quite good enough for Europe, not not good enough to be threatened by relegation. (Double negative keep you on your toes? It should’ve.) Neither hot nor cold. Neither good nor bad. Neither yin nor yang. Neither Simon nor Garfunkel*. They’re just kinda…there.

Which is an incredible problem. Why? Because teams like Roma are supposed to beat them. So if they do it’s not a huge deal. But if they don’t (see: Inter), that’s not that big a deal either. Because Atalanta is kinda good.

It’s just….eh.

God I hate these games. Not to mention it’s coming off an international week filled with meaningless friendless. The calcio indifference is killing me.

* – Need an explanation? One gave us You Can Call Me Al and the other has hair like a Chia Pet stuffed in a toaster. No contest.

Happy Hallmark Day.

Back to business….I’m also incredibly worried about this game for a reason which stretches back to September: karma.

If you need a refresher course, check out how Roma got both goals in that 2-0 win back at the Olimpico….

They got the bounces, ladies and gentlemen, plain and simple. Atalanta was very, very unfortunate.

What I’m hoping, however, is that karma’s assistant screwed the pooch by sending her out a week early, punishing Cagliari instead. (1:12)

So maybe, just maybe, all’s clear in Bergamo on Sunday.

Next problem: Atalanta’s home form.

Home: 8-1-3 (+10)
Away: 2-2-7 (-7)

No. Not a home team at all.

Fortunately Milan and Juventus have beat them at home, so while they’re good at home, they’re not that good. We seeing a pattern here? I think so.

Oh, and have you checked the injury list lately? Dear lord…..

The game hasn’t even begun and I’m already begging for the final whistle.

Serie A 5

Atalanta: WWLWL
Roma: WDWWW

Atalanta managed to thrash Inter at home 3-1 and then lose to Bologna their next time hosting. Figure that one out.

Roma? Well, they’re en fuego. At least when playing on a proper pitch.

Squads

Roma:

4 JUAN SILVEIRA DOS SANTOS
5 PHILIPPE MEXES
7 DAVID MARCELO CORTES PIZARRO
9 MIRKO VUCINIC
10 FRANCESCO TOTTI
13 MARCO MOTTA
14 FILIPE
15 SIMONE LORIA
16 DANIELE DE ROSSI
19 JULIO BAPTISTA
20 SIMONE PERROTTA
21 SOULEYMANE DIAMOUTENE
22 MAX TONETTO
23 VINCENZO MONTELLA
25 GUILHERME DE MORAIS GUSMAO ARTUR
27 JULIO SERGIO BERTAGNOLI
32 DONIEBER ALEXANDER MARANGON (DONI)
33 MATTEO BRIGHI
35 BERTOLACCI ANDREA

Indisponibili: Aquilani, Cicinho ,Riise, Cassetti, Panucci, Menez, Pipolo, Taddei (squalificato)

Atalanta:

Portieri
Coppola, Consigli

Difensori
Bellini, Manfredini, Pellegrino, Peluso, Capelli, Garics

Centrocampisti
Ferreira Pinto, Parravicini, Guarente, Padoin

Attaccanti
Cerci, Floccari, Defendi, Valdes, Plasmati, Doni

Injuries

Menez: Quad, out. (Shall we add another name to the Juan, Tonetto, Aquilani, Cassetti, Pizarro, etc etc etc medical mystery list? Almost?)

Aquilani: Ankle, called because if not Spalletti was getting a uniform. Love The Poobah but, well…yeah. Serie C1 in his prime doesn’t bode well for Serie A at 50.

Cassetti/Riise/Cicinho: Fullbackitis.

Panucci: Menopause.

Taddei: Stupidity.

Filipe: Call me when I care.

I’m just oozing exuberance and pep, I know.

Projected XI

Doni
Motta, Mexes, Juan, Tonetto
Perrotta, DDR, Brighi
Pizarro
Totti, Vucinic

Before we feel all sorry for ourselves as I list the bench of three, shall we go back about six months and check out pine riders last time around? I think we shall:

25 Artur (SUB)
36 Riccardo Brosco (SUB)
23 Vincenzo Montella (SUB)
14 Ribeiro Gomes Filipi (SUB)
15 Simone Loria (SUB)
89 Stefano Okaka Chuka (SUB)
34 Valerio Virga (SUB)

Dear god, man. Nice to throw Brosco a bone and all, but that’s fucking hideous. That’s…

- A backup keeper.
- A kid from the Primavera still in diapers.
- Chivu at Old Trafford every game.
- Two training cones.
- A striker who’s already been put out to stud (happy babymaking, Vincenzo).
- The worst hair known to man.

Can’t say I’d be totally comfortable with that as my bench in an U-6 girls game.

And, upon further look, Valerio Virga actually made it onto the pitch? I guess my mind had blocked the traumatic event that was the first third of the season. Roma, she’s a cruel lass.

So outside of running out Cisco Roma’s undesirables, it can’t get much worse.

Bench: Artur, Loria, Diamoutene, .5Aquilani, Julio Baptista, Montella, [Insert Primavera name here]

Predictions

As long as they can keep Floccari in check – scoreless in four – and cease from committing stupid fouls within 30 yards (Doni v Doni territory), this game goes well for Roma. They’ve proven to be too strong.

Game: 2-0
Goals: Totti (39), Brighi (70)
MOTM: Brighi

When: 1500 CET, 0900 EST.
Where: Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia, Bergamo.
Forecast: 8°C and sunny.

Streaming: Still with the MyP2P stuff.

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