Inter – Roma, Unconditional Calcio Love

By: Marco | February 26th, 2008

38 games a season and it all comes down to this one!

Inter - Roma

La Liga’s big clashes manage to catch my eye but I can’t seem to get excited about the Ping Pong-ish style of The Premiership. (And don’t get me started on the damn USL league!) I, for one, love Calcio unconditionally. Unfortunately, Serie A’s reputation has been taking a bruising in recent years. Even the amazing WC 2006 win seems to have been overshadowed by different controversies;

Marco Materazzi’s headbutt reception means the French Fans will never admit to losing cleanly.

Then Calciopoli happened; Means pretty much everybody thinks Serie A is the only corrupt league in the world and that it’s not worth watching ”mafia” fixed games. Serie A witnessed a massive exodus of its stars and it’s membership in the Euro Big 3 club was being reconsidered by almost everybody outside the boot.

Why can’t Calcio/Italian Football get the love it deserves?

Not only that, Inter has been ”monopolizing” Serie A standings for the last 2 years. Causing Calcio to look like if there was only 1 horse in the Scudetto race. Thus, making Serie A a dull league.

I want to see this change. Serie A doesn’t deserve all of the dirty looks it has been getting by its European colleagues over the last few years. If being World Champs isn’t enough, Calcio needs something good…amazing.

How do we fix this? How can Serie A be able to bask in all of its glory once again? And Above all, WTF does this have to do with Roma you say?

With a crazy foto finish Scudetto race; and this exactly where Roma comes in. Serie A needs a battle to the end, a neck-and-neck,close contest type of thing. It could happen. And if Serie A’s fixed WWE style like some people might want to think, then this would be a perfect season ending Script/Scenario. Inter being the heel of course (I’m am so sorry for the wrestling metaphor).

Worst case scenario : Inter wins the Scudetto and no one lives happily ever after

Best case scenario : Inter loses to Roma making it a 6 point gap. Then Inter lose to Milan and/or Juve. They lose to Palermo and/or Fiorentina and draw Parma on the last matchday. Thus, seeing Roma win a well-deserved Scudetto

Inter need to win best supporting actor in Serie A this year. And all this will start with a Roma win on Wednesday.It’s time for Inter to stop hogging the top spot and step aside and let Roma shine in the Serie A Spotlight before winning the Champions League next year as well. Thus, consecrating itself as a legendary European club, as it should be

Match :

To say ; The outcome of this game will affect the Scudetto race is an understatement. This is the Big one;

TGIP’s saying this is the Match of truth ; ” The match against Inter can be described as the `match of truth,’ because if we beat them we confirm we are the team that has caused them most hassle in the last two years, and we reduce the gap at the top of the championship,”

Spalletti then added: “Inter have more of a physical presence, and can change the course of a match with one single action. We on the other hand play more as a team, and we will be looking to use our speed to our advantage.”

As for Inter, Roberto Mancini’s saying that a draw would suit his team just fine: No shit Sherlock! We know that this won’t be a cakewalk but Inter can’t think they’ll be facing a demoralized 10 man Roma team this time out as long as LP remembers Aqui is better than DP. Yippie!

Squads :

Inter

1 Abbondanzieri, Roberto Carlos
23 Ustari, Oscar

2 Ayala, Roberto
21 Burdisso, Nicolás
7 Samuel, Walter
17 Cufré, Leandro
6 Heinze, Gabriel
15 Milito, Gabriel

16 Aimar, Pablo César
5 Cambiasso, Esteban
22 González, Luis
8 Mascherano, Javier
19 Messi, Lionel
10 Riquelme, Juan Román
13 Scaloni, Lionel
3 Sorín, Juan Pablo

9 Crespo, Hernán
20 Cruz, Julio Ricardo
14 Palacio, Rodrigo
18 Rodriguez, Maxi
7 Saviola, Javier Pedro
11 Tévez, Carlos Alberto

Form (D W W W D)

Swedish striking sensation Zlatan Ibrahimovic will again miss out with a knee problem. Mario Balotelli is called up has been called up because Julio Cruz is out as well. South American allstars Cordoba and Samuel join Dacourt and Cesar on the list of long lasting, tough acting injuries, proudly presented to you by Tinactin. That means we’ll probably get to see Mean Marco Materazzi, Tyson Rivas and Crystal Chivu. For their part, Luis Jimenez and Dejan Stankovic are returning to the squad.

If you want to hear more stuff about Inter, you’re on the wrong page!

Inter (4-3-1-2)

Julio Cesar;
Maicon, Burdisso, Materazzi, Chivu;
Zanetti,Vieira, Cambiasso, Stankovic;
Suazo, Crespo

This is what happened last time :

Roma

Form (W L W L W)

Let’s not make this more sequential that it already is…

4 JUAN SILVEIRA DOS SANTOS
5 PHILIPPE MEXES
7 DAVID MARCELO CORTES PIZARRO
8 ALBERTO AQUILANI
9 MIRKO VUCINIC
10 FRANCESCO TOTTI
11 RODRIGO FERRANTE TADDEI
14 LUDOVIC GIULY
15 VITORINO GABRIEL PACHECO ANTUNES
16 DANIELE DE ROSSI
18 MAURO ESPOSITO
20 SIMONE PERROTTA
21 MATTEO FERRARI
22 MAX TONETTO
25 CARLO ZOTTI
26 ADRIAN FLORIN PIT
27 JULIO SERGIO BERTAGNOLI
30 MANCINI ALESSANDRO FAIOLHE AMANTINO
32 DONIEBER ALEXANDER MARANGON (DONI)
33 MATTEO BRIGHI
77 MARCO CASSETTI

Juan is out while Cicinho’s suspended. The only question Mark is Amantino’s fitness. Miss. Varone, can you please layoff Mancini until Thursday? That would be much appreciated

Roma (4-2-3-1):
Doni;
Panucci, Ferrari, Mexes, Cassetti;
Aquilani, His DDRness
Taddei; Perrotta, Vucinic
Totti

Who ?: Inter Milan (1st place, 60 points) v Roma (2nd place, 51 points)
When ?: Wednesday, 27th February 2008, kick-off 20:30
Where ?: San Siro, Milan
Why ? To end Inter’s supposed Serie A Supremacy.
Streaming : Here or Here
PEOPLE AT WORK : Fuckin’ Corporate FireWalls! You might want to try this. It usually shows the Big Games…

Categorical Matchups :

Inter vs Roma ; It doesn’t get any more categorical than this.

Final Analysis:

Don’t ask me to analyze this game. I can’t. I’m too freakin’ stoked about this encounter. I’m trying to put some thoughts together but Carlo Zampa’s voice is stuck in my head and won’t stop screaming Forza Ragazzi! FORZAAA!

It doesn’t matter who’s on the pitch, Roma will want to show Europe from what Pasta they’re made from. Inter has crazy money…I mean talent. All of their players are international stars, Chivu being the exception that confirms the rule of course. DDR and Totti can stand up to anybody on that field tomorrow. Roma has a united squad that can stand up to the un-homogenous, individually talented being that is Arg-Inter ! Not only does Roma need to win to keep the title hopes alive. They need to win in honour Calcio’s beauty.

Prediction :

3-1 Roma

Er Pupone hasn’t scored since Week 18 against Atalanta. Don’t foget the Golden Boy loves to score at the San Siro whatever colours the stripes he’s striking against are. Mr. Totti deserves a brace. It’s pallonetto time bitches! Who cares if Jimenez gets the only Inter goal ? DDR will get the other with one of his patented bombs

Forza Ragazzi ! Andiamo a prenderla! ‘sta partita determinanta è nostra ! Forza Roma !!!!!!!