Mancesco Francini Gets It Done & Fluffy Stuff

By: chris | October 8th, 2007

Parma 0 - Roma 3

I, along with many others, apparently, was unable to stream the game (the site specifically said “due to weather in Asia” - apparently that butterfly effect in chaos theory should be amended to say ” a butterfly flaps its wings wherever, causes a typhoon in Asia and then completely fucks up everyone trying to watch the Roma game and ruins everyone’s day - so fuck butterflies”), and despite the valiant efforts of a reader or two, was also unable to download the game, either. So, we’re going on word of mouth and/or pen here, and if anyone watched the game and would like to provide some in-depth analysis, it’s more than welcome.

We Americans love to quantify our athletic ventures, and specifically our athletic venturers. It’s all about the stats. The PPG, the QB rating, yards per rush, home runs, ERA, and batting average with runners in scoring position in a close and late situation on a balmy May night with a crescent moon against a Latino pitcher with twelve fingers (I hear Brian Giles led the league). In a sport demanding beauty and artistic strokes of ingenuity as much as result, stats don’t mean so much. Well, since I couldn’t watch those strokes, here is the statistical interpretation.

Match Stats
Parma Roma
Shots (on Goal) 12(2) 15(5)
Fouls 16 17
Corner Kicks 3 5
Offsides 1 7
Time of Possession 31% 69%
Yellow Cards 2 2
Red Cards 1 0
Saves 2 2

The big number that jumps out is the possession. After losing a man 27 or so minutes into the game, as much is to be expected, if not more when considering this is Roma Roma Roma and our Little David was on the field, prepared to slooooooooooow the tempo and squat on the ball for the entire game. The next stat is the one up top, the shots and shots on goal. That one I don’t like so much. Especially considering the differential between 10 man Parma and a team trying to establish itself as a European powerhouse. Scoring a pretty goal is one thing, but we’ll take the sloppy rebound every now and again. In fact, we would have taken 6 or so. This has become a common frustration with many a giallorossi faithful lately. Like I said, pretty goals: good, nice & wonderful. But every now and then, just start shooting hard and shooting often - especially when you’re up a man against a vastly inferior team. Goals are goals are goals. This can come back to haunt later on.

That said, a commanding win and a clean sheet is exactly what was needed before the international siesta. Oh Captain My Captain got it done once again and is obviously taking this whole defending his European Boot title to heart. Mancini has also started to hit stride, and now has 2 goals in his last 3 domestic games, although this one much less jaw-dropping than the first. I don’t think it’s too much of stretch to say that if Totti and Mancini start firing on all cylinders with regularity, Roma is going to score A LOT of goals and win A LOT of games, regardless of opponent. And who knows, maybe Mancini breaking it off with his fiance will instill into his mind nothing but scoring, on and off the field.

As far as the injuries go, Philou’s isn’t much of a worry, it may only keep him from playing for the Frenchies (and by playing I mean sittin on the bench), but Simone may be out a few weeks (2-3). I suspect we’ll see King Fuckhead slot into that position when/if Simone can’t make it back once the int’l break ends, as well as Matteo Brighi getting a few minutes (he got minutes yesterday, did you see that? I told you). Also, Mauro Esposito, he of great goal-scoring promise, was hurt before the game and couldn’t even ride the pine. My word, this isn’t American football. How many injuries can one team sustain 6 weeks into the season?

Highlights:

Other, Fluffy Stuff:

I) “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former.” As you know, one of my favorites, and Roberto Mancini is the perfect example of such.

“It is difficult to find Italians who are up to the standard of playing at Inter”

Really, you fucking moob? I think I can name a few.

Gianluigi Buffon
Angelo Peruzzi
Marco Amelia
Gianluca Zambrotta
Massimo Oddo
Cristian Zaccardo
Fabio Cannavaro
Alessandro Nesta
Andrea Barzagli
Marco Materazzi
Fabio Grosso
Mauro Camoranesi
Gennaro Gattuso
Andrea Pirlo
Daniele De Rossi
Simone Barone
Simone Perrotta
Alessandro Del Piero
Luca Toni
Alberto Gilardino
Francesco Totti
Vincenzo Iaquinta
Filippo Inzaghi

Pretty good, no? I think they won something too…

If you’re wondering what this is referring to, it’s the proposed rule by His Seppness to limit 5 foreign players on the pitch for a team at any moment. Which, if it was implemented for the next giornata, would require Inter to dissolve itself and start over by signing guys off the streets in Lombardy because they couldn’t field a team otherwise. Therefore, I’m all in favor of this rule (I’m in favor otherwise, as well).

II) The Don Doni has named his squad, and Daniele De Rossi, Christian Panucci and Gianluca Curci have all been called up for the qualifier against Georgia. Curci will need to bring a good book, but the other two actually have a chance of playing. Panucci was his typical solid self during the Ukraine game and De Rossi has been the dominating midfielder he’s supposed to be. However, after Milan’s performance at the Olimpico yesterday, I can absolutely see a 4-3-3 with an all Milan midfield of Pirlo, Gattuso and Ambrosini. TDD never needs an excuse to play his beloved Milanista - this time he can actually justify it.

If DDR isn’t in that starting XI, you can expect me to be completely bullshit.

III) Speaking of Milan in Rome, Lazio got HAMMERED by the boys in red & black by a score of 5-1 yesterday. That scoreline sounds familiar….