Roma v Arsenal Leg 2 Liveblog

By: chris | March 11th, 2009

Arsenal through. But the lads deserved it after their valiant fight. On so many levels.

Tonetto…MISS 7-6 Fnal.

Diaby…GOAL 7-6

Riise…GOAL 6-6

Sagna…GOAL 6-5

Aquilani…GOAL 5-5

Toure…GOAL 5-4

Totti…GOAL 4-4

Denilson….GOAL 4-3

Montella…GOAL 3-3

Nasri….GOAL 3-2

Baptista…GOAL 2-2

Walcott…GOAL 2-1.

Vucinic…SAVE 1-1

Van Persie…GOAL 1-1

Pizarro…GOAL 0-1

Eduardo…SAVE! 0-0.

Arsenal will be going first, and it’s Eduardo.

Riise looks like he’s got another 120 in him.

It looks as though Diamoutene – who has been so impressive based on such low standards today – might be going.

And here we are. Everything comes down to penalties with so many tired legs on the pitch. Who goes? Montella, Baptista, Aquilani? Those are a start. Are Pizarro and Totti’s legs good enough to go? Mirko’s? Does Riise have PK accuracy?

Montella wins it only for Mirko to give it up…Tonetto…Totti..Baptista. Stuffed. PENALTIES

Baptista straight to a Gunner. He’s been awful. Montella coming on for PK’s. On for Brighi. Standing O for Matteo today. Such a brilliant all around performance by everyone – sans a couple forwards – to make up for the loss of Juan in the back.

Nothing happening really….119 right now.

Totti…cross headed out…Pizarro bundled as he attempts to take a shot. The little man has earned my full respect today. He’s taken a beating and kept on chuggin’.

Class pass by Aquilani there. Tonetto with a cramp.

Brighi stcks a foot in to win possession…Motta running…cuts….Aquilani….Aquilani again….Baptista down in the box, no call.

Brighi…Totti….shot wide left. And it may have deflected upon further look. No dice – goal kick.

Aquilani wins possession…Totti on it but he’s well gassed and gives it up easily.

Mirko’s legs are gone as well. No life today – suspect he’s more injured than being let on.

Motta with a nice stop but Mirko can’t control his pass and Arsenal wind up on the counter with Nasri attempting an audacious chip that goes nowhere but well over the goal.

Free kick…Van Persie cross…too short…cleared out.

Both sides look well and tired.

Mirko slaloms through about 3 defenders before losing it at the top of the box.

nothing from the corner, Aquilani is bundled and he;s holding his right ankle – the hurt one.

Kickoff….immediately results in an Arsenal throw from about the corner flag. They, of course, get a corner eventually.

EXTRA TIME HALF

Aquilani ate too much spinach today. Everything is long.

Tonetto with a nice save in the box but a dangerous moment as RVP skies one 12 yards from the goal.

Aquilani’s limping ever so slightly and he’s a 90th minute sub. Fantastic.

I have absolutely no idea as to the time – sorry.

Motta caught too far ahead on the attack, here comes Nasri – acres and acres of MF space – Walcott cross blocked by Max for a corner…which goes out for a goal kick.

Totti has no legs left whatsoever. None.

98′ Baptista so easily muscled off the challenge. Brighi with it….Tonetto cross….into Almunia’s arms. The midfield for both teams is defensively nonexistent.

97′ Sagna forced to clear it for a throw with Miko steaming behind…possession…Pizarro…some Roma short work…..Motta’s flick is off but Roma regain…Totti fouled but somehow now call.

Totti…Mirko…stolen….Arsenal break…poor pass collected by either Piza or Motta. Aquilani on it now….Mirko…Totti shot deflects off Mirko for a goal kick.

95′ (?)Aquilani over the top for the second time and for the second time he’s far too strong with it. Settle down young lad. Or at least put it into one of those patented Howitzers.

Roma break…..Baptista with an awful, awful pass to an onrushing Arsenal defender. He’s been bad since, oh, January.

92′ And Riise again on Walcott. At least they’re attacking the guy with immense stamina.

Riise stifled Van Persie at the edge of the box. Atta boy.

EXTRA TIME KICKOFF

Both teams have one sub remaining and it’s not golden goal – at least not for Roma. If Arsenal score, it’ll be a steep uphill battle to get 2 goals on tired legs in less than a half hour.

So here’s what has happened: nothing short of minor disaster as any semblance of shape and tactics are gone, with the two seemingly most injured players going in – Totti & Pizarro – having to play a full 90 with one at least a full 120. This is no time to look ahead, but with standing suspensions and injuries, it’s fair to just write off the weekend’s fixture against Sampdoria.

FULLTIME

…but not before Aquilani takes Rodrigo’s place.

God this does not look good. Rodrigo is being stretchered into the locker room – he cannot walk.

Taddei hurt. This is nice. Oh, and he’s being stretchered off with his head in his hands. Here comes Alberto….

Long ball over the top evades Mirko…down the other end, RVP’s shot deflects wide for a another corner…eventually headed over the bar by Toure. Frightening times.

Three minutes added.

90′ Riise heads it out for a corner…RVP….cleared, Totti fouled.

Something’s wrong with the side of Motta’s face/head. Grass burn?

Looks to be a free kick for Arsenal when he and Nasri get up – and Marco is yellowed for his troubles. Excellent.

87′ Nasri dribbles himself out of bounds, which is nice. Thanks.

Motta run…..cross sent in is cleared out but only to Taddei, whose bumbling shot lands in Almunia’s arms.

86′ Eduardo coming on for Bedtner.

84′ David does well to break up play in the middle of the pitch. Shocked he’s still on the field.

82′ Two Arsenal breaks today thwarted by their own diabolical passing. Ball behind Bendtener steaming in for a 1v1 with Doni.

Baptista’s first touch fails again.

Arsenal corner, of course. But Doni learned to palm one. Atta boy.

Another solid challenge by a knocked Diamoutene. I have to say, really beginning to like this cat.

80′ Baptista you bastard. Misses a fucking sitter 6 yards from Almunia after gorgeous work by Pizarro, Motta and Totti.

78′ Somebody needs to Photoshop a ‘Statue of Julio’. His touch is becoming the new David for opposing counters.

77′ Some quick and intelligent ball work results in Baptista unable to chasee up a Pizarro through ball. Arsenal goal kick.

75′ I’m fairly sure that was Diamoutene who just made a wonderful headed clearance only to be followed by a great tackle by Riise on Walcott. Wonders.

74′ Walcott for Eboue. Roma loses bodies, Arsenal gets them back. How loverly.

73′ Motta unleashes an Aquilani special to no avail.

72′ Mirko looks positively exhausted and has for, oh, about 71 minutes…but he bakes Sagna right as I’m typing that. All hail Mirko.

71′ Short Arsenal corner headed well out.

70′ And David looks genuinely hurt. Awesome.

But, and I mean this in the kindest way possible, it’s probably best it happened to someone who wasn’t capable of a full 90 anyway. Even though he’s coming back on. (?)

Onto that extra time thing again: Arsene has yet to make a sub. Dangerous, particularly with Theo Walcott’s legs.

Pizarro down again. Knee to the ribs this time. This guy cannot catch a break.

66′ Scratch that, twas a corner. Cleared well out after Motta clashed heads with Gallas. Yes, that’s what’s needed.

Nice tackle by Sagna on Mirko, Roma throw. Quality defender he is.

I genuinely see, in my most optimistic heart of Roman hearts, no way that how this team as constituted can play 120 minutes. They have to play for the regular time win.

64′ A begging chance after Totti’s gifted the ball but an Arsenal defender sticks a leg in and it ends that opportunity.

Another Arsenal corner upcoming……Doni punches…Diaby on it, makes space and shoots wide.

David walks gingerly off, but looks as though he’s not quite finished. (Already asking to come back on.)

61′ Baptista breaks, stopped by Gallas.

Pizarro’s down and holding his thigh with what looks to be a cramp? Perhaps Alberto should get real ready, real soon…

62′ Totti with enough time to father a child and pen a novella but his shot from 25 lands in Almunia’s arms.

60′ Slowing the tempo down here for a bit, which they desperately need. This is going to be the most difficult time for these bruised bodies and tired legs.

58′ Short corner….cross is headed out. Huge Arsenal counter thwarted by a piss poor Eboue pass – only Riise and David were back and someone was wide open to receive a pass but Eboue hoofed it far wide. Incredibly shaky there..

Totti volley goes wide…Mirko slalom….he’s double teamed in the box, after slipping, and Roma win the corner.

56′ Dangerous long ball sent over the top but Doni’s able to reach it before it bites Roma in the arse.

55′ Class stop by Motta. Sagna puts in a lazy ball and Roma take it back the other way where Motta is called for the foul. Boo.

54′ Tonetto beats his man, whips it into the box…Roma regain possession but it’;s eventually knocked way forward for an Arsenal goal kick.

Diamoutene is limping. This is SPECTACULAR.

53′ Arsenal break and Eboue’s shot deflects out for yet another corner….dangerous header saved by Doni.

It appears Brighi is in the back, btw.

51′ Totti fouled again – Diaby is on a tear – and it’s a free kick from 35. Riiiise…..saved by Almunia on the floor. Hard shot, easy save.

50′ Totti to Motta….cross…Baptista dives for the header but it lands just wide.

48′ Riise starts a counter after a sweet tackle on RVP and is flattened by Diaby for his troubles; yellow to Abou.

47′ Mirko starts to slalom but is held up by someone (Diaby? I’m now in small screen stream mode) and Arsenal head down the other end where Riise, playing out left, is called for the foul. Another goddamn free kick within dangerous territory. Headed out, thankfully.

Aquilani warming up.

SECOND HALF KICKOFF

The lads are returning from the locker room.

Also, if you bombard that Sopcast stream and force it to lag, I will hunt you down and make your life a living hell. Group hug.

I’ve gone to Sopcast – Channel 68115 – after experiencing multiple disasters with embedded streaming. It’s in Russian, so that’s an added bonus over English commentary, even if you don’t happen to understand a damn word.

HALFTIME

The result is precisely what’s been needed, but let’s not let the favorable – or even – scoreline cloud the fact that Roma is now operating with precisely ZERO centerbacks with starting experience in the shirt. They’ve played well in Juan’s absence, but they need to keep Arsenal well away from the Roman box. Riise and Diamoutene? God help us.

44′ My stream went down but I’m hearing a penalty noncall. Maybe it’s best I didn’t see it?

42′ Roma break…stuffed quickly by Gallas. He did well there.

41′ Pizarro fouled hard by Denilson – knee on knee. Because that’s just what they need.

39′ Splendid move by Mirko to create some space but the shot is off.

Baptista with a predictably awful pass to Totti. His form is just rubbish right now, unfortunately.

38′ Headed out easily by Diamoutene it appeared (my stream isn’t fantastic).

Another goddamn foul won by RVP within crossing distance of the box. You’d think this were by design or something.

37′ Motta pushed over by Bendtner near the goal line – clear foul – no call.

Intelligent look by David for Mirko but someone was riding up Vuci’s backside and the ball went through to Almunia.

36′ Clichy sends in a nice lofted cross and it’s headed well by someone (Diaby, methinks) but into Doni’s arms.

35′ Poor Totti throw results in Motta knocking it out of bounds. we’ll give him those.

Totti and Mirko on the attack and Mirko slides a shot in that deflects up and over for a corner.

33′ Bendtner taken off the ball easily again. I think I may actually fear his sub – whomever it may be – more than anyone outside of Nasri today.

32′ Yet another dead ball situation where the ball can be whipped into the box for Arsenal. The sheer volume of this already is alarming.

30′ Seriously, though, what a fantastic half hour from Juan. Played a helluva game.

What is going on tactically right now? Who’s playing where? Do we even want to make a guess?

(Riise is in at CB. This should go well.)

27′ Unreal. Juan comes off injured. Baptista on. Unfuckingbelievable.

26′ Motta’s shot deflected out for yet another corner. Short….Motta unable to get off a shot in the far corner of the box.

Pizarro yellowed going back the other way.

25′ Brighi on it…Mirko…Totti…Tonetto…Taddei…Riise….David…Totti….fouled. That’s what possession does.

This day is no going well technologically, is it?

23′ Three quick chances in possession after Roma hounded Almunia; Taddei playing like this is the final.

The liveblog has been deleted due to system glitch, so we’ll just keep going from here.

God I hate Word Press.

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Category: Champions League, Team News

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