Roma v Atlanta: Totti, Totti, Totti!

By: Martha | December 3rd, 2006

Happy Roma I can’t tell you how much I love it when small teams comes out fully prepared to kick ass. Atalanta walked into the Olimpico with a chip on their collective shoulder, ready to prove to Roma they deserve to be fighting for a UEFA Cup spot, despite just having been promoted. They were physical and cocky with little bits of flair, and you could see in the first minute or two exactly why they are so high in the table. Honestly, I thought from the moment the game started that they were going to win — Roma hasn’t really had to battle in league in so long, and it really seemed that Atalanta’s aggression and (apparently, anyway) unity were going to put them under.

And the first half was awesome: Roma attacked, but Atalanta soaked it up and came right back the other way, leaving Roma’s keeper Doni — who kept having to come out when his defense was effortlessly broken down — for dead at least three times. Though they didn’t get clean shots off that often, they created a single clear chance (am I the only one who remembers how Greece had one chance against France in the Euro 2002 semis, executed it perfectly, and won? Well, it was like that.) and finished it. And the opening of that chance? Worthy of flair players like Henry and Ronaldinho. Seriously. There’s noting on You Tube yet, but Doni (the Atlanta one, not the Roma keeper) turned the corner on the right, came into the box, lifted the ball OVER the defender (who, by the way, proceeded to fall down — I think it was little Pizarro) with his right foot, settled it on his left knee basically in stride, and lashed it into the middle. Gorgeous. (Unfortunately, Doni then spent the entire second half having an Oh My God This is So Unfair! breakdown, but damn was that move impressive.)

To their credit, Roma came out flying in the second half. I refuse to believe their sudden attacking prowess was due entirely to the substitution of Perrotta for Montella, but there was a noticeable change to the entire side. It’s just a bummer for a game so tightly contested to be decided by goals scored from the penalty spot. Me, I was ok with the first (if officials start penalizing defenders for trying to take the clothes off attackers, maybe they’ll stop doing it) but found the second a bit soft. I mean, yes, there was contact and Totti just did what he does so well and created a situation in which it was hard not to blow the whistle, I just would have liked the contact to have been a bit more … convincing.

So, in sum: Totti will never stop scoring, Roma remain tight on Inter’s heels, Zampagna scares me (but not in a bad way), and I love Atalanta. Up next: Parma v Palermo. Fingers goddamn crossed.