Every time you buy a Roma tomato a cent goes to Roma. It is good to hear they are using it for a soccer team. I didn't think they still had a league in Italy anymore. I thought that disappeared with bunga bunga parties with Silvio Berlusconi. Good for them.
Meanwhile in Italy Roma is linked to a possible sale to Saudi crown prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud. Supposedly talks stalled after Khashoggi's murder. Palotta has called it "very fake news." Forza Roma!!!!
Farewell José pic.twitter.com/ug7DbHxpko— swedemason (@swedemason) December 18, 2018 Tweet of the year.....
What do you guys think of the draw for the round of 16 for Champions League? A bit of free time at work, so I thought I'd rank them in order of enticement for myself with predictions to open some discussion. 1. Juventus v Atletico Madrid - Two clubs who have seemed to put forth quite a bit of cash to make this year their year. Juve signing Ronaldo was all about solving the Champions League woes and Atleti are desperate to put some sort of trophy in the case this year. Juve with draw on the road and a win at home. 2. Dortmund v Tottenham - Two teams with similar styles of play. Great back lines with hopes of disorganizing the opposing defenses and slipping runners in behind. Aside from Tottenham's fall to Arsenal, both teams have been well oiled machines. I see this one as a thriller to the final minute. Edge to Dortmund. 3. Bayern v Liverpool - This one is completely dependent on if Bayern can figure something out over the two month break. They have the talent and have slowly climbed back up in the Bundesliga. Liverpool is on top of the world right now, but they are coming to a crossroads of which to prioritize, EPL or CL. Edge to Liverpool for now. Could change by kickoff. 4. PSG v Man United - PSG squeaked out on top of arguably the toughest group. United has been the most public train wreck in the world. This could easily get out of hand fast, but the sacking of Mourinho adds a little flare to this matchup. Curious to see who will take over at the helm and if the team is actually this bad, or if the players just quit on the manager. United look good for a half, but ultimately fall to PSG's loaded attack. 5. Real Madrid v Ajax - If you only looked at the history of these two clubs, you would think this would be a cake walk for Real. Ajax hasn't beat Real since the 90s and Real has taken home the last three Champions League titles. However, Real is in very shaky form and Ajax has looked excellent. Should have won both games against Bayern and topped the group, if it weren't for that wild finish last week. Ajax with the upset. A solid home win and matching goal for goal on the road. 6. Barcelona v Lyon - Barca and Messi's recent form is not something anyone wants to experience. Except maybe Lyon? They managed to punch City in the mouth by winning in France and drawing in England. But at the same time, they couldn't pull past Shaktar or Hoffenheim. This match up depends on which Lyon and Depay show up. Barca is just too smooth and eases past Lyon. 7. Porto v Roma - I will admit, this slipped down my list solely because I do not know much about either squad (Sorry @hangthadj). Porto sits atop the Portuguese league and breezed through the softest group in the CL. Roma has been a roller coaster in Serie A and did just enough to get through their group. Porto seems comfortable and advances. 8. Man City v Schalke - This one seems like it is going to get ugly, fast. Over the calendar year, City has very few losses, and they are all against teams of high pedigree. Schalke is sitting mid table in the Bundesliga and seems to only be through due to the softest group draw. City will have the series in game one.
Liga Nos is actually the league I watch second most behind Serie A. This is the best possible draw for Roma, and still absolutely terrifying. As I said elsewhere On current form Roma is the worst team left in the Champions League. And Sergio Conceicao is maybe the most underrated manager in Europe. Porto right now is playing WORLDS better than Roma, and that's even with Aboubakar injured. Mousa Marega has been excellent and Conceicao has instilled an identity to the team whereas EDF and Roma still don't know who they are at Christmas. If this was played next week, Porto would eliminate Roma easily. Luckily, Roma has almost 2 months to figure some shit out. Drawing Porto gives Roma the best chance to advance, it gives Roma a chance to avenge a UCL ouster from 2016, and it gives Roma the chance to beat former Laziale Conceicao. DAJE ROMA DAJE!!!
Might have to give Schalke a vote there, though.... They were expected to challenge for the German title.
Thank you for the further analysis on this. The matches I watched of Porto in the CL, they have looked clean and clinical. I only knew of the extreme woes of Roma due to your posts in this thread. I have enjoyed your takes on Serie A and have been looking to get into it a bit more with the ease of viewing through ESPN+ and my ability to semi-watch games while at work. Any thoughts on recommendations on choosing a side? Also, the two month break could be a huge factor in multiple of these matchups. Quite a few sides that look a complete mess that could easily be upset today, but maybe not so much in a few weeks time.
Dusseldorf just beat Dortmund 2-1. That will make the Bundesliga race more interesting, especially if my guys can beat them this coming weekend.
I can't tell you really what side to choose. As for me, I've lived a blessed existence. It wasn't as if I chose Roma. It's more Roma revealed itself to me and chose me. The genius of Totti. The intelligence and loyalty and tragedy of my favorite player of all time Daniele De Rossi. Going down the youtube rabbit holes and watching highlights of Cassano, Batistuta, and even lesser players like Taddei who loved the city and the shirt so much. The fact that Rome is the greatest city in the world. All of these things left me no choice, but to support Roma. And it's been as wonderful and heartbreaking as you would expect. I'd say just watch the games and see what team speaks to you. Typically the power in Italian football has been in the north. Milan and Turin specifically. Even out of the 20 teams this season I think only five are south of Florence (Roma, Lazio, Frosinone, Napoli, and Cagliari (and Cagliari is on a ********in island). The league is corrupt as hell, and the south will always be shit on by the north. Any questionable referee decision is bound to go against teams from the south. You've even had refs like Gianluca Rocchi banned from officiating Roma games in the past for clear an obvious bias against Roma....and then inexplicably allowed to ref again a few seasons later and shit all over Roma vs Inter this season. It's awful and predictable as hell. And I'm sure @hardhead has some stories too of how Napoli has been shit on. But it's all part of the soap opera of the league. If you do choose a team north of Rome there are a few very entertaining and likeable sides that hang around the top half of the table that may sneak into the European picture. Sampdoria plays a very attacking style under Marco Giampaolo and has my most loved Serie A player outside of Rome in Fabio Quagliarella. Atalanta isn't as dynamic in attack as Sampdoria (though oddly they have scored five more goals than Samp). Gaperini has a relentless pressing style of play and along with Sampdoria they have one of the best home field advantages in Italy. Fiorentina should be better than they are with the talent they have and what is not to love about the purple jerseys or the city of Florence. Parma's story of three successive promotions and being back where they belong in Serie A is great. Torino is in Turin, and not Juventus, so they have that going for them. Some team will find it's way into your heart, even if it's not Roma. But I will say if that team is Lazio or Juventus.....I'll never ********in speak to you again.
I get this. This is how soccer fandom often works. Twas true for me and my Fohlen. Netzer subbing himself into the game and then scoring the winning goal in the cup final. 12-0 vs the "wrong" Borussia. The Bokelberg. The "Terrier", Berti Vogts. Playing Liverpool in the Champions cup semis. Making the Champions league after losing the first five games of the season. Relegation and promotion. Bonhof, Heynckes, Effenberg, Keller, Simonsen, Reus, Kleff, Dahlin, Herrmann, Weissweiler, breaking of the goalpost, Matthäus, the "can throwing", Hannes, Reus, Kramer
My question was poorly worded as I would never ask someone to pick a side for me to devote my fandom. This response is exactly what I was looking for. A little glimpse into the league. I plan to have whatever Serie A match of the day playing at my desk this season and hopefully go from there. I have no history of the Italian sorts and lightly dug through for personnel that I may have a connection with and came up empty. I enjoy hearing the beats of your heart swoon over the love of Roma. That true passion is what this sport is about. And for your closing statement, I had to chuckle. I have always seemed to root against Lazio in Champions League or Europa League and Juve seems as plastic as they come.
An American player scored for Schalke today.... ...it wasn't McKennie (though he got the assist). It was Haji Wright
Roma travels to Juventus this weekend. Roma has never won at the Allianz Stadium. Roma is sitting 22 points behind Juventus in the table. This is the biggest gap in the table when these two teams have met since 2003. Daniele De Rossi is still injured. He gave an interview this week that mentions this injury makes him more seriously consider retirement. Edin Dzeko is still injured (but may be on the bench). His replacement Patrick Shick has one goal in 7 games. He's been so bad that he was benched for 19 year old Nicolo Zaniolo vs Genoa last week. He's been so bad that Roma has been considering sending him back on loan to Sampdoria. Shick is Roma's record signing. Di Francesco said this morning he received no answers from Zaniolo as a false 9, that he is not a striker. Shick looks most likely to start. Our defense is shambles. Florenzi will captain the side in De Rossi's absence. Florenzi was responsible for Genoa's first goal last weekend, and got away with a blatant foul in the box in injury time that would have led to a PK that would have leveled the game. #hangneedshugs #prayforhang
Maruffo is reffing the World Club Cup Final. Wonder how many jerseys he's going to get.... https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/12/21/marrufo-lead-three-american-refs-fifa-club-world-cup-final
Whelp, that tape was a bit underwhelming. A 2-1 loss to what is likely the best team in Germany. Played well, and on the road, but with so many injuries.... I hate moral victories though. Feels like a dagger every time Reus scores against us (tho he's one player I do not blame for leaving--he grew up in Dortmund and his GF and parents live there). Nice goal, though. I guess I'll have to be satisfied with the sweet win over Bayern earlier in the year.....