Monday, December 17, 2007

Gritty Granata shut out listless Roma

Single-point specialists Torino racked up their tenth draw of the season in an incident-packed encounter with scudetto challengers Roma, which somehow finished goal-less; fluffing a host of gilt-edged chances in the process. The home fans would have arrived at Turin’s Stadio Olympico in hope more than expectation of gaining anything from a fixture which their more illustrious southern counterparts were expected to win comfortably. In the final analysis however, Walter Novellino’s Serie A strugglers had passed up a rare opportunity to humble one of Italy’s ‘big four’.

The home side had marginally the best of the early exchanges, but the diligent approach play of the industrious Simone Barone and tricky winger Alessandro Rosina repeatedly foundered as and when Il Granata broached the final third. Two glaring misses in particular characterised Torino’s chronic lack of confidence in front of goal; the first coming just before the half-hour mark, as Barone fired wide of Roma ‘keeper Doni’s near post following a delightful back-heeled through-ball from busy frontman David Di Michele. Di Michele – whose debut for the club, following his summer arrival from Sicilian side Palermo, was delayed until last month due to a suspension for ‘illegal betting’ – was again involved in the second.

In the 38th minute, an incisive combination between Barone and Paolo Zanetti sliced open the Roma back-line, and as Zanetti’s cross slid across the face of goal it looked a certainty that either Rosina or Di Michele, both totally unmarked and facing a gaping net, would slide home the opening goal at the far post. Toro hearts sank though, when the profligate pair somehow conspired to collide in their eagerness to finish the job, with the ball inexplicably hitting the outside of the post and going wide for a Roma goal kick – leaving Barone kicking the post in sheer frustration at his team-mates’ complete lack of composure and awareness.

That extraordinary miss was quickly followed at the other end by a tame Mirko Vucinic cross-shot that barely troubled ex-Ipswich ‘keeper Matteo Sereni in the home side’s goal – virtually Roma’s only scoring opportunity of the first 45 minutes. Shorn of vastly influential talisman Francesco Totti (who may now be out until the mid-January resumption of Serie A with his recurring ankle problem) and with the returning Simone Perrotta and Brazilian dynamo Cicinho marooned on the bench, the Giallorossi were bereft of any discernable invention.

Perrotta was wisely introduced by Roma boss Luciano Spalletti following the half-time break, and Ashton-under-Lyne’s favourite footballing son made an immediate impact – firing a volley on the turn over Sereni’s crossbar from a clever Vucinic chest-down within a minute of the re-start. It was, however, to be Roma’s last clear chance for some time. As the game began to open up, Torino firmly took the initiative, with Di Michele continuing to unsettle Roma’s formidable defensive axis of Phillipe Mexes and Juan with his darting runs and impressive close control. On 48 minutes, the six-times capped Italian international had a headed ‘goal’ correctly ruled out for offside by referee Gianluca Rossi.

Soon after, Croatian forward Sasa Bjelanovic directed Di Michele’s driven cross over the bar from inside the six-yard box, though in fairness to the ex-Ascoli man, the ball arrived behind him and at a ferocious pace. Then, on the hour, Bjelanovic’s header from evergreen veteran Eugenio Corini’s cross was tipped onto and over the bar by Doni. Barone later fired wide and Di Michele was again denied at close range by Roma’s over-worked Brazilian ‘keeper and then once more by a superb last-ditch intervention by Juan.

A disillusioned Spalletti elected to withdraw the anonymous Ludovic Giuly, who has thus far underwhelmed during his fledgling Italian adventure, replacing him with youngster Marco Cassetti. Another underperforming stranieri, Cicinho, was also belatedly thrown into the action, but had a negligible impact on the right flank. Despite their insipid showing, the Giallorossi nearly snatched all three points late on, when Daniele de Rossi’s looping cross from deep was met by the flowing blond locks of Mexes, who was only deprived of an underserved winner by the smart reflexes of Sereni. Perrotta then fired a half-chance wide from the resultant corner.

In the closing stages Torino lost both their coach and captain Gianluca Comotto; the former sent to the stands for his over-zealous quarrelling with the fourth official, the latter harshly dismissed for an apparent shove on an otherwise-muted Mancini as the Brazilian ran through on goal.

The subsequent suspensions will be of more consequence for Turin’s second side than any impact they had on this game, and though they managed to halt Roma’s impressive run of scoring in every Serie A fixture so far this season, Novellino’s men still hover just outside the relegation zone as the winter break approaches. Roma, on the other hand, will be hoping that rivals Milan present them with a much-desired Christmas gift by halting the Inter juggernaut at San Siro next Sunday. If not, their slim scudetto hopes may have to be shelved for at least another year.

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