Kappa nostalgia. Soak it in.
Today they leave for the high hills and some good old fashioned summer retreatin'. The callup list for AS Roma 2010/11: The Dog & Pony Show.
PORTIERI: Julio Sergio, Lobont, Pena, Pigliacelli
DIFENSORI: Mexes, Andreolli, Loria, Cicinho, Cassetti, Riise, Rosi e Antunes
CENTROCAMPISTI: Pizarro, Taddei, Simplicio, Barusso, Perrotta, Brighi, Faty, Guberti, Cerci, Greco
ATTACCANTI: Totti, Adriano, Vucinic, Menez, Okaka, Scardina
IN PERMESSO I CALCIATORI IMPEGNATI AI MONDIALI: De Rossi, Doni, Baptista, Juan
Random roster thoughts:
- I saw Bogdan Lobont in the kit release picture on the official homepage and hadn't a goddamn clue who he was. I feel good about this.
- It feels like Leandro Greco is marching up Totti's heels for seniority on this team, and yet I'm not sure I can consciously remember him playing a solitary minute since...I just broke the memorometer. (The movie Roma 08/09 had been repressed into the dungeons of the mind with such films as There's Something About Mary, The Royal Tenenbaums and Italia '10.) He'll only be 24 on Monday, however, so he's got a solid 5 years before he'll no longer be a youngster by Serie A standards. Or Serie B standards. (Sorry.)
- Why do Doni and Julio get a second vacation?
- The back half of the attackers - Menez, Okaka, Scardina - makes me things I can't say in good taste. It's 90% promise at this point, but that's half the fun.
- Any shots of post-World Cup DDR yet? I suspect that beard has either been replaced by a baby's bottom or the rich man's Walt Whitman. Probably throwin' down rhymes like Walt too.
- Same song had been on replay for the last 10 minutes. It's an 11 minute song. Rodrigo Taddei.
- I had to remove my Corriere dello Sport bookmark because I'm sick of seeing Adriano's sweaty beer gut on the front page every day. For deadly serious.
I need a drink.
- I really hope he scores 800 goals though. He won't, but I hope he does.
My more realistic goals center around 10 goals and seeing his toes by Christmas.
- Simone Perrotta will score one more goal than Adriano this season. Heard it here first.
And if he doesn't, you won't remember this come May. So ha.
- It's Mirko Pigliacelli. You're welcome.
- The future of Ahmed Barusso is a mystery - I think he's half-owned by about six teams at this point - but I see no reason he's brought along unless Ranieri wants to take a proper look at him. The odds he ends a career via death by massive thigh seem unreasonably high if he's just going to be shipped out at first opportunity.
Then again, the Supercoppa does occur before the window ends.....
- Two players who could do extremely well if given the chance, but won't be given the chance: Andreolli and Guberti. Granted, this is very good on the whole for Roma, but less good for the development of the two young'uns. Which is why you see Andreolli linked to Padova. Which is flippin' ridiculous.
- This is the only thing I plan to say outside the purview of that roster: the Curci move to Sampdoria is genius for all parties involved.
- Allowing Mexes some time as Big Dog again might do him wonders. When he was on his game last year, Juan + Philou was easily a cut above Juan + Nico; problem is he lost his game at the highlights store a number of times. Maybe he should get a tattoo to remind he left it?
- The early dogfight for Guy Who They Want To Get Rid Of But Can't Convince Anyone To Take His Contract is between Doni and Cicinho. My guess is neither will be moved, so the real loser is AS Roma. And really, neither were entirely unreasonable contracts in the backloaded Vincenzo Montella sense until one became entirely dispensable and the other played against Panathinaikos. Or at all, against anyone.
- Almost - almost - a little surprised not to see Sebastian Mladen on this list. But then he's a defender and defenders under Ranieri are not the same as defenders under Spalletti. Mostly because they have to defend occasionally.
- Simone Loria, ladies and gentlemen.
First friendly is Sunday against a local leper colony. Francesco will hit six, Vucinic four, Scardina one and Adriano will polish off a baker's dozen worth of hot dogs by the half. Top notch show all around.