I Don't Want To Do This But I'm Going To
After attempting to wrap my mind around the Catania home fixture this season on the weekend, I realized how much of this season I've been repressing, because it's healthy, and Roma fans are nothing if not deeply concerned for their own well-being.
Undoubtedly true.
An intriguing experiment to, without looking at any of the highlights, run through the entire season, month-by-month, and see what was the most impacting memory (plural as desired) and moment from each game.
And I bet it won't be the goals.
September (+ Cesena)
Cesena 0 - 0
So, Cesena.
Most will remember Roma being rebuffed by Nananananananana like they were on a pissy date (constantly shot down, not scoring, going out and finding someone with STD issues to cure that pesky scoring problem, etc), but I remember the Rodrigo Taddei substitution, for reasons which do not involve dates and/or scoring.
For some reason I remember the ineffectiveness due to injury despite it being a solid move with a truer wing player - not quite a winger. In other words: good intentions, poor execution.
Oh my, quite the harbinger for the season.
Cagliari, 1-5
Well shit, I forgot how awful this season began.
I remember Nico's second degree attempted murder, obviously, and Aleandro Rosi rebuffing any and all faith I had in his anger management abilities and/or common sense. Rosi's the crux of it: so much promise and hope, so many failed expectations from the off.
Once again, AS Roma 2010-11.
I also remember the second half, in which I tried on several different tie/shirt combinations while getting ready to exit stage condo as a thinly veiled excuse to say "I watched it all"...when I really didn't.
Not proud of this.
Of course I think it was justified.
Bayern, 0-2
Brighi and Muller. Why? I have no idea.
Muller not for the goal, which was fecking spectacular, but rather because of Brighi constantly dropping back out of midfield to take a backward left angle on help defense in the second half. Fucking constantly. I feel like this is too specific not to be making it up, but I'm making it up. Maybe I dreamed it, as we were all well and truly asleep, just like Roma's leg muscles, by early second half.
Bologna, 2-2 L
Guillermo, leftback.
If you recall anything else, you're lying.
Brescia, 1-472 (Might as well have been)
The fiery rage across the entirety of the game? The blood rampaging through veins as electronics trembled for their lives? Yes.
There's too much to mention, although for some odd reason, Adriano at rightwing is the most prominent at the moment. The obvious answer is: the referee. And it is, for all of it, but Philippe Mexes losing his cool, if justifiably, seems to ring ever louder as we look back, as this season was marked by an extraordinary lack of discipline, and though his red card was absurd, getting himself suspended with Burdisso doing hard time for his felony did Roma no favors at all.
The tone of this season was set rather early, it appears.
Inter, 1-0
Sneijder, middle third of the pitch, constantly looking for the pass, never finding it and occasionally letting fly from ill-advised positions. This, over and over again.
They built the foundation from the back and thrust the dagger late. A vintage Roma 09-10 victory, and hope.
Cruel hope.
Cluj, 2-1
Speaking of over and over again...
Lacina Traore causing fits, both in the Roman defense and the chest cages of Roma fans the world over. He's quite the unique talent - like Peter Crouch, but with actual talent - but they were shred by a kid who was merely exceedingly raw talent. This was the hope, dashed.
Everything built by the Inter fixture, dashed by a twelve foot Ivorian broomstick.