Math. Math is solid. Scholars have even speculated it holds some amount of significance in the universe. Math also said that Roma had a chance at the Europa League via domestic league placement even before the opening whistle of the match at the San Siro.
Math's full of it.
The Milan match was the first half of a double-legged friendly against two high-quality sides in preparation for the Coppa Italia final. With both Udinese and Lazio winning, along with the latter retaining the tie-breaker over Roma, the likelihood both sides would lose while Roma would win on the final day remained a possibility, but only on paper. Wasn't happening. Roma can still quality before the Coppa Italia final should Lazio win and Udinese lose on the last day, allowing Roma to qualify as the Coppa Italia runner-up at the very least, but Roma was never in charge of its own destiny. Not realistically, anyway.
The match itself? Someone dig through the archives again. Roma was the better side until the opposition went down to ten; roles then reversed. The same exact fate which has befallen an advantaged Roma for the last umpteen years. It happened, Aurelio's audition ended for the 487th time it feels, this club needs some serious tinkering in the summer, and now Roma looks ahead to the 26th. Yadda. Yadda yadda. Yadda. It's all been done before.
But big picture...a point at the San Siro? Well that's not such a bad thing.
Notes
- Obviously there was a stoppage for racist chanting in the first half. The question remains whether or not it actually was racist. The fans/ultras/what have you seem to be taking the same line other clubs' fans, namelyJuventus, when confronted for whistling Mario Balotelli: they were chanting against Balotelli for being Balotelli. Which happens. A lot.
I don't know. Racism is bad. People who are guilty of such actions should be held accountable. Making false accusations is also bad. Those can often be equally as damaging. I don't know what happened, so I'm going to condemn everyone who's ever done anything wrong. Ever.
Now everyone just hug one another and make it stop - that's what Sulley was doing. Love a unicorn today too. - That penalty on Erik Lamela, man. Not only was it right in front of the goal line official, but he had his hands on his knees, staring intently at the play and foul.
Silvio Berlusconi-level incompetence. - The same goes for Milan's new kit. Gold glitter in bulk is not okay, no matter how much it's discounted.
- The cost of Pablo Osvaldo's goals...
Three matches since the hat trick, three matches which could be categorized as extremely poor performances on the whole, the late goal at the Franchi the momentary exception.
Running. Running would be nice. Movement. Movement in general would be spectacular. You know. The little things. The little things would absolve him of so very much criticism and make a sale seem as ill-advised as his goals would indicate. - Michael Bradley was excellent in the second half, but there's only one MOTM: Marquinho. His movement off the ball is second to none on the squad, and only a Spalletti-era Simone Perrotta would relieve him of that title. Not quite sure what happened during the last weeks to see him go from favored son to pine-rider, but perhaps he simply needs to be sat down for a bit to build his motivation before being released like a wind-up toy. Whatever, it would seem Andreazzoli knows how to manage Marquinho.
Guess that makes Aurelio the Ho whisperer.
Maybe we shouldn't publish that. - Erik Lamela alternates placing his face on a carton of milk and bottle of bubbly by the week. The mustache was strong this week.
- Bogdan is spectacular, but nearly everything was hit right at him on the evening, thus the credit goes to the defense for its excellent positioning (third straight solid performance) as well as Lobont's larger-than-life aura.
There's a good deal of embellishing Bogdan's qualities around here for no other reason than the sake of embellishing something, but Maarten might actually be able to sit out the remainder of the season now. - Francesco Totti is, as we all know, flawed. The elbow looked out of frustration, not malice. He'll sit againstNapoli, which might not be such a terrible thing, and serve his suspension.
- Quite the, ahem, "hitch" in Philippe going to ground after the 'bow, by the by. Chipping away....
- The biggest news of the penultimate Sunday had nothing to do with Roma and more to do with those around the league. Two stories in particular:
Can we begin the countdown on Josip Ilicic's transfer to Roma now?
The scenes from the San Paolo sound as though Walter Mazzarri is preparing his farewell to Napoli, what with Aurelio De Laurentiis thanking his service over the four years and all. Which leaves Roma and Inter as his most likely destination, the former well in the lead according to people who speculate on these things for a euro.
Walter Mazzarri is one of two very positive outcomes. The other is not Max Allegri.
Shall we begin the countdown on tossing our jackets to the ground with soul-crushing mullets too?