Roma casually had a friendly today and they forgot to inform me. Well, not really - they informed the whole world. But they didn't inform me in the ways I like to be informed. Or the ways that work. Like knocking on my door. Which I would've answered, as usual, in full Marco Borriello style: no shirt, haphazardly having tossed on pants or shorts, yet my hair looking as though it'd received royal attention. The Borriello. Youngster Marco Frediani is looking like his heir in that department, too.
The highlight of the match was Alessandro Crescenzi's coif. I watched him for four minutes against Sampdoria a few years ago before making the quick assessment he would amount to absolutely nothing - on a good day. Lots of running and nothing else. No innate tactical sense, no top-or-middle-drawer technique, no nothin'. Yet one bounce of his flowing blond locks and I've changed my tune: he is the footballing lovechild of Franz Beckenbauer, Paolo Maldini, Cafu, and Seabiscuit. Done. Forty year contract on DDR cash. LITM: Legend in the Made.
Speaking of nothing, Junior Tallo aspires to it. It could easily be said there hasn't been a poorer footballer - small sample and all - to wear a senior Roma shirt since a syphilitic Valerio Virga. (One assumes.) Keivan Zarrineh wants his old job back.
Those are the things one could take from the friendly. (And that Alessandro Florenzi's new nickname, non-negotiable, is Florrest Gump. Kid cannot stop running.) If you'd like to see some highlights and missed it, the Roma channel has done you one better - the full match:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JCkpepIe8RY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Meanwhile, Roma just finished up today's festivities by announcing their last North American friendly: Chelsea in Washington DC on August 10th.
Chelsea FC. Some kids from Riscone. Same thing. Hip hip for lineality.