Stealing a Point-Storari is a stud!!

Unlike last weeks game against Sampdoria where we should have gotten three points and ended up with a draw, this week we got a point when we really shouldnt have. You can hail Cagliari all day for their grit and fortitude, but Roma has to be disappointed that they let two points slip away, even after a horrible start for them.

This was another exciting match as Cagliari is showing they can play with Serie A’s best teams and that they arent simply going to be blown off the pitch. The transfer window is turning out to be very significant when most of us saw it originally as an afterthought. The Sant Elia was rocking and an almost packed house was giving every bit of support to the home side to urge them to victory. Cagliari came out quickly and immediately took it to Roma with Fini shooting wide right soon after the match began. The pressure created some luck as Acquafrescas shot was kicked into Romas goal by Ferrari for an own goal and Cagliari was up 1-0. Could you ask for a better start then a quick goal?

Cagliari continued to pressure and Foggia had a golden opportunity in minute ten that he failed to finish with his lob over the goalie going over the bar. He should have scored, but is was great to see him start the match and he seems to be motivated to show his talent. I guess he was waiting for the end of the year so his play would be fresher in the big clubs minds. At this point, I dont care about all his bullcrap behavior and poor attitude, he needs to be on the pitch if we are to survive and Ballardini now seems to get that.

As any top level team would, Roma settled down and began to control the midfield. Cagliari was basically on it heals the rest of the match and Totti, the brilliant player that he is, created so many chances for his teammates. Cagliari seemed to lose its initial steam and honestly thought they could put all their players behind the ball and hold on for dear life for the rest of the game. This was the kind of play that put them deep in the relegation zone to begin with.

As good as Totti was for Roma, Storari was better for Cagliari. He is simply the hero of the season and even if we survive, if hes not playing goalie for Milan next year, then Milan deserves any problems it has in goal. I would love for Storari to be back next year but Milan should not let it happen. He is any clubs answer in goal. Storari made multiple saves in the first half that kept Cagliari ahead. As good as he is, it was asking too much for him to save everything when Cagliari was being pushed back by a Roma offense desperate for a goal. After many great saves and some poor finishing by Roma, Totti gets a free kick just before halftime and scores. Its tough to give up a goal just before halftime, but Roma deserved atleast to be tied at halftime as they had so many chances and saw great saves and blocks by the Cagliari defense.

Even with all the players missing, Roma clearly had the most talent on the pitch and came out in the second half pushing the pace. Cagliari slowed the match down and tried for the counterattacks which created a few chances. It is easy for me to write how the ten men behind the ball strategy is stupid for Cagliari to employ, but when you are playing a team that is clearly better and you have a chance for points, any strategy can be second guessed. This was not Parma or Torino we were playing. Roma just wins games so when it is your turn to play them, you just have to see what happens and adjust from there so I cant be overly critical of the style of play by Cagliari in the game after the gift goal they got.

The second half was very much the same as the last part of the first half. Roma controlled the pace and had multiple chances. Their best opportunity came in the 85th minute when a Totti header was miraculously saved by Storari with his leg. This chance came immediately after Totti had set up Cicihnio from about 10 yards out in stride and the dude blows it over the bar. You have to finish those if you are really going to win the Scudetto.

Roma put on more pressure as the game got closer to finishing. Every fan in the stands was begging that a last minute goal would not happen against them two weeks in a row. Even Ballardini was trying to throw off the pace by yelling at the ref only to get redcarded. A definite professional managerial foul. I was waiting for Cellino to come down out of the stands and do something stupid to slow down Romas pressure. Our boy Esposito even made a last minute appearance and was booed. Is he from Naples? I like Esposito but you hate to see players leave who end up on the bench at a big club. He begged Cellino to let him go to Roma so he could sit on the bench when he could be here helping us. Luckilly the game ended 1-1 and we stole a point.

Say what you want about Cagliaris momentum speared on by recent good form and the returning of three points and Romas injury problems and upcoming match against Manchester allowing for a possible Cagliari win at home, a tie is a huge result for Cagliari and we should be happy. Roma is a better team, forced us into playing defensive football even after gifting us an early lead, and if not for Storari and some bad finishing by Roma players, this game would have ended by Roma winning by 2-3 goals. They simply have the talent to win these games and a player in Totti who can control a match all by himself. He is what we need Foggia to be.

The difference in this season might be looked at in the results against teams like Roma. Where Cagliari can steal a point, a team like Empoli with an extra man still cant get anything against Roma. To have this game over on our schedule and to get a point is awesome, deserved or not. Lets see how the other relegation strugglers do tommorrow and where we are after those games. With our game at Milan next week the last of this murderous run where we have actually gotten some points, we then get Livorno and Empoli back to back and that is where we will likely make or break our season. Ties like these againt Roma allow you to be in this position so be happy Cagliari fans, we just stole a point against a great club and we are putting the pressure on the other relegation teams. Most importantly, the momentum is continuing and that is as important as the actual result because mentally there cant be a more positive club then Cagliari in Serie A.

Its been a great week. Milan and their poor home form might be ripe for another theft of a point next week so the momentum can continue against Livorno and Empoli.

Category: Cagliari, Serie A

Tags: Cagliari, Serie A

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