was it the disppointment at WC 2002, Juve's dramatic win of the scudetto at the olympico
? whatever you think, the best match i think was THAT memorable Rome derby. Here is what an Oliver Thompson thinks.
That memorable Rome derby
12 Dec 2002
In the first of a festive series that may well have twelve parts, Megasoccer writers nominate their favourite games from 2002. Today, Oliver Thompson on a Serie A classic - the Rome derby.
Lazio 1 Roma 5, March 10th, Stadio Olimpico.
By Oliver Thompson
Why not start our vaguely Christmas-themed series with a classic to warm even the hardest of hearts, that's what I say. Well ok, if you support Lazio, perhaps this doesn't quite make the shortlist for your greatest games of 2002. In fact if you're a Lazio supporter called Alessandro Nesta, you're still in therapy aimed at eradicating every memory of March 10th 2002.
However, for the red half of Rome and every neutral, this game was one of the greatest exhibitions of attacking football in years, a sharp rebuke to those who feel that Serie A is a dull, defensive league, and a nightmare evening for then Lazio coach Alberto Zaccheroni, who had said before the game: "You win a derby the same way as all other games: by scoring one more goal than your opponents." Roma, inspired by Totti and lead by Vincenzo Montella, scored four more than Lazio, as they ripped through Zac's sorry side.
As usual, the pre-match hype had been stoked by the players. "I respect Lazio but the table clearly shows the difference between the two teams," was Francesco Totti's characteristically modest assessment. Within twelve minutes of kick off at the Olimpico, he'd backed up the talk with a glorious backheel that took two Lazio defenders out of the game and gave Vincent Candela the space to pick out Vincenzo Montella with a pinpoint cross. Montella then began one of the most amazing nights of his life by heading home to make it 1-0.
Seventeen minutes later Totti burst through midfield, evading several desperate tackles, and shot low from 25 yards. Peruzzi in the Lazio goal blocked the ball and it fell to Alessandro Nesta, who, inexplicably, stared at the ball as Montella took it off him and tapped home from five yards.
It got worse for Nesta as he completely failed to pick up Montella on a Totti free kick and the man known as the 'little aeroplane' rose to complete his hat-trick with another header. Thirty six minutes gone and Lazio were already on the wrong end of a beating.
They briefly came back into the game with a fine long-range strike from Dejan Stankovic (even the consolation goal was brilliant) before Montella crashed a twenty five yard drive in off the crossbar. By now Roma were simply irresistible coming forward and the outstanding Francesco Totti finished off the rout in the most impudent manner imaginable - chipping Peruzzi from nearly 30 yards . It was the biggest party Rome has seen since they won the title the previous summer, and one of the best derbies Serie A has seen in the last decade. Montella received a 9.5 vote from the notoriously stingy Gazzetto Dello Sport, and Totti was lauded by his coach Fabio Capello, who said: "He transforms himself for games like that. He was extraordinary and a real leader. He acted like a true captain."
Unsurprisingly, the Lazio camp were less vocal in the aftermath. "We left our balls in the dressing room," said Massimo Cragnotti. His father, Sergio, restricted his assessment to "We lost. What else am I supposed to say?"
Roma fans were not listening anyway - they were out celebrating a win and a game that will live long in the memory of all lucky enough to have seen it. They have had their woes since, but that night at least, Roma were simply awesome.
Lazio 1-5 Roma
(Dejan Stankovic 53 (Lazio) - Vincenzo Montella 12, 29, 36, 63, Francesco Totti 71)
LAZIO (4-4-2): Peruzzi , Baggio (1' st Poborsky), Nesta (1' st Gottardi), Mihajlovic, Couto, Stankovic, Giannichedda, Fiore, Pancaro, Crespo, Inzaghi (30' st Liverani) (Bench: Marchegiani, Mendieta,, C. Lopez, Comazzi)
ROMA (3-4-1-2): Antonioli, Panucci, Samuel, Zebina, Cafu, Lima, Emerson (39' st Assuncao), Candela, Totti, Montella (29' Cassano), Delvecchio (15' st Tommasi) (Bench: Pelizzoli, Aldair, Cufre, Guigou).
Attendance: 75,000
? whatever you think, the best match i think was THAT memorable Rome derby. Here is what an Oliver Thompson thinks.That memorable Rome derby
12 Dec 2002
In the first of a festive series that may well have twelve parts, Megasoccer writers nominate their favourite games from 2002. Today, Oliver Thompson on a Serie A classic - the Rome derby.
Lazio 1 Roma 5, March 10th, Stadio Olimpico.
By Oliver Thompson
Why not start our vaguely Christmas-themed series with a classic to warm even the hardest of hearts, that's what I say. Well ok, if you support Lazio, perhaps this doesn't quite make the shortlist for your greatest games of 2002. In fact if you're a Lazio supporter called Alessandro Nesta, you're still in therapy aimed at eradicating every memory of March 10th 2002.
However, for the red half of Rome and every neutral, this game was one of the greatest exhibitions of attacking football in years, a sharp rebuke to those who feel that Serie A is a dull, defensive league, and a nightmare evening for then Lazio coach Alberto Zaccheroni, who had said before the game: "You win a derby the same way as all other games: by scoring one more goal than your opponents." Roma, inspired by Totti and lead by Vincenzo Montella, scored four more than Lazio, as they ripped through Zac's sorry side.
As usual, the pre-match hype had been stoked by the players. "I respect Lazio but the table clearly shows the difference between the two teams," was Francesco Totti's characteristically modest assessment. Within twelve minutes of kick off at the Olimpico, he'd backed up the talk with a glorious backheel that took two Lazio defenders out of the game and gave Vincent Candela the space to pick out Vincenzo Montella with a pinpoint cross. Montella then began one of the most amazing nights of his life by heading home to make it 1-0.
Seventeen minutes later Totti burst through midfield, evading several desperate tackles, and shot low from 25 yards. Peruzzi in the Lazio goal blocked the ball and it fell to Alessandro Nesta, who, inexplicably, stared at the ball as Montella took it off him and tapped home from five yards.
It got worse for Nesta as he completely failed to pick up Montella on a Totti free kick and the man known as the 'little aeroplane' rose to complete his hat-trick with another header. Thirty six minutes gone and Lazio were already on the wrong end of a beating.
They briefly came back into the game with a fine long-range strike from Dejan Stankovic (even the consolation goal was brilliant) before Montella crashed a twenty five yard drive in off the crossbar. By now Roma were simply irresistible coming forward and the outstanding Francesco Totti finished off the rout in the most impudent manner imaginable - chipping Peruzzi from nearly 30 yards . It was the biggest party Rome has seen since they won the title the previous summer, and one of the best derbies Serie A has seen in the last decade. Montella received a 9.5 vote from the notoriously stingy Gazzetto Dello Sport, and Totti was lauded by his coach Fabio Capello, who said: "He transforms himself for games like that. He was extraordinary and a real leader. He acted like a true captain."
Unsurprisingly, the Lazio camp were less vocal in the aftermath. "We left our balls in the dressing room," said Massimo Cragnotti. His father, Sergio, restricted his assessment to "We lost. What else am I supposed to say?"
Roma fans were not listening anyway - they were out celebrating a win and a game that will live long in the memory of all lucky enough to have seen it. They have had their woes since, but that night at least, Roma were simply awesome.
Lazio 1-5 Roma
(Dejan Stankovic 53 (Lazio) - Vincenzo Montella 12, 29, 36, 63, Francesco Totti 71)
LAZIO (4-4-2): Peruzzi , Baggio (1' st Poborsky), Nesta (1' st Gottardi), Mihajlovic, Couto, Stankovic, Giannichedda, Fiore, Pancaro, Crespo, Inzaghi (30' st Liverani) (Bench: Marchegiani, Mendieta,, C. Lopez, Comazzi)
ROMA (3-4-1-2): Antonioli, Panucci, Samuel, Zebina, Cafu, Lima, Emerson (39' st Assuncao), Candela, Totti, Montella (29' Cassano), Delvecchio (15' st Tommasi) (Bench: Pelizzoli, Aldair, Cufre, Guigou).
Attendance: 75,000
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