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| photo by batrax | via PhotoRee |
Our European correspondent Todd checks in from Italy, taking some brief time off from his holiday celebrations to offer his perspective on this weekend's disappointing turn of events at the San Siro:
December 19 / Stadio San Siro / Milan, Italy
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that “Silvio Berlusconi's government survived what was, by our count, its fifth confidence vote this year. The final tally in Italy's lower house of parliament: 314 to 311. Anti-Berlusconi trade unionists, students, and unaffiliated anarchists have taken the occasion to riot in Rome, setting cars on fire and beating policemen. Italy's 10-year sovereign bond yield edged up to 4.61% yesterday, from 4.53% on Monday before the vote.”
To which farlieonfootie would add: “And Roma traveled to San Siro, stealing three points from Berlusconi’s league-leading, star-studded rossoneri club.” Although the match lacked the headlines and drama of sex scandals, palace intrigue, and consequential street violence, its outcome was a punishing blow to Il Primo Ministro, resulting in his sixth confidence vote of the year.
Claudio Ranieri fielded a giallorossi side featuring Morco Borriello, the team’s leading scorer on loan from Milan, up front, with Francesco Totti firmly bundled and affixed to the Roma bench. Not to be outdone, Milan skipper Massimo Allegri benched Ronadinho. With these two legends literally shivering in their boots, the starting line-ups were predictable.
Milan dominated the first half handily, passing and dribbling through their Roman counterparts with relative ease, if not flair. Although the Milan attack was ambidextrous and effective, the end result was still nil for both sides at the interval. The second half featured more of the same sporadic back and forth. The rossoneri kept circling their prey but couldn’t quite swoop in with their talons. Their shots were weak and off the mark, the lead-ups and movement good but lacking in creativity with Ronaldinho remaining on the bench.
