Title must wait as Roma and Fiorentina blank in Coppa Italia Final dress rehearsal #2108
A.S Roma 0 Fiorentina 0FT
Last weekend the Roma ladies took a huge step forward towards securing another title to become back-to-back Champions. They took another victory against Juventus making it a clean sweep of them this season as it does seem as there’s been a momentum shift in women’s Italian football. Roma has been a team to beat for the last two seasons and it doesn’t seem as if they’re going anywhere. They’re going to be a problem for quite some time. With the three points they took last weekend, they go within one victory of possibly securing the title officially. They can seal it away from home at Viola Park on a Saturday on a Cold and rainy afternoon. Roma and Fiorentina have played twice this season. Roma was victorious on both occasions. However, Fiorentina has been A side that has given them a challenge perhaps you could even argue a little bit of trouble despite winning both meetings. This is also the dress rehearsal for the Copa Italia final. These two teams will meet in the domestic cup after the season concludes with an opportunity for Roma to grab another trophy this season after making it to the final the last two seasons and coming up short. However, on Saturday they could officially clinch the title. Nevertheless, Fiorentina would try to do whatever they possibly could to potentially stop it. At least hold off the celebrations so they don’t lift the trophy in their own stadium. As Fiorentina would host Roma at Viola Park as they exchange blows for the third time this season as Roma look to make it three in a row against the viola. Kickoff approaches in Florence as the events of the afternoon would begin.
Fiorentina well aware of the challenge that sits in front of them operated through quite an aggressive start. In the second minute it looked as If Fiorentina had taken the lead. As it ends up in the back of Camellia Caesar’s net. However, the Romanian goalkeeper is knocked over by one of the Fiorentina attackers. As the goal was eventually disallowed. However, a little bit of a scare by beholders as they nearly went behind inside of 2 minutes. Roma would attempt to return fire. In the 4th minute, Pilgrim pushes the ball towards the box getting inside before losing possession. It ends up being retrieved by Laura Feiersinger She then passes to Bartoli. The Roma Captain dribbles through a few purple shirts before letting it Flow back towards Laura Feiersinger The Austrian follows through before taking a deflection dragging the effort wide with the touch. In the 6th minute. Fiorentina took a stab at it again. On loan Roma Midfielder Norma Cinotti delivers a cross into the box Pauline Hammarlund Hits it out of the air Verónica Boquete collects it as she lays it off Pauline Hammarlund takes a strike but is denied by Caesar. Fiorentina looking a little bit dangerous here thus far. Roma then somewhat reestablished themselves. As they were pushing the ball into the attacking areas. They won themselves a corner in the 22nd minute The corner nearly finds the back of the net as the Fiorentina goalkeeper had to come out and punch the ball away. It lands into the space of Pilgrim she passes it towards the middle of the box Viens delivers a sliding cross before Bartoli takes a strike that is deflected. It was a little bit back and forth. As Fiorentina continue to have their licks. In the 32nd minute They got on the counter attack cut into the box but thankfully arriving on the scene at the right time would be Anja Sønstevold as she puts forward a sliding tackle that kills the counter by the viola. Roma did have a level of momentum and control about it but haven’t really established themselves firmly in the driver seat. The first half would come to a close without a goal in sight for either side. Still 45 minutes left for Roma to get the three points they need to win the league.
Roma looked to be a bit more assertive in the second half. As they get themselves a very early chance in the 47th minute. They win themselves in early corner as Pilgrim unleashes a deep cross into the box Saki Kumagai drives her head on the end of it, but it flies into the keeper’s hands without too much difficulty. Fiorentina found themselves on the counter attack once more. In the 56th minute. They push it forward before releasing it Madelen Janogy unleashing an effort at Camellia Caesar from close range but the remaining keeper makes a save with her legs bombing it away. Roma then possessed it as a deep through ball is launched for Evelyn Viens She finds herself alone with three purple shirts around her. She dinks it in between. The legs of the defender flies into the box but ultimately collides as fiorentina get out of trouble in what could have been the opening goal. Roma in the 64th minute. Tried to find a similar pathway to the opening goal. Evelyn Viens saw Pilgrim wide open. She delivers the ball to the young Swiss before she unleashes a strike from just inside the box but it does not threaten the keeper as it flies into her hands. In the 81st minute Saki Kumagai has it on the right wing. She delivers pass for Evelyn Viens who then delivers a cross for substitute Valentina Giacinti The goalkeeper closes down. She gets a touch dragging it just wide. The goal was nearly there but it did seem as if Roma was running out of time to mathematically clinch the league on this occasion. Roma, in the last several minutes of the match went nucular. In the 85th minute while pacing forward on the left side delivers a cross into the box Greggi get her head on the end of it, but ultimately saved by the keeper. In the 86th minute they get the ball to Valentina as they push for a winner. She unloads from distance but the goalkeeper makes the save. Then in the 89th minute a ball is dropped into the box for Valentina again. She gets her head on the end of it but a save is made by the goalkeeper. Even though it looked and appeared as a winner could be around the corner, they just can’t find it. The full time whistle goes it is a goalless draw. Roma remain three points away from clinching the title. They surely will accomplish this next weekend or the next
Roma had a huge opportunity to clinch the league on Saturday afternoon in Florence. It felt like it could be the day but it will have to wait. Roma wasn’t at their best nor their sharpest. In fact, they didn’t look like their normal selves until the last 15 minutes. Roma’s objective must be to seal the title as soon as they can. Spugna did make the decision to rest some of their players. However, they handled the Fiorentina fairly well, but the home side did pose a level of a threat and the attacking phase defensively outside of a disallowed opening goal handled the situation. It wasn’t anywhere near their best performance. We have seen them much sharper much stronger than what was witnessed in Florence at Viola Park on Saturday afternoon. However, at the end it really felt as if they were going to break through and finally grab the winner to officially secure themselves with another title. They can possibly call it next weekend with a victory and a Juventus loss, but certainly will have the title in their possession within the next two weeks. So in a certain sense, it was disappointing that they couldn’t close the book. But it’s still well in their control and they will inevitably win the title. The sooner they wrap this up, the more they can start preparing for Fiorentina again in the Cup Final. Fiorentina are tough and proved to be with their performance. It wasn’t the best for either side. We will see this matchup once again very soon. However, Roma just couldn’t completely finish It off as of yet. The title will be theirs, just not yet. In addition to that, it was their first draw of the season as crazy as it may be honestly in the late stages of the contest they were unlucky not to win it. A little disappointing but of the grand scheme of things still are in position to clench the title very soon with an opportunity to do so next week, but if not next week the week after it will be all but done. Just couldn’t do it Saturday afternoon in Florence. Giving them now the possibility of winning the title at home to officially cap it off.
