After nearly 70 minutes of utter dullness punctuated by passing, passing, passing, things got a little spicy for Roma. Young defender José Angel, signed from Sporting Gijon this summer, had been having a sparkling debut, getting everything almost perfect. Then, in the span of just two minutes, his new giallorossi world came crashing down. A poor clearance by Angel fell directly to midifelder Daniele Conti, who had no trouble knocking it past goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg to give Cagliari the 1-0 lead in Rome.
AS Roma Vs. Cagliari: A Surprise 2-1 Win For The Rossoblu
And then things just got worse. Desperate to win possession, Angel, knocked to the ground, seemed to wrap his legs around Davide Biondini, dragging him down inside the box. The defender was shown a straight red, just a minute after he’d been the one to gift the ball for the Cagliari goal.
It looked as though Roma would overcome their disadvantage and find an equalizer, as they continually pressured the Cagliari goal. But the organization just wasn't there for the home side, and in their desperation to find a goal, they simply pushed too far forward, allowing the Rossoblu attack to slip in. In a weekend in which new faces seem to be scoring in new shirts, it's of little surprise that it was Moestafa El Kabir that put in Cagliari's second. What was surprising was the way Nicolas Burdisso just stood by.
In the end, Roma got a consolation prize, but couldn't manage to earn the giant stuffed bear. Daniele De Rossi knocked one in in the sixth minute of extra time, but pulled his shirt over his head anyway. The 2-1 home defeat is a poor start for new coach Luis Enrique: how long until Roma supporters start braying for blood?
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