Between the old Roma Offside days and our eventual reformation as the Chiesa di Totti, our deranged digital community is approaching its 20th anniversary. Like any other subculture, online or otherwise, we developed our own codes, mores, traditions, and language. These quirks not only unite us but also deepen our bond with the club.
And while we have a lot of light-hearted, jovial sayings, without a doubt, the most popular CdTism is Roma Happened. Authored by our community’s original founder, Chris,
Roma Happened is officially defined as:
This is perhaps the most common saying in CdT history, and as such it’s hard to precisely define; Roma Happened can encapsulate last-minute defeats, penalties (justified or not), failed transfers, ill-advised transfers, injuries, stadium delays, unsightly neck tattoos, torn ACLs. Literally anything bad or unfortunate falls under the Roma Happened purview—use it with caution.
In many ways, yesterday’s 3-3 draw against Juventus, in which Roma blew a two-goal lead with 12 minutes remaining, is the perfect encapsulation of that saying. Given the historical imbalance between the two clubs, we should have been more guarded heading into yesterday’s match. Still, with Juve dropping points in four consecutive league matches and reeling from their Champions League exit, the Old Lady was ripe for the plucking.
After taking the lead late in the first half and then allowing an equalizer just two minutes into the second half, Roma demonstrated resilience by regaining and expanding their lead to 3-1 in the 78th minute. However, the Giallorossi wilted, conceding two goals in 12 minutes and failing to pad their margin over Juventus, potentially paving the way for Como to leapfrog Roma into 4th place down the road.
Anyway you slice it, it was an evening to forget. Still, despite the bitter ending, there were a few bright spots for Roma, so let’s get the doom and gloom over with post haste.
The Sinners
Bryan Cristante
First he giveth, then he taketh away. After a Man of the Match performance against Cremonese last weekend, Bad Bryan reappeared on Sunday. Whereas Cristante was fast, decisive, and dynamic against Cremonese, he was careless and craftless against Juventus. Whether it was the litany of misplaced passes, sloppy transition play and utter lack of defensive presence, Cristante wasn’t at his best on Sunday.
Zeki Çelik
While the optics of Jeremie Boga scoring a wide-open goal in the 78th minute weren’t great, I’m not going to lay the blame on him. He was the only defender capable of challenging Kenan Yildiz’s header in the box; Boga being unmarked was beyond his control. That said, Çelik had a night to forget at the Olimpico; the kind that might convince Roma to let him walk in June.
Neil El Aynaoui
In the grand tradition of Sinners & Saints, sometimes one single decision can make the difference between the halo and the pitchfork. And in the case of NEA, that came in the 92nd minute when his ill-advised challenge on Pierre Kalulu gifted Juve the free kick that produced Federico’s improbable equalizer.
Mile Svilar
It’s not often that Mile winds up on our list of sinners, but it’s not often he concedes three goals either. The stats say Svilar faced 2.12 xGOT, leaving him liable for -0.88 goals. If you’re looking for the statistical smoking gun, look no further than Boga’s goal, which was worth 0.18 xG, or roughly an 18% chance of scoring.
Okay, now on to the good stuff.
The Saints
Niccolò Pisilli
As the unequivocal MOTM, the young midfielder had a banner day in front of his fellow Romans. In 90 minutes at the Olimpico, Pisilli put on a show: 80 touches, 88% passing, one chance created, one assist, six passes into the final third, 18 defensive actions (match high), 13 recoveries (match high), and 10 duels won. The 21-year-old is blossoming before our eyes and already looks like a lineup fixture for the Giallorossi.
Manu Koné
We’ll let this pass do all the talking. It was simply sensational; the vision, the timing, the placement, and the perfectly timed and weighted bounce at the end. Beautiful stuff.
Wesley
It’s unfortunate that Wesley’s goal wasn’t the opening note of a beautiful symphony, but once again, we’ll let the moving pictures tell the story.
Evan Ndicka
From zero league goals this season to two in as many matches, Ndicka is springing to life at the most crucial stage of the season. In addition to temporarily reclaiming the lead in the 54th minute, Ndicka completed 89% of his passes, including four of nine long balls and seven into the final third, and added eight defensive actions, including six headed clearances.
Donyell Malen
Malen continued his dominance of Serie A with another stellar performance leading Roma’s line: two shots on goal, one goal scored, and a game-high seven touches in the opposition’s box. What more needs to be said? He’s been a godsend for Gasperini and the Giallorossi.
Devyne Rensch
While he didn’t factor in the scoreline, the Dutchman turned in a solid 90 minutes after spending the past several weeks in a reserve role: seven tackles, four clearances, five interceptions, three recoveries, one chance created, and one successful dribble. It would likely mean playing Wesley on the left, but Rensch made a strong case for playing time at right wing-back today.
Stuck In Between
We only have one SIB today, but it’s definitely one of the stranger cases we’ve encountered …
Gian Piero Gasperini
We always shy away from putting managers in these pieces, but his second-half substitutions were a bit puzzling, and he somehow managed a mind-bending feat: leaving Cristante on too long while also taking him off too soon. With Cristante playing poorly throughout the match, the smart move would have been to sub him out at the hour mark, giving El Aynaoui a chance to sort out the midfield. However, in an ironic twist, Cristante’s stature and physical presence were sorely missed in the final 10 to 15 minutes, when Roma needed more big bodies to jostle with Juve.
Granted, he couldn’t have predicted the final outcome, but Gasperini could have potentially avoided disaster if he acted sooner than the 74th minute.
