retired_swmchick2006

Team: Roma
Opponent: Atletico Madrid, in Rome
Competition: Champions Cup 1st Group Stage

Result: 2-0

BvR rested as Roma clinched 1st in the group. Roma was lead by striker Gallina who had the captain's armband on the day. A sign of the post-BvR Roma side?

retired_swmchick2006

George for Top Goalscorer?

Georgio George playing his first season with Milan has seen his odds for leading Serie A in goals scored this season improve dramatically since the news of BvR's midseason move. George has been on fine form this season, and may bea able to take BvR's crown if the Faroe Islander falters at all...

retired_swmchick2006

Team: Roma
Opponent: Lazio, in Rome (Roma away game)
Competition: Serie A

Result:3-2

An outplayed Roma team made the best of their few chances to keep the score close. After Battaglia and Gentilini scored for Lazio, BvR made it 2-1 by turning in a Matteo Girardi cross.

Rafael van der Vaart came on in as a sub and scored shortly after to make it 3-1, though Gallina did score in the 79th with a fine strike to return it to a one-goal loss.

BvR Stat Line:
Pas Cmp Key Tck Won Key Hea Won Key Ast Sho On Int Run Off Fou Fld Con Rating
35 19 0 1 1 0 8 0 0 0 2 1 3 3 1 1 2 80 8
1 Goal

retired_swmchick2006

BvR and Roma to face Juventus

Pundits are wondering whether BvR will make a start against his future club in Roma's next match-up. So far Zaccheroni has kept mum about the decision...

retired_swmchick2006

Team: Roma
Opponent: Juventus, in Rome
Competition: Serie A

Result:2-1

Quite a bit of bad feeling in the match, and it started early with Maximo Janz picking up a yellow after just 4 minutes. Both sides were playing a harsh tackling midfield, and even Herman Toothrot got in on the act, making a beautifully timed sliding tackle in the 18th.

Janz and BvR combined well on a one-two, and with Janz running through he set up Di Pasquale beautifully, but the forward's banana shot bounced off the post. The close attempt seemed to spark Roma briefly, and Bustos went on an uncontested run moments later and his over-the-top ball found a soaring BvR who beat his future keeper Seegers to the ball and nodded home the opener.

David Camara seemed none-too-concerned about his future teammates welfare, and dumped him to the pitch with a bad tackle in the 38th, but no penalty was given.

The second half continued the bad temper of the first, with Yo Buffro picking up a yellow shortly after restart. Janz clearly decided to exact some revenge on Camara, and a beautiful slide nearly ripped Camara out of his shorts. Janz was sent off for the attempt.

Roma caught a break moments later as a Gallina freekick deflected off of Buffro and into the Juventus net for a 2-nil lead. Buffro was unlucky to be given an own goal.

BvR was taken off for a defensive midfielder, and the home crowd gave him a good ovation for his effort against his future employers. Buffro was able to knock home a corner with his head just before the whistle to make it 2-1 for Juventus. That should have been the end of it, but Di Pasquale still had words to say to David Camara and while holding onto his shirt to tell him all about it, picked up his own yellow.

BvR Stat Line:
Pas Cmp Key Tck Won Key Hea Won Key Ast Sho On Int Run Off Fou Fld Con Rating
25 16 0 3 0 0 4 2 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 2 85 7
1 goal, subbed in the 79th

retired_swmchick2006

Team: Roma
Opponent: PSV, in Eindhoven
Competition: Champions Cup 1st Group Stage

Result: 1-0

Juventus won't be happy with Roma, as BvR was given a full game against PSV, despite the game being essentially meaningless. To add to the affront, the game was just 2 days after BvR's weekend game. A dull game livened only by BvR scoring in the 89th minute by turning home a cross from substitute Papalia at the far post. Roma finished the 1st group stage unbeaten and untied.

BvR Stat Line:
Pas Cmp Key Tck Won Key Hea Won Key Ast Sho On Int Run Off Fou Fld Con Rating
26 18 0 0 0 0 10 1 0 0 4 2 2 2 0 0 0 76 8
1 Goal

retired_swmchick2006

Team: Roma
Opponent: Udinese
Competition: Italian Cup 2nd Round 1st Leg

Result: 1-0

If Juventus wasn't upset at Roma's insistence on playing BvR before, this one surely would have taken them there. A one-sided game with plenty of chances for Gallina and BvR, but it took 81 minutes before they could get one past on form keeper Giovanni Amoruso. After grazing the crossbar in the 68th, BvR applied the finish to an excellent team move in the 81st for the winner.

BvR Stat Line:
Pas Cmp Key Tck Won Key Hea Won Key Ast Sho On Int Run Off Fou Fld Con Rating
38 29 1 1 1 0 13 4 0 0 6 4 1 0 1 0 1 78 8
1 Goal

retired_swmchick2006

Team: Roma
Opponent: Inter, in Milan
Competition: Serie A

Result: 1-0

A match far better than the scoreline would suggest. Gallina came close in the opening 10 minutes after BvR set him up with a through ball. Moments later a quick thinking low cross from Toothrot beat the back line of Inter and Gallina found himself in space to hit the winner.

BvR missed by just inches in the 60th minute with a long range shot. Frustration hit inter in the 88th, with Christian Torres being sent of for a rash tackle on Man-of-the-Match Gallina.

BvR Stat Line:
Pas Cmp Key Tck Won Key Hea Won Key Ast Sho On Int Run Off Fou Fld Con Rating
35 26 2 1 1 0 8 2 1 0 1 0 1 3 1 0 3 75 8

retired_swmchick2006

Team: Roma
Opponent: Barcelona, in Rome
Competition: Champions Cup 2nd Group Stage

Result: 3-0

In a game that will go down as one of BvR's classic Roma performances, the striker scored twice in an suprisingly easy win.

The game started out even enough, with neither side able to create a chance until the 25th. Girardi set up BvR and the Roma captain hit a vicious shot that Fabbri was able to push awy in flying fashion.

Roma were beginning to have the better of the midfield, and when Janz picked off a loose pass he immediately fed Gallina on a through ball. Barcelona's Garrido was able to knock the ball away, but BvR, ever the predator, struck a right-footed shot that fooled Fabbri completely.

Janz was bossing the midfield now, and the Italian side seemed to be cruising comfortably. In the 66th minute, Fabbri's goalkick was picked off by Bustos and he headed forward for BvR. The quick-thinking striker touched the ball once, spun, and hit a low drive that skimmed across the wet grass and into the corner for his 2nd of the day.

A good team move in the 81st gave Gallina Roma's third on the day.

BvR Stat Line:
Pas Cmp Key Tck Won Key Hea Won Key Ast Sho On Int Run Off Fou Fld Con Rating
33 25 0 1 0 0 7 1 0 0 4 4 1 0 1 0 1 74 10
2 Goals, MOM

retired_swmchick2006

Team: Roma
Opponent: Atalanta, in Rome
Competition: Serie A

Result: 1-2

BvR outshone by Atalanta's own star striker Danilo de Pascale who scored twice to cancel out a Gallina strike.

BvR played well, but couldn't find a way past Atalanta captain and keeper Mario Furlan. His handball (questionable) in the 52nd set up the freekick that found De Pascale for the opener. After Gallina had scored, and Di Pascale scored his second, BvR hit a spectacular half-volley from a Toothrot pass that Furlan was just barely able to keep out of the net.

BvR Stat Line:
Pas Cmp Key Tck Won Key Hea Won Key Ast Sho On Int Run Off Fou Fld Con Rating
19 11 1 0 0 0 10 2 0 0 3 2 2 1 0 1 1 79 8