Roma-Parma, if we can learn anything from history, this will not end well

By: Francesco | February 29th, 2008

You see this picture? That’s when it ended. “What ended?” you ask. Well, basically, Parma ever getting a result vs. Roma. On that hot summer day in Rome on June 17, 2001, Totti and Company came out to win the game. Why? Because if they won they would win the Scudetto. And they did win. (Goal Highlights, Extended Highlights for Roma fans who are reading this and want to fully relive the joy) Since then, it’s like everytime Roma faces Parma, Parma never wins. It’s like Totti comes on to the field, and realizes “Hey, Parma, like when we won ‘er Scudetto’ (look at my Roman dialect skills)” and then he relives that day and scores against us. Sometimes, it’s a massacre (I remember Roma scoring 5 against us at the Olimpico). Other times, it’s close (2-1 loss last season in the Coppa Italia). But there’s no difference, we still lose. Roma are our ultimate bogey team and when Totti plays he scores against us, it’s just how it goes.

But does that mean I’m writing this off as another loss? Well, I’m tempted to say yes, but there’s always that chance that one time we will finally beat Roma, and say “That Scudetto was 7 years ago, get over it! Stop Beating us!”

We’ll have to see. For more Roma talk, see Chris’ award-winning Roma blog right here at the Offside. For more Parma talk, stick with me:

Di Carlo put it lightly in an interview today. “We need a magical performance to beat Roma.” He is very right and that statement is very true. We have never won away this season, and it will take a great performance to get our first away win at the Olimpico.

Di Carlo, who was confirmed by Prosciutto Man after the Udinese win, will probably go with a 4-4-2, with Lucarelli starting up front after his goal against Udinese next to Andrea Gasbarroni, who is back from suspension. Cigarini will take back his starting spot in midfield next to Morrone. But the thing I have learned about Di Carlo is too never trust the predicted line-ups, because he changes all the time, sometimes even right before kick-off.

There are 13 games left, and for the Gialloblu’, they are 13 finals to avoid relegation. I’m hoping for a draw, and a surprise win would be surprising (hence the term “surprise win”) and Di Carlo would look like [Insert Top Football Manager Name Here].

Roma also have a tendency to play bad the game before a Champions League game, so let’s hope all the players are thinking about playing at the Bernabeu tomorrow and are having dreams of shaving Arjen Robben’s head (seriously, does the guy know he’s going bald? Give it up already Arjen!).

This game will be on live at 12 PM EST tomorrow on RAI International, and for all those people that do not have RAI it will be on FSC delayed at 8 PM EST because like I say every week, they postpone the 12 PM Serie A game for the 12 PM EPL game.

AVANTI CROCIATI!