Mancini's forward steps 31-Mar-2007
So who is the stepover king, *Mancini *or Cristiano Ronaldo? No guesses
where Olympique Lyonnais defender Anthony Réveillère's vote would go. The AS
Roma winger mesmerised Réveillère with four in succession before skipping
past the defender to score the goal that sent the French champions crashing
out of the UEFA Champions League. Now the Brazilian has the chance to pit
his skills against Ronaldo head on as Roma take on Manchester United FC in
the quarter-finals.
*Extraordinary goal*
*"It was my only choice really. I controlled the ball well, accelerated and
went for it. You have to try that kind of thing in a situation like that. I
was one-on-one with the defender and I think I made a good decision, it was
the perfect move. I couldn't be happier about it." *A simple explanation for
a quite extraordinary goal. Then again, followers of Italian football have
long expected the unexpected from the 27-year-old Roma winger. Maradona may
possess the* 'Hand of God'*, but Mancini made the heel his own after
backheeling a goal for Roma against rivals S.S. Lazio in November 2003.
'Tacco di Dio' - the Backheel of God - Giallorossi fans have called him
since.
* "There's only one way to stop him when he dribbles like that: be
patient, keep your eyes on the ball and only go in for the tackle when he
really touches the ball" *Udinese defender Valerio Bertotto
*'Toying'*
Italians are no strangers to Mancini's stepovers either. Last season in a
game against Udinese Calcio he tormented Valerio Bertotto with a succession
of jinks right then left, before nutmegging the bewildered defender.
Bertotto responded by hacking him down for a penalty. *"For a defender it
might look as if he is toying with you, but it's not like that at
all," *Bertotto
said. "He has that sort of skill and it's fair that he should use it. It is
not a lack of respect. There's only one way to stop him when he dribbles
like that: be patient, keep your eyes on the ball and only go in for the
tackle when he really touches the ball." Sound advice for United's
defenders.
*Flamboyant
**"It's a kind of trademark," *Mancini, now in his fourth season with Roma,
continued.* "I'm Brazilian and back home we love that sort of thing. It's
inside us really. I gave it a go and it came off and it was an unforgettable
goal. You learn to do things like that by playing with your mates in the
streets and then practicing again and again in training."* Work on skills
like that is encouraged during training at Roma, who are arguably playing
the most spectacular and flamboyant football in Italy at the moment.
*Taddei magic
*Rodrigo Taddei, another Brazilian winger, has also wowed UEFA Champions
League crowds this season. His most famous trick - involving a drag back
with the right foot, faking left but going right in the same movement,
performed to stunning perfection against Olympiacos CFP - has even got its
own name.* "I named that the 'Aurelio' after Roma assistant manager Aurelio
Andreazzoli, who has always encouraged me to try that trick in competitive
games, not only in training,"* Taddei explained. Mancini, however, believes
in terms of skill, United are Roma's equals. *"There's no secret than
English football is very physical but this Manchester United side also have
some amazing and very skilful players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Rooney,
as well as some experienced ones such as Giggs. They have great individual
technique so it will be up to us to compete and approach the game with our
usual passion and determination."*
*Quality and courage*
In contrast to United, this is all new to Roma. In 1984 they reached the
final in their debut season in the European Champion Clubs' Cup, but this is
their first taste of the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds. *"Manchester
United are one of the best sides in the world. They are leading the
Premiership comfortably," *Mancini said. *"They are used to playing for
honours and know what it takes to play in the knock-out stages of the
Champions League. It will be hard but the most important thing is Roma
aren't afraid of anybody. Don't get me wrong, we respect them, but Roma has
its own quality and courage.*
* "Hopefully they'll make the same mistake Lyon made and underestimate
us. We loved that. We proved that when people write us off we can do
something about it"*Mancini
*'Solidarity'*
*"Hopefully they'll make the same mistake Lyon made and underestimate us. We
loved that. We proved that when people write us off we can do something
about it. We just hope it will happen again. We play for each other with a
true sense of solidarity and you can see that on the pitch. We are a strong
team." *The battle of the stepover kings may provide an interesting subplot,
but there is no doubting Mancini would willingly surrender that crown for a
place in the semi-finals.
*Source(text): UEFA.com* *Source(images): Reuters*
--
"We never hid our humble origins!"
INTER TIAMO! Don't Forget To Visited: www.interclub.or.id ;
http://www.zanziball.it/en/28/1b84.html ; http://www.rdasilva.demon.co.uk ;
www.crystal-liu.com ; www.crystalliuyifei.com ; www.edison-liu.com ;
www.topica.com ; www.crystal-yifei.net ; http://retrofoot.iougs.com/?p=136 ;
www.futbol24.com ; www.chinaview.cn ; www.bloomberg.com ;
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Ciao... CENTENARY... 9 March 2008!!!
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
