Roma finished off the 2014-15 season with a disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Palermo in a game that mattered little to either side.
The Sicilian side took the lead in the 39th minute when young star Franco Vazquez coolly tucked away a penalty. Despite Roma playing in second gear for most of the game, it eventually found an equaliser when Francesco Totti levelled proceedings with five minutes to go. There was, however, to be a late twist as Palermo claimed all three points in the last minute with a goal from Andrea Belotti. The result had no impact on the Serie A table as Roma finished the season in second place and automatically qualified for the Champions League group stage.
One goal away
Francesco Totti scored his 299th goal for Roma in the defeat. He is now just one goal shy of the magical 300 mark. It is almost certain Totti will reach the milestone but how much longer he will captain his boyhood side remains unknown. Totti will turn 39 in September and many would expect Roma to start to plan for a future without Il Capitano. He has featured in Garcia’s plans this season but has rarely played the full 90 minutes and in many cases has been used from the bench. Still, Totti ended the season with eight goals to his name in Serie A, not a bad record considering his limited playing time. The hero of the Roma faithful still has plenty to offer as his goal on the final day of the Serie A season showed.
Sign him up
While much of the attention this season in Palermo has been on the performances of Paulo Dybala, another youngster has been in excellent form for the Rosanero. Franco Vazquez has supplied many of Dybala’s goals this season and has been instrumental to Palermo’s season. With Juventus already agreeing a deal for Dybala, Roma could turn its attention to the attacking talents of Vazquez, with this an area where Roma has suffered this season. Defensively, Roma has performed well but compared to last season, has been ineffective going forward and has not scored any where near the same amount of goals, but Vazquez’s creativity and flair could well rectify the situation. An Italian international entering the peak of his carer, Vazquez seems like the ideal addition to the Roma squad.
Mission accomplished
Roma has now made it into the Champions League in back-to-back seasons. Although the Giallorossi would have hoped to push Juventus much further, they ended up 17 points behind the Serie A champions, so this season can be seen as progress. Roma has been in and out of Europe’s top competition for the last five years so for the team to qualify for the tournament in two consecutive seasons and for it to do so this season while competing in Europe is an achievement. There is, however, room for improvement. Not only will the capital club aim to close in on Juve but getting out the Champions League group stage will be a target. It failed to do so this campaign as it lost to Manchester City in the final round of fixtures, when all that was needed was to avoid defeat to progress. Rudi Garcia will feel mixed emotions about his side’s campaign.
A sick joke
Last week, Roma centre-back Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa scored the goal that sealed his side’s qualification to the Champions League. Some Roma fans decided to celebrate the Frenchman’s goal not by singing songs and holding up banners, but by blacking up. This shameful act has no place in football and came just a week after violence involving Roma and Lazio fans marred the Rome derby. Italian football has to act against these individuals or risk the game in Italy being permanently tarnished.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
