I feel somewhat gutted for Jose Mourinho and Roma after their Europa League Final against Sevilla ended in defeat on penalties. Mourinho has such an exceptional record in European finals that I gave Roma a slight edge going in, but I also felt that for Roma to win a lot of things had to break just right. One key for me was the fitness of Roma’s talisman, Paulo Dybala. Having seen Roma play a dozen matches this year, I knew Dybala’s fitness was key. How effective would the Argentine be and how long could he play? Even being sidelined by injuries of one sort or another for most of the season, Dybala still scored 17 goals and contributed a bunch of assists in all competitions.
With Dybala in and out of the lineup, Tammy Abraham misfiring, and Andrea Belotti never finding his goal-scoring stride, Roma struggled for goals and consistency all season in Serie A, which is one reason Roma’s only remaining route into the Champions League was by winning the Europa League. Finishing in the Serie A Top Four had gone by the boards a few weeks before when Roma’s form in the domestic league slumped.
Mourinho put it all on this match and came up short.
Losing in a penalty shootout is cruel because getting to a shootout requires at least 120 minutes of play, plus all the stoppage time that gets added on. The path to a penalty shootout is punctuated with physical and emotional suffering. More often than not it doesn’t seem fair or right that one team has to lose.
It started according to the Mourinho blueprint for Roma, who had their best available eleven on the pitch, with Tammy Abraham up top with Dybala, Rui Patricio in goal. Organized in a tight defensive block anchored by Chris Smalling, Roma forced Sevilla out wide and easily rebuffed Sevilla’s attempt to play vertically, and for most of the first half disrupted Sevilla’s patterns of play.
When Mancini played a beautiful through ball to Dybala that the Argentine coolly stroked past Bono for the early lead, Jose Mourinho could be seen urging his players to settle down, as if he knew it was going to take more than a goal to win the title.
By the close of the first half Sevilla had grown in the game, but a 1-0 halftime lead is familiar territory for a Mourinho team in a European Final. What foiled Mou’s plans was the introduction by Sevilla of Suso and Lamela, two attacking players. The impact was immediate. Suddenly Seville was moving the ball like the team that knocked off Manchester United and Juventas to get to Budapest. Suso made them click and Lamela made them sharper, and with more of the ball Sevilla was able to ramp up the pressure on Roma, put dangerous balls into the box, one of which banged off Roma’s Mancini for the equalizer in the 55th minute.
That changed everything. In a blink the shallowness of Roma’s squad was exposed, not to mention that Matic, Mancini, Pellegrini and Cristante were on yellow cards. The best scenario had been for Roma to grind out -- in typical Mourinho style -- a 1-nil victory. Grab the lead and defend, commit fouls, stop play, work the clock, and keep Sevilla from scoring. Now that was out the window.
Dybala came off after an hour, after giving more minutes than Roma fans could have hoped for, scoring a beautiful goal and throwing himself around in defense.
But the longer the game went on the better it seemed for Sevilla, and sure enough they navigated the extra periods and won the shootout with the guile and guts of a 7-time champion. By then Roma’s best attacking players, Dybala, Pellegrini, and Abraham were out of the equation. I think a shootout always favored Sevilla.
What is it about the Europa League that brings out the very best in Sevilla? The reputation of the entire franchise rests on its extraordinary record in this competition.
No shame for Roma, they gave everything as expected from a Jose Mourinho coached team in a final. They made a few chances, had a bit of ill-luck, but never looked like losing; it was just that winning in open play, with players cramping and running out of gas, didn’t look like happening either. Penalty shoot-outs turn on the thinnest physical and psychological margins, what players are still available, and what’s the optimum kick taking order. It’s pressure-packed. Part mind game. It can go either way and someone has to lose.
What’s next for Roma? They have one match remaining in Serie A and with a win and an Atalanta loss or draw could capture 5th place, which would salvage something from the domestic campaign. Would that be enough for Mourinho to stay with the club for another season?
No comments:
Post a Comment