Roma Continue to Grow Under Zeman's Rule

After a disappointing summer transfer window for the Serie A, looking around at the possible contenders for the scudetto, it's evident that this season's race will have a few surprises in store. Teams like AC Milan, have lost many key players and weren't able to replace them properly, and others like Juventus and Inter just weren't able to clinch that world class player signing which could've helped set them definitively above the rest. Thanks to this lull in the Serie A's transfer market, this current season should be one of the most competitive we'll see yet. Among the clubs clawing to get a Champions League spot, Roma seems to have solidified themselves as a team ready to do the business after their impressive 3-1 victory over Inter Milan this weekend.

The match at the Stadio Meazza was an important test for Zeman's side. While Inter only finished sixth last season, the team retains a strong core of good players, and the young new manager of the nerazzurri, Andrea Stramaccioni, has been relatively successful thus far. It was a tightly contested start, with Roma showing more grit and speed (most likely due to the brutal pre-season training Zeman made the squad undergo) than the home side. On the 15th minute, Totti curled a delicate cross for Florenzi (who was completely unmarked by the sleepy Inter defence) to simply flick into the back of the net.

Totti and Osvaldo celebrating Roma's second goal

But this Roma team was nowhere close to satisfied, Osvaldo and Destro continuously made runs up front, clearing space for Totti and Florenzi to insert themselves into the box. Yet Roma met resistance as Milito narrowly missed a point blank header, and Cassano equalized against his former club, his shot getting a lucky deflection off of Burdisso's foot to finish up into the back of the goal. It was 1-1 going into the second half, and while Roma had the difficulty of playing away from home, they had the advantage of their superior fitness over Inter, who had also just played a Europa League qualifier in the midweek against Vaslui. 

Soon enough, Totti was able to create another goal, threading a pass through the Inter defence for Osvaldo to chase after and chip into the net to take the lead. The Inter defence was beginning to look tired as Osvaldo and Destro rarely stopped running, being constantly threatening. Roma continued to wear Stramaccioni's team down, and eventually Marquinho sealed the victory with a rocket volley from a narrow angle. A dominant 3-1 victory over Inter Milan at the San Siro for Roma, and while the players celebrated, Zeman seemed pensive of the work that still lay ahead for his side. 

Roma's next three matches seem fairly simple, Bologna, Cagliari, and Sampdoria, after which they'll face the Italian champions Juventus in Turin. While Zeman has plenty of time to prepare for the big clash, he is going to have to solidify any possible flaws which the team has in defence as Juventus are looking mighty after their 4-1 victory over Udinese.

It is very early in the season, but after this important away victory, Zeman's Roma continues to show signs of improvement. If he can continue to push his team forward, in a few weeks time Roma could pose a significant threat to Juventus, and possibly take down the current holders of the scudetto. What are your thoughts? Can Roma rise to the occasion this season under the guidance of Zeman? Share your comments below!

Roma and Liverpool Kings of Summer Transfer Window

This summer transfer window has been fairly generic. We've seen Fabregas go to Barcelona, Atletico Madrid lose De Gea, Aguero and Forlan, along with a myriad of other deals which we all expected and knew were going to happen. There have been very few big surprises regarding signings, and instead we mostly got what we were waiting for as football/soccer fans.

While many clubs made the signings we all knew were going to happen, there have been a few which decided to build things a little differently. Liverpool bought a brilliant list of new players including Stewart Downing, Jose Enrique, and finishing the window off with the arrival of Craig Bellamy. Of course, while experienced players are important, Liverpool have also kept an eye on some younger players. The 20 year-old Uruguayan central defender Sebastian Coates will have time to bed in, play some games as a substitute, and slowly become essential to the Red's backline.

What will also help is the abundance of versatile players Liverpool have signed such as Jordan Henderson and Charlie Adam. These new signings strengthen Liverpool's midfield and secure any holes there might be in case of injuries or suspensions throughout the season. A willingness to spend accompanied by an intelligent plan of selling unneeded players have led to a much stronger squad which looks ready to compete on many different levels.

In the Serie A, there was a similar revelation in Roma's financial freedom on the transfer market. The new owner, Thomas Di Benedetto has brought cash and a new coach, Luis Enrique. The Dutch international keeper Maarten Stekelenburg has been bought, along with Heinze, Kjaer (on loan from Wolfsburg), and Jose Angel to solidify what was once a weary defence. Yet what has been even more impressive is Roma's new and improved attack.

From Barcelona's Bojan Krkic to the Argentinean wonderkid Erik Lamela (along with Pablo Osvaldo and Fabio Borini), the new attack looks ready to score plenty of goals. The midfield has also been bolstered significantly thanks to Fernando Gago on loan from Real Madrid and the signing of Miralem Pjanic from Lyon. Mixing these new players with the likes of Totti, Pizarro, and De Rossi should create a very solid midfield, and a formidable attack.

Both Liverpool and Roma have gone about their business to completely replenish their squads with astute signings while keeping the best of the old guard. The new owners brought some fresh air for everyone, making quick and surprising signings which will stir up the pot as the season progresses. Sadly, these are two anomalies in the many European clubs which either don't need to surprise fans with great unexpected signings, or clubs that don't have a board/directors which will make these bold decisions.

While some clubs don't particularly need to strengthen, or need only a couple of smart signings to taper the cracks of the squad, others continue with a very conservative transfer policy regarding signing new players. Instead, Roma and Liverpool have realized that to climb up the Premier League and Serie A tables they'd need to spend, and spend wisely. I expect great things from these two clubs, the two kings of the summer transfer window.

Ex-Referee Byron Moreno Caught with Drugs

Moreno sending off Totti in 2002

The Ecuadorian ex-referee Byron Moreno was caught today at the JFK airport in New York, trying to enter the United States with at least 13 pounds (6 kilograms) of heroin. Moreno has already had past accusations of drug use, but Moreno went on to referee important matches in the 2002 World Cup, including when he ridiculously eliminated Italy with some terrible decisions.

Gigi Buffon released this statement when he heard about Moreno,

"Six kilograms of drugs? I think that Moreno already had the drugs back in 2002, but not in his underwear, in his body... But putting aside jokes, when people in sport get in ridiculous situations it means that they're scratching the bottom of the barrel. It means that he has lost the true sense of sport, which would also be to save many kids from the street and dangerous circles, like drug addiction."

It's an interesting piece of news which shows that back then, FIFA didn't pay much attention to a referee's past. What are your thoughts regarding this? Share them below by commenting.