Please place your seat back and tray in an upright position…

By: vin | October 25th, 2008

…and hold on to your nuts, ’cause it’s about to get bumpy, kids.

It figures too; just as two giants of calcio (Juventus and Roma, in case you’re wondering) appear to be waking up from a seven-week slumber, one of them is due for a visit to Friuli. On top of that, in the following weeks, Udinese must face second place (yes, second) Catania, followed by Genoa (meh), Spartak Moscow (another UEFA test) and Inter *explative* Milan. At. Meazza. Great.

The point, boys and girls, is that we’ve arrived at the part of the season where Udinese show us whether or not they belong at the top of the table. Are the Zebrette that good? Is this cohesive-looking outfit actually more worthy of a Champions League spot than a more… shall we say… storied and financially robust squad?

We’re sure to find out. And while this bumpy stretch is set to last until November 9th at least (that date being Udinese’s date with Inter), it starts with the capitol kids… tomorrow, and so that’s where we’ll focus our attention.

As many of you know, Roma comes first in my heart (after the Azzurri, of course), and that holds true despite the fact that my second favorite club, Udinese, is having a far more successful campaign to date. With that in mind, I’ve tried to think about this match as objectively as possible, and subsequently, I’m going to focus on what I *think* will happen, rather than what I’m hoping for. So, here goes:

Venue: This is almost a non-factor. Despite the unique look and ample capacity of Friuli, and despite the charisma of the Zebrette this term, there will be empty seats… lots of ‘em… and that’s after Roma’s ultras pack into a corner. Point being, they might as well be playing in Tibet.

Roma (counter?)attacking Udinese: Half of you KNOW who the hell I’m going to mention first, so you might as well stop reading here, and skip down to Udinese attacking Roma. If you haven’t figured it out though, I’ll make it clear: Totti’s back, and I haven’t heard the word “pain” mentioned in the same sentence as his name in a week. And guess what: That doesn’t f*cking bode well for Udinese. Nonetheless, Udinese’s defense is 100% intact and uninjured for this match (minus the back up ‘keeper, I think), so at least there are no big holes, and that’s good. Moreover, we saw a far less attack-focused Roma against Chelsea, and I think that may carry over here. In other words, Udinese might not be facing the revolving door attack that we saw from Roma last season. Instead, I think we’re looking at Romanaccio with a side of pray-for-a-counter, and that might just work for them. By the way, as for the rest of Roma’s attack, big Baptista’s still out, but Vucinic et. al. should be present, and if you’re Roma, you want them present for those counters.

Udinese attacking Roma: I’ve read conflicting reports on Di Natale; some sources say he’ll be ready to roll, and some say he’s not quite there yet. I say IT DOESN’T MATTER. Why? Not because Toto isn’t the friggin’ man, but rather because Udinese have Pepe, Quagliarella, Floro Flores, Inler, D’Agostino and Sanchez. IF Roma want to bust out the Romanaccio again, they’ll need their wits about them. I almost want to leave it at that. I mean… we KNOW what Udinese’s attack can do, and we KNOW that they have a stable of strikers that – regardless of how they’re being rotated week-to-week – are about as potent as they come. And here’s another reason that Roma will have to be wary: MEXES = OUT. The French Fabio Cannavaro’s absence leaves a hole that’s bigger than Panucci can cover, I think. Other than that, Loria and Riise have been alternately good and bad (some would say more towards awful), which means that Roma’s mids (capable as they are) will have to draw back to pitch in. Hmmm… maybe Romanaccio won’t be the result of a tactical decision as much as it will be an act of necessity. Eh? We’ll see.

The big picture: This match is either going to suck bigtime, or it’s going to be one of the matches of the season. In addition to the factors mentioned above, you also have the fact that Roma actually look to be playing like a team for the first time this campaign, while Udinese haven’t exactly be tested much domestically, to date. As I said earlier, this is where the bumpy road begins for Udinese, and if the squad can pull through… even if it means a draw here and there… maybe people will actually *gasp* start giving them some credit… credit that’s well-deserved, in my opinion.

My best guess: If we go by stats alone, Udinese should win. Only Lazio and Inter have scored more goals than Udinese this term, while only Torino and Reggina have let as many in as Roma. While Roma has more talent, Udinese has had more team synergy… until now, perhaps. I think Roma turned a corner in England this past week, and their results will probably start improving. That said, I think we’re looking at a Roma victory or at best, a draw.

Let the turbulence begin.