As we head into the international break, Roma fans are confident after the club’s perfect 2-0 start under Gian Piero Gasperini. However, at the same time, we find ourselves anxiously waiting for the real Gasperini ball to blossom—the high-tempo, aesthetically pleasing brand of football that doomed Roma so many times during Gasp’s tenure with Atalanta.
I have no doubt that day will come, but yesterday’s one-nil win over Pisa was further evidence that one must crawl before they can walk, to say nothing of hanging three or four goals on a weary opponent. But take faith, my friends, because yesterday’s result proved something else: when you have difference makers in attack, they, well, make the difference.
After banging their heads against the wall for the first 45 minutes of yesterday’s fixture, the match took a noticeable turn for the better when Paulo Dybala came off the bench to start the second half. While we’d all love to see Dybala turning in 90 minutes every weekend, having a player that special as an ace up your sleeve gives Gasperini and Roma an advantage few clubs can match. It was little wonder that Roma’s fortunes turned the minute he joined the fray, and after only 10 minutes on the pitch, Dybala kick-started the sequence that led to Matías Soulé’s 55th-minute match-winner.
So, it should be no surprise that our dynamic Argentinian duo is taking the first two halos in today’s rendition of Sinners & Saints.
The Saints
Paulo Dybala
La Joya was instrumental in the club’s second-half surge against Alberto Gilardino’s stubborn Pisa side. In only 45 minutes, Dybala played three balls into the final third, six progressive passes, and a match-high six passes into the penalty area. He also completed 40% of his dribble attempts, chipped in three shot-creating actions, and provided a hockey assist on Soulé’s match-winner.
I’m sure Dybala will garner more starts and longer stints on the pitch as the season progresses, but for now, he’s an ideal second-half spark for Gasperini. And with his new long hairdo and Alice band, he looks like a classic 1990s fantasista—as if Dybala needed more caché!
Matíás Soulé
If there was ever any doubt that the 22-year-old winger was the future of the club, the past two weeks should dispel any lingering suspicions you may have. While he was a bit slow at the start, Soulé put in a masterful 90 minutes against Pisa, well, 89, but let’s not split hairs.
Roaming around the final third all evening, Soulé had his way with the Pisa defense: five shots on goal (three on target), five balls into the final third, two more into the penalty area, nine progressive carries (match-high), and an astounding seven successful dribbles from ten attempts. He also won an impressive 11 of 17 duels and recovered a match-high 10 balls.
I could go on reciting stats, but you get the picture: he’s a one-man wrecking crew.
Bryan Cristante
He’ll never be a Tasmanian Devil (the cartoon kind) who hounds opponents every step of the way, but last night Cristante’s passing prowess was on full display. Going the full 90, Cristante amassed 1,452 yards in passing (match-high), including 395 yards of progressive passing, the most of any midfielder in the match, while playing an incredible 14 balls into the final third, more than double his closest competitor. But if defensive stats are more your thing, Cristante’s four successful tackles (out of five attempts) were also a match-high.
Time and time again, through the litany of managerial changes, the millions spent on new midfielders, and the varying tactical approaches, Cristante continues to survive. And with Manu Koné next to him and Gianluca Mancini supporting from the rear, Cristante has been free to focus on what he does best: dropping dimes from deep in the midfield. It’s a narrowly confined skill for sure, but he does it exceptionally well.
Manu Koné
The French midfielder was at his frenetic best once again last night, and while he didn’t earn the same level of passing plaudits as Cristante, Koné was instrumental in moving the ball up the pitch. Playing the entire 95 minutes, Koné completed 83% of his passes, hitting on every single medium and long-range pass, while contributing three shot-creating actions, six balls into the final third, two passes into the penalty area, and a match-high 12 progressive passes. Throw in his one big chance created, and Koné is slowing but surely establishing himself as one of the best two-way midfielders in the league.
Mile Svilar
He didn’t get his number called too often last night, but in saving all three on target attempts, he gave Dybala and Soulé a chance to win the match. And then there was this 8th-minute save/recovery, where Svilar’s quick thinking made the difference between a difficult victory and a gut-wrenching draw.
Thanks to the club’s second straight win, and in the asbence of any glaring errors, we’ll once again stow away the pitchforks and move on to those stuck in between. However, as a reminder, in this newer truncated S&S, we’re reserving the SIB section for players who a) were neither great nor terrible, or b) at least warranted a quick shoutout for a positive but not highlight-worthy performance.
Stuck in Between
Evan Ndicka/Gianluca Mancini/Mario Hermoso
As much attention as we heap on Gasperini’s attack, his defense is no less critical. While they don’t have to cover two-thirds of the pitch like Leandro Castan and Marquinhos did under Zdenek Zeman’s attack-at-all-costs approach in the early 2010s, this trio stopped everything Pisa threw at them. And save for a pair of Henrik Meister attempts early in the first half, Pisa seldom managed to scare Svilar in goal, and it was all thanks to this trio.
Evan Ferguson
He didn’t take a single shot on goal last night, largely due to Pisa’s solid low block defense. However, his movement and positioning were excellent, while his hold-up play on Soulé’s match-winner was sublime.
That’s it for today’s Sinners & Saints, but we’ll see you back in these spaces after the break when Roma faces Torino on September 14th.