Okaka backheel bags Roma late win
Reuters - Sunday 31 January 2010, 21:58
MILAN - Substitute Stefano Okaka scored
with a stunning backheel two minutes from time to give flying AS
Roma a 2-1 Serie A win over bottom side Siena on Sunday.
Roma have won their last four games to surge level on points
with second-placed AC Milan, who ended a difficult week by
labouring to a 1-1 home draw with struggling Livorno.
Both sides moved eight points behind leaders Inter Milan,
whose match at Parma was postponed because of snow.
New Juventus caretaker coach Alberto Zaccheroni, who
replaced the sacked Ciro Ferrara on Friday, got off to a mixed
start with a 1-1 home draw against former club Lazio.
Alessandro Del Piero went down under a challenge from Modibo
Diakhite and slotted in the 70th-minute penalty before Lazio's
Stefano Mauri netted from close range to extend Juve's winless
run to five matches.
Juve fans, gave a lukewarm reception to Zaccheroni given he
has been out of work for three years and also coached rivals
Inter, Milan and Torino.
PERFECT MOMENT
The little-used Okaka was due to make a loan move to Fulham
but was named in Sunday's squad because four Roma forwards were
out injured, including Francesco Totti and Luca Toni.
The 20-year-old entered the fray on the hour after John Arne
Riise's terrific volley put Roma ahead before Simone Vergassola
equalised from a tight angle late in the first half.
Okaka then found the perfect moment to score his first
league goal this term with a potent backheel from eight metres.
"I told him 'you're not leaving now'. He fainted," Ranieri
joked to Sky TV, hinting Okaka would still go to Fulham.
Milan could have done with a moment of magic after another
lacklustre San Siro display following last Sunday's defeat by
nine-man Inter and Wednesday's Italian Cup exit against Udinese.
Before kick-off, chief executive Adriano Galliani declined
to deny reports of a swap between Milan left back Marek
Jankulovski and Inter winger Mancini on Monday's transfer
deadline day.
Ronaldinho struck a post before David Beckham swung in a
cross and Massimo Ambrosini hooked home a minute from the break.
Livorno, whose coach Serse Cosmi resigned last week before
changing his mind, deservedly equalised on 53 minutes when
Cristiano Lucarelli prodded in Claudio Bellucci's scuffed shot.
A bad week for Fiorentina also ended on a dull note with a
2-2 draw at Cagliari which left the Florence club 11th.
Striker Adrian Mutu has been suspended for testing positive
for a banned appetite suppressant and Fiorentina's bid to sign
Antonio Cassano from Sampdoria as his replacement fell through.
Cassano was injured but Samp still sealed their second
straight win after a bad spell with a 2-0 victory over Atalanta.
Catania drew 1-1 with Udinese and Bologna 1-1 at Chievo.