Roma denied by late Siena leveller
Reuters - Thursday 22 September 2011, 21:46
ROME - A late equaliser from Siena
defender Roberto Vitiello piled the pressure on AS Roma coach
Luis Enrique as the Spaniard's team were held to a 1-1 home draw
by the Serie A newcomers on Thursday.
Vitiello swept the ball home with two minutes to go after
Franco Brienza's shot had struck the upright, earning Siena a
deserved point after an open encounter at the Stadio Olimpico.
Roma took the lead through new signing Pablo Osvaldo in the
25th minute but were never comfortable and Luis Enrique said
afterwards his side had become anxious.
The draw left him without a win from his opening three
matches in charge and put Roma and Siena on two points.
"My analysis of the match can't be positive because of the
result," the Spaniard told Italy's Sky Sport. "We are far from
where we want to be but I still have faith.
"The players are a bit afraid because we are still awaiting
out first win. I now have 72 hours before the next match."
After picking up his first point as Roma coach in the
goalless draw at Inter Milan on Sunday, Enrique selected three
forwards - Francesco Totti, Borriello and Osvaldo - in his now
familiar Barcelona-styled 4-3-3 formation.
However, despite a high-tempo start to the match by the home
side it was Siena, playing on the break, who created the better
early chances.
Striker Emanuele Calaio was inches away from springing
Roma's offside trap on two occasions before Brienza met an
Angelo cross with a bullet header that goalkeeper Bogdan Lobont
did brilliantly to fist away.
The muscular Borriello, whose Roma future had been in doubt
over the summer, had three chances in a seven-minute spell
midway through the half.
After shooting a yard over and seeing his deflected 25-yard
effort land on the top of the net, the former AC Milan striker
barged his way to the byline before drilling a left-foot centre
for Osvaldo to sidefoot home from close range.
Promoted Siena, who had picked up one point from their
opening two matches, came close to equalising within four
minutes when Calaio, played in by the lively Brienza, struck an
angled shot inches wide of the far post.
Seljko Brkic came to Siena's rescue on two occasions as Roma
searched for the killer goal, first palming away Osvaldo's
fierce shot from the edge of the area, then clutching a swerving
35-metre free-kick from Totti.
Pablo Gonzalez should have equalised for Siena when he fired
wide with five minutes to go but Vitiello's left-foot strike
stunned the Roma fans to give the Tuscan side a fully deserved
draw.
Siena coach Giuseppe Sannino felt his side had enough
chances to have taken all three points.
"They scored at a difficult moment for us but we fought back
and had lots of chances," he said. "It's been a hard week and we
have a small squad, so I hope we can recover before Sunday."