The Derby

Warning: This post contains a great deal of Jake's obsession for soccer. Please feel free to skip over it so as not to be further annoyed.

For those of you who are not yet annoyed by my soccer obsession, welcome. I took a beginning soccer class last semester, and had a wonderful time. I bought cleats, shin guards, socks - the whole shebang. I was only any good at playing as a target forward, because I didn't have the technical ability to be a midfielder or a defender, or even a withdrawn forward. But the position I wish I could play is central attacking midfielder.

That's the position my favorite player, Francesco Totti, plays for Roma. So in order to get pumped up for my soccer class, I would get fully dressed in my soccer gear and then watch this video every morning I had soccer class.

This video is of Roma, beating their cross-town arch-rival Lazio. The game was important because winning it gave Roma the all-time consecutive wins record (which has since been broken by Inter Milan), on the week after Totti, the heart and soul of Roma, had broken his leg against Empoli. And then of course, it's Roma-Lazio. The biggest derby in Italy, one of the biggest in the world. There are no treaties between the supporters of the two, like there are in Milan. This is as heated as it gets in sports.

Totti is the one waving the flag in street clothes. Despite the broken leg, he showed up to the match and sat in the stands. Most of the players and Coach Spalletti (the bald guy) donned Totti jerseys at the end of the match - dedicating the win to their Capitano. My favorite part actually occurs when De Rossi, a young player considered the heir to Totti, hugs Coach Spalletti with uncontrollable joy - this is seen at 1:43, or with 1:12 left, depending on how it is counting.

One last thing - for some reason, the Roma supporters chant this tune (Seven Nation Army, by The White Stripes) at all their games these days - it has sort of become an anthem for them. It has also spread to other teams; I have heard it chanted elsewhere in Italy and even here in MLS games. I think the techno remix fits well. This video was the closing credits for the local sports show the night of the derby. Enjoy!