AS Roma Upends El Salvador, 2-1, At Red Bull Arena

AS Roma defeated the El Salvador National Team 2-1 in an international friendly played at Red Bull Arena on Friday evening in front of a crowd of 14,651. The offense for Roma was supplied by Pablo Daniel Osvaldo and Bojan Krkic, who both found the back of the net. Isidro Gutierrez scored the lone goal for El Salvador. Both keepers saw plenty of action, as Rbogdan Lobont of Roma was forced to stop seven shots, while his counterpart, Dagoberto Portillo, had eight saves in the losing effort.

Roma got the scoring started early, capitalizing on their first chance of the game, as Osvaldo slipped past the defense and fired a low shot, beating Portillo to the far post in the 2nd minute. El Salvador nearly countered in the 4th minute, but Eliseo Quintanilla sailed his shot just over net.

In the 13th minute Roma had another shot on goal, as Erik Manuel Lamela ripped one from inside the penalty box. Portillo was there for the save, however, parrying the ball for his first save of the match. Miralem Pjanic had a chance on the rebound, hitting the crossbar with his shot on an open net.

The 27th minute saw another attacking effort from Roma, as Francesco Totti sent a cross into Osvaldo, who volleyed the chance wide of the far right post. The Italian club continued to apply pressure to El Salvador, with shots on net in the 28th and 29th minute, both of which were saved by Portillo.

Roma looked to double their lead in the 36th minute, when Totti curled a pass in the direction of the charging Osvaldo, who had beaten his defender. Portillo was there to corral the pass, however, stalling the attack.

El Salvador nearly got an equalizer in the 44th minute when Quintanilla fired one on net from a free kick, prompting Lobont to make a diving save, his first of the match.

Shortly after half time, Gutierrez tied the game for El Salvador in the 49th minute, when his powerful strike from well outside the box found the back of the net, beating Lobont on the near post. El Salvador nearly took the lead in the 51st minute on a Ricardo Ulloa header on net, but Lobont was there for the diving save this time.

The Italian side would regain the lead in the 62nd minute, as the substitute Krkic found the back of the net with a  low, rolling shot that hit off the far post and in. Marco Antonio Marquinho, another substitute, had the assist on the goal.

El Salvador had a chance to tie the match in the 68th minute, when Quintanilla found himself alone on net, but was unable to finish, as Labont was there for the save. They would have another one on one chance with Labont in the 74th minute, but Nelson Bonilla could not find the back of the net either, firing his shot directly at the Roma keeper.

Roma went a man down in the 83rd minute, when Panagiotis Tachtsidis was issued a red card.

El Salvador tried to take advantage of their man advantage in the 88th minute, when Alexander Vidal Larin took a shot off a free kick, forcing Labont into action as the keeper made the final save of the night, securing the 2-1 victory.

This was the final match for AS Roma on their U.S Tour, completing their stateside schedule with a record of (3-0). Roma defeated Polish side Zaglebie Lubin 4-0 at Wrigley Field in Chicago on July 22nd, while defeating Liverpool 2-1 at Fenway Park in Boston on Wednesday. Former New York player and New Jersey native Michael Bradley started the macth for Roma and played the entire first half.

AS Roma 2, El Salvador 1

July 27, 2012 - Red Bull Arena - Harrison, NJ

International Friendly

Scoring Summary:

ROMA: Pablo Daniel Osvaldo 2’

ELS: Isidro Gutierrez 49’

ROMA: Bojan Krkic (Marco Antonio Marquinho) 62'

Disciplinary Summary:

ROMA: Erik Manuel Lamela (caution) 41’

ROMA: Rodrigo Ferrante Tadde (caution) ’42’

ROMA: Leandro Castan (caution) 75’

ROMA: Panagiotis Tachtsidis (ejection) ’83

AS Roma - Rbogdan Lobont (GK), Gabriel Ivan Heinze (Jose Angel 79’), Nicolas Andres Burdisso (Leandro Castan 46’), Alessio Romagnoli, Michael Bradley (Panagiotis Tachtsidis 46’) , Rodrigo Ferrante Taddei (Aleandro Rossi 46’), Miralem Pjanic (Jonatan Lucca 63’), Alessandro Florenzi, Erik Manuel Lamela (Marco Antonio Marquinho 46’) , Pablo Daniel Osvaldo (Valerio Verre ’84), Francesco Totti (Bojan Krkic 46’)

Substitutes Not Used: Tomas Svedkauskas (GK)

El Salvador - Dagoberto Portillo (GK), Elder Figueroa, Mardoqueo Henriquez, Carlos Romeo Monteagudo, Dennis Alas, Alexander Vidal Larin, Ramon Alfredo Sanchez (Milton Alexander Molina 83’), Eliseo Quintanilla (Herbert Arnoldo Sosa 71’), Ricardo Ulloa (Nelson Bonilla 70’), Christian Castillo, Isidro Gutierrez

Substitutes Not Used: Benji Oldai Villalobos (GK), Alexander Mendoza, Edwin Ernesto Sanchez,

Referee: Terry Vaughn

Referee’s Assistants: Kermit Quisenberry, Anthony Vasoli

4th Official: Edvin Jurisevic

Attendance: 14,651