But today it all came good, in the greatest moment since we started rooting for Roma. We lost 1-4 at the Camp Nou in last week's first leg of the quarterfinal against Barcelona, which had yet to lose a single match in La Liga or the Champions League this year. The result was flattering to Barca, as Roma scored two own goals, hit the crossbar twice, and had two stone-cold penalties denied by a chickenshit referee. Still, we needed a 3-0 victory at the Olimpico to turn the tie in our favor.
We came out in a very attacking 3-4-1-2 formation, with Radja Nainggolan in the hole behind Edin Dzeko and Patrik Schick. As Dylan said, our coach Eusebio Di Francesco has balls the size of grapefruits. Dzeko scored just six minutes in, converting a Pirloesque ball over the top of the defense by our captain, Daniele DeRossi. Incredibly, Roma were all over Barca, creating lots of chances while holding the best player and team in the world at bay. About 15 minutes into the second half, the ref had no choice but to give us a penalty as Pique hauled Dzeko down in the penalty area. DeRossi, who had scored one of the own goals in the first leg, slammed it home, and we only needed one more to go through on Dzeko's away goal at the Camp Nou. We kept up the pressure. Finally, in the 82nd minute, Kostas Manolas, who, incredibly, had scored the other own goal in the first leg, nodded home a corner from substitute Cengiz Ünder, and we were ahead.
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The sold-out Olimpico went berserk, as did Dylan and I. We sweated through 8 more minutes of regulation, and 4 minutes of injury time, during which Barcelona never really troubled us. So now we have reached our first ever Champions League semifinal. If you want to know just how much this means to long-suffering Roma fans, listen to Carlo Zampa's calls of all three goals (yes, he's in tears during the third one). This is why Nainggolan says he took the "difficult route" to play for Roma, when "it would be too easy to join a successful club to win things."
Brad was at track practice, so he didn't get to watch the game with Dylan and me, as we texted each other madly throughout in disbelief. But I made a big sign announcing the result, and posted it on our front door for Brad to see as soon as he got home:
Grazie Roma!
I've already posted a few asparagus recipes, which Dylan requested not long ago, but here is another one now that asparagus season is upon us. It's a good, easy recipe, but I don't have much else to say about it right now (other things on my mind).
Asparagus with Shallots
Adapted from Fast Food My Way (2004) by Jacques Pépin
1 pound asparagus (thinner is better for this recipe)
3 medium shallots, peeled
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¾ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; or ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Remove the tough ends of the asparagus. If the asparagus are thick, peel the bottom half of the stalks with a vegetable peeler. Cut the stalks into 2-inch pieces on the bias. Cut the shallots in half lengthwise, then slice thinly crosswise into half moons—you should have about ¾ cup.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet or saucier over medium heat. Add the asparagus and shallots and cook until the asparagus is crisp-tender, 7 to 10 minutes. If you’re using a regular (not nonstick) skillet, you’ll probably have to add a tablespoon of water to the pan every few minutes to keep the bottom of the pan from getting too dark.
3. Stir in the butter, salt, and pepper. Serve promptly. Serves 2 to 3.
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