AS Roma toppled in San Diego
ICC: AS Roma 1-4 Spurs
Thu 26 July 2018, 05:41|
Tottenham Hotspur
Fernando Llorente and Lucas Moura scored two goals each in a fine first half performance to put AS Roma to the sword in our opening International Champions Cup (ICC) match in San Diego on Wednesday night.
Trailing 1-0 to Patrik Schick's strike, we responded in style at the SDCCU Stadium.
Llorente levelled the score by guiding his header from Luke Amos' deflected, looping cross into the top corner on nine minutes.
The Spanish striker's second soon followed as he was in the right place to turn home from close range after Lucas' volley from Erik Lamela's cross was blocked by goalkeeper Antonio Mirante, 18 minutes on the clock.
We were starting to flow now and made it 3-1 with another textbook header - but not from Llorente, this time from Lucas, who flew through the air to power home Serge Aurier's cross.
It was 4-1 just before half-time and another quick break forward, Christian Eriksen played right to Aurier, his cross was parried out by Mirante and Lucas shifted left before drilling back into the bottom right from 16 yards.
It's not normal for me to score with a header!
Clear-cut chances were harder to come by in the second half.
We saw the introduction of Heung-Min Son and Davinson Sanchez, plus a first senior appearance in a public match for us for young Academy midfielder Oliver Skipp in place of Christian Eriksen, who completed 63 minutes.
The arrival of Edin Dzeko on the hour upped the ante for Roma and after a couple of shots to find his range, he pinged an effort that Paulo Gazzaniga - on for captain Michel Vorm - superbly diverted from the top corner at full stretch.
George Marsh also stepped off the bench for his first taste of senior game time as we saw out the contest.
AS Roma 1-4 Spurs
AS Roma: Mirante (Fuzato 82), Santon, Manolas (c), Jesus (Dzeko 58), Luca Pellegrini (Bianda 72), Cristante (Lorenzo Pellegrini 72), Gonalons (De Rossi 58), Pastore (Marcano 58), Under (Kluivert 52), Schick (Coric 58), Perotti (Strootman 58). Substitutes (not used): Olson, Karsdorp, Kolarov, Fazio, Florenzi, Cardinali, El Shaarawy.
Spurs: Vorm (c, Gazzaniga 63), Aurier, Carter-Vickers, Davies, Walker-Peters (Nkoudou 82), Amos (Marsh 83), Sissoko, Lucas (Georgiou 82), Eriksen (Skipp 63), Lamela (Sanchez 76), Llorente (Son 63). Substitutes (not used): Whiteman, Eyoma.
Match data
Goals: AS Roma - Schick (3); Spurs - Llorente (9, 18), Lucas (28, 44).
Yellow cards: AS Roma - Luca Pellegrini (34).
Referee: Ajejandro Mariscal.
Attendance: 18,861.
Venue: SDCCU Stadium, San Diego.
