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ROMA LOOKING FOR CUP OF CHEER Roma are hoping to salvage something from a disappointing season when they take on Udinese in Thursday's Coppa Italia semi-final second-leg at the Friuli stadium. And the giants from the Eternal City will be desperate to reach the final to salvage their dreadful campaign. Last weekend's goalless draw against neighbours Lazio has left the Giallorossi just three points clear of the relegation zone with two games left to play. Roma have taken three points from their last 11 Serie A games and have not won in the league since February 20. The players' morale is at an all-time low as they consider their failure to turn around what is considered one of the worst runs in the club's history. But Bruno Conti's men, who shared a 1-1 draw in the semi-final first leg against Udinese last weekend, must put their worries behind them and concentrate on aiming for the final. The Coppa Italia title would guarantee the Giallorossi a place in Europe next season. But failure to qualify for the UEFA Cup would be a huge blow to fans who have become accustomed to seeing their team compete against the best sides in the continent. Rivals Udinese will not face that problem because whether they win the competition or not, they have already secured a place in the UEFA Cup. But the Bianconeri's main aim is to finish in fourth position in Serie A which would see them take a spot in the preliminary rounds of the Champions League. Fresh from their 1-1 draw against their direct rivals for fourth place, Sampdoria, Luciano Spalletti's men are determined to reach the final. "Our aim is to finish in the top four of Serie A," said Spalletti. "But that by no means suggests that we will not fight to progress through to the final of the Italian cup." However, Spalletti is wary of Roma, in spite of their recent run and the fact that the Giallorossi find themselves 19 points behind Udinese in the league standings. "It's not going to be easy because Roma are travelling to the Friuli determined to get a win," he said. "We cannot underestimate them even though they are going through a difficult time. "They will be keen to reach the final in order to save their campaign." Conti will have Francesco Totti available after his captain missed the Rome derby due to suspension. However, the Giallorossi will be without injured defender Cristian Chivu who picked up an ankle injury in Sunday's game. Conti is set to pick an attacking trio of Vincenzo Montella, Totti and Antonio Cassano, knowing that his team must score if they wish to knock Udinese out as a goalless draw would see the Bianconeri reach the final on the away goal rule. http://www.sportinglife.com/football/overseas/italy/news/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=international_feed/05/05/18/SOCCER_Ita-Udinese_Preview.html&TEAMHD=italy 文章主要是说作为挽救这个糟糕赛季的最后的机会，罗马会在这场杯赛中全力以赴，并派出托蒂-蒙特拉-卡萨诺的三叉戟阵型（不过看到比赛大名单，真为我们的中场担心），另一方面，乌蒂内斯虽然把主要精力放在联赛第四的争夺上，但也不会轻易的放弃意大利杯。 | 
发表于 2005-5-19 09:36:00
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