Roma revival puts them in position
Thursday, November 5, 2009
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AS Roma 2-1 Fulham FC
Roma took Group E second place from nine-man Fulham, coming from behind with John Arne Riise and Stefano Okaka Chuka goals.
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AS Roma, helped by an amazing goal from John Arne Riise that deflected off his brother Bjørn Helge, climbed two points above nine-man Fulham FC in UEFA Europa League Group E second place after coming back from a goal down.
Roma second
Fulham went ahead through Diomansy Kamara's 19th-minute penalty, but the sending off of Erik Nevland four minutes into the second half changed the game. Riise struck on 69 minutes before Stefano Okaka Chukka grabbed the winner, and the visitors finished the game with nine men after Paul Konchesky was dismissed in stoppage time.
Penalty
Roy Hodgson's Fulham started positively and took the lead when Marco Andreolli, scorer of a last-gasp equaliser at Craven Cottage a fortnight ago, tripped Kamara in the box. Kamara calmly sent Doni the wrong way from the spot. His effort was nearly cancelled out when Philippe Mexès glanced an enticing Cicinho centre millimetres wide in a first half of few chances.
Nevland off
The game was given a twist four minutes after the interval when Nevland, who had come on as a half-time substitute for the struggling Kamara, caught Daniele De Rossi and was shown red. Roma duly piled on the pressure with substitute Rodrigo Taddei shooting over, Marco Cassetti heading wide and Mark Schwarzer having to save from both Stefano Guberti and Júlio Baptista before the hour mark.
Game turns
Then came Riise's idiosyncratic goal. Picking up the ball more than 20 metres out, the left-back fired a typical piledriver that deflected twice, lastly off his sibling, before finding the net. Fulham conceded again seven minutes later as Taddei crossed for Okaka Chuka to head in. Konchesky's expulsion means another suspension when Fulham welcome PFC CSKA Sofia on 3 December, as Roma welcome leaders FC Basel 1893.