Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Approaching Kickoff

The team bus rolled through Rome's evening traffic with police escort leading the way, and the windows showed the city passing in fragments—ancient buildings lit against the darkening sky, scooters weaving between cars, early crowds already moving toward the Stadio Olimpico wearing Roma's deep red colors.

Demien sat near the middle of the bus with headphones in while music played low enough that he could still hear conversations around him, and through the tinted glass he watched supporters gathering behind barriers along the approach road waving flags and scarves while shouting words that didn't reach inside the vehicle.

The Olimpico appeared ahead—massive and curved with floodlights already blazing against the evening darkness—and the bus turned into the secure entrance beneath the stands where concrete walls replaced open air and the noise from above became muffled rumble rather than direct sound.

Players began standing and gathering their belongings while the vehicle rolled to a stop in the underground parking area, and Demien pulled his bag from the overhead compartment before following his teammates through the exit and into corridors that smelled faintly of disinfectant and old concrete.

Inside the stadium, the away dressing room was functional with wooden benches arranged in neat rows and individual hooks where Atalanta's black and blue shirts hung in numerical order, and Demien found his number 28 kit waiting exactly where it should be while around him players moved through their arrival routines without rushing.

He set his bag down and began changing methodically—base layers first, then compression shorts, then his match socks pulled up carefully while his mind stayed quiet and focused on the routine rather than the occasion.

The stands were already loud when glimpsed through access tunnels—voices building in waves that suggested the Olimpico was filling rapidly even though kickoff was still ninety minutes away—and Roma's supporters created walls of sound that filtered down through concrete and steel.

Commentary Booth

6:47 PM

In the broadcast booth high above the pitch, two Italian commentators reviewed their notes while cameras captured pre-match atmosphere shots of supporters streaming through the entrances.

"Welcome to the Stadio Olimpico for tonight's Coppa Italia quarterfinal between Roma and Atalanta," the lead commentator began, and his voice carried the practiced rhythm of someone who'd called hundreds of matches. "Roma come into this match in strong form while Atalanta arrive with their own ambitions of advancing to the semifinals."

"An interesting subplot tonight involves Demien Walter," his colleague added while checking his notes. "The eighteen-year-old returned from hamstring injury recently and made his comeback through Atalanta's U21 side. He's on the bench tonight—his first senior squad inclusion since November."

"The decision to ease him back cautiously makes sense," the lead commentator continued. "Hamstring injuries require patience, and Gasperini has shown throughout his career that he prioritizes long-term fitness over short-term results when managing players returning from injury."

The broadcast cut to footage of the Atalanta bus arriving at the stadium moments earlier, and the cameras caught Demien briefly as he stepped off behind Koopmeiners while his face remained neutral and professional.

"We'll see if he features tonight," the second commentator said. "But his presence on the bench alone signals that Atalanta's medical staff are satisfied with his recovery progress."

Away Dressing Room

7:15 PM

Gasperini entered the dressing room with his assistant coaches following close behind, and the room quieted immediately as players turned their attention toward their manager who stood at the center of the space without carrying tactical boards or notes because everything important had been covered during the week.

"Roma's midfield presses aggressively," Gasperini said, and his voice carried instructional clarity without excess emotion. "Cristante and Matic want to force turnovers in dangerous areas. Stay compact in our shape. When we have possession, move the ball quickly but don't force passes that aren't there."

He paused while players absorbed the information.

"We start in a four-four-two," he continued. "Stay organized defensively, absorb their early pressure, and look for transitions when they commit numbers forward. Patience over risk."

His eyes scanned the squad once before he finished.

"Questions?"

Silence answered him.

"Good. Let's go."

The squad stood as one and energy shifted from focused preparation into game-ready intensity while players moved toward the tunnel entrance, and stadium noise filtered through the walls now—voices building toward kickoff in coordinated chants that made the Olimpico feel alive.

Demien pulled on his substitute bib and followed his teammates toward the tunnel, and his boots were laced and his mind was clear while the system remained quiet in his peripheral vision waiting for activation.

7:45 PM

First Half

The referee's whistle started the match and Roma immediately took control of the tempo, and their midfield pressed aggressively exactly as Gasperini had warned while forcing Atalanta to circulate the ball wide rather than attempting to build through the congested center.

Demien sat on the bench watching closely while his eyes tracked Roma's movements and the spaces they left behind when committing players forward, and his mind processed patterns—when Cristante stepped up to press high, when Matic held his position deeper, where gaps appeared between their midfield and defensive lines when transitions occurred.

The opening twenty minutes passed with Roma controlling possession and Atalanta defending compactly while looking for counter-attacking opportunities, and the pattern was clear—Roma wanted to force mistakes through sustained pressure while Atalanta waited patiently for moments to break.

23' —

The breakthrough came in the twenty-third minute and started from a simple throw-in on Roma's right side near the halfway line, and their fullback received the ball before immediately playing it inside to Cristante who had dropped to offer support.

Cristante's first touch turned him toward Atalanta's defensive third and his second touch was a quick pass wide to Roma's right winger who had space to run into because Atalanta's left-back had been caught narrow, and suddenly the entire defensive shape was stretched.

The winger drove forward with pace and Atalanta's center-back stepped out to close him down, but the movement created a gap in the defensive line that Roma's striker exploited by checking his run and spinning into the space behind.

The cross came low and hard across the six-yard box, and Atalanta's goalkeeper committed to coming out but couldn't reach the ball before it arrived at the back post where a Roma midfielder had made an unmarked run from deep, and his side-foot finish from five yards was simple because the difficult work had been in the buildup.

ROMA 1-0 ATALANTA

The Olimpico erupted and the noise became overwhelming—a wall of sound that rolled down from the stands while red smoke rose from the curva and drums pounded in coordinated rhythm—and Roma's players mobbed the goalscorer near the corner flag while the home supporters bounced in unison.

Gasperini stood from his position in the technical area and clapped his hands once before gesturing for his defenders to push higher, and his expression remained calm because conceding away from home was part of the calculation when playing defensive football at hostile venues.

Demien watched Atalanta's players reset at the center circle without visible frustration, and De Roon was already communicating with the defenders about staying tighter to Roma's midfield runners while Koopmeiners organized the shape for the restart.

"Roma take the lead through excellent movement," the lead commentator said while replays showed the sequence from multiple angles. "That third-man run from deep in midfield—completely unmarked. Atalanta's defensive line was stretched too wide and couldn't recover in time."

"Cristante's pass out wide was the key moment," his colleague added. "Once Atalanta's left-back got caught inside, the entire shape became vulnerable to crosses from that position."

The match resumed and Roma continued pressing with renewed confidence while their supporters sensed control, and Atalanta struggled to find rhythm in possession because every touch was met with immediate pressure from multiple angles.

Højlund had one opportunity in the thirty-fourth minute when Lookman won a loose ball in midfield and played him through on goal, but his first touch was slightly heavy and Roma's goalkeeper came out quickly to smother the chance before a shot could be attempted.

Gasperini remained standing throughout the closing stages of the half while making constant adjustments to positioning through hand signals and short instructions, but Roma's organization held firm and the interval arrived with the home side ahead and looking comfortable.

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