AS Roma won the Italian Cup on Thursday after a 2-1 defeat at
holders Inter Milan gave them a 7-4 aggregate
victory.
Inter, who have missed out on a second successive league and cup
double, produced a spirited display but Roma's extraordinary
6-2 victory in last week's first leg proved too
much.
Roberto Mancini's side had defeated Roma in the previous two finals
but will have to make do with the league championship this
season.
In-form Argentine striker Hernan Crespo arched his neck to score
with a delightful header from Maicon's cross early in the second
period to give the home side the lead.
Substitute Julio Cruz, who entered the fray in the first half for
the injured Patrick Vieira, then slid in Luis Figo's pass on 56
minutes to spark hopes of an improbable comeback.
But it was never really on and the frustration boiled over for
Mancini, who was sent from the dugout for protesting midway through
the second half.
He tried to direct the team from the stands but any chance of a
sensational turnaround evaporated when Inter defender Ivan Cordoba
was sent off for a handball having received his first booking after
just two minutes of the San Siro clash.
Roma then twisted the knife when Simone Perrotta turned in
Francesco Totti's cross-shot seven minutes from time.
Right back Christian Panucci was dismissed for pulling back Inter's
Alvaro Recoba in injury time but nothing could take the gloss off
the win for Roma, who finished second to Inter in the league.
HELD ALOFT
Roma captain Totti proudly held the cup aloft only four days after
the birth of his second child, Chanel.
"I dedicate this Italian Cup not only to my daughter Chanel but to
all my family who are always close to me," he told reporters.
"We were used to seeing Inter always winning and it was right that
we also lifted an important trophy. We came here with the knowledge
that they could be beaten."
A few hundred Roma supporters were packed into the away end and
were determined to make themselves heard as they celebrated their
first Cup triumph since 1991.
Only a sprinkling of Inter fans had bothered to attend given the
first leg score.
But the few that were in the stadium would have been encouraged by
Inter's show and they could have scored more than two in the second
period, with Recoba having the best chance only to be forced too
wide after goalkeeper Doni's slip.
"We lost the Cup in the match at the Olimpico, but we didn't
deserve to concede six goals," said Inter assistant coach Sinisa
Mihajlovic.
"We knew a comeback would not be easy. The boys gave their all,
they couldn't have done any more. The match would have been
different if we had scored in the first half."