Inter-esting possibilities
Baggio and Ronaldo set to take center stage in Florence
Posted: Thursday November 19, 1998 07:02 PM
| |
Fiorentina is enjoying its first run atop the standings since 1982 with 18 points this season and goal leader Batistuta AP |
ROME, Italy (AP) -- This could be the week The Ro-Ro Show - Roberto
Baggio and Ronaldo, together in the starting lineup - takes center
stage for Internazionale of Milan.
The two highly-paid strikers have been battling knee injuries
all season, but both are on the verge of being given the green
light when their struggling club plays at Fiorentina on Sunday in
the prime matchup of the Italian League's 10th round.
It would be a much-needed boost.
When Inter signed the 31-year-old Baggio this summer, the team
figured it had a veteran playmaker to suit up alongside Ronaldo,
the exciting Brazilian prodigy. But the pair have been on the
field together a total of 70 minutes in league action this season,
and Inter's dreams of its first title in a decade have been
dissipating.
The club is a mediocre 4-2-3 and just recently went through a
three-game losing slide.
Fiorentina, meanwhile, is enjoying its first run atop the
standings since 1982. With Argentine star Gabriel Batistuta leading
the way with a league-high 10 goals, Fiorentina has 18 points, one
more than both AS Roma and two-time defending champ Juventus of
Turin.
AC Parma is next with 16 points, followed by AC Milan with 15
and Inter with 14.
Sunday's other games are Juventus vs. Empoli, Milan vs. Lazio of
Rome at night, Salernitana vs. Venezia, Sampdoria of Genoa vs.
Vicenza, and Udinese vs. Piacenza.
Three games have been moved up to Saturday because of UEFA Cup
outings Tuesday: Roma vs. Bari, Cagliari vs. Parma, and Bologna vs.
Perugia
Ronaldo "has a 51 percent chance of playing at Florence,"
Inter coach Luigi Simoni said Wednesday. "That extra one percent
represents hope."
Hampered by tendinitis in both knees, the two-time FIFA Player
of the Year has appeared in just three league games so far - but
has scored one goal in each outing. The rest of the squad clearly
revolves around Ronaldo and plays better when he is on the field,
even at less than 100 percent.
"We have done everything we could," Inter club doctor Piero
Volpi said. "At this point, it is only up to him to decide whether
he feels like playing or not."
Baggio has looked generally rusty but shown sparks of brilliance
in his limited appearances the last two weeks. With rising star
Nicola Ventola (five goals) sidelined about a month with his own
knee injury, and France's Youri Djorkaeff inconsistent, Inter needs
Baggio up front.
It also doesn't help that two players who help create offense up
the flanks, Francesco Moriero and Dutchman Aron Winter, are out
with injuries.
Regardless of who plays in attack for Inter, the game could be a
high-scoring affair. Neither Inter (14 goals allowed) nor
Fiorentina (11 allowed) inspires much confidence on defense,
although both club's goalies (Inter's Gianluca Pagliuca started,
Fiorentina's Francesco Toldo was the reserve) were on Italy's World
Cup roster this summer.
Only four of the league's 18 clubs have given up more goals than
Inter, which also will have to do without suspended defender
Francesco Colonnese.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
| 
