Year in Review: The Top 5 Moments for Roma Women in 2021!

There were plenty of memorable moments for Roma Women in 2021 – not only the year in which they earned their first trophy, but one that saw significant progress on and off the pitch.

Roma won 21 of their 32 games across the calendar year – in normal time, plus the penalty shootout that won them the Coppa Italia – ensuring they finished last season with an honour to their name and have themselves firmly in contention for a top-two finish at the halfway stage of the present campaign.

Ending the year on a club-record-equalling seven-game winning run, having also set that standard for the first time last winter, Roma can head into the New Year with plenty of optimism for the future. But there are many memories from 2021 they will want to carry forward with them.

Here were five of the most memorable or significant events Roma Women were involved in over the past 12 months.

WINNING THE COPPA ITALIA ON PENALTIES

The biggest achievement for Roma Women in 2021 – and indeed, their history so far – was winning the Coppa Italia in May.

A 0-0 draw with AC Milan in the final meant it took a successful penalty shootout for the Giallorosse to earn their first piece of silverware.

The tension during that shootout was greater than anything Roma had experienced before, but the players held their nerve to come through it and arrive at the desired outcome.

Camelia Ceasar’s two penalty saves – and she likely would have had a third, having dived the right way for another Milan miss that hit the post – made the biggest difference, immediately easing some of the nerves.

Manuela Giugliano and Annamaria Serturini were Roma’s first two scorers, before Elena Linari missed her effort. But by the time it came for the team’s fourth penalty, Vanessa Bernauer knew converting it would earn her side the trophy.

The dependable Swiss midfielder showed she is just as reliable in moments like that as she is in normal play, making no mistake to confirm the triumph.

The celebrations that followed won’t be forgotten in a hurry. This was Roma Women’s best ever night – at least so far.


STUNNING JUVENTUS IN THE SEMIS

To become Coppa Italia winners, Roma had to overcome several hurdles along the way.

Perhaps one of the most daunting would have been the prospect of facing Juventus in a two-legged semi-final. Roma had shown they could compete with their opponents in an earlier Supercoppa Italiana meeting in January, which they took to extra time before falling short, but knew beating them across 180 minutes would require a maximum effort unlike anything that had been demanded of them before.

Knowing how much emphasis the team were now placing on the cup, nerves would understandably have been high heading into March’s first fixture. The way in which Roma started the game, though, emphatically cast them aside.

In one of the most exciting snapshots of the cup run, Roma took the lead within two minutes via Annamaria Serturini. It was the first time Roma had ever even been in a lead against Juventus – and they would ultimately prevail to win the match and, the following month, the whole tie.

The outpouring of relief and excitement that followed Serturini’s opener – as the side ran to share the moment with captain Elisa Bartoli, who was watching from the sidelines – were hugely enthusiastic and showed the belief the side had that they were on the right track. Indeed they were.


WINNING THE FIRST DERBY

Heading into December 12th, Roma knew they were about to take part in a historic day that they would want to remember for the right reasons.

Facing Lazio for the first time in Serie A Femminile, it was vital for them to make the first chapter of the women’s Derby Della Capitale a positive one.

No fixture gets the emotions running like a derby, and this was a new experience for both sets of players. Fortunately, it was Roma who were celebrating by the end of it.

The two-goal lead attained through headers from Valeria Pirone and Vanessa Bernauer looked like it had set Roma on course for a comfortable win, but it became more of a challenge than would have seemed likely by that point.

Lazio cancelled out the lead before the hour-mark – only for Benedetta Glionna to go on and win it for Roma with a fine free kick.

Her winner sparked some of the biggest celebrations seen all year and made for a memorable moment in the Roma Women journey.


SIGNING ELENA LINARI

Sometimes the most important moments happen off the pitch, and only become appreciated with the benefit of the time after and what happens on it.

Nearly a year on from when Elena Linari joined Roma in January 2021, it is easy to pinpoint her arrival as a significant moment for the club.

Quite simply, Roma had never had anyone like her in defence. It was an area in which, despite some talent, there was a need for more experience, and Linari brought the leadership abilities that were required.

Roma’s fortunes in defence – and across the whole pitch – improved as a consequence of Linari’s immediate integration.

There is always room for a squad to improve, but Linari’s addition did feel like a missing piece of the puzzle, which after fitting in, gave the team the solid spine they needed on the pitch to become one capable of challenging for silverware.

Signing Linari was a key step towards success for the ever-evolving side, adding another crucial element to the foundation from which their subsequent achievements could be built.


A LAP OF HONOUR AT THE OLIMPICO

Earning achievements like trophy wins is one thing, but it means more when they can be celebrated in the right manner.

After a year of playing behind closed doors, the Roma squad got to celebrate in front of their own fans – more than 25,000 of them – when parading the trophy they had worked so hard to get their hands on at Stadio Olimpico in August.

During half-time of the men’s team’s Serie A opener for the 2021-22 season against Fiorentina, the Giallorosse squad took a lap of honour at the Olimpico to earn the appropriate appreciation for their efforts.

Hearing each of their names read out over the speakers and taking in the applause of the entire stadium, while joining in chants with the Curva Sud in a particular standout, it was a special night to commemorate a special achievement – that will hopefully be the first of many.

Follow Samuel Bannister on Twitter: @SamBanno1

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect those of the club and/or its staff.