Two 200-Goal Milestones in Italy in Less Than a Week

During last Wednesday’s Coppa Italia match with Torino, Roma’s Francesco Totti scored his 200th goal for an Italian club, an astonishing achievement for a creative midfielder who, over the past few years, has played striker only out of necessity. All 200 of his goals have been scored for Roma, the club with which he’s spent his entire career, and where he’ll stay until they carry him out in a box. Actually, such is his status at the club that to suggest they’ll carry him out rather that build a crypt right in the Olimpico for him is perhaps a mistake. Totti is a Roma icon, and will remain one long after he’s gone, even if he doesn’t ever score another goal.

Then, on Saturday, Fiorentina’s Christian Vieri got his 200th, the goal coming on a penalty kick against Torino, the same club Totti victimized. Vieri’s story couldn’t be more different than Totti’s, though: In addition to stints outside Italy with Monaco and Atlético Madrid (for whom he scored 24 goals in 24 matches during the 1997-1998 season), Vieri has scored goals for 11 different teams in Italy, including one — his first — for Torino, and 103 for Inter Milan. He’s three years older than Totti, and noticeably slower and more awkward than he was during his glory day, but he’s overcome career-threatening injuries, disastrous seasons, and moronic decision-making and remains fundamentally unwilling to give in. Hopefully we’ll have him around for at least another season, and a few more goals.

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Category: Serie A, World Football