José Mourinho’s Roma were held to a 0-0 draw by Japanese side Nagoya Grampus in their first friendly of the World Cup break.
The Giallorossi have begun their Japanese tournée with a goalless stalemate at the Toyota Stadium in Nagoya. Only four Roma players are involved in the World Cup in Qatar: Nicola Zalewski, Matias Vina, Rui Patricio and Paulo Dybala.
Rick Karsdorp didn’t join the team in Japan and is expected to leave in January. Dan Friedkin’s son Ryan was in the stands to watch the game.
Mourinho started Roger Ibanez, Chris Smalling and Marash Kumbulla in defence, Nemanja Matic and Stephan El Shaarawy in midfield and Tammy Abraham in attack filling the rest of the starting XI with some youngsters, including Benjamin Tahirovic, Edoardo Bove, Luigi Cherubini and Filippo Missori.
Roma had their best chance in the second half when Ibanez hit the crossbar. They will face Yokohama F. Marinos at the Japan National Stadium on Monday before returning to Rome.
Nagoya Grampus 0-0 Roma line-ups
NAGOYA GRAMPUS (3-4-1-2): Langerak (62′ Takeda, 87′ Higashi); Fujii, Tiago (87′ Gyotoku), Nakatani; Ishida (76′ Masui), Sento (62′ Koda), Nagaki (62′ Yoshida), Uchida (76′ Sakakibara); Shigehiro (46′ Nagasawa (76′ Leo Silva), Mateus (62′ Sakai); Nagai (46′ Leonardo (87′ Toyoda).
ROMA (3-4-2-1): Svilar; Ibanez, Smalling, Kumbulla (89′ Tripi); Missori (46′ Celik), Tahirovic (75′ Volpato), Matic, Bove (75′ Camara); El Shaarawy (88′ Keramitsis), Cherubini (46′ Shomurodov); Abraham. Bench: Boer, Mancini, Spinazzola, Pellegrini, Belotti, Zaniolo.
‘Only four Roma players are involved in the World Cup in Qatar: Nicola Zalewski, Matias Vina, Rui Patricio and Paulo Dybala’
That really shows the level things are. Only 4 internationals. I know Roma have several Italy internationals – but Italy didn’t qualify