Dino Panato/Getty ImagesA frustrated Daniele De Rossi kicks the ball into his own net after Chievo's late game-winning strike.

*Taps microphone*. Is this thing on? Ah, there we go... welcome! I'm Julian and I'll be your Roma ESPN blogger from here on out. First and foremost, I'd like to say that I'm absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to share my love (definitely), insights (hopefully), and analysis (maybe) for my favorite club with the ESPN network. I've been writing and blogging about calcio for years. I've had an internship at Goal.com, headed blogs at theoffside.com and worldcupblog.org, and contributed to many other calcio sites over the past half-decade or so. In other words, I'm eager (definitely) and qualified (hopefully) to be your one-stop destination for AS Roma in America.

- Match report: Chievo 1-0 Roma

The Season So Far

Where else to begin but the present? Zdenek Zeman's side, after a more than patchy start, have finally come together in both predictable and unpredictable ways. After sixteen rounds, the capital side lead Serie A in goal scoring -- as would be expected with a relentlessly attacking Zeman side (subtracting the three goals awarded against Cagliari leaves the side one behind of second-placed Juventus). Less expected, perhaps, would be Roma's recent run of form: five wins out of six between the league and the Coppa, with two clean sheets and a mere five goals conceded.

Even more promising, Miralem Pjanic and Mattia Destro are roaring to life and all seems well for the time being. Francesco Totti has reminded viewers more than ever just how legendary he truly is, with six goals already this season including an absolute peach of a brace against Roma-lite (Fiorentina). After breaking Gunnar Nordahl's record of 210 goals scored with a single club last season, Il Capitano is currently third in the all-time Serie A goal scoring charts, with 221 strikes to his name -- and he's just four behind Nordahl's second place standing for overall goals scored in the peninsula.

Oddly enough, as brilliant as Roma have been in attack in recent weeks, the defense is looking more stable than it has in years, thanks to a number of brilliant moves from Sabatini. This is odd for two reasons: one, this is Roma, and two, the club's coach is Zeman. Marquinhos has been an absolute revelation in Serie A this season, with a style of play and reading of a game that belies his age. Leandro Castan has shored up the backline with his experience and has made a superb pairing at centre-back with the aforementioned youngster (which makes Castan's yellow-card accumulation even more of a shame seeing that he'll miss the upcoming Milan match). Federico Balzaretti may not be quite as good as he once was but still provides serviceable enough quality at left-back, and even Ivan Piris seems to be growing in stature from week to week. All it takes is one look at how Philippe Mexes is doing at Milan, stunning Champions League goals aside, to see that Roma's defense is heading in the right direction (and getting younger, to boot).

However, it's never all flowers and sunshine for the giallorossi. Beneath the surface, the usual rumblings are occurring -- Roma are anything but a stable club. Daniele De Rossi continues to be a point of debate, as his status as a substitute/bench player has led many to wonder if he'll still be at the club come January (despite many reports from Walter Sabatini and Franco Baldini to the contrary). The goalkeeping spot is up for grabs, as well; Mauro Goicoechea has mostly excelled (just don't ask him about the Derby) in Maarten Stekelenburg's absence and seems to play a much more offensive game than the Dutchman, but the latter's price tag, name, and stature indicate that he will not merely let his place in the side slide away. Finally, only recently have questions about Zeman begun to subside, although there remains one giant question mark over Roma’s current coach: can he finally prove capable of leading a big side to glory?

Honestly, I have no clue. I suspect it will be brilliant, heartbreaking, glorious, and desperate in equal measures along the way -- and I'm more than thrilled to be your guide as Roma find out.

Away At Chievo

In a word, a heartbreaker. In more words, Roma conceded an inevitable last-minute goal that seemed more suitable to the side under Luis Enrique -- or even under Zeman earlier this season. The late winner from Sergio Pellissier came after a very uneven match from Roma; the capital club were rarely ever threatened by Chievo, but they themselves hardly threatened Chievo. It was a poor performance all-around. Pjanic and Tachtsidis started brightly but faded as the match wore on. It should come as no surprise that the side's best player was Marquinhos, who looked typically assured and well-read in defense until his injury. Besides Piris having another solid game and Castan’s job at the back, the rest of the team looked disjointed and incoherent, with little clicking in attack (Totti noticeably looked a different player than the one who put two past Fiorentina).

Some stray thoughts:

The nice thing about having both Osvaldo and Destro: they probably can't start together, but they're different enough where either can work better against a different side. Osvaldo scored after he came on against Fiorentina. Today, Roma may have lacked the technical guile of Destro from the beginning.

Capitano controversy: one of the main talking points after the game dealt with Totti's substitution. When the captain came off, he handed his armband to Osvaldo instead of the team's usual vice-captain, De Rossi. Digging deeper into this may soothe fears that De Rossi is on the verge of a transfer. Osvaldo started and De Rossi came on only as a sub and Osvaldo has captained the side once before this season. Of course, it could be a sign De Rossi will leave the side, but it by no means necessarily has to be one.

De Rossi has played for a total of 579 minutes so far this season. Only five players who have actually played for Roma have fewer: Marquinho, Taddei, Dodo, Perrotta, and Nico Lopez.

Not a good game at all for Michael Bradley against his former team, but the American has had more good games than bad for Roma so far. The debate will continue to rage, however, why the likes of him and Tachtsidis continue to start over De Rossi.

Speaking of midfielders, Alessandro Florenzi looked gassed by the end of the match as well. He's only 21 and didn't start in the Coppa match mid-week but has played the fifth most minutes for Roma this season. The winter break may be arriving just at the right time for the club.

Finally, there were perhaps legitimate shouts for a Roma handball right before Chievo scored (as initmated by Franco Baldini when discussing why Zeman did not speak after the match). Be that as it may, a penalty would only have covered up how truly lacking Roma was in the final third -- though full credit must be given to a Chievo defense that sat back well and soaked up pressure, and to keeper Stefano Sorrentino for a solid display in goal.

The biggest news may be that Roma could very well be without the team's starting center-back duo against Milan (Castan's aforementioned suspension and Marquinhos's injury). Nicolas Burdisso and Alessio Romagnoli against Stefan El Shaarawy, anyone?

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