Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.For Steve Gibson this was a match and a result which demonstrated that Middlesbrough, the tatty, neglected club he bought a decade ago, had been irretrievably transformed. After last night's victory Boro probably need only one more point to reach the knock-out stages of the Uefa Cup.
Ten years ago the only memories most Teessiders would have had of playing teams from Rome was in the unlamented Anglo-Italian Cup, a competition that was supposed to add a sprinkle of glamour to clubs languishing in what used to be called the Second Division.
It was not just the fact that Boro played Lazio, it was that they beat them convincingly in an almost full house with the kind of footballers Gibson would want to see thrive at the Riverside, the expensively-bought international and the locally-bred talent. Between them, Boudewijn Zenden and Stuart Downing shattered a makeshift Lazio side while Mark Viduka might easily have had a hat-trick.
"We actually should have won more comfortably; the performance, the control the confidence were outstanding," reflected the Middlesbrough manager, Steve McClaren. "Lazio could not settle. We've had some good performances here but this was something special."
Special is an adjective that might now be applied to Downing. He grew up on Teesside but as a 20-year-old he would have had only the faintest memories of the old, impoverished Middlesbrough of Ayresome Park. Nor is he a footballer intimidated by the grand stage; his goal came within an ace of giving Middlesbrough victory at Old Trafford in September, a display that left a deep impression on Sir Alex Ferguson.
Last night he sowed panic along the Italians' right flank and created both goals with deep, beautifully-timed crosses. His first centre, after a quarter of an hour, was only half-cleared by Fernando Couto and the ball was met first time by a thunderous drive from Zenden that crashed past Fabrizio Casazza, who like so many last night is not a regular at the Stadio Olimpico.
To put this win in its context, this was not the Lazio that won the scudetto under Sven Goran Eriksson and it was not even the Lazio that played against Internazionale at the weekend. Only two members of the side that returned from San Siro with a draw lined up at the Riverside and on this evidence their manager, Domenico Caso, does not possess strength in depth. At no stage did a side that was nominally favourites to win the competition play with any real belief.
They might have gone further behind before half-time as Viduka sent an instinctive overhead kick on to the roof of the net and Ray Parlour drove into the stand occupied by the 68 supporters who had made the journey from Rome to Teesside.
In the 71st minute Downing produced another beautifully-struck cross which Zenden, unchallenged, headed home from close range. Not since the days of Chris Waddle have England boasted a convincing presence on the left flank and this month's friendly in Madrid might be the time to see if a lad who gave up judo to pursue a career in an altogether more lucrative sport can earn football's equivalent of a black belt.
Middlesbrough (4-4-2): Schwarzer; Queudrue, Southgate, Riggott, McMahon; Zenden, Parlour, Boateng, Downing; Hasselbaink (Job, 81), Viduka. Substitutes not used: Nash (gk), Cooper, Doriva, Morrison, Wilson, Davies.
Lazio (4-3-2-1): Casazza; Oddo, Lopez, Couto, Seric; Filippini, Dabo, Giannichedda (Melara, 14); Cesar (Manfredini, 64), Di Canio; Delgado (Rocchi, 50). Substitutes not used: De Angelis, Pandev, Sannibale, Torroni.
Referee: I Baskarov (Russia).
Results, page 57
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments