By Paolo Mangone
On July 30th, 2017, Serie A defending champions Juventus faced off against Serie A rivals Roma at Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots. The pregame atmosphere was comparable to an NFL football game with fans holding tailgate parties in the stadium parking lot. This festive atmosphere continued into the game, as Juventus supporters were in full voice showing their appreciation for their legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. The 30,000 fans were treated to a great game, as both teams were committed in going forward. Mario Mandzukic scored the first goal for Juventus after play was switched out to Alex Sandro, who played it forward to the Croatian striker and he coolly rounded the Roma goalkeeper to slot it in the back of the net. Roma tied it up in the second half when Bruno Peres swung in a low cross for Edin Dzeko to tap it in. The game ended 1-1 after 90 minutes and the fans were treated to a penalty shootout. Carlo Pinsoglio saved the opening Roma penalty shot from Marco Tumminello and a debut goal in a Juventus jersey secured a 5-4 penalty shoot win for Juventus. It was heartening to see two Serie A teams playing in the final game of the International Champions Cup in front of 30,000 fans especially when the organizers had the chance to choose the Manchester Derby or El Clasico instead. Serie A’s future in North America should be a bright one because fans of the game travelled from as far away as Manitoba, Canada and Mexico to watch two Serie A teams play in a preseason friendly.
