The New England Revolution will play their first home game of the 2013 season March 23 vs. FC Dallas at Gillette Stadium.

The Revolution will have a bye in Week 1, when Major League Soccer holds its First Kick weekend March 2-3. In Week 2, the Revolution open their season at Chicago on March 9.

The full MLS schedule will be released later this winter. Revolution season tickets and holiday pack tickets are on sale now, although individual game tickets will go on sale later this winter.

By Craig Forde, Globe Correspondent

The New England Revolution announced Friday the team has picked up the options on 15 players for the 2013 season, including veteran goalkeeper Matt Reis, who served as team captain for most of the second half of the 2012 season, and 17-year-old forward Diego Fagundez from Leominster.

The Revs declined options on four players; keeper Tim Murray and midfielders Fernando Cardenas, Blair Gavin, and fan favorite Benny Feilhaber, who last season had his own bobblehead giveaway at Gillette.

“After every season, we have to take a hard look at our roster and make some difficult decisions, both for personnel and salary budget considerations,” said Revolution general manager Michael Burns via a press release. “In our case, we’ll continue discussions with some of the players we declined options on to see if the potential exists for them to return to the club next year. We have retained a core group of players for next season and we’ll continue strengthening the team this off-season.”

Already under contract for next season were forward Jerry Bengtson, defender Tyler Polak, and midfielders Kelyn Rowe, Kalifa Cisse, and Andy Dorman, bringing the current roster total for next season to 20 players.

The rest of the returning players are keeper Bobby Shuttleworth; defenders Kevin Alston, Darrius Barnes, Stephen McCarthy, A.J. Soares, and Chris Tierney; midfielders Ryan Guy, Lee Nguyen, Sainey Nyassi, Clyde Simms, and Juan Toja; and forwards Dimitry Imbongo and Saer Sene.

The Revolution also decided to part ways with reserve coach and former MLS player David Vaudreuil.

In other Revolution news:

• Lee Nguyen was a finalist for Major League Soccer goal of the year, but the award went to Seattle's Patrick Ianni.


• The Revolution has a holiday ticket deal in progress that allows holiday gift pack purchasers to select seats ahead of the general public and receive other perks.

By Matt Pepin, Boston.com Staff

It was satisfying enough when New England Revolution midfielder Lee Nguyen scored a pair of goals against the Vancouver Whitecaps on May 12 to help the Revolution to a 4-1 victory.

Vancouver had waived Nguyen the week before the season started.

Now comes the icing on the cake. Nguyen's second goal in that game is one of four finalists for Major League Soccer's goal of the year award. Also nominated: Seattle's Patrick Ianni on June 20 vs. Sporting KC; Seattle's Fredy Montero vs. Los Angeles on May 2; and Portland's Darlington Nagbe vs. Real Salt Lake on March 31.

Voting is conducted online on the MLS web site and via text message (text GOTY to 22442 and follow the instructions sent back to you. Ianni is G1, Nguyen G2, Montero G3 and Nagbe G4). Voting ends Tuesday at 11:59 p.m., and the winner will be announced on Thursday.

Watch Nguyen's goal above, and all the finalists in the video below.

By Seth Lakso, Globe Correspondent

The Revolution made news on several fronts Monday morning, announcing the signing of Mali International and former EPL Championship midfielder Kalifa Cisse, as well as the placement of four players on waivers.

Cisse, 28, signed as a free transfer from England’s Bristol City and will be officially added to the 2013 roster -- where he will occupy an international roster spot -- upon receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and his U.S. P-1 Visa.

According to the press release, Cisse, who has a total of eight years professional experience in Europe, impressed Revolution general Manager Michael Burns during a training session with the Revs several weeks ago, where he showcased his skills and interacted well with players and coaches.

In 61 appearances for Bristol City in the past two years, Cisse recorded two goals. He’ll wear the No. 4 jersey for the Revolution.

The four players placed on waivers were 23-year-old forward Blake Brettschneider, 31-year-old defender Flo Lechner, and midfielders Alec Purdie, 23, and Michael Roach, 24. They will be available to other Major League Soccer teams through Monday afternoon’s Waiver Draft.

Of the four, Brettschneider saw the most playing time with the Revolution last season, appearing in 17 games (starting 10) and recording two goals and an assist.

Purdie (seconded round, 22nd overall) and Roach (fourth round, 60th overall) were 2012 MLS supplemental draft picks.

The Revs were also awarded the 2012 Xbox Fair Play award on Monday, given annually by the league to the team that best displays sportsman-like behavior. The award, which is based on a subjective evaluation, takes into account fouls committed and cards received.

This is the third Fair Play Award for the Revolution.

By Julian Cardillo

ROME - Twice a year the tension rises for a soccer game in Rome. Both of those times are for the Derby della Capitale, a match between rivals AS Roma and SS Lazio, which share the Olympic Stadium.

In the pouring rain last Sunday, Lazio defeated Roma 3-2 in front of a divided, sellout crowd. Erik Lamela opened up the scoring for Roma early in the match, and Lazio countered with three goals from Antonio Candreva, Miroslav Klose, and Stefano Mauri. Miralem Pjanic narrowed the deficit late in the game. Two players also were ejected: Roma’s Daniele De Rossi for punching Mauri midway through the first half and, later, Mauri for handling.

De Rossi looked as though he regretted his action. But there is a high-intensity atmosphere that takes over during the derby for both players and supporters. While tempers flare, tackles get harder, and blood begins to boil on the field, off the field supporters are impassioned.

Often, supporters have been beaten up, knifed, or worse. On Oct. 7, 1979, Vincenzo Paparelli, a Lazio fan, died when he was hit by a missile. Soccer hooliganism, or the violent behavior by supporters at games, occurs on both sides. But it’s been a bi-product of the rivalry for decades.

It’s been a bitter rivalry since 1929. Benito Mussolini, looking to build a unified Roman team, combined three Roman clubs: Alba-Audace, Roman, and Fortitudo. Lazio, named after the Italian region which houses the commercial cities of Latina and Formia as well as Rome, was not part of the merger. Roma won the first derby on Dec. 8, 1929 and the rivalry has grown stronger since.

Mussolini’s involvement in the creation of Roma in 1927 has left somewhat of an indelible fascist mark on the team, though today most of Roma’s supporters consider themselves urban, middle class and the left-wing, which went on to abhor fascism in Italy. Lazio supporters on the other hand are viewed as both the right wing, urban upper class and those who come from the region’s suburbs and countryside.

“Lazio supporters are nicknamed “Burino” which means hillbilly,” said Andrea Fortunato, a Roma supporter. “In fact, Roma supporters poke fun at Lazio supporters by telling them to come to the game with their tractors."

Much of the conflict comes from this political background. Supporters sit on opposite ends of the stadium, Lazio in Curva Nord and Roma in Curva Sud, and use offensive language. Lazio supporters put up a banner reading: “Auschwitz is your town, the ovens are your houses” for a 1998 derby. Roma supporters have replied with banners that read: “Team of sheep followed by shepherds," directed toward Lazio’s rural following.

Aside from that, Italian military police have to escort fans who sit in the Curve (or curves, where the die-hards sit) in and out of the stadium. Roads are closed. Bus routes are cancelled. Spectators who don’t sit in the curves won’t talk on their way to the stadium. In fact, walking to the stadium is a completely silent affair. People are afraid to reveal something to the wrong person and pay the price.

“Some people go to the stadium for politics, not to cheer on the team,” Fortunato said. “People are scared, they’re afraid to lose the derby. Later in school or even at work the winner always makes fun of the loser. No one wants to show who belongs to Roma and who belongs to Lazio.”

Fights are organized before and after the games. Even between friends. It’s a kind of loyalty that isn’t seen in the United States or too many other places in Europe. It’s what happens when a game is tied to politics and regionalism. It’s like the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry in the same city, but on steroids.

“The supporters know each other,” continued Fortunato, who said that he knows young people that pick fights with even their closest friends over the derby. “That’s what’s negative. They know each other from school. In terms of soccer and politics, kids grow up with a negative mentality of each other in high school and into college.”

Roma lead the all-time series with Lazio 54-55-40, though this year Lazio (7-4-1, 5th place) appears to have a more experienced, well-rounded team. Roma (5-2-5, 7th place) has shown flashes of brilliance but has too many inexperienced players to make winning a habit and avoid silly mistakes. Nevertheless, both teams are trying hard to clinch a spot in the Champions League and inch their way up the standings.

“I have friends that cheer for Lazio,” Fortunato said. “We’re actually very much alike.”

Indeed, very much alike. Both Roma and Lazio are competing for a Champions League berth against teams such as Juventus, AC Milan, and Inter, who have more international notoriety and better finances. For all the smack that both teams talk, neither really has a leg to stand on. Roma has just three Serie A titles while Lazio has just two. Neither team has ever won an international trophy, except Lazio’s victory in the 1999 UEFA Super Cup.

The competitiveness of the derby is cool, but the violence, regionalism, and danger that comes with it undermine soccer’s nickname as “the beautiful game.”

“The derby is beautiful, but it’s hard to explain why,” Fortunato said. “It’s not supposed to be about politics. The violence shouldn’t happen. The derby is a match for the city, the capital of Italy.”

“Fortunately, there are some that do it properly. They go to the stadium to support the team and wave their flags for ninety minutes. They sing loudly during the match. And that’s a real supporter. No politics, just soccer.”

Follow Julian Cardillo on twitter @juliancardillo

By Julian Cardillo

ROME -- AS Roma followed coach Zdenek Zeman's script in taking a 4-1 win over third-to-last place Palermo at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday night. All four of the team's premier strikers scored in snapping a two-game losing streak and catapulting Roma (4-3-2, 17 points) forward three spots in standings, two points behind rivals Lazio.

The result was both an important victory and a signal that Zeman’s decisions pay off, if his players avoid mental lapses that lead to big mistakes. On Sunday, Zeman took risks by choosing to rest playmaker Daniele De Rossi and playing goalkeeper Mauro Goicoechea, 26, in place of Maarten Stekelenburg (shoulder).

It looked like Zeman’s gambles would backfire in the opening minutes when Palermo dominated Roma in possession. But in the 10th minute, the tables turned when Francesco Totti scored the first goal, heading in the rebound of Ivan Piris’ cross that deflected off a player and then the underside of the crossbar.

Piris contributed to a second goal in the 30th minute, sending a ball into the penalty area for Pablo Osvaldo. Samir Ujkani got to the ball before Osvaldo and caught it, though he then collided with teammate Ezequiel Munoz and dropped the ball. Osvaldo ran onto the loose ball, took a touch, and slotted it into the back of the net to double Roma’s lead with his sixth goal of the season.

Roma dominated the opening stages of the second half, as well. Nicolas Burdisso forced a reaction save from Ujkani off a corner kick (48th), Osvaldo missed a one-on-one (56th), and Federico Balzaretti had a bid for a goal against his former team smothered by Ujkani (61st).

Erik Lamela reasserted Roma’s scoring touch in the 68th minute by tapping in a through ball from Totti for his team-leading seventh goal of the season. Totti found himself with the ball in the penalty area, took a touch, and found Lamela unmarked with Ujkani at his mercy and with a chance to extend the lead to three.

Mattia Destro came on for Totti in the 73rd impact and made an immediate impact. First, he earned a yellow card for a late tackle on Michel Morganella. Then, in the 79th minute, he finished a through ball from Lamela by rounding Ujkani and tapping in his first career Roma goal. Destro began taking his jersey off to celebrate, though he quickly put it back on in realization that he could earn a second yellow card and be sent off. But referee Luca Nicoletti determined that enough of Destro’s jersey had come off to warrant a card, and Destro was sent off moments later.

Destro’s ejection caused Zeman to take off Lamela for a defensive player, bringing on Miralem Pjanic. But Pjanic stayed too far upfield, giving Palermo plenty of space in Roma’s defense to exploit. In the 84th minute, Josip Ilicic ran onto a loose ball at the top of the penalty area and pounded in a consolation strike past Goicoechea. Ilicic’ goal was the only blemish on Goicoechea performance. The young keeper made six saves to reward Zeman’s faith.

Though Goicoechea played a confident game, his efforts weren’t enough to stop Roma’s three-game cleansheet-less streak. Sunday’s result was Roma’s second win at home and their largest margin of victory this season. Roma’s next meets Lazio Sunday.

By Julian Cardillo, Boston.com Correspondent

ROME -- In the end, AS Roma has no one to blame but itself. Up 2-0 courtesy of goals by Erik Lamela, Roma still found a way to blow another lead and sustain a 3-2 loss to Udinese on Sunday evening. Despite the morning forecasts saying Rome would be hit hard by rain all day long, 36,470 braved the elements to make it to the game -- though they ended up watching Udinese rain over their parade.

In fact, Roma started out well. Pablo Osvaldo had a point blank header parried away by a reaction save from Udinese goalkeeper Zelijko Brkic in the fourth minute. Next, Lamela peppered the goal with three chances from in close, all of which came inches from going in. But in the 21st minute, Lamela made his mark by dribbling down the end line, faking a shot with his right foot, and then burying a left-footer from in an almost-impossible angle about two feet from goal.

Lamela’s next goal came 60 seconds later. Francesco Totti picked out Osvaldo making a run down the left flank, Osvaldo then crossed Totti’s pass into the path of Lamela, who buried the chance with a diving header for his fifth goal of the season.

Roma has been ahead, 2-0, before this season. Sometimes, Roma close it out to win. On Sept. 16, it let Bologna climb back and lost, 3-2.

Playing in coach Zdnek Zeman’s preferred 4-3-3 formation, the Roma midfield shut down and left too many gaps to exploit. Forwards stopped getting chances and defenders faced added pressure. It didn’t take long for the mental lapses to start to set in, either.

In the 31st minute, Osvaldo miscleared a freekick into the path of Maurizio Domizzi, who collected the ball alone in the penalty area and fired past Maarten Stekelenburg to cut the lead in half. Udinese controlled possession for the remainder of the half, though Roma managed to slip into halftime with the lead.

But Roma had nowhere to hide in the second half. The rain came down harder and Udinese attacked more frequently. In the 58th minute, Antonio DiNatale collected a cross from Pablo Armero and had plenty of time and space in the penalty area to swing his right foot onto the ball and power it past Stekelenburg for the game tying goal. Jose Dodo, who made his first start with Roma, lost track of DiNatale, who slipped through unmarked.

Zeman switched out Dodo for Marquinho, though the move did little to fix Roma’s missteps on the ball. Totti, Lamela, and Osvaldo all tried to reawaken the attack and re-take the lead. Roma’s second half was a sequence of bad passes, blocked shots, and spats with referee Davide Massa.

Both fans and players lost patience with Massa. First, he stopped the game to re-clip the earpiece of an assistant referee. Next, he failed to quell an argument between Daniele De Rossi and Armero about stalling. After that, he awarded Udinese a penalty kick for a push by Leandro Castan on Reginaldo in the 87th minute.

DiNatale converted the penalty by chipping past Stekelenburg for his fourth goal of the season. The fans' groans doubled when assistant referee announced that there would only be three minutes of stoppage time -- despite Massa’s stops and interferences.

Though Massa’s calls influenced the game, Roma needs to be aware of a recurring theme. No matter what group of players Zeman sends out, there often seems be mental errors that cost the team. Growing pains are part of any team, but Roma will need to stop blaming officials and protesting the offside flags if it hopes to make a return to Champions League next year.

New England Revolution midfielder Benny Feilhaber was fined by Major League Soccer for "verbal and profane abuse" of an official in an Oct. 6 game against the Philadelphia Union.

Feilhaber received a red card in the 88th minute of the game, a penalty that results in an automatic fine and one-game suspension.

By Julian Cardillo

ROME – After plenty of waiting, AS Roma finally captured its first home win of the season, defeating Atalanta 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday afternoon. Roma President and Celtics owner James Pallotta was among the 40,155 in attendance.

Erik Lamela scored his second goal of the season to give the Giallorossi the lead in the 30th minute and Michael Bradley got an insurance strike midway through the second half. The result snapped Roma’s six-game winless streak at home over two seasons, dating to a 3-1 win against Udinese on April 11.

Coming off a 4-1 drubbing at Juventus last weekend and many weeks of blown leads and mental lapses, Roma had plenty to prove against Atalanta, which came into the game with the league’s fourth-worst record. In the first 20 minutes, Roma didn’t look like a team competing for a spot in the Champions League and Atalanta didn’t look like a team close to the relegation zone.

A switch by coach Zdenek Zeman to replace Nicolas Burdisso with Marquinhos in central defense likely contributed to Roma coming out cold. Roma’s defense got pelted by Atalanta in the opening segments of the game. First, German Denis rounded Maarten Stekelenburg in the 10th minute, Marquinhos blocking his shot from entering the empty goal. Moments later, an unmarked Davide Brivio collected a pass at the penalty spot and shot inches wide of the left post. At the 16-minute mark, Denis volleyed a shot off the crossbar off a Giuseppe De Luca feed.

Roma had different luck in front of goal. After weathering Atalanta’s storm, Roma came up with a response through Lamela. Francesco Totti picked up the ball just outside the penalty area and chipped it forward for Lamela, who poked the ball into the back of the net past Andrea Consigli.

Lamela nearly helped double the lead by flicking Mattia Destro in behind the defense in the 42d minute, Destro’s volley hitting the crossbar.

“We started poorly but any of the players on this team can contribute,” Zeman said. “The ones on the field proved they could figure it out. The first 15 minutes or so were bad but then they woke up.”

Roma didn’t start the second half as lethargically. Totti tried four chances from distance, the closest of which was a 40-yard bomb Consigli had to stretch to his left to save in the 52d minute. In the 62d minute, Bradley tacked on another goal. Consigli spilled the rebound of an effort by Destro into the path of Bradley, who pounded the ball into the net for his first goal of the season.

“It was a hard game for him,” Zeman said of Bradley, who made his first appearance since Aug. 26 after rehabilitating a leg injury. ”Today he did well. He came up with a goal. He’s a serious and dedicated kid and with time he will get better and give us even more.”

Roma was able to play through a difficult first half and come up with a much-needed win. Many players who dressed for this game have played less than two seasons in Serie A, meaning they have a learning curve to work with. But Zeman chose to rest starters Daniele De Rossi, Pablo Osvaldo, and Burdisso, and let the younger Lupi figure out a tactic to break down Atalanta.

“We started badly,” Zeman said. “For me, it was important for the team to wake up. They did and they saw their risk and learned from their mistake. I’m happy with that result.”

By Frank Dell’Apa, Globe Staff

FOXBOROUGH – Pele’ is predicting “a successful” event when Brazil hosts the 2014 World Cup. But he stopped short of predicting a sixth World Cup title for Brazil during a press conference at Gillette Stadium Thursday.

“I think what Brazil needs is a team,” Pele’ said. “We’ve played several games -- more or less, we’ve played good and then we’ve played bad. Sometimes you have excellent players but you do not have a team.”

Pele’, who led Brazil to World Cup championships in 1958, ’62, and ’70, was speaking during the announcement of a partnership involving the Revolution and Sovereign / Santander Bank.

By Julian Cardillo

ROME – AS Roma may have outplayed Sampdoria at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night, but a 1-1 tie was all the Giallorossi could put together in front of 37,125 fans. Roma (2-1-2, 8 points) produced a slew of scoring opportunities and had a man advantage for the entire second half, and Sampdoria mustered just one chance. But Sampdoria (3-0-2, 11 points) converted on its only scoring threat to keep Roma winless at home through the first month and a half of the season.

“For me, we should have been able to get a win,” Roma coach Zdenek Zeman said. “It’s normal that I’m not satisfied after this game, though. We know how to play our game, but we didn’t do that tonight. This is the right result for what we put into the game.”

Francesco Totti, who celebrates his 36th birthday Thursday, gave Roma the lead in the 34th minute off a feed from Alessandro Florenzi. Florenzi controlled a pass from Erik Lamela at the edge of the penalty area and sent it across the penalty area to an unmarked Totti, who poked the ball past Sergio Romero for his first goal of the season.

But Roma blew a lead for the third time in five games, putting a damper on Totti’s festivities and failing to capture what could have been an easy three points. Roma has shown flashes of brilliance in each of its games this season. However, Roma has also had a tendency to be careless and produce untimely errors. That happened again in the second half against Sampdoria.

Though Sampdoria dug itself into a deeper hole when referee Paolo Mazzoleni red-carded Enzo Maresca just one minute into the second half for a late tackle on Florenzi, it still maintained a physical, direct style of play. But with a man advantage, Roma should have been able capitalize on the space Maresca’s absence left in midfield. Instead, all Roma was able to do was pass around Sampdoria’s penalty area and generate a single shot on goal in 43 minutes.

With Roma controlling possession, all Sampdoria could do was wait and hope for a mistake to jump on. In the 61st minute, the waiting paid off.

Eder sent a right-footed cross into the penalty area that Roma goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg dropped in front of Gianni Munari. Munari took the ball down with his right foot and pounded it into the back of the net to level the game. Stekelenburg, who has yet to earn a shutout this season, walked past reporters after the game without answering questions.

“We’re sad because we played a good first half,” Roma defender Leandro Castan said. “The second half was not as good. We just have to work hard to prevent this from happening again. We have to go forward and obtain the points we lost [Wednesday] night.”

Roma plays first-place Juventus on Sunday in Torino.

By Julian Cardillo, Boston.com Correspondent

ROME -- AS Roma caught a break on Monday when Serie A authorities ruled Sunday’s postponed match at Cagliari a forfeit and award Roma (2-1-1, 7 points) three points. The game was supposed to take place behind closed doors because Cagliari’s temporary stadium, Stadio Is Arena, has yet to pass security tests set up by the national soccer federation and Sardinian authorities.

But before the game Cagliari president Massimo Cellino told fans to come to the stadium anyway, forcing the federation to step in and postpone the match. In addition to Cagliari being award a loss, Cellino is likely to be disciplined, as well.

"Massimo Cellino's behavior is unacceptable and damages the image of the whole of Italian football," Italian Soccer Federation president Giancarlo Abete said from Warsaw. "It's incredible, unacceptable and disturbing; besides anything else, certain behavior in Serie A has far-reaching effects. Cellino represents the League on the federal board, I believe that the higher up you are the more responsibility you have to assume.

"All this will certainly be punished, but the league has to learn a lesson from it and take the cue to improve the behavior of its leaders."

The Federation’s ruling does give Roma a positive result to fall back on after last week’s loss to Bologna, when the Giallorossi let a 2-0 lead turn into a 3-2 loss. Roma have looked crisp and in sync in most games this season. But their record is due to mental lapses that shouldn’t be occurring on a team looking to make a return to Champions League.

Roma hosts Sampdoria (3-0-1, 10 points) Wednesday night at the Stadio Olimpico. Sampdoria blanked AC Milan 1-0 on opening weekend and have averaged 1.75 goals through the first month. Not playing against Cagliari allows Roma to come in fresh physically, though mentally the players may be rusty after not having played competitively since Sept. 16.

On the plus side, Michael Bradley should be available for selection for the first time since Aug. 26. Bradley has been sidelined with a thigh injury for the last few weeks and had to miss two games, plus a couple of World Cup qualifiers with the U.S. national team.

In Bradley's absence, young midfielder Alessandro Florenzi has flourished and has the hot foot, having scored twice in his last two games. Both Bradley and Florenzi scored in Roma’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Fenway Park on July 25, an indication Roma coach Zdenek Zeman could count on their midfield partnership for the future.

95th minute: Darrius Barnes' header tied the score, 1-1, after Joel Lindpere put New York ahead in the 91st minute.

43d minute: Revolution-New York, 0-0. Bengtson's half volley was deflected off the crossbar by Bill Gaudette for a Revolution corner kick.

4th minute: Revolution-New York, 0-0; Revolution's Jerry Bengtson has a goal disallowed on a questionable offside call..

Starting lineups for 7:30 kickoff.
REVOLUTION-NEW YORK RED BULLS
REVOLUTION: Shuttleworth; Lechner, Barnes, Soares, Alston; Guy, Simms, Rowe, Nguyen; Bengtson, Fagundez.

NEW YORK: Gaudette; Lade, Holgersson, Pearce, Conde; McCarty, Tainio, Marquez, Solli; Le Toux, Cahill.
Referee: Stoica

New England Revolution player A.J. Soares will be chatting about his team, which faces rival New York Red Bulls on Saturday, and the wide world of soccer starting at 1 p.m. on Thursday.

By Zuri Berry, Boston.com Staff

The New England Revolution have announced that Saer Sene, the team's leading scorer, has undergone reconstructive surgery on his left ACL. Sene will miss six to eight months while recovering.

Sene was hurt in a Aug. 29 match against Chivas USA. The Frenchman has led the Revs with 11 goals and chipped in three assists as well. He's a candidate for the MLS newcomer of the year award after being signed from Bayern Munich’s reserve team.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Scott Martin at Brigham and Women's/Mass General Health Care Center in Foxborough.

By Julian Cardillo

ROME – AS Roma let a well-played first half erode into an error-filled second half and fell, 3-2, to Bologna in a Serie A match at Stadio Olimpico in front of 44,494 Sunday.

Alberto Gilardino and Alessandro Diamanti combined to tie the score, 2-2, midway through the second half. Gilardino scored the winner in the 90th minute to clinch Bologna’s first win of the season and hand Roma its first loss.

Roma (1-1-1, 4 points) dominated from the opening whistle and took the lead seven minutes in. Francesco Totti dribbled into a pocket of space just outside the penalty area and uncorked a shot that hit the post. Alessandro Florenzi latched onto the rebound and headed the ball into the net past Federico Agliardi, his second goal in as many games.

Erik Lamela doubled Roma’s lead in the 15th minute, controlling a pass from Ivan Piris before firing a 20-yard shot that whistled in off the far post.

Bologna was unable to to create chances and spent most of the first half tackling Roma players, mainly Totti and Florenzi, in an attempt to break up the attacking momentum.

But everything changed after halftime. Roma stopped creating chances and Bologna swapped fouling for controlling the midfield. In the 73d minute, Gilardino beat Leandro Castan and Nicolas Burdisso to a cross by Nico Pulzetti, heading it past Maarten Stekelenburg to cut the lead in half.

Roma’s defense fell apart again less than a minute later, as Diamanti went in alone on Stekelenburg off a flick from Gilardino and pounded the ball into the goal to tie the game.

“They made those two goals in two minutes,” Roma defender Federico Balzaretti said. “It’s not easy to explain. We had the chance to take it and the sensation to get the next goal wasn’t there. Those two minutes of folly defined the game.

“We had no time to be worried. There was no time. They scored again after 30 seconds. We had no time to realize that it was 2-1, you blink and it was 2-2.”

Mattia Destro earned his first start in place of Pablo Osvaldo (knee) but was unable to combine with anyone, especially after Roma gave up the lead in the second half. The structure of the team changed when coach Zdenek Zeman brought on attackers Marquinhos and Nico Lopez for Piris and Pjanic.

While Roma was able to push forward after the switch, it did leave space at the back for Bologna to exploit. And in the 90th minute, a freak goal caused by too much space on the right flank made Roma pay. Garics flew into the attacking third unmarked on the right and sent a low cross off Stekelenburg, then took another deflection off Burdisso. Gilardino pounced on the rebound and slotted the ball into the open net for the lead.

Roma was unable to produce the equalizer in three minutes of stoppage time, though Totti came closest to scoring with a point-blank header that Agliardi palmed over the crossbar in the final seconds.

“We had a good first half and then we lost our tactic,” Zeman said. “The three goals are enormous errors on our part. Maybe we thought after we were up 2-0, that we had won. That was not the case.”

Were it not for the AS Roma strike force of Pablo Osvaldo and Mattia Destro, the Italian national team would have had even more of a lackluster start to its World Cup qualifying campaign.

Osvaldo’s brace saved Italy from a potentially embarrassing result against Bulgaria, helping the Azzurri to a 2-2 draw in Sofia last Friday. On Tuesday night, Destro scored the opening goal in a 2-0 win against Malta, a David and Goliath type match that was expected to be a multi-goal drubbing by the Italians.

Destro, acquired from Siena during the off-season, has yet to make an appearance for Roma. Meanwhile, Osvaldo’s two goals against Bulgaria are the continuation of his strong start to the Serie A season with Roma.

Osvaldo scored a spectacular bicycle kick goal in the season-opener against Catania and then tallied the game-winning goal in a crucial match against Inter in Milan the following week.

"I usually score beautiful goals and [against Bulgaria] they were somewhat scruffy, but they are worth just as much,” Osvaldo said. “I want to dedicate these goals to my daughter, Victoria, who every time she goes to church says a prayer for me and lights a candle, so they are for her."

Victoria may need to say an extra prayer or light a second candle for the Italian national team. After reaching the final of the European Championship earlier this summer, the Italians started World Cup qualification unceremoniously. Yes, Italy was without some of its starters. But the players coach Cesare Prandelli called for in the first two qualifiers were capable of snatching a victory in Bulgaria and putting together a more emphatic performance against Malta.

On Sunday, Osvaldo will re-join Roma and play host to Bologna at the Stadio Olimpico. After two games, Osvaldo is tied for second-most goals in the league. If he keeps his scoring streak alive this weekend and retains that form, he will likely earn a call for Italy’s next qualification matches in October against Armenia and Denmark.

There has been a revolving door of forwards with the Italian national team the last few years. Luca Toni and Alberto Gilardino faded soon after the 2006 World Cup. Fabio Quagliarella never quite panned out at the international level. Giuseppe Rossi has been doomed by injuries.

Italy is looking for someone to come in and score the goals. Once the younger, more fluid, Destro gets going, he may be the one to take over the scoring reigns with both Roma and the national team. But, for now, all eyes are on Osvaldo and whether he will keep producing goals.

In Roma’s first two games, Osvaldo missed what should have been easy chances before finally putting the ball in the net. With any striker, there needs to be more scoring and less missing.

Will Victoria’s prayers continue to be answered?

By Julian Cardillo, Boston.com Correspondent

AS Roma captured its first victory of the season by beating Inter 3-1 at San Siro in Milan on Sunday. The win was a major statement for Roma (1-0-1), who are in direct competition with Inter (1-1-0) for a spot in next year’s Champions League. Each goal was more emphatic than the last, as Alessandro Florenzi, Pablo Osvaldo, and Marquinho scored.

Captain Francesco Totti assisted on two goals, finding Florenzi open in the penalty area to head in the first goal in the 15th minute and then sending a through ball for Osvaldo to chip into the net in the 67th minute. Totti was the engine, stepping up after Daniele De Rossi came out in the first half after being injured following a hard tackle by Alvaro Pereira. Meanwhile, Florenzi made his first start in place of Michael Bradley (thigh), flourishing against Inter and whatever manager Andrea Stramaccioni, his former coach, threw at him in midfield.

After missing out on Champions League play the last two years, Roma seems to have returned to a sufficient level. But Roma isn’t only looking to do better against teams like Inter, AC Milan, and Juventus on the field – it is also trying to compete against these teams for an international name.

Since Roma was taken over by Celtics partner James Pallotta and Red Sox part-owner Thomas DiBenedetto two years ago, the club has attempted to build a world-renown brand name. Though Pallotta officially took over the reins as club president last week, he had already done a lot to take Roma to the next level.

In addition to elevating American interest in the club and working with municipal Roman authorities to build a new, soccer-only stadium by 2016, Pallotta and Roma’s front office have revolutionized the gameday experience for the Italian soccer fan. It’s a kind of change that has taken place with a small amount of European teams, such as Chelsea, Juventus, and Barcelona.

Roma recently finished renovations to the Olympic Stadium by building the “Tribuna 1927,” a luxurious VIP area similar to the box seats at Gillette Stadium and the Ultimate Deck at Fenway Park. Named in honor of the club’s founding year, the state-of-the-art VIP area features a dining room where Roma fans can mingle while eating elegant food prepared by show cooks and look out of large windows in the dining area to see the players march onto the field before first and second half kickoffs.

And be sure not to blink if you’re ever at a game in Rome, as the video screens at both ends of the field do not show replays. The only way to see replays during a game is to sit in Tribuna 1927, where fans have a touch-screen monitor all to themselves that not only shows in-game highlights, but also provides footage of Roma players entering the stadium and getting ready in the locker rooms.

“It’s a new structure in Italy,” said Leonardo Rossi, head of premium ticket sales and formerly of Juventus, which recently built a new stadium in Turin. “Very modern. The first point is the quality, it’s of a new kind of level. We have all-inclusive services such as the dining room and the vantage points in the new seats that are truly unique.”

The Olympic Stadium has an athletics track, which distances fans from the playing field. But Tribuna 1927 also provides an opportunity to sit closer to the field.

The Italian Olympic Committee rents out the stadium to both Roma and rival Lazio, but Tribuna 1927 is only available for Roma fans. It’s a leg up that “Giallorossi” supporters have over Laziali. It’s also a step in building the relationship between club and fan, symbolizing Roma’s intention to succeed off the field as well as on the field.

The New England Revolution acquired midfielder Juan Toja through Major League Soccer's allocation process.

Toja, a MLS All-Star in 2007 and 2008 with Dallas, is from Colombia and played for the Colombian national team twice. He's played 43 career MLS games and scored eight goals and had three assists.

He played from 2009 to 2012 with teams in Romania and Greece.

By Julian Cardillo

ROME – AS Roma played well enough to defeat Catania in Sunday’s Serie A season opener, but had to settle for a 2-2 draw. Catania created two scoring opportunities, both of which went into the back of the net, while Roma was only rewarded with two goals despite vastly outplaying the visitors.

“It’s a long season,” Roma midfielder Michael Bradley said. “The first game is never easy. Obviously tonight, we don’t win, but it’s still a good point to start the season with.”

Most of the action took place in the second half, though Catania opened the scoring in the 28th minute. Francesco Lodi played a free kick short to Sergio Almiron, whose first-time shot deflected through the penalty area to Giovanni Marchese. Marchese, who was unmarked in front of the goal, and appeared to be offside, pounded the ball past Maarten Stekelenburg.

Roma tried for the immediate response, and Eric Lamela had a shot cleared off the line in the 31st minute. Moments later, referee Andrea De Marco failed to award Roma a penalty kick for a shove on Federico Balzaretti in the box.

Roma came out with more fury in the second half in search of an equalizer. In the 47th minute, Catania goalkeeper Mariano Andujar had to dive to his left to parry away a free kick by Lamela headed for the lower right corner of the net. On the ensuing play, Pablo Osvaldo headed a Lamela cross off the post.

Osvaldo didn’t have to wait much longer for a goal. In the 59th minute, he finished a chip by Daniele De Rossi with a bicycle kick that flew into the back of the net. The goal lit up the Stadio Olimpico crowd, and gave Roma more confidence to look for the go-ahead goal.

Roma tried for a second goal by pushing most of the team upfield, though that left large pockets of space for Catania to exploit on the counterattack.

In the 68th minute, Catania made Roma pay as Alejandro Gomez went in alone on Stekelenburg, slotting the ball inside the far post to restore Catania’s lead.

Catania looked poised to steal three points from the “Giallorossi.” Then, Nico Lopez, who came on for an injured Francesco Totti in the 80th minute, scored a last-minute equalizer as he volleyed a cross by Bradley into the net in the final minute of stoppage time.

“You get to the end of the game and at times you have to be more direct,” Bradley said. “It was a good run from Lopez, I was able to find him and he made the play. He made a great goal.”

Roma’s hard-earned point nearly disappeared when, seconds later, Lucas Castro’s chip kissed off the crossbar.

The game seemed fit to be tied.

“Getting this point was good, we can go forward,” Bradley said. “We have to continue to work. There’s time and we’re on the right path.”