Spurs fight back to lose at whistle
ROMA withstood a dramatic Tottenham comeback to send the Premier League team to its first loss of this pre-season in a bad-tempered affair that ended 3-2 in remarkable fashion.
Tackles were flying in all over the pitch and Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino was livid with match officials in the second half, although much of his anger would have been directed at his players who badly underperformed at Red Bull Arena.
Diego Perotti put the Italian team ahead with a penalty on 12 minutes. On 69 minutes, Eusebio Di Francesco’s side doubled their lead as sub Kevin Vimmer’s cross fell to Turkish midfielder Cengiz Under, whose goal appeared to have sealed the win.
But Harry Winks reduced the arrears on 86 minutes when he prodded home, and when Vincent Janssen scored in stoppage time, the Premier League team looked to have gained a draw that would have sent the International Champions Cup friendly to a penalty shootout.
Moments later, however, Marco Tumminello scored in dramatic fashion to sink the Londoners.
On the day Daniel Levy, the Tottenham owner, stressed his lack of transfer activity this summer was irrelevant because of the club’s thriving youth academy, Pochettino fielded a number of younger players.
Central defender Cameron Carter-Vickers, left back Kyle Walker-Peters and midfielder Josh Onomah all started for a Spurs team that arrived in New York buoyant after Saturday’s 4-2 win over Paris SaintGermain in Orlando.
Roma, which lost its previous match to the French champion on penalties, fielded a near full-strength side with former Manchester City player Edin Dzeko and Aleksandar Kolarov renewing acquaintances with the Premier League club.
And the Italians controversially took the lead on 12 minutes through Perotti’s penalty.
Carter-Vickers was adjudged to have handled a Radja Nainggolan cross and although referee Hilario Grajeda was unsure, his assistant indicated the Spurs player did handle the ball in the area, allowing Perotti to step up and steer past Michel Vorm.
The English side, cheered on by a strong contingent of supporters, failed to hit its stride and it was not until the 24th minute that a chance finally fell its way.
Harry Kane was dangerously close to a cross before Mousa Dembele hit the bar from close range.
Kane, the England striker, had been very quiet but he sprung into life on 36 minutes, powerfully holding off his marker before unleashing a shot from 18m, which was well saved by Roma’s keeper Alisson.
Roma now travel to Boston for its final International Champions Cup match with Serie A rival Juventus while Tottenham travels to Nashville to take on Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City