Lazio 2-2 AC Milan: Moreira's Bench Brace Masks Milan's First-Half Structural Crack

I stayed behind in the press area of the Stadio Olimpico longer than anyone else. The match monitor had gone dark, only the cold blue of the LED stat board reflecting on the desk. In my notebook I wrote one line: 'First half Milan did not hold the ball, did not press, let Lazio lead 2-0. Second half, Amorim made three changes, Moreira scored twice, Pulisic assisted once. Final: 2-2.' This is the kind of match I always wait for more than a flawless victory, because the mask of the scoreline only falls away when there is a forgotten half behind it. I have followed football for more than twenty-eight years, and I have learned that a draw like this carries more information than any four-star rout. People will talk about Diego Moreira's brace, about Christian Pulisic's assist on his return day, about Milan staying unbeaten. I will talk about the first forty-five minutes nobody wants to remember.