AS Roma clinches 10th straight win but lose captain Totti to injury

AS Roma beat lowly Empoli 1-0 on a first-half goal by midfielder Simone Perrotta yesterday, equaling a Serie A record of 10 straight wins.

However the hard-fought win at Stadio Olimpico, which lifted Roma up to fourth in the standings, was overshadowed by an injury to captain Francesco Totti.

Totti twisted his left ankle following a rough tackle by an opponent in the 12th minute and was carried from the field on a stretcher. Initial reports from club officials suggested he'll be sidelined for about two months with a fractured fibula and strained ankle ligaments.

The Roman club said Totti was undergoing surgery at a local clinic. The 29-year-old playmaker should recover in time to play for Italy at the June 9-July 9 World Cup in Germany.

"He's a very important player for the national team. It would be a pity not to have him in the World Cup. We will be waiting for him and will do everything possible to recover him in time," Italy coach Marcello Lippi said.

Roma's coach Luciano Spalletti said it was immediately clear that it was a bad injury. "Francesco also realized it, and immediately said 'I'm broken,"' the coach added.

Roma equaled the record set by Juventus in 1932 - and later matched by AC Milan and Bologna - on Perotta's 16th-minute goal. The midfielder tapped the ball in from a few meters (yards) after a blunder by Empoli goalkeeper Christian Cejas.

Empoli attacked for long periods in the second half and Roma's Brazilian 'keeper Doni made a couple of decisive saves to defend his team victory.

Roma, which received a standing ovation from the home crowd at the end, moved to 51 points, one more than fifth-place Fiorentina, which lost 2-1 to Lazio.

It was the second home loss in 13 matches for the Florentine side and followed its reverse to Livorno in last week's Tuscan derby.

Roma trail league leader Juventus by 16 points but is within four points of third-place Inter Milan.

Juventus was held to a 2-2 draw Saturday by underdog Messina, while Inter played to 0-0 at Livorno. Also Saturday, AC Milan moved into second place, two points ahead of Inter, with a 1-0 home win over Cagliari.

Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan played on Saturday to have an extra day to prepare for their Champions League commitments Tuesday and Wednesday.

In Sunday's other games, Siena upset Udinese 2-1 on the road on two goals by 19-year-old striker Rey Volpato; Sampdoria stumbled 2-1 at home against Ascoli; Lecce and Reggina drew 0-0; Parma won 1-0 at Treviso to escape the relegation zone; and Chievo Verona held seventh place following a 0-0 with Palermo.

Lazio's Switzerland international Valon Berhami, who returned from a long injury earlier this month, put his team 1-0 up at Stadio Artemio Franchi when he controlled a deep pass and sent a slow left shot past 'keeper Bogdan Lobont.

Tommaso Rocchi's diving header in the 49th made it 2-0 before second-half Fiorentina substitute Valeri Bojinov hit a long-distance volley to revive the home team's hopes. Riccardo Montolivo almost made it 2-2 when he hit the post in the 79th and Luca Toni, Serie A's leading scorer with 22 goals, kicked wide in the closing minutes.

Udinese, which finished fourth last season, slipped to 13th after its 13th loss of the season stretched its winless streak to nine matches.

Volpato, a teenage striker on loan from Juventus, put Siena in front with a precise header in the 34th and added the winner in the 40th, two minutes after Udinese equalized on a penalty converted by Vincenzo Iaquinta.

The away win lifted Siena two points clear of Udinese, which named coach Nestor Sensini to replace the fired Serse Cosmi last week.

Brazilian midfielder Fabio Simplicio scored Parma's winner from an apparent offside at last-place Treviso.