Crushed
Lazio dominated the big match against Milan and crushed the Rossoneri thanks to a Tozzi brace and Vivolo penalty
Also on this day: April 14, 1974, Lazio Verona 4-2. Lazio come from behind to beat Verona and gain another point on Juventus. Lazio Hero of the day: Giancarlo Oddi
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had arrived an excellent 3rd in the company of Inter. Great results with victories over Juventus, Milan (both home and away), Inter away and one of the derbies. The Biancocelesti had started so-so but after manager Luigi Ferrero was sacked and technical director Roberto Copernico left, the team had been taken over by Jesse Carver and Lazio flourished in the second part of the season.
Jesse Carver was confirmed and despite numerous difficulties at the club, several interesting players had arrived: defender Adelmo Eufemi (Livorno), midfielders Luigi Moltrasio (Torino) and Umberto Pinardi (Udinese) plus forwards Humberto Tozzi (Palmeiras) and Karl Aage Præst, legendary winger who had made 233 League appearances with Juventus. Leaving were Francesco Antonazzi (Chinotto Neri), Attilio Giovannini (Nissena), Giorgio Bravi (Taranto), Renzo Sassi (Udinese), Angelo Villa (Spal), Brunello Cocciuti (Reggina) and Rinaldo Olivieri (Triestina).
At the club, President Costantino Tessarolo and his deputy Mario Vaselli had had many economic difficulties. They had promised the players a 2 million lire bonus for the third place but they did not have the cash. The players and managers threatened to strike.
The problems resulted in a terrible start for Lazio, and after eight games they were bottom. But once the economic problems were temporarily solved, the team started to be more concentrated and the Biancocelesti had begun to climb up the table. At the end of the first half of the season Lazio were 4th with Napoli and Sampdoria, just six points away from the leaders Milan.
They continued to play well in the second part of the year with draws against Juventus and in the derby, and were currently third together with Inter, just two points off second placed Fiorentina. Milan were miles ahead and very close to winning the scudetto.
The match: Sunday, April 14 1957, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Jesse Carver, who was unavailable for the game, was substituted on the bench by Enrico Radio, his second in command.
Tozzi had a chance early on. Pasquale Vivolo passed to Ermes Muccinelli, Luigi Zannier intervened but complicated matters, de facto leaving his goalkeeper Lorenzo Buffon in no man’s land. Tozzi tried a lob but the ball was too high. In the 18th minute, Luigi Moltrasio took a free kick and crossed into the box, Zannier and Alfio Fontana cleared but the ball arrived to Vivolo who quickly passed to Tozzi. The Brazilian turned around and shot but Zannier managed to deflect.
In the 20th minute, Renzo Burini crossed into the area, the ball was cleared but Burini tried again, Vivolo headed the ball towards Arne Selmosson, Eros Beraldo intercepted with an arm and for the ref Rosario Lo Bello it was a penalty. Vivolo had no problem with the spot kick and Lazio were ahead.
Milan tried to react and had a couple of half chances with Mario Bergamaschi and Carlo Galli, but Bob Lovati did not have too many problems.
Galli did score an equaliser, but it was ruled offside. In the 28th minute another controversial decision by the Sicilian referee. Free kick for Milan, Nils Liedholm crossed, Moltrasio cleared but the ball reached Per Bredesen who passed to Gastone Bean. The Rossonero centre forward was unmarked in front of Lovati. Bean dribbled, passed Bob, but fell (touched by the keeper maybe?), the ball arrived to Galli who tried a shot, Lovati saved, Amos Mariani tried again but Moltrasio cleared.
Two minutes later a Galli-Bean one-two gave Lovati more work to do. In the 33rd minute a Liedholm free kick was safely saved by the Lazio keeper.
In the 38th minute Lazio made it two. Free kick, Muccinelli crossed into the box from the left, Vivolo anticipated Buffon, the ball landed perfectly for Tozzi who tapped it in. Lazio 2 Milan 0.
After just five minutes of the second half the Biancocelesti scored again. Vivolo took a free kick and crossed, Burini volleyed towards the goal, Buffon was beaten but Zannier cleared on the line. It was, however, a pass to Tozzi who scored his brace.
Lazio insisted and had chances with Franco Carradori, wide, Moltrasio, saved by Buffon and Tozzi, saved again by the Milan keeper. The Rossoneri had disappeared from the game and Buffon was forced to save a free kick from Carradori before Galli, in the 66th minute, had the chance to reopen the match but Lovati was quick to anticipate him.
Buffon had more work to do on shots from Moltrasio, Vivolo and Burini, before Lo Bello called it a day.
A marvellous game from Lazio.
Who played for Lazio
Manager: Radio
Who played for Milan
Buffon, Beraldo, Fontana, Liedholm, Zannier, Bergamaschi, A. Mariani, Galli, Bean, Schiaffino, Bredesen.
Manager: Viani I
Referee: Lo Bello
Goals: 20’ Vivolo (pen), 38’ Tozzi, 50’ Tozzi
What happened next
Lazio finished third for the second consecutive year. Another excellent result, despite the initial problems. After beating future champions Milan 3-0 they also won away against Inter. They finished the season with a 6-2 win away at Palermo.
Molino, Lovati and Selmosson had the most appearances (34) and the Swede the most goals (12).
Lazio 1956-57
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 34 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 52 |
Top five appearances
Player | Serie A |
Molino | 34 |
Lovati | 34 |
Selmosson | 34 |
Moltrasio | 29 |
Muccinelli | 29 |
Pinardi | 29 |
Top five goal scorers
Player | Goals |
Selmosson | 12 |
Vivolo | 9 |
Tozzi | 9 |
Muccinelli | 5 |
Burini | 5 |
Let's talk about Enrico Radio
Enrico Radio was born in Trieste on February 4 1920. He was a good midfield player who played almost his entire career with Triestina. From 1938 to 1950 he made 198 appearances, contributing to a historic second place in Serie A in 1947-48. He ended his active footballing career with Marzotto Valdagno (1950-52, with a promotion to Serie B) and Portogruaro in the 1952-53 season.
Once he stopped playing he became a manager. He started with Portogruaro in the fourth tier in his last season as a player and then in 1956 he got a call which opened up his managerial career. Jess Carver, called to Lazio in 1956 for the last 19 matches of the 1955-56 season, asked him to be his assistant. He stayed with Lazio until 1957, substituting Carver twice in Serie A and for the Brazilian tour in June 1957 for the Morumbi Cup. Lazio lost against Corinthians and Sao Paulo but beat Sevilla 3-0. In his two years with the Biancocelesti, Lazio arrived third twice.
When Carver was called to manage Inter in 1957-58, Radio went with him. After the experience in Milan, he went solo. In 1958 he was Treviso manager in Serie C and in 1960 he was head coach for Sambenedettese.
In 1961 he returned to Trieste and took the club back up to Serie B. After a year at Siena and one at Piacenza he went back to his home town in 1966. The club avoided relegation in his first two years but he was sacked before the last match of his third season despite being in second place. In 1969 he went back to Piacenza but was replaced at Christmas. His last two years of management were with Venezia between 1970 and 1972. In 1977-78 he was called to take over the role of sporting director for the club.
He died in Trieste on April 4 2012 at the age of 92.
Sources
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