Game 38, Serie B
Sunday, June 12, 1983
Stadio Comunale, Cava de' Tirreni
Cavese Lazio 2-2
A hard fought 2-2 draw gives Lazio ticket back to big time
After a slow start (3 draws) Lazio had started winning games (7 consecutive between 7th and 13th fixture). After the first half of the season they were top of the table.
The second part of the fixture list saw Lazio slow down. From January 30 to May 8th, Lazio only won twice (Cremonese, Bari), with 8 draws and 4 defeats (Campobasso, Monza, Pistoiese, Varese). After the 3-3 home draw against Reggiana on May 8, Clagluna was sacked and in came former player Giancarlo "El Gaucho" Morrone.
His first match was a 5-1 away defeat to Milan. To make things worse Roma the same day won the Scudetto and the town was painted red and yellow.
Then luckily Lazio picked up and in a crucial game beat Atalanta 2-1 at home and then earned an away point at Arezzo. A week before today's game, Lazio had won the possibly decisive six-pointer promotion clash against Catania 2-1.
Coming into this afternoon's final game the league table read: Milan 51, Lazio 45, Cremonese 44, Catania 43, Como 43. So, four teams for two places in paradise.
So Lazio needed a point today to clinch promotion. It would be no formality as Cavese were a good team and unbeaten so far at home where they had only conceded 8 goals. But luckily Lazio only needed a draw…
The match
So it was all down to the last match on a windy June afternoon in Cava de' Tirreni which, unlike the name would indicate, is not on the sea. Lazio were not interested in the beach anyway, they wanted a point from today's last football game of the season. The 7,000 travelling fans thought Ostia beach could wait another week too.
They made their intentions clear from the start and attacked furiously. After four minutes Bruno Giordano had a seemingly regular goal disallowed for a previous foul in midfield. After eight minutes however Lazio were ahead. Renato Miele, who had scored two own goals this season, finally chose the right net and his low diving header from a corner put the Biancocelesti in front. Cavese 0 Lazio 1.
Five minutes later the Romans almost scored again. A brilliant move by Vincenzo D'Amico saw him beat a defender, go round the keeper and chip the ball across to Giordano, but the "Trasteverino's" shot bounced up and hit the crossbar.
In the 20th minute Giordano tried again but after dribbling his marker he shot at the keeper.
The home side then had a chance with Infante, on his debut, but his shot was weak and easily blocked low by Fernando Orsi.
This was followed by a superb play by Giordano who lobbed his defender and let off a cracking left foot, which was heading for the top corner, but was acrobatically saved by Franco Paleari.
Cavese were not merely bystanders and in the 33rd minute hit the crossbar with Costante Tivelli. Then in the 37th minute the Campania "Eagles" equalised. Cavese had a corner and the ball was tapped to Antonio Magliocca who got in a high cross which was headed in by Bartolomeo Di Michele. Cavese 1 Lazio 1.
At half time the teams were still level. Lazio were on top and should have scored more goals. Things were still under control but the Biancocelesti had to be careful against a relaxed home side out to enjoy themselves and celebrate their season.
In the second half Cavese put on Luigi Caffarelli, who was supposed to return to his mother club Napoli the next season, but it was Lazio who continued to push harder. The Cavese keeper had an excursion out of his area and lost the ball but D'Amico could not lift his shot enough and a defender blocked the ball from going into the unguarded net.
Lazio were keen to wrap things up and in the 72nd minute Giordano had a shot blocked by Giuseppe Guerini near the line with the keeper beaten.
The goal came three minutes later from a surprising source. Young Lazio boy Giancarlo Marini went straight through the home defence and beat Paleari with a low left foot, brilliant goal. Cavese 1 Lazio 2. Was that it, Lazio to see out the last fifteen minutes with ball possession? No, far from it.
Cavese had no intention of losing their unbeaten home record. In the 80th minute a Giuseppe Pavone shot was parried by Orsi and then Tivelli hammered it high from the favourable rebound.
In the 85th minute Cavese were awarded a penalty for a foul by Carlo Perrone on Tivelli. The local fans were so happy they invaded the pitch. It was a peaceful action and in good spirits but it took at least another five minutes to clear the playing field.
Finally the game restarted and Tivelli picked up the ball and beat Orsi. 2-2 with four minutes to go. A tense few minutes awaited the Lazio faithful.
As it was, Lazio kept possession and tapped the ball around (the famous Italian "melina") waiting for the final whistle. Luckily Cavese too at this stage seemed to be satisfied with a draw and did not exert themselves particularly. The welcome whistle finally came, Lazio were back in Serie A!! This time it was the Lazio fans who ran onto the pitch to celebrate.
After three difficult years in Serie B Lazio were back in the big time. The Biancocelesti side of town took to the streets of Rome to celebrate and gathered at Piazza del Popolo. It was not a Scudetto but it almost felt like it. Top scorer was Bruno Giordano with 21 goals (18 in league).
It had not been an easy ride and Lazio's second part of the season was not as positive as the first but they had enough talent to get them over the line and win promotion with a 2nd place finish on 46 points, behind Milan but one point more than a trio on 45.
Despite Roma's triumph things were looking up especially with the confirmed return of Giorgio "Long John" Chinaglia from the States as new President. He promised Lazio fans would never have to suffer as much as before and in a way it was true ... they would suffer more.
Who played for Cavese
Paleari, Cupini, Magliocca, Infante, Guerini, Mari (65' Scarpa), Puzone (46' Caffarelli), Bilardi, Di Michele, Pavone, Tivelli
Substitutes: Assante, Rispoli, Gregorio
Manager: Santin
Who played for Lazio
Orsi, Podavini, Spinozzi, Vella, Miele, Perrone, Marini, Manfredonia, Giordano, D'Amico (88' Sciarpa), Badiani
Substitutes: Moscatelli, Saltarelli, Tavola, Chiodi
Manager: Morrone
Referee: Agnolin
Goals: 8' Miele, 37' Di Michele, 75' Marini, 86' Tivelli (pen)
Sources
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