All alone at the top
Lazio beat Bari and top Serie A at the halfway line
Also on this day:
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had arrived seventh, a little bit disappointing. The whole team was geared to set up Silvio Piola but not everything worked according to plan. The defence was a little weak, not protected enough by the midfield. Manager Walter Alt had resigned with three games to go and was substituted by Jozsef Viola who was confirmed for the 1936-37 season.
Fans expected a revolution in the summer transfer window and revolution it was. Goodbye to Attilio Ferraris IV (Bari), Anfilogino Guarisi (Corinthians), Virgillio Levratto (Savona), Egidio Turchi and Antonio Bisigato (both to Ambrosiana Inter), Odoacre Pardini (retired) and Umberto Visentin III (Treviso), welcome forwards Giovanni Costa (Vicenza), Giovanni Riccardi and Umberto Busani, plus midfielder Luigi Milano (all from Alessandria).
There was great optimism and the start was very good. Lazio were leading the Serie A with Bologna. The duo had a one-point lead over Torino.
The match: Sunday January 10, 1937, Stadio PNF, Rome
The previous Sunday Lazio had won a spectacular match 5-3 in Naples so the home fans expected to see much of the same. Unfortunately, the Biancocelesti played a pretty terrible first half. Total lack of football intelligence on behalf of the team. Walter D’Odorico, who was the replacement for Giovanni Costa, missed three easy chances between the 10th and 13th minute. On the first he kicked the ball at the keeper, on the second his shot went out and for the third opportunity he missed the ball completely. In the 19th minute Mario Lovetti and Elio Grolli one-twoed a few times and passed to Alcide Violi who was ready for the whack. The Bari forward instead almost missed the ball, touching it ever so slightly. Giacomo Blason should have had no trouble in picking the ball up but he slipped. The football slowly went into the net.
Lazio attacked. D’Odorico had a chance but was anticipated by Giovanni Braga as he was about to score. Bari were dangerous on the counter attack with a Lovetti shot and then in the 30th minute Francesco Capocasale had a chance after a Lovetti cross but his volley was miraculously saved by Blason. In the 40th minute Alfredo Monza and Raffaele Mancini going for the ball clashed heads and the Lazio player was forced off the field until the beginning of the second half. Mancini, despite coming back on the pitch almost immediately, in the second half was forced to change places with Lovetti.
The Biancocelesti came back for the second 45 minutes a different team and overturned the result. In the 53rd minute there was a free kick for Lazio. Giovanni Riccardi feigned a shot and left the ball to Giuseppe Baldo who with a clinical shot beat Cesare Casirago.
Ball back to the centre of the field. Silvio Piola passed to Umberto Busani who crossed into the box. Casirago came out to catch but was anticipated by Bruno Camolese who headed to D’Odorico on the left. Another header and Lazio went 2-1 up.
In the 59th minute Riccardi hit the woodwork and Bari had a chance with Raffaele Costantino well saved by Blason. The Biancocelesti after a difficult first half were now dominating and in the 72nd minute made it three. Corner for Lazio, the Bari defence cleared, ball to Giuseppe Viani 25 metres from goal, big whack, 3-1 for Lazio.
Game over.
After the match the good news: Bologna had lost to Milan away. Lazio were first with a two-point lead.
Who played for Lazio
Manager: Violak
Who played for Bari
Casirago, Marini, Caldarulo, Braga, Ferraris IV, Mancini, Costantino, Loetti, Violi, Grolli, Capocasale
Manager: Cargnelli
Referee: Bertolio
Goals: 19’ Violi, 53’ Baldo, 54’ D’Odorico, 72’ Viani
What happened next
Lazio lost the next game in Milan and were caught up by Bologna and then, marred by a number of injuries, they lost ground with three consecutive defeats: Fiorentina (5-1), the derby and Juventus (6-1). When all seemed lost, the injured players started to return and their performances flourished. In the last eight games of the season Lazio won six and lost only once, achieving a spectacular second place and qualification to the Central European Cup (or Mitropa Cup).
A great season, the best so far and the best for many, many years to come.
Top scorer had obviously been Silvio Piola with 31 goals in 35 matches. The player with the most appearances was Giuseppe Baldo (37).
In July, Lazio had played the first rounds of the Mitropa Cup. In the round of 16 they had beaten Hungaria MTK (4-3 on aggregate) and in the quarters Grasshoppers (8-4). They then should have faced the winner between Genoa and Admira Wien in the semi-final but both teams had been disqualified so the Biancocelesti went directly into the final (played in September and October against Ferencvaros which Lazio lost 9-6 on aggregate).
Let's talk about Erberto Vaselli
Erberto Vaselli was born on February 12, 1907 in Rome. He was an entrepreneur and advisor for Lazio starting from 1932.
Between 1936 and 1938 he was President of the club. These were years of great investments to exploit the potential of Silvio Piola and the Biancocelesti did very well, especially in the 1936-37 season where they arrived second, the best result until 1974. After 1938 he returned to his advisory role.
Vaselli was known for his attention to playing it safe from a budgetary point of view, but also for the signing of great players such as Alfredo Monza, Giuseppe Baldo, Bruno Camolese, Giovanni Riccardi, Umberto Busani and Luigi Milano.
He was also vice president of the Parioli sports club and President of the Italian Tennis Federation in 1940.
Sources
Comments