Complicated game, good win
Lazio beat Livorno thanks to Pastore and a Malatesta brace
Also on this day:
The season so far
The 1929-30 Serie A Championship was the first Serie A tournament to be played using a round robin format. Until the 1926-27 championship the teams were placed into two or more groups based on geographical provenance. Since then the National Division was closed to 20 squads divided into two groups of 10. A year later the teams were 22. These numbers could have allowed a single round robin, but it was a bit difficult from an organisational point of view to have more than 18 teams.
The other problem was the creation of a second tier. In the end a final decision was made: Serie A with 16 teams and a first Serie B with 32 teams divided into two groups. Serie A increased by two to make it 18 due to the fact Triestina needed to be in Serie A for political reasons. Lazio and Napoli had to go through a play off to qualify and that ended in a draw so a repeat was necessary. At that point there was the need to include both teams to even the numbers so the repeat game was cancelled and they both qualified.
Ferenc Molnar was confirmed as manager and the new arrivals were goalkeeper Tullio Bonadeo (La Dominante), defenders Alfredo Foni (Udinese) and Orlando Tognotti (Genova 1893), midfielder Mario Malatesta (Spezia), forwards Riccardo Okely III (Padova), Pietro Pastore (Milan), Dino Sbrana II (Siena) and Luigi Ziroli (Serenissima). Leaving Lazio were Luigi Bodrato (Sestrese), Silvio Griggio (retired), Aroldo Vaccari (Parma), Carlo Nesi (Robur), Gino Lamon (Padova) and Paolo Paganini (Napoli).
Lazio had not done very well despite winning the first game of the season. The Biancocelesti did manage to beat weaker teams but often lost against stronger teams. They lost the first derby and were currently 13th, though with a wide margin over the relegation zone.
The match: Sunday, January 26, 1930, Stadio Rondinella, Rome
Livorno played very well, forcing Lazio to make an extra special effort. In the 11th minute a Francesco Rier-Piero Pastore-Carlo Cevenini V combination gave the winger the opportunity to shoot but the ball went wide.
After a Mario Magnozzi shot over the crossbar in the 16th minute, Mario Malatesta had an excellent opportunity three minutes later, but a second of indecision on what to do was too much and the defence cleared. Lazio continued to press and, in the 20th minute, a Luigi Ziroli shot was well saved by Paolo Lami. A minute later the Leghorn keeper missed the ball completely, Rier had an open goal opportunity but his shot went wide. In the 24th minute Italo Breviglieri crossed and Mario Palandri, unmarked, had a massive opportunity to score but his shot went wide. A couple of minutes later, Livorno again had a chance off a corner which Tulio Bonadeo fisted away, Breviglieri had an open goal opportunity but Leopoldo Caimmi managed to clear very close to the line.
On the half hour Lazio scored. Rier to Malatesta who dribbled past a couple of players and gave a splendid assist to Pastore who did not miss.
Livorno’s reaction was weak and the Biancocelesti put their foot on the accelerator. Lami was called to save a Cevenini V shot in the 33rd minute and ten minutes later Pastore hit the woodwork. The first half ended with another keeper's save off a Malatesta shot.
The second half opened with Livorno attacking en masse. In the 50th minute, following an Odoacre Pardini indecision, Breviglieri had a chance but his shot went high. After the first quarter of an hour Lazio regained control of the game and in the 61st scored again. Ziroli passed centrally to Malatesta who tried a shot which hit the post and went in.
The Tuscans went back on the attack and in the 66th minute Paolo Silvestri’s shot went through the Biancoceleste defence and Breviglieri arrived just a little late for the tap in. In the 77th minute there was a free kick for Livorno. Paolo Silvestri took it and Bonadeo saved into corner. The latter determined a massive scrum in the Biancoceleste box and Orlando Tognotti “saved” with his hand. Penalty to Livorno, Magnozzi took it but his spot kick hit the crossbar.
The Tuscans took a breather and Lazio made it three. In the 79th minute Pastore crossed and Malatesta headed the ball in.
After further attempts to score from the Biancocelesti, Livorno reduced the deficit in the last minute with a great Magnozzi free kick.
Good win for Lazio.
Who played for Lazio
Bonadeo, Tognotti, Bottacini, Caimmi, Furlani, Pardini, Ziroli, Malatesta, Pastore, Rier, Cevenini V
Manager: Piselli
Who played for Livorno
Lami, Paolini, Innocenti III, Cucciolini, Giraldi, Baldi, Breviglieri, Alberti, Palandri, Magnozzi, Silvestri
Manager: Rady
Referee: Gama
Goals: 30’ Pastore, 61’ Malatesta, 79’ Malatesta, 89’ Magnozzi
What happened next
At the end of the first half of the season Lazio were 13th but a comfortable six points above the relegation zone.
With five matches to the end of the season Lazio were 12th on 24 points with Pro Patria and Livorno, one point ahead of Modena and Padova and two over Triestina. There was one team left to be relegated since Cremonese were last and a long way behind. Lazio beat Torino and then lost to Napoli and Livorno.
Two games to go and Lazio were 16th, two points ahead of Padova and one behind Modena, Triestina, Pro Patria and Livorno. They really needed to beat Pro Vercelli at home and they did so but Padova also won. Before the final match Lazio, Modena, Triestina and Pro Patria were on 28 points, Livorno on 27 and Padova on 26.
It all came down to the final match of the season. Padova were beaten 8-0 by Roma so Lazio were safe despite losing against Juventus.
A difficult season for Lazio. Leopoldo Caimmi was the player with most appearances (32), Luigi Ziroli was top scorer with 11 goals followed by Piero Pastore with 10.
Let's talk about Tulio Bonadeo
Tulio Bonadeo was born on April 3 1905 in Cerreto Grue, near Alessandria. He started playing as goalkeeper for Sampierderanese in 1924. In 1927 the fascist government forced a merger with another Genoa team, Andrea Doria, and he played for the new club, called La Dominante, until 1929.
For the first Serie A league of 1929-30, Bonadeo became Lazio’s second goalkeeper. He stayed for four years in the capital as number two behind the legendary Ezio Sclavi. He obviously did not have much playing time, just six appearances (one must also consider that there were no substitutes at the time), and in his last season he never played for the first team.
In 1932 he signed for Derthona where he stayed another 3 years before his final season back at Sampierdarenese who by that time had returned after the collapse of La Dominante.
Bonadeo won the World University Championships three times, in 1927 in Rome, 1928 in Paris and 1930 in Darmstadt.
While he was at Lazio, he also played for the water polo team, in goal obviously. He was also an amateur cyclist.
He died in Sampierdarena on January 24 1968.
Lazio career
Season | Appearances Serie A |
1929-30 | 3 |
1930-31 | 1 |
1931-32 | 2 |
Total | 29 |
Sources
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