Game 3, Anglo Italian Cup
Sunday, May 17, 1970
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Lazio Sunderland 2-1
Lazio beat visitors from Tyne and Wear in enjoyable encounter
In today's Anglo-Italian Cup they had played two games but lost them both, against Sunderland 1-3 at Roker Park and Wolves 0-1 at Molineux. The tournament would run from May 1 until May 28.
This was the first edition of the cup and involved 6 English teams (Sheffield Wednesday, Swindon Town, Middlesbrough, West Bromwich, Wolves and Sunderland) and 6 Italian (Napoli, Juventus, Vicenza, Roma, Fiorentina and Lazio). Teams from the same country would not play each other despite being in the same group and the two teams from each country with the most total points from the 3 groups would play in the final.
So far, in this competition Sunderland had won 3-1 against Lazio and then drawn 2-2 against Fiorentina, both at home.
The match
A fresh, Roman evening brought a decent 15,000 crowd to the Olimpico.
Lazio were without Giorgio Chinaglia and Giuliano Fortunato while the English played with the same team as in the home game with the exception of Colin Symm instead of Martin Harvey.
The first half was played at a good pace and without an excessively defensive approach by either team.
The main things to note were a blatant penalty denied to the visitors when Rino Marchesi tripped Billy Hughes up in the area and a Juan Carlos Morrone shot that went just over the bar a little before the break.
For the second half Lazio replaced Morrone with Mario Tomy while Sunderland took off Dennis Tueart and put on Jones.
The second half was more action packed. In the 52nd minute Lazio took the lead. A good move on the break reached Ferruccio Mazzola II who shot from the long range, the keeper could not hold onto it and it rolled towards the line where the keeper got back and seemed to clear it before it went over. The linesman however gestured to the referee that it was a goal. The problem of having referees of one of the nations playing is the risk that they exaggerate in trying to show their impartiality. The same had happened to Lazio in England, where they had been penalised by Italian referees. Anyway, Lazio 1 Sunderland 0.
Lazio almost doubled their lead in the 56th minute when a Giampiero Ghio shot was deflected by Todd onto the post. Ghio a few minutes later missed a sitter and then Michelangelo Sulfaro was called into action on a Hughes header deflected by Pino Wilson.
The game was now entertaining. Giuseppe Massa weaved his way past several defenders and teed up Franco Nanni but his powerful, low shot was saved by Jimmy Montgomery.
In the 66th minute Lazio doubled their lead. Mazzola fed Ghio on the left and the striker let off a precise, low shot on the far post. Lazio 2 Sunderland 0.
The English did not give up and not even two minutes later pulled a goal back. Robert Park burst down the right, crossed into Gordon Harris who nodded it down to Hughes who put an unstoppable strike past Sulfaro. Lazio 2 Sunderland 1.
The game was end to end. Mazzola hit the outside of the post and then a Hughes header forced Sulfaro into an acrobatic save. Lazio had several more chances, Ghio hesitated in front of goal, Montgomery saved brilliantly from Nanni and Tomy shaved the post from close range. Hughes too threatened again but the game ended with Lazio victorious. Lazio 2 Sunderland 1.
The fans appreciated the spectacle and both sides were applauded off the field. With these two points, plus the two goals, Lazio reached 5 points but Napoli were on 14...they had thrashed Sheffield Wednesday 5-1.
Who played for Lazio
Sulfaro, Wilson, Facco, Governato, Papadopulo, Marchesi, Massa, Mazzola II, Ghio, Nanni (84' Diomedi), Morrone (46' Tomy)
Manager: Lorenzo
Who played for Sunderland
Montgomery, Irwin, Symm, Todd, Heslop, McGiven, Park, Harris, Hughes, Kerr, Tueart (46' Jones)
Manager: Brown
Referee: Lyden (GB)
Goals: 52' Morrone, 66' Ghio, 68' Jones
Sources
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