Pisa and Piola destroy Torino
Great win for Lazio, Piola exceptional
Also on this day: November 2, 1952: Lazio Palermo 2-0. An Antoniotti brace and Sentimenti IV’s saves allow the Biancocelesti to beat the Rosaneri. Player of the day: Lelio Antoniotti
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had avoided relegation with a 2-2 draw in the last game away from home against champions Bologna. It was hoped that the 1941-42 season would not be quite so difficult.
Remo Zenobi became president in September 1941 but there was no money for transfers. The only signing was Lorenzo Borici plus the return from their loan spells of Bruno Camolese and Maximilliano Faotto.
In the first game of the season the Biancocelesti had drawn at Trieste 0-0. Today was the first home game of the season.
The match: Sunday, November 2, 1941, Stadio del PNF, Rome
Lazio started the game well and in the 10th minute they were already ahead. Free kick for the Biancocelesti, cross in the middle of the box, Silvio Piola surrounded by defenders managed to head the ball back to Silvestro Pisa just outside the box, big whack, 1-0 for the Biancocelesti.
Torino reacted but despite pressing Lazio into their half, were never dangerous. No lack of energy or desire, but no ideas, cohesion, or organisation from the Granata.
In the second half it looked as if Torino finally managed to get things together, but then Lazio scored again. In the 57th minute Enrique Flamini to Piola on the left, again Italy’s centre forward was surrounded by players, but he found the gap and passed to Pisa. Another big whack and 2-0 for Lazio.
In the 68th minute Pietro Ferraris crossed into the box, the ball was cleared but not properly, Felice Borel had a chance to shoot and he did, the ball hit Luciano Ramella’s hand no more than five meters away and for the ref it was a penalty. Romeo Menti II reduced the deficit.
One minute later, misunderstanding between Aldo Cadario and Osvaldo Ferrini, Piola moved in for the kill, his shot was deflected by Fioravante Baldi III thus surprising Alfredo Bodoira and ending up in the back of the net.
Torino had a number of chances to score again but Uber Gradella was fantastic on at least three occasions. In the 87th minute Lazio made it four. Flamini to Piola who flew towards the Torino penalty box, dribbled by Ferrini and just inside the box hammered a left footer past Bodoira.
Great win for Lazio, Piola exceptional today.
Who played for Lazio
Manager: Popovic
Who played for Torino
Bodoira, Piacentini, Ferrini, Ellena, Cadario, Baldi III, Menti II, Borel II, Gabetto, Petron, Ferraris II
Manager: Kuttik
Referee: Scorzoni
Goals: 10’ Pisa, 48’ Pisa, 68’ Menti II, 69’ Baldi III (og), 87’ Piola
What happened next
At the end of the first half of the season Lazio were 9th, not too far from the relegation zone (+3) but neither way off fourth place (-3). They had beaten champions Bologna 5-1 but had lost the derby. They had then won against Triestina 5-0 and beaten Liguria 4-0.
In the last five matches Lazio won 4, including a 5-2 away in Milan against Milano (the name had changed from Milan to a more Italian Milano since at the time all things with a foreign taste were Italianised), and drew the derby 1-1. In the end they arrived 5th, same points as Genoa but with a lower goal quotient (ratio between goals scored and goals conceded).
Flamini and Alfredo Monza were the players with most appearances (32) and Silvio Piola with the most goals (21).
Lazio 1941-42
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 30 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 55 |
Coppa Italia | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 6 |
Total | 32 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 61 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Flamini | 32 | 30 | 2 |
Monza | 32 | 30 | 2 |
Gradella | 31 | 29 | 2 |
Ramella | 30 | 28 | 2 |
Pisa | 29 | 27 | 2 |
Top five goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Piola | 21 | 18 | 3 |
Pisa | 14 | 14 | - |
Puccinelli | 9 | 9 | - |
Gualtieri | 6 | 4 | 2 |
Romagnoli II | 4 | 4 | - |
Baldo | 4 | 4 | - |
Let's talk about Alberto Fazio
Alberto Fazio was born on September 15 1918 in Buenos Aires. He started playing football in the youth teams of San Lorenzo and arrived in Italy on March 18 1940 in the Port of Genoa. He signed for Lazio but had to wait until the beginning of the following season to debut. In the meantime, he played a few friendlies including a derby which finished 3-3.
He stayed three seasons at Lazio. He was a ruthless central defender, nicknamed “the assassin”, he was that harsh. He was a good player, very dedicated, hard worker, generous and with a good vision of play. He made 63 appearances. In 1943, together with the Pisa brothers Silvestro and Anselmo, Enrique Flamini and Miguel Angel Pantò, he left to avoid the incoming war, settling in Spain for a couple of months before returning to Argentina. Back at home he became a butcher, not surprisingly for some seeing how he played football.
Not much is known about him since then. He used to occasionally call his team mates to know how Lazio were doing, but then lost touch.
Lazio career
Season | Total appearances | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
1940-41 | 9 | 8 | 1 |
1941-42 | 27 | 25 | 2 |
1942-43 | 27 | 24 | 3 |
Total | 63 | 57 | 6 |
Sources
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