Enrico Pucci
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- Nov 22, 2013
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Serie B: Ternana v. Bologna
View attachment 322493Graziano Vinti and Mario Paradisi worked hard with Ferdinando Coppola during the week. Personally, I'm not feeling good about this. I put on a brave face and got on with it.
We started well. We kept the ball, moved it around nicely until the 8th minute when Ternana left back Alessandro Bastrini whipped in a left wing cross. Striker Abou Diop was unmarked at the near post. Thankfully, his header went just wide of the near post.
In the 9th minute, they had a throw out on the left. They worked the ball across the top of the box then played a pass into the box. Midfielder Mirko Eramo was wide open about 15 meters out. I cringed. Eramo had time to control the pass and then he blasted the ball past Coppola.
0-1
Okay, fine. Maybe Dejan might have gotten a finger to it, but it might still have gone in. Can't blame Coppola for this one.
In the 13th minute, Federico Casarini passed it up to Daniele Cacia. Daniele held the ball up and waited until he could spring Matthias Lepiller. Lepiller had the entire net to shoot at. Instead of burying it, he first-timed a shot that would have gone into the left side netting. This is where the keeper was diving. Matthias hit it to the only spot the keeper could have saved.
My face met my palm.
We tried again. This time Cacia played a rather poorly aimed pass toward the right sideline. It was halfway between Lepiller who'd pulled inside and Gyorgy Garics, my right back. Matthias spun and ran over calling off Garics. Matthias spun and lasered in a near post cross. Daniele flicked it in.
1-1
We continued to dominate possession. We created several decent chances. Rather than feeling more comfortable and/or confident, I became more and more nervous. I just wasn't confident that Coppola could stop anything.
In the 30th minute, Ternana's next venture upfield, my nightmare became reality.
Dominico Maietta cleared a cross from Bastrini. It fell right to a Ternana player who lobbed it in to Cesar Falletti who was standing about 25-30 meters out. Falletti volleyed it goalward. I cringed. It was right at Coppola. It was as if Coppola was screened. I'm pretty sure he wasn't. He put his hands up and waved at the ball as it went right over his head. If he'd have jumped, he'd have headed it.
2-1
"**** me," I muttered under my breathe.
We continued dominating possession. If they can't shoot, they can't score because if they do shoot at Coppola, they're probably going to score.
Just before halftime, Matthias pulled up limping and then after a moment just sat down and signaled that his day was done. I put Sergio on for the remaining minute left in first half extra time.
"**** me," I muttered as I stomped off to the dressing room.
I told my midfield trio of Pazienza, Zuculini and Casarini to mark their central midfielders tighter. I gave my players the old show me something different speech. Hopefully, we get lucky.
In the 52nd minute, we do. Ternana's Andrea Bovo hit a grassburner shot right at Coppola. Somehow, he managed to not get out of the way. It bounced off one of his hands and Federico Barba cleared it.
Phewh.
Pazienza and Casarini were both having great games, but Zuculini wasn't. So in the 65th minute, I replaced Zuculini with Metuzalem.
We continued to press, but just couldn't find our breaththrough. You know how this goes. That final pass was just hit a tinge too strongly and rolls out for a goal kick. Or the player wasted a chance by filling his pants instead of controlling the ball correctly.
Gennaro Troianiello hadn't contributed much, so I sent on teenager Antonio Calabrese as his replacement in the 83rd minute.
In the 85th minute, Matuzalem whipped in a cross that was cleared right back toward him. He drilled in a two hop pass to Pazienza who smashed a volley goalwards on the short hop.
2-2
It went in! Didn't touch anyone. It's a fkn miracle!
"I have a bad feeling," Graziani said to me. I sighed and nodded my head in agreement.
In the 90th minute, Eramo got free on a corner and smashed a volley past Coppola.
3-2
The marking at the near post was shambolic. Nobody had taken responsibility to mark Eramo and Casarini who was supposed to be guarding the six yard box, in other words the guy to intercept any low, near post corners, hadn't done his job.
Like the rest of the game, we kept possession after the restart and decamped in the Ternana half yet again.
45 seconds into extra time, Captain Archimede Morleo passes inside to Matuzalem. Matuzalem spins and dishes to Pazienza who one-touches the ball to Casarini. Casarini spins and redeems himself by thundering a shot into the upper left corner.
3-3
The one thousand away supporters behind the goal all scream their joy in unison. Two games, two wonderous and thunderous goals from Casarini. I'm swept up in a huge hug-off on the sidelines.
I feel like I've aged 10 years. I could do with a little less drama, please?
View attachment 322492
View attachment 322491
View attachment 322489
View attachment 322493Graziano Vinti and Mario Paradisi worked hard with Ferdinando Coppola during the week. Personally, I'm not feeling good about this. I put on a brave face and got on with it.
We started well. We kept the ball, moved it around nicely until the 8th minute when Ternana left back Alessandro Bastrini whipped in a left wing cross. Striker Abou Diop was unmarked at the near post. Thankfully, his header went just wide of the near post.
In the 9th minute, they had a throw out on the left. They worked the ball across the top of the box then played a pass into the box. Midfielder Mirko Eramo was wide open about 15 meters out. I cringed. Eramo had time to control the pass and then he blasted the ball past Coppola.
0-1
Okay, fine. Maybe Dejan might have gotten a finger to it, but it might still have gone in. Can't blame Coppola for this one.
In the 13th minute, Federico Casarini passed it up to Daniele Cacia. Daniele held the ball up and waited until he could spring Matthias Lepiller. Lepiller had the entire net to shoot at. Instead of burying it, he first-timed a shot that would have gone into the left side netting. This is where the keeper was diving. Matthias hit it to the only spot the keeper could have saved.
My face met my palm.
We tried again. This time Cacia played a rather poorly aimed pass toward the right sideline. It was halfway between Lepiller who'd pulled inside and Gyorgy Garics, my right back. Matthias spun and ran over calling off Garics. Matthias spun and lasered in a near post cross. Daniele flicked it in.
1-1
We continued to dominate possession. We created several decent chances. Rather than feeling more comfortable and/or confident, I became more and more nervous. I just wasn't confident that Coppola could stop anything.
In the 30th minute, Ternana's next venture upfield, my nightmare became reality.
Dominico Maietta cleared a cross from Bastrini. It fell right to a Ternana player who lobbed it in to Cesar Falletti who was standing about 25-30 meters out. Falletti volleyed it goalward. I cringed. It was right at Coppola. It was as if Coppola was screened. I'm pretty sure he wasn't. He put his hands up and waved at the ball as it went right over his head. If he'd have jumped, he'd have headed it.
2-1
"**** me," I muttered under my breathe.
We continued dominating possession. If they can't shoot, they can't score because if they do shoot at Coppola, they're probably going to score.
Just before halftime, Matthias pulled up limping and then after a moment just sat down and signaled that his day was done. I put Sergio on for the remaining minute left in first half extra time.
"**** me," I muttered as I stomped off to the dressing room.
I told my midfield trio of Pazienza, Zuculini and Casarini to mark their central midfielders tighter. I gave my players the old show me something different speech. Hopefully, we get lucky.
In the 52nd minute, we do. Ternana's Andrea Bovo hit a grassburner shot right at Coppola. Somehow, he managed to not get out of the way. It bounced off one of his hands and Federico Barba cleared it.
Phewh.
Pazienza and Casarini were both having great games, but Zuculini wasn't. So in the 65th minute, I replaced Zuculini with Metuzalem.
We continued to press, but just couldn't find our breaththrough. You know how this goes. That final pass was just hit a tinge too strongly and rolls out for a goal kick. Or the player wasted a chance by filling his pants instead of controlling the ball correctly.
Gennaro Troianiello hadn't contributed much, so I sent on teenager Antonio Calabrese as his replacement in the 83rd minute.
In the 85th minute, Matuzalem whipped in a cross that was cleared right back toward him. He drilled in a two hop pass to Pazienza who smashed a volley goalwards on the short hop.
2-2
It went in! Didn't touch anyone. It's a fkn miracle!
"I have a bad feeling," Graziani said to me. I sighed and nodded my head in agreement.
In the 90th minute, Eramo got free on a corner and smashed a volley past Coppola.
3-2
The marking at the near post was shambolic. Nobody had taken responsibility to mark Eramo and Casarini who was supposed to be guarding the six yard box, in other words the guy to intercept any low, near post corners, hadn't done his job.
Like the rest of the game, we kept possession after the restart and decamped in the Ternana half yet again.
45 seconds into extra time, Captain Archimede Morleo passes inside to Matuzalem. Matuzalem spins and dishes to Pazienza who one-touches the ball to Casarini. Casarini spins and redeems himself by thundering a shot into the upper left corner.
3-3
The one thousand away supporters behind the goal all scream their joy in unison. Two games, two wonderous and thunderous goals from Casarini. I'm swept up in a huge hug-off on the sidelines.
I feel like I've aged 10 years. I could do with a little less drama, please?
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