July 6, 1930: Juventus Lazio 3-1
Lazio's Effort Goes Unrewarded in Turin
After battling back to level the match, the Biancocelesti are undone by a late Juventus surge
The season so far
The 1929-30 Serie A League 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 clubs 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.
Lazio did not do very well despite winning the first game of the season 3-0 against Bologna, who were reigning champions. The Biancocelesti did manage to beat weaker teams but often lost against stronger teams. They lost the first derby and at the end of the first half of the season were 13th, comfortably 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.
Today was the last game of the season. Lazio were 12th in the company of Modena, Triestina and Pro Patria with Livorno on 27 and Padova in penultimate position and in the relegation zone on 26. The Biancocelesti were not exactly safe and they had to go and play in Turin against Juventus. The other games were Modena-Ambrosiana Inter, Triestina-Napoli, Pro Patria-Torino, Livorno-Brescia and Roma-Padova.
The match: Sunday, July 6, 1930, Stadio di Corso Marsiglia, Turin
Lazio tried in vain to avoid defeat on Juventus' ground. The Roman side, despite putting in a wholehearted effort, could not prevent the Bianconeri, who were playing with a depleted lineup, from securing a convincing victory. With this win, Juventus finished the season in third place, behind Ambrosiana and Genova.
The opening stages were marked by attacks from Lazio and two fruitless corner kicks against the Turin side. In the 7th minute came the opening goal, scored by Raimundo Orsi, who, after receiving the ball near midfield, evaded the opponents who came to challenge him and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the left-hand corner of the Roman goal.
After this goal, play continued with Juventus holding the upper hand, interrupted only occasionally by counterattacks from the visitors. Indeed, after earning a corner in the 29th minute, the Biancocelesti equalised in the 36th. The move that produced the goal began on the right flank and was finished by Aldo Spivach, whose low shot struck the post before rolling into the net.
Juventus began the second half sluggishly but rediscovered all their fighting spirit after Gianpiero Combi, while on the ground, was struck rather roughly by Luigi Ziroli. In the 54th minute Juventus won another corner, but it came to nothing, and shortly afterward Ezio Sclavi kept his side in the game with a series of difficult saves. The play gradually became heavy and scrappy, and the Bianconeri squandered several good chances to score. Around the hour mark, however, Lazio regained their composure and the match became evenly balanced once more.
In the 66th minute the Juventus forward line produced a fine move, culminating in a shot by Renato Cesarini that Sclavi managed to save with some fortune. The game remained evenly contested, with further saves by Sclavi. Cesarini and Orsi then switched positions, and the change paid off. In the 77th minute Cesarini, now operating on the left, delivered a precise cross. Sclavi, Augusto Mattei II, and Giuseppe Gobetti all converged on the ball, but the Juventus forward prevailed and put it into the net.
Lazio wasted their ensuing counterattack through Mario Malatesta. Three minutes from the end, Juventus scored their third goal when Gobetti delivered a cross that Oliviero Vojak II headed home. Sclavi's skill then prevented the Turin side from increasing their advantage further.
Fortunately, this defeat was of no consequence since Padova lost 8-0 in Rome and were the second team to be relegated.
Who played for Juventus
Combi, Rosetta, Caligaris, Barale III, Varglien I, Varglien II, Gobetti, Diena, Cesarini, Vojak II, Orsi
Manager: Aitken
Who played for Lazio
Sclavi, Tognotti, Mattei II, Foni, Pardini, Caimmi, Ziroli, Malatesta, Pastore, Spivach, Cevenini V Manager: Molnar
Referee: Guarnieri
Goals: 8’ Orsi, 36’ Spivach, 78’ Gobetti, 87’ Vojak II
What happened next
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 Raimundo Orsi
Raimundo Orsi was one of the finest wingers of the interwar era, a footballer whose dazzling dribbling, explosive pace, and precise finishing made him a star in both South America and Europe. Born in Argentina but later representing Italy, he became one of the most celebrated "oriundi"—South American-born players of Italian descent—whose arrival transformed Italian football in the late 1920s. His spectacular goal in the 1934 World Cup Final remains one of the defining moments of early international football.
Raimundo Bibiani Orsi was born on 2 December 1901 in Avellaneda, an industrial suburb south of Buenos Aires. Raised in a football-loving community with strong Italian immigrant roots, he developed his skills in the streets before joining the youth ranks of Club Atlético Independiente.
Orsi made his senior debut for Independiente in 1920 and quickly established himself as one of Argentina's premier left wingers. Nicknamed Mumo, he combined exceptional close control with blistering acceleration and a powerful left foot. Unlike many wingers of his era, he was as much a goal scorer as a creator, often cutting inside from the flank to shoot.
During the 1920s, Independiente enjoyed considerable success, and Orsi became a regular for the Argentina national football team. He helped Argentina win the 1927 South American Championship and earned widespread acclaim at the 1928 Summer Olympics, where Argentina reached the final before losing to Uruguay after a replay.
In 1928, Juventus paid what was then regarded as one of football's largest transfer fees to bring Orsi to Turin. His arrival formed part of an ambitious rebuilding project financed by the industrial Fiat dynasty.
Italian football was becoming increasingly tactical, but Orsi's style remained wonderfully expressive. His balance, feints, and ability to beat defenders one-on-one thrilled spectators. Playing alongside outstanding forwards such as Renato Cesarini, Federico Munerati, and later Felice Borel, Orsi became one of the key figures in Juventus' legendary run of five consecutive Italian league championships between 1930 and 1935.
Although naturally a winger, Orsi was far more than a provider of crosses. He frequently drifted into central positions, scored from distance, and possessed remarkable composure in front of goal. His goals often came from individual brilliance rather than elaborate passing moves.
Because of his Italian ancestry, Orsi became eligible to play for the Italy national football team. At the time, FIFA regulations permitted players who had previously represented another country to switch national teams under certain conditions.
His decision to represent Italy was controversial in Argentina but warmly welcomed in Italy, where several South American-born players of Italian descent strengthened the national side.
The defining moment of Orsi's career came during the 1934 FIFA World Cup.
In the final against Czechoslovakia national football team, Italy fell behind before Orsi produced one of the tournament's greatest goals. Receiving possession on the left, he dribbled inward before curling a magnificent right-footed shot into the far corner beyond goalkeeper František Plánička. The equaliser changed the course of the match, and Italy eventually won 2–1 after extra time.
The goal instantly became one of the iconic images of early World Cup history and remains one of the most celebrated strikes ever scored in a World Cup Final.
Orsi represented a transitional figure between the classic touchline winger and the modern inside forward. Standing just under average height, he relied not on physical strength but on extraordinary agility and technical mastery.
His greatest attributes included:
Exceptional dribbling in tight spaces.
Sudden bursts of acceleration.
Powerful and accurate shooting with either foot.
Excellent crossing ability.
Tactical intelligence and creativity.
Contemporary journalists frequently praised his elegance on the ball, often describing his runs as graceful rather than forceful. He could change direction with remarkable ease, making him one of Europe's most entertaining attacking players during the early 1930s.
After leaving Juventus in 1935, Orsi spent time with Boca Juniors before returning to Independiente. He later played in Brazil and concluded his professional career in the early 1940s.
Following retirement, he remained involved in football as a coach in South America, though he never achieved the same prominence off the pitch as he had enjoyed as a player.
Raimundo Orsi occupies a unique place in football history. He was an Olympic silver medallist with Argentina, a World Cup winner with Italy, and a central figure in one of Juventus' greatest dynasties. Few players have achieved distinction at the highest level for two different footballing nations, and even fewer have done so while leaving such an enduring stylistic legacy.
For Juventus supporters, Orsi is remembered as one of the architects of the club's first golden age. For Italy, he is forever associated with the stunning equaliser that paved the way to the country's first World Cup triumph. For historians of the game, he remains one of the outstanding wingers of football's pre-war era—a player whose flair and attacking imagination helped define an entire generation.
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