A pleasant cruise with a rocky mooring

Dag Jenkins

Oct 9, 2022

4 min read

Season 1938-39

Game 4, Serie A

Sunday, October 9, 1938

Stadio P.N.F, Rome

Lazio - Livorno 2-1

Lazio go two goals up and all seems plain sailing but then have to fend off a Mullet attack

So far the Biancocelesti had played 3 games and won 1 (Genova 1893 2-1 at home), drawn 1 (Ambrosiana Inter 1-1 away on debut) and lost 1 (recently 1-2 away at Bari). Lazio were currently 8th on 3 points.

Livorno too had won 1 (Bologna 3-1 at home), drawn 1 (Torino 1-1 at home) and lost 1 (Bari 0-2 away on debut). They were 8th with Lazio on 3 points.

A clash between two teams who had a similar start to the season. Lazio however came from a defeat but played at home.

The match

A warm and sunny day attracted about 10,000 spectators to the ground in the Flaminio/Parioli area of Rome.

Lazio were missing attacking midfielder Bruno Camolese.

Livorno were without midfielder Mario Stua.

Livorno started off stronger and Lazio seemed content to sit back and absorb the pressure. The Amaranto threatened in the 5th minute with a Mario Zidarich shot which Giacomo Blason blocked in the top hand corner.

Lazio replied in the 7th minute when Giuseppe Baldo took a freekick, Silvio Piola headed towards youngster Luigi Vettraino who blasted a shot which Attilio Bulgheri saved superbly into corner with one hand.

The Tuscan guests gradually relented and Lazio decided to step their game up and gained a series of corners.

In the 18th minute a good Umberto Busani-Giovanni Costa combination was finished off by the latter but went well wide.

In the 21st minute another freekick this time by Luciano Ramella was again headed on by Piola but Giovanni Riccardi hammered his first time shot off target.

In the 25th minute Lazio took the lead. Vettraino crossed and Silvio Piola headed into the middle, a scramble ensued and the ball fell to Busani who hit it but sideways where the oncoming Giuseppe Viani hammered the ball not over the bar but into the roof of the his own net, 1-0.

Lazio now looked as if they could pile on the goals. In the 29th minute Piola bicycle kicked just over the bar and in the 30th Vettraino was denied by an acrobatic Bulgheri save but possibly more theatrical than difficult.

On the half hour Vettraino and Riccardi swopped positions and after only a few minutes the Piedmontese midfielder hit the crossbar.

Livorno then had a penalty appeal for a Benedicto Zacconi handball but to no avail.

Lazio then had to tamper with their setup again as Baldo pulled a muscle so wing-forward Busani took his position and the Tuscan-born midfielder hovered around on the wing.

In the last minute of the first half Piola had only the keeper to beat but as he was about to shoot Riccardi got in the way and the chance went amiss. Half time: Lazio 1 Livorno 0.

The second half started like the first with Livorno on the front foot. In the 49th minute Zidarich tested Blason from long range.

As in the first half however Livorno's upper hand was shortlived and in the 53rd minute Lazio doubled their lead. Vettraino for Piola on the right and the forward squared to a revived Baldo who took the ball a couple of metres sideways and then beat Bulgheri, 2-0.

Lazio insisted with another Piola bicycle kick and a much more dangerous Vettraino belter which Bulgheri did well to save.

Livorno then had a foray on the break but Vinicio Viani's effort was well wide.

Lazio continued to threaten with Piola whose shot was blocked by Bulgheri and Baldo who hit the side netting.

In the 67th minute, slightly against the run of play, Livorno reopened the contest. On a freekick floated into the area aptly named Angelo Arcari rose up and headed past Blason, 2-1.

Lazio reacted positively and tried to restore their two-goal cushion. In the 69th minute Piola hit the side netting and a few minutes later Costa hit a shot which crossed the goalmouth without Vettraino or a now visibly slowed down Baldo being able to get a touch.

From a near 3-1 to near 2-2 as a couple of minutes later Ugo Conti put in a good cross which Blason managed to slap away just before Giacomo Neri could have an easy tap-in.

Lazio then did get a third with Vettraino but it was disallowed for a previous foul on the keeper.

In the last five minutes Livorno went all out for an equaliser. In the 86th minute Arcari had a shot deflected behind for a corner by Ramella and in the 90th minute Viani unmarked in front of Blason vollyed straight into the keeper's arms.

In the minute of added time Lazio made sure the ball was more in the stands than on the pitch and brought home a hard-fought victory. Final score: Lazio 2 Livorno 1.

A strange game. Lazio had deserved the win which at times had seemed a formality but then at the end they had to hold on to by the skin of their teeth. Baldo got the second goal but had been visibly limited by his injury. Lazio's best player had been the ever active 18-year old Vettraino but Ramella, Costa and Zacconi had also played well.

Livorno had held their own. At times it seemed they would be swept away but they continued fighting and in the end almost came away with a point.

Lazio leaped up to joint 4th with Ambrosiana Inter on 5 points. Lazio's next game was away to Bologna.

Livorno were joint 11th with Modena and Juventus on 3 points. The Amaranto would now play Novara at home.

Who played for Lazio

Blason, Zacconi, Monza, Baldo, Ramella, Milano, Busani, Riccardi, Piola, Vettraino, Costa