Not at all easy

Simon Basten
Dec 26, 2022
2 min read

Season 1943-44

Game 4, Roman War Championship

Sunday, December 26, 1943

Stadio PNF, Rome

Lazio M.A.T.E.R. 2-0

Down to ten men in the second half, Lazio manage to win just the same

For the 1943-44 season Serie A had been suspended due to the Second World War. Instead of a national tournament, local competitions had been organised. In Rome, there was the war championship with ten teams: Lazio, Roma, Tirrenia, M.A.T.E.R., managed by Fulvio Bernardini who also played, Juventus Romana, Vigili del Fuoco (Fire Brigade), Avia, Alba (Orlando Tognotti was the manager), Elettronica (with Attilio Ferraris IV as player-manager) and Trastevere. De facto it was a battle between the first two teams who came from Serie A. Mater had played the previous season in Serie B, the other teams were from third and fourth tiers.

Lazio had played three games so far winning all of them.

The match

The Biancoceleste attack showed all of the current problems in the first half. Completely unable to create anything dangerous against a strong defensive team despite having in midfield two players of the class of Luciano Ramella and Michele Andreolo and despite clearly dominating possession. In the second half at the umpteenth Umberto Lombardini foul, in the 56th minute the referee sent him for an early shower. At this point Mater started to believe they could win but showed all their limits. And Lazio, despite the ten men, scored two goals in two minutes. First Andreolo in the 74th minute then Alessandro Capponi 120 seconds later, both from corner kicks.