May 19 1935: Torino-Lazio 2-2
- Dag Jenkins
- 9 hours ago
- 6 min read
Lazio superior but fair draw
Lazio play well for an hour despite initial setback but relegation threatened Toro fight back for a point
The season so far
Lazio had finished 10th the previous season under Austrian Karl Stürmer. Lazio were inconsistent with some good wins (including Milan 4-0, Livorno 3-0) and decent draws (including Roma 3-3 from 0-3 down, Juventus 2-2 away) but also several heavy defeats (including derby 0-5, Inter 1-4 at home and 1-8 away, Livorno 1-4 away). The games against Torino had ended 1-1 in Turin and 1-0 to Lazio in Rome. The top scorer was Anfilogino Guarisi with 12 league goals.
This season the new manager was Czech Walter Alt. The main new players were: goalkeeper Giacomo Blason (Triestina), midfielders Attilio Ferraris (Roma), Odoacre Pardini (Pisa but formerly at Lazio in 1924-25 and 1926-33) and Giuseppe Viani (Inter) plus forwards Virgilio Levratto (Inter) and the great Silvio Piola (Pro Vercelli).
Leaving Rome were: goalkeeper Ezio Sclavi (Messina), defender Augusto Mattei (L'Aquila), midfielders Pedro Rizzetti (retiring), Giovanni Battoni (L'Aquila), Pietro Buscaglia (Torino), Josė Castelli (Corinthians), Marino Furlani (Bagnolese), Raggio Montanari (Foggia), Marco Tonali (Pisa) and Duilio Salatin (retiring) plus forwards Piero Pastore (Perugia) and Romolo Remigi (Perugia).
Lazio were doing better this year and were currently joint 4th, with Roma on 29 points. The Biancocelesti had won 12 (including Livorno 6-1, Juventus 5-3, Pro Vercelli 6-0, Brescia 4-0 all at home), drawn 5 (including both derbies 0-0 and 1-1) and lost 10 (including Juventus 1-6). The previous week Lazio had beaten Sampierdarenese 2-1 at home.
Torino had finished 12th the previous season, on 29 points and only two above the drop zone. They had started with Augusto Rangone who was replaced in early November by Hungarian Eugen Payer. The top scorers were Filippo Prato and Onesto Silano with 11 league goals each.
This season the manager was Austrian Tony Cargnelli. The main new signings were: midfielders Fioravante Baldi (Foggia), Pietro Buscaglia (Lazio) and Adolfo Giuntoli (GC Vigevanesi) plus forwards Alessandro Latuada (GC Vigevanesi), Giuseppe Spinola (Comense) and Raf Vallone (up from youth team).
Leaving Toro were: midfielders Maggiorino Mongero (Napoli), Attilio Bernasconi (Rennes), Hector Canali (Botafogo) and Dario Martin (Pinerolo, after 250 league games)and Carlos Volante (Rennes) plus forwards Coriolano Pontiggia (Livorno) and Julio Libonatti (Genova 1893).
Torino were struggling again this season. The Granata were joint 13th, on 22 points with Livorno and Sampierdarenese. Only Pro Vercelli were below them and doomed on 13 points. Toro had won 7, drawn 8 (including derby and Lazio 1-1) and lost 12 (including derby 1-3). The previous week they had drawn 0-0 in Palermo.
A difficult match to predict today. Lazio were superior but Torino were playing at home and more desperate for points.
The match: Sunday, May 19, 1935, Stadio Filadelfia, Turin
A sunny and mild day attracted about 12,000 spectators to the Filadelfia.
Neither Lazio nor Torino had any real absences.
Torino scored almost immediately. In the 5th minute a good move started by a Giuseppe Spinola cross was continued by Federico Allasio and Giovanni Vecchina who laid the ball back to Fioravante Baldi who beat Giacomo Blason, 1-0.
Lazio reacted well to the early setback. Danger man Silvio Piola was man marked by more than one defender at a time but that meant more space for other Lazio players
Lazio attacked constantly. In the 20th minute João Fantoni I was denied by Giuseppe Maina who saved behind for a corner.
Torino had the occasional foray up front and Blason had to be ready on attempts by Spinola and Vecchina.
In the 36th minute came a huge chance for Lazio. Piola burst away from Antonio Janni and surged forward towards the right, defender Benedicto Zacconi was about to face him but slipped leaving the Lazio forward racing towards Maina. The Piedmontese striker however was too far to the right to shoot so when Maina dived at his feet he astutely squared the ball to Antonio Bisigato whose shot however was cleared off the goal line by Allasio. The ball came back into play and reached Filó Guarisi who tried a strike but this time it was Mario Zanello who walled it.
Lazio then equalised four minutes later. In the 40th minute. Guarisi crossed and Zacconi headed away but only to Bisigato who pushed it forward and blasted a powerful shot past Maina, 1-1 at halftime.
The first fifteen minutes after the interval saw Lazio's territorial predominance increase and Fantoni had several dangerous shots. This superiority was only interrupted briefly in the 52nd minute when Blason had to save on Vecchina.
Lazio pushed forward and in the 59th minute were awarded a penalty. Virglio Felice Levratto crossed and Janni clearly handballed. Guarisi took the spot kick and scored 1-2.
From now on the game changed. The hosts attacked furiously, realising their situation was becoming critical. In the 61st minute, from a Zacconi cross, Mario Bo headed but Blason flew and tipped it over the bar.
In the 65th minute Torino too had a penalty. In a scramble in the area the Granata players held up their arms requesting a handball. In the crowded area it was impossible to see what had happened but the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Zacconi stepped up and equalised for Toro, 2-2
The game now became rough and several players had to spend time on the sidelines to receive medication.
The last part of the game saw the home side attack more but in a disorderly way and they never created any real scoring chances. Final score 2-2.
Lazio had looked the better team but a draw was a fair result. Torino had deserved a point if only for their determination and will power.
Lazio did well to overcome the initial adversity and for an hour or so were superior. The Granata however were desperate for points and came back strongly after Lazio's lead.
Lazio were now 5th on 30 points (Roma had beaten Palermo 3-1 at home).
Torino were still joint 13th, on 23 points (Livorno and Sampierdarenese had also drawn). Next up was an almost impossible away game against leaders Ambrosiana Inter and then the potentially decisive relegation clash against Livorno at home.
Who played for Torino
Manager: Cargnelli
Who played for Lazio
Blason, Bertagni, Serafini, Viani I, Ferraris IV, Pardini, Guarisi, Fantoni I, Piola, Bisigato, Levratto
Manager: Alt
Referee: Bevilacqua
Goals: 5' Baldi III, 40' Bisigato, 59' Guarisi, 65' Zacconi (pen)
What happened next
Lazio finished 5th on 32 points. They then lost 2-4 at Palermo but beat Inter 4-2 at home in the last game of the season (history repeated itself in 2002). The top scorer was Silvio Piola with21 league goals.
Torino finished 14th, on 25 points, one point above the relegation slots. In the remaining games they won 1 (decisive clash against Livorno 1-0 at home) and lost 1 (Inter 0-4 away). The top scorer was Fioravante Baldi with 10 league goals.
Out of today's squad Federico Allasio would one day be Lazio manager (last ten games of 1953-54 and first seven of 1954-55). Torino manager Cargnelli would later also be in charge at Lazio (1946-48). Raf Vallone would go on to become a Hollywood star and feature in films by the likes of Luigi Zampa, Pietro Germi, Alberto Lattuada, Dino Risi, Sidney Lumet, Anthony Mann, Otto Preminger, John Huston and Francis Ford Coppola just to name a few.
The 1934-35 Scudetto was won by Juventus for the 7th time. Serie B awaited Pro Vercelli and Livorno.
Let's talk about Eugenio Gualdi
Eugenio Gualdi was born in Turin, on April 25, 1884.
He was an engineer and businessman.
On December 30, 1933 he was elected 10th General President of S.S Lazio. He was president of the whole sports club and therefore also the football section.
In 1933-34 Lazio finished 10th under Karl Stürmer.
In 1934 Lazio signed players such as the great Silvio Piola, goalkeeper Giacomo Blason, midfielder Giuseppe Viani and forward Virgilio Levratto. The Biancocelesti finished 5th under Walter Alt.
In 1935-36 Lazio signed defenders Alfredo Monza and Benedicto Zacconi, midfielders Giuseppe Baldo, Bruno Camolese and forward Walter D'Odorico. Lazio finished 7th, first under Alt (1-27) and then József Viola.
In 1936 Gualdi left the presidential position of the Lazio football section to Erberto Vaselli. In 1938 due to internal disputes with other directors he also resigned as General President of the "Polisportiva". He was replaced by Raffaello Riccardi.
Outside sport and football he was first General Director and then President of Società Generale Immobiliare (an important construction company that built many areas of Rome - Trieste, Nomentana, Balduina, Vigna Clara, Olgiata, Casal Palocco to name a few plus the Auditorium Conciliazione, Teatro Olimpico, Columbus Clinic and more).
Gualdi then returned to Lazio after the war in the role of advisor for the football section.
He died in Rome, on April 1, 1973.
Sources
Comments