Perfect Swiss timing by Ghio and Chinaglia
- Dag Jenkins
- Jun 13, 2024
- 2 min read
Game 3, Cup of the Alps
Saturday, June 13, 1970
Letzigrund Stadion, Zürich
Zurich - Lazio 0-3
A goal more or less every 30 minutes by their strikers give Lazio easy win
The Alps Cup was a tournament between four Italian clubs who could not play each other and four Swiss and this was the tenth edition. The format was that the teams from each nation with the most points would then play in the final. Lazio had drawn the first game 3-3 away at Lugano and won the next 2-0 away at Young Boys from Berne. This was the third game of the group.
So far in the Alps Cup, "Zuri” had lost 2-3 away to Sampdoria and then beaten Bari 6-2 at home.
Whoever lost tonight would most likely already be out of the tournament.
The match
There were only about 3,000 spectators at the Letzigrund Stadion for this third match of the group.
Lazio played without midfielder Giuliano Fortunato and forward Juan Carlos Morrone but fielded a strong team.
The hosts had a few absences too: defenders Hubert Munch and Konrad Kyburz plus midfielders René Hasler and Christian Winiger.
The Romans took control of the proceedings from the word go. They spent most of the first half hour in the Swiss half but only scored in the 29th minute. Nello Governato put a cross in from the left, the defence cleared weakly and Gian Piero Ghio was quick to drill the ball in. Zürich 0 Lazio 1.
At this point the locals stirred and first had a shot by Rosario Martinelli which shaved the post and then a few minutes later Giuseppe Papadopulo managed to anticipate Fritz Künzli just as he was about to shoot.
In the 43rd minute Franco Nanni was forced off injured and replaced by Luigi Polentes.
Lazio almost doubled their lead before halftime but goalkeeper Karl Grob brilliantly denied a powerful shot by Ferruccio Mazzola.
Lazio started the second half well and hit a crossbar with Giuseppe Massa. The Biancocelesti scored again in the 53rd minute when Giorgio Chinaglia's precise shot went through a number of legs and into the net. Zürich 0 Lazio 2.
Lazio continued to dominate and Grob proved to be a quality goal stopper on efforts by Mazzola, Massa and Chinaglia.
The third goal came a minute from the end when "Long John" poked the ball home in a crowded area. Final score Zürich 0 Lazio 3.
An easy and convincing win by Lazio who now led the Italian table with 5 points to Fiorentina's 4. Next up Basel vs Lazio and Fiorentina vs Zürich.
Who played for Zürich
Grob, Kyburz (65' Grünig), Stierli, Matus, Leimgruber, Kuhn, Corti, Martinelli, Künzli, Quentin, Volkert
Manager: Gawliczek
Who played for Lazio
Di Vincenzo, Papadopulo, Facco, Wilson, Governato, Marchesi, Massa, Mazzola, Chinaglia, Ghio, Nanni (43' Polentes)
Substitute: Fiorucci
Manager: Lorenzo
Referee: Bucheli
Goals: 29' Ghio, 53' Chinaglia, 89' Chinaglia
Sources
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