PESCARA2
pontedera2
PESCARA (4-3-3): Plizzari 5.5; Floriani Mussolini 7, Brosco 5.5, Mesik 5.5, Milani 5.5; Tunjov 5.5 (36’st Franchini 6.5), Squizzato 6.5, Aloi 6.5 (36’st De Marco 6); Merola 6.5, Cuppone 7 (27’st Cangiano 5.5), Accornero 6 (44’st Meazzi 6). Available: Gasparini, Zandri, Di Pasquale, Masala, Vergani, Pierno, Sasanelli, Capone, Pellacani, Staver, Moruzzi. Coach: Cascione.
PONTEDERA (3-4-2-1): Vivoli 6; Calvani 5.5 (34’st Pretato sv), Espeche 6, Martinelli 6 (1’st Delpupo 7); Cerretti 6 (17′ st Ambrosini 6), Ignacchiti 6.5, Guidi 6, Perretta 6; Benedetti 6.5 (31’st Lombardi sv), Ianesi 6.5; Selleri 5.5 (17’st Ganz 6). Available: Lewis, Stancampiano, Busi, Gagliardi, Lombardi, Provenzano, Salvadori. Coach: Canzi.
Referee: Constance of Agrigento.
Networks: 4’pt Milani (own goal), 35′ and 38’pt Cuppone, 22’st Delpupo.
Note: 3,603 paying spectators (including 21 guests) for a takings of 39,389 euros. Delpupo, Aloi, Guidi booked. Corners 3-2 for Pescara.
PESCARA
Mission accomplished but how much suffering. Pescara in the second round of the Serie C play offs. At the Adriatico-Cornacchia against Pontedera it ends 2-2 and the biancazzurri earn qualification. Gubbio’s home defeat also gives them another home match. Juventus NG will arrive on Saturday evening (2-0 victory over Arezzo) and this time too a draw in the 90th minute will be enough to move forward. Cascione still rewards Cuppone in his choices: never before on this occasion will the coach’s decision be a winning one. For the good Gigi comes the brace complete with a ball hidden under his shirt: a sort of dedication for his arriving daughter. Yet the evening didn’t start well: in the 4th minute, Ianesi does everything right and challenges Plizzari with his right foot, then, on the rebound, Mesik makes a desperate save that forces Milani into an own goal. A few minutes have passed and the ghosts are seen again at Adriatico-Cornacchia. Which become insistent because Pontedera doesn’t allow space and because Pescara struggles to get to the opponent’s area. An applause-worthy play by Aloi puts things right. Elegant verticalization for Milani who has the shot blocked by Espeche in the area, Cuppone arrives and deposits it into the net while running. Not even time to celebrate before the doubling arrives. Pontedera is solid and concrete but when you decide to always play man against man you also expose yourself to some risks. Merola sees that Floriani has taken time from Ianesi and serves him on the run. The former Lazio player runs away and puts a perfect ball in the center. Cuppone arrives at the right time and signs the overtaking with his right foot. And who knows if Zeman broke into a smile this time in front of the TV. The 2-1 is the result of his plays which are still in the DNA of the biancazzurri. Cascione can sip an unexpected hot tea at halftime. Unexpected because after the initial deficit and the great effort made by Pescara no one could imagine going ahead 2-1 at half time. Canzi, however, designs a new Pontedera: three-man defense with Guidi lowered between the central defenders and Del Pupo providing quality in attack. A sort of 3-4-1-2 that will send Pescara into a tailspin. The blue and whites suffer, they drop and are unable to start again. The three attackers are isolated yet there would be many potential one-on-ones on the restart. It’s a shame though that Pontedera will never allow Pescara to get out and with Del Pupo it’s scary. Brosco is light in the tackle, the Tuscan attacker kicks well and beats Plizzarri. The fear returns, Cascione waits a long time for the substitutions but in the last segment with Franchini and De Marco the game returns to balance. Plizzari did well to save on Ianesi, he pulled Cangiano’s ears for an excess of selfishness (ignored Franchini alone in the area). But at the final whistle it’s a big celebration. Team under the curve waiting for Juventus NG on Saturday.
Enrico Giancarli
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