ROCCO SABATELLA
What no one hoped for, unfortunately happened. Potenza does not go beyond the draw with Virtus Francavilla and will have to play the play outs against Monterosi and his teammates certifies that Potenza deserved the result achieved on the pitch in thirty-eight days of the regular season and for this reason the play-off with Monterosi playing a double home and away match was simply inevitable. We understand the general discouragement that pervaded the entire rossoblù environment at the end of the match against Virtus Francavilla, the concern for the two commitments against the Lazio team, the observation once again of the enormous deficiencies that the team has. But having to prepare for the two decisive matches scheduled for May 12th away to Teramo and May 19th at Viviani, we must not continue to fire on the Red Cross or rather on the group of players because we must not forget that they will be the ones who will have to go on the field and that they will have to use all the energy they have or that they will have to bring out in these two matches to achieve a goal that failed in other circumstances. The whole environment that revolves around Potenza, i.e. the club, fans and press, has only one predominant interest: trying to motivate and stimulate the group of players to the maximum so that they bring out their pride to achieve salvation and give at least this satisfaction to who also flocked to Viviani last night to support the team in the last effort of the season. Continuing to blame the players ultimately risks becoming a boomeramg for the city, for the fans, for the club which certainly didn’t want to find itself in this situation. If Potenza were to be relegated, and it won’t happen, the damage would not be for the players who will certainly find a contract, but for everyone: the club, the fans and the press. This is why we need to be united over the next twenty days to put those who have to go on the field in the best conditions to obtain the coveted permanence. There are no other alternatives because if we continue to cry over spilled milk and over what could have been and wasn’t, over the mistakes made in the construction of the staff, we risk throwing ourselves in the classic foot and we would be left with one foot, if not all and two, already in series D. I agree with what De Giorgio said in the press room: for the feat of permanence, because it is a feat of stealing, everyone is needed, including Schiattarella and Asencio. As if to say these players have brought Potenza almost to the brink and these players must save Potenza from the abyss. There is little to say about the match against Virtus Francaxilla. Except that the start was very promising, increasing everyone’s confidence that the rossoblù would score a goal sooner or later. But the excellent approach lasted only fifteen-twenty minutes because Potenza literally shut down, making it easy for Virtus Francavilla to defend themselves and risk absolutely nothing. Of note, after 40 seconds of the match, Di Grazia’s shot was cornered by the guest goalkeeper, other corners were all kicked badly and the opportunity for Steffè who shot high just inside the area. Volpe was very lively and broke several times to the left, causing difficulty for the Apulian defenders who took counter-moves with doubled scoring which slowed down Volpe. Then the darkness. Even worse in the second half. De Giorgio sends in Castorani and Hristov. And you have to wait until the 68th minute to see a shot on goal from Potenza. Di Grazia does it but Branduani puts it in the corner. In the last minute of injury time, Maisto comes close to the post and the victory with a diagonal shot that goes just wide. Potenza trudges along without finding outlets and does not understand that this decisive match had to be faced, without having strong technical skills, with unbridled competitiveness, with character and with competitive determination to increase the chances of success. All characteristics that Potenza has shown it does not have and that we hope that, with a surge of pride, it will find in the two play-out matches.
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