Benevento
Here they are, the eight sisters competing for entry to the legendary “Final four”. There is a “stargate” to overcome to enter that magical area where only four will compete for the only valid place in the B series. Another mirage for everyone, an objective that requires a fighting spirit that goes far beyond what anyone put into any regular season game.
The Lega Pro has already “drawn” the final scoreboard: everyone knows the path they will take if they go ahead and overcome this evening’s obstacle. Benevento and Torres are on the side of Juventus and Carrarese: the two winners will compete in the final. On the other side, the winners of Avellino-Catania and Padova-Vicenza will form the other semi-final. The four return matches of the second round of the national phase will all be played at 8.30pm: at 10.30pm the semi-final table will be final.
They say that tonight the “Vanni Sanna” will be a small bedlam, filled well beyond its capacity. But the playoffs are like this, there’s no need to get anxious.
It will be a challenge for real men, because in games like this it’s not enough to be good at kicking a ball, you need more. Let’s borrow the phrase of Valerio Di Cesare, 41 years old, captain of Bari, before taking to the field against Ternana in the most difficult match of the season and perhaps of his career: “Guys, tonight we give everything we have, because the thing more serious for a player is to leave the field with the regret of not having given everything.” Simple words, coming from the soul, because any sporting endeavor needs the right spirit to be achieved.
Tonight Benevento will have to have heart and attitude, as well as be good at hitting that leather ball that attracts crowds from all over the world. Nobody thinks about the final four, but concentrate fiercely on this evening’s match in this north-western corner of Sardinia.
The team carried out the finishing touches this morning in the small synthetic facility in Ossi, Auteri should have resolved the last doubts regarding the eleven that will initially take to the field. The path is the one already traced on Tuesday in the first leg at Vigorito, but some changes will be almost physiological. And then there are five changes available, capable of giving further boost to the team in the most difficult moments. Whoever takes the field will have to feel a strong desire for a victory that can rewrite the history of a club. It is with the right spirit that the greatest successes come.
