Bad first half, then great reaction. But Meta Catania is the one to rejoice at the gong. Game 1 of the Scudetto semi-finals belongs to the Sicilians, who defeated Italservice Pesaro 4 to 3. Two games within the same match: the first lasted 13 minutes, with the red and whites who seem to have literally stayed at home, Catania takes advantage and runs away too easily until the score was 4-0. Then the fabulous reaction, with pride, intensity and quality, which allowed Fausto Scarpitti’s quintet to get to within just one goal, taking advantage of the active goalkeeper. Only the last high note was missing. And now Italservice, to keep the championship dream alive, will have to win race 2 at all costs, Thursday at the PalaMegabox in Pesaro. With the help of its wonderful fans, anything is possible.
THE MATCH – Much of the first half was completely dominated by the home team. Meta opens the ball in the 8th minute with a great shot from distance by Carmelo Musumeci which makes it 1 to 0. A few seconds later, Musumeci again in solitary action wedges himself into the Pesaro defense and surpasses Putano, scoring the 2nd 0. Italservice’s horror moment is completed a minute later, when they suffer a counterattack and after a rebound they collect Salomone’s 3-0. The storm is not over: in the 13th minute a carelessness on an inactive ball allows Podda to drop the poker. Four slaps, Pesaro seems knocked out. But here another meeting begins, the opposite of the previous one. Scarpitti inserts the moving goalkeeper and the move pays off. The 4-1 on power play goes to Vavà, a few seconds before the break. Even in the second half Italservice always plays with the fifth. Catania suffers and Murilo Schiochet purges them in the 3rd minute with the goal making it 4 to 2, while Barichello in the 8th minute with a bomb from distance also makes it 4 to 3. Tonidandel and his teammates insist with the advanced goalkeeper, but from now on Meta finds countermeasures and resists Pesaro’s attacks, even coming close to scoring a goal on the counterattack. Endless emotions, but no more goals arrive, it ends 4 to 3.
THURSDAY EVERYONE AT PALAMEGABOX – The first hurrah belongs to Catania. Now Italservice, if it wants to keep the championship dream alive, must replicate at home to rebalance the series. Appointment on Thursday at 8.30pm at the PalaMegabox in Pesaro for race 2 (tickets on sale on liveticket).
RACE TICKETS2
– Full price: €5 + presale fee
– Reduced (from 11 to 17 years): €2 + presale fee
– Free entry for Under 10s and Italservice members
– Promotion reserved for elementary and middle schools: free entry for the student and €5 for the accompanying adult.
META CATANIA-ITALSERVICE PESARO 4-3 (4-1 pt)
META CATANIA: Tornatore, Salamone, Bocao, C. Musumeci, Anderson, Podda, Silvestri, Pulvirenti, Dian Luka, G. Musumeci, Turmena, Timm. Coach Juanra Calvo
ITALSERVICE PESARO: Putano, Toninandel, Vavà, Caruso, Schiochet, Pires, Belloni, Andrè, Mohabz, D’Ambrosio, Barichello, Luberto. All. Scarpitti
GOALS: pt 7’50” C. Musumeci (M), 8′ C. Musumeci (M), 9’13” Salamone (M), 12’33” Podda (M), 19’30” Vavà (I), st 3’16” Schiochet (I), 7’55” Barichello (I)
REFEREES: Giulio Colombin (Bassano del Grappa), Giacomo Voltarel (Treviso), Francesco Saverio Mancuso (Lamezia Terme) TIMELINE: Giovanni Loprete (Catanzaro)
Press office
