CREMONA – Without the injured person Davide Denegri, with Nat Adrian And Simone Zanotti not at their best, Vanoli beat league leaders Brescia with a great team effort in the heartfelt Lombard derby and arithmetically confirmed themselves in Serie A with two games to spare. The Watch phase of Ferraroni JuVi ends in defeat who, without Vincent Shahid And Gabriele Benetti and with other injuries of various degrees, it is overcome at home by Assigeco Piacenza; now down with the first round of the playoffs against Udine.
A LEAGUE
«Nice group of good guys. I’m proud of everyone.” Words and music by Aldo Vanoli, broadcast the morning after the spectacular victory over league leaders Brescia, the main architect – together with managers, technicians, staff and players – of a new sporting venture. A ‘sensational victory’ he defined it coach Demis Cavina just after the final siren, surrounded by the whirlwind of emotions that only certain feats offer. The league leaders were beaten with a perfect match, salvation achieved – against all the predictions at the start of the championship – with two matches to spare before the end of the regular season, the tension of a long and at times complicated sporting year that dissolves and finally allows you to let go right a bit’. Cavina is certainly right, speaking of a ‘sensational victory’, but we allow ourselves to relaunch and define it as a ‘masterpiece’; it was a masterpiece to beat the ambitious top of the class (supported at the PalaRadi by a large number of fans), who came to Cremona to maintain first place in view of the championship playoffs, and instead was forced to chase that handful from the first to the last second of Cremonese without a lighthouse Davide Denegri and bruised in Nathan Adrian and Simone Zanotti, but certainly not resigned, who safeguarded the fort tooth and nail, playing the perfect game in defense and attack, never allowing the Lioness to put her nose forward and roar. But the entire white and blue season was a masterpiece, thanks to a team that had some problems in the control room, but which was always able to count on a united group of players, guys who put collective interest before personal interest. , building unexpected but always deserved victories and even in defeats without ever sinking. The management of coach Cavina and his staff was a masterpiece, finding different protagonists each time, firmly believing in the quality of his players, developing kids who many considered inadequate for the senior category (Lacey, Denegri, Piccoli, Eboua, Adrian himself). It was a masterpiece to be patient, wait and support his pupils during the tremendous storm that manifested itself between the end of the first round and the beginning of the second leg, letting all the criticisms flow – some of them even ferocious, it must be acknowledged – and the huge requests rumors of cuts and exemptions (well done Aldo for confidently waiting for the return to normality). Certain results are not achieved by chance, just as it is no coincidence that the company wants to plan for the future by trying to hold onto (with all the difficulties of the market) the greatest number of Italians. Who, it would be nice and even poetic, would feel a strong sense of gratitude towards a company like Vanoli which has reevaluated and relaunched them. We’ll see, in the meantime we have to close the season with even the possibility of restarting the playoff train. It’s certainly difficult, but if you believe it…
SERIES A2
It was humanly difficult for Ferraroni JuVi to face Assigeco Piacenza with the roster available to coach Luca Bechi mutilated by the impossibility of fielding really important players like Vincent Shahid and Gabriele Benetti, then taking into account further ailments to other oroamaranto protagonists. Despite everything, Lorenzo Tortù and his companions tried, they held their own against their opponents for half the race, only to then have to surrender to the evidence of their inferiority, especially in terms of numbers.
Moreover, having no further objectives to achieve and with the playoffs upon us (debut scheduled for the weekend of 4-5 May), the Gigliato technical staff saw fit to safeguard their players, especially against Assigeco who instead needed to conquer the stakes by being in the race with Cento to grab the eighth position in the Red group, an objective achieved thanks to the success obtained at the PalaRadi (Piacenza which in the first round of the playoffs – Silver draw – will face the terrible Trapani team Shark). Therefore, there was no point in squeezing the talented players, while now Bechi and his collaborators have two weeks to recover from injuries and ailments and show up for the first match in Udine – it will be played in the best of five matches with home-home-away alternation. away from home and, therefore, to advance to the semi-final you need to win three – in the best possible condition.
As for the next opponents of Ferraroni JuVi, also the Friulians of Apu Old Wild West coached by Adriano Vertemati – devoid of Jason Clark and Lorenzo Carot injuredthe (both should return for the quarter of the playoffs) – closed the Watch phase with a defeat (65-78) in Desio with Cantù. Third force of the Red group of the A2 series championship, Udine also started this season with the aim of attempting to climb to the higher category and to do this it has relied on players who know the category very well and who have already achieved career promotion (Mirza Alibegovic, Caroti, Diego Monaldi, Jalen Cannon) or who have gained experience in A (Marcos Delia, Raphael Gaspardo, Matteo Da Ros). In short, a team characterized by talent, experience and athleticism, but which Ferraroni JuVi will have to face with basketball intelligence and without awe. The playoffs, as demonstrated every year, are a blender from which surprising results always come out and where the difference in technical values is eliminated, where the balance tips in favor of those who have heart, generosity and cold blood on their side.
