He doesn’t win, but he dies hard. It can’t turn, but it has thick armor, difficult to pierce, and a big character like that. Still looking for a victory that will give consistency to the streak of five draws in a row, Catanzaro consoles himself with the tenacity that has almost always allowed him to avoid more serious problems. It wasn’t enough and won’t be enough to get out of the shallows of mid-table, moving away above all from the red zone (playout-direct relegation) nearby, but while waiting for better times and results, not losing can help evaluate some things (not all) from a positive perspective.
Knowing how to react is certainly one of these, given that the Giallorossi have responded to the slaps they have received since the beginning of the season. The 3-3 draw at Sampdoria, with a deficit regained twice before coming to terms, is just the latest example of a series that started this summer.
The first occasion in which the Eagles demonstrated that they possess this quality was in the thirty-second round of the Italian Cup in Empoli. It’s true, the final 4-1 left no appeals, but against a superior category opponent, currently tenth in Serie A (where the great surprise of the first third of the tournament is), it was to be taken into account also for how we Catanzaro arrived, who had started preparation late and had yet to receive quite a few items from the market. Yet, despite a squad that was too short at the time, with injuries and suspensions, and all the other differences, the first half which ended at 1-1 after a flash goal from the home team was indicative.
This attitude was also immediately evident in the championship, when he showed up on his debut at the “Ceravolo” Sassuolo, the team most likely to return to Serie A. Pontisso replied to Mulattieri’s goal. You can argue that Laurientè missed the penalty in the last minute of injury time, that it wasn’t yet the Sassuolo of this period and that Berardi had yet to return, but no one will be able to say that that equalizer in the comeback wasn’t deserved.
The defeat in Cesena, where Iemmello and his companions seemed empty, was classified as an accident, the other negative match was with Cremonese at home, with the Lombards caught by Compagnon, but cynical and good at the most opportune moment, two minutes before the 90′, to definitively take the lead again. From there, no one was able to completely knock out the Eagles.
Modena looked like they could do it and were caught by La Mantia one minute from time; Bari got Iemmello back, who at the “San Nicola” opened the streak of eight goals in the last seven outings; then Reggiana, ahead by two, returned to the same height thanks to shots from Pompetti and Iemmello; Mantova went on the run twice and was stopped twice by the captain and Buso; Samp sprinted to 1-0 and 2-1 before being forced to overcome the 2-3 score of hat-trick winner Iemmello.
In the championship, excluding recoveries, Catanzaro was behind for 290 minutes out of 1,350: it’s a long time, just under a fifth of the total, but if the Caserta team almost always managed to find a way to canceling those disadvantages means that it is not devoid of resources, techniques and character. Now, however, they must be made profitable by starting to win again starting from Sunday’s match against Brescia at the “Ceravolo”. Preparation for the match begins this afternoon in San Floro: defender Antonini could also return to the group. It should be the last week on the alternative field. From next year, the Eagles will train again in Giovino, where the overseeding work on the pitch is about to be completed.
