For the last weekend of April I am planning an immersion in Apulian support, having decided to attend two very interesting matches involving three teams from the region known as the “gateway to the East”: Latina – Taranto on Saturday , Bisceglie – Molfetta the following day.
The regular season of the C championship is now in its final act: Juve Stabia has been promoted to Serie B for almost a month, Brindisi has already said goodbye to professionalism, but the rosters still remain to be established play-off and gods play-outso the challenges of the day, which are played at the same time (6.30 pm), must all be followed carefully also for their sporting implications.
The Pontine capital is illuminated by a dazzling sun on this warm spring Saturday, which brought high pressure back to the peninsula after the disturbances of the previous days. I arrive at the Latin stadium as usual before kick-off and before setting foot on the green surface I step once again in front of the monumental façade of the old and glorious “Francioni”.
The pre-match goes by in a flash and around kick-off arrives at 6.30pm. While the two teams offer themselves to the photographers’ lenses for the ritual poses, I turn my gaze to the Pontine curve, where the boys of Winged lion they are, as always, in their places. The Latins display a banner for a friend and wave the flags in the Nerazzurri colours. Among the banners I notice the patch of their friends from Cisterna. I decide to follow the first fraction below Nord and the recovery near the guest sector.
When the race director starts hostilities, the groups from Taranto have not yet arrived, so I focus on the Nerazzurri support. The Latin players start off with great enthusiasm: as always, they produce an industrial amount of clapping and loudly support the eleven on the pitch, asking them for a fundamental victory with a view to the play-offs. Banners and flags accompany their tireless support, also characterized by chants against the historic Ciociaria rivals.
Around the tenth minute of the first half I see the Taranto flags appearing on the opposite side of the stadium, which unequivocally signal the arrival of the guest supporters, who, immediately afterwards, paint the sector red and blue with multiple banners, banners and flags. Four hundred coupons were issued on the shores of the Gulf, a number that confirms the passion and warmth of the Ionian square. Now the audience is full and I’m enjoying this wonderful challenge.
If the Latins continue to sing impeccably, the people from Taranto perform excellent clapping and sing many long chants for the team, for the city and for those who cannot be there. I feel pleasure in seeing their flags always moving, whose blue shades make me think of the waves of the Ionian Sea: this sea was the theater of the expansion of the Greeks into the West, who founded many magnificent cities in southern Italy, including, obviously , the Spartan Tarasan ancient center that arose in the second half of the 8th century BC
Capuano’s Taranto is looking for their fourth consecutive victory, while Latina aims for redemption after three defeats in a row. In the 26th minute the guests, in white kit, took the lead: Simeri offered a delicious ball to Zonta, who scored the 0-1 goal with an excellent sombrero. Latina reacts with a header from Mastroianni, but in the 33rd minute the Ionian team takes the lead with the omnipresent Simeri, who scores the ball with his right foot for Puglia’s second. The Taranto ultras get enthusiastic and increase their vocal intensity, while the Pontini ultras, although disappointed, continue to sing until the final whistle.
In the second half I move under the guest sector. The performance of the rossoblù in the second forty-five minutes is spectacular: the flags are always in the wind, the banners are constantly open, the clapping involves everyone and some chants reach notable peaks, such as the one for the return of distrusted friends. On the opposite front the Nord it is as lively as in the first half: a powerful voice, lots of clapping and constantly moving flags continue to be the ingredients of support that knows no interruptions. In short, the two groups of fans appear to be in excellent shape: the result is a crackling singing challenge, which I am really happy to experience with my dear camera around my neck.
On the pitch, Latina halves the disadvantage with a gore from Mastroianni just three minutes into the second half, but Taranto manages to freeze the goal gap until the final whistle, taking home the victory and giving its supporters great satisfaction, which repays them for the kilometers traveled alongside their team. For the two teams the season does not end here, given that Latina and Taranto will take part in the play-offs for the Cadetteria.
While I set up the equipment I think back to the old formula dei play-off, which provided for the participation of only the teams finishing from second to fifth place in the C1 and C2 championships. The first feeling I feel is a pinch of nostalgia: in my middle and high school days, when I was already following mainly the C and the Interregional, I awaited the play-offs at the end of the season with trepidation, given that the involvement of a few teams made them, in my opinion, the most intense and engaging moment of the entire year. On the other hand, however, I recognize in this new formula a great advantage both for photo fans, who benefit from a wide choice among the numerous matches on the calendar, and for the fans themselves, who can continue to experience the magic of steps before the long summer break.
As I navigate the sea of these thoughts, which generate conflicting feelings in me, I put my backpack on my shoulders and make my way out. The beautiful Piazza del Popolo, symbol of the city of Latina, is a swarm of groups ready to live happily on Saturday evening. For me, however, the time has come to return home, needing to rest before the long solo journey to Puglia, where the Bisceglie-Molfetta derby awaits me: this, however, is another story!
Text and photos by Andrea Calabrese
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2024-05-03 14:49:13
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