FM12: Can Casale Rise Again (LLM)

[Balldog]

I've been reading a lot of threads over at the SI Boards about Lower League Managing and some of the house rules they have been applying.

Here are the rules:

1. No Outside Help
2. Rely Heavily on Scouts
3. Start in Lowest League in Any Nation
4. No Tactical Tipping
5. No Good Player Guides

Basically trying to limit yourself to the confines of the game and trying to make it more difficult by keeping it "real".

For the last few days I have been trying to figure out what team to start with and have settled in Italy with Casale, who is currently in 2nd Division Group A. The thing that interested me most about Casale is they did manage to win Serie A before, but it was in 1914.

I am far from an expert at this game so this may not end well but my goal is to either end up at Udinese or bring Casale to winning Serie A again.

So here we go...

[Balldog]

Casale Background

Founded in 1909, A.S. Casale Calcio are a professional Italian club currently playing in the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A. The club play their home games at Natal Palli, possess adequate training facilities but lack youth facilities. The club also has fairly basic junior coaching and a basic youth recruitment network. The club is affectionately known as Nerostellati and retains a fierce rivalry with U.S. Alessandria 1912, U.S. Pro Vercelli Calcio 1892, Derthona F.B.C. 1908, Valenzana Calcio and Novara Calcio.

As a club which enjoyed its best spell of success during the 1910s and their last competition win coming as recently as 2004, Nerostellati are a club with a growing history. Casale won the Italian top division for the only time in 1914, won the Italian 2nd tier for the only time in 1930, won the Italian 4th tier for the only time in 1989, and won the Italian 5th tier for the only time in 2004 and finished second once.

Duccio Baresi Hired at Casale

A.S. Casale Calcio have unveiled Duccio Baresi as their new head coach.
Baresi is said to be delighted at the chance to be involved in the day to day decisions at Natal Palli and the Nerostellati supporters will no doubt be hoping their new boss can bring fresh momentum to their team.

Baresi's contract with the club is rumored to be 2 years for $85,000 per year.

[Balldog]

Meeting the Board, Staff & the Club

My first order of business on the job is to meet the staff, which is quite disappointing. The most impressive member of the staff is Maurizio Brancaccio, he is a Goalkeeping Coach and appears to be very good. Basically everyone else needs to be replaced.

After that debacle I need to get with the Board and see what kind of money we are playing with. Basically we have $100K available to increase our payroll and $0 available for transfers. I'm happy to know they will let us scout England and Czech Republic for a some talent.

On to the team...we want to play what I would call a 5-2-3 formation with slight variations depending on the opponent and the venue. Our strength will be our attacking movement with most of our best players on that side of the pitch. The best player we have is easily 30-year old attacking midfielder Riccardo Taddei. We also have a very good striker, 27-year old Lorenzo Crocetti and another good pair of attacking midfielders with Reider Rodriguez and Maurizio Peluso both on loan for the season. Rodriguez and Peluso will be used in a rotation but I like Peluso better because we don't really have much room for another selfish player.

Our midfield is OK but lacks depth, our 2 first team midfielders are capable at least. Alessandro Gambadori and Stefano Capellupo will be the starters there, Capellupo is a youngster with some potential to be a great player at this level. After those two we don't have much besides Gaetano Iannini, who appears to be a capable backup.

Our defender group is our weakest group. We do have one good DC with 35-year old Natale Gonnella, what he lacks in athleticism he makes up with his experience. Giovanni Iodice and Fabio Vignati will also get time with the first team, they are both serviceable. The problem here is our WBL & WBR are horrible.

We have a poor group of Goalkeepers as well. 20-year old Alessandro Pomat has the most potential but he is very raw. Davide Adornato, another 20-year old, is similar but not nearly as athletic.

We will look at address WBL, WBR, GK, and MC depth with some free transfers or loans.

Trials Setup
We bring in the following for trials:
Andrea Fasoli (DR) - he appears to be better than anything else we have but I would prefer a guy that can play DR and WBR.
Salvatore Giardina (MC) - he looks like he can add some much needed depth in the midfield.

Loans Completed
Alberto Paoli (WBL) from Treviso - he isn't as strong as we would've liked but he is starting caliber.

[Balldog]

Friendlies...

July 24 - vs. Besancon

Our first friendly under my watch is at home versus Besancon and they are heavily favored - the media isn't very friendly when describing our squad.

29' - Adornato fails to come out and play the ball allowing Besancon to get possession and they quickly make him pay! Besancon 1, Casale 0
65' - Gonnella receives a perfect corner in the 6-yard box but heads it over the goal!
68' - Fasoli sends a cross into the crowded box, Rodriguez isn't able to control it but Crocetti gets the loose ball and puts it home! Besancon 1, Casale 1
80' - Besancon is applying quite a bit of pressure and gets a shot from point blank range but Adornato stops and we are able to clear it!

Final - Besancon 1, Casale 1

A physical game with 20 fouls and 7 yellow cards given that we were fortunate to come away with the Draw. A good effort for the boys with Andrea Fasoli winning the man of the match. Surely all 253 fans that attended the game were pleased with what they saw.

Loan IN:
Stefano Fortunato (GK) from Modena - he's quite a bit better than Adornato but they will likely be in a rotation because Adornato seems to be the answer long term for us.

Trial IN:
Cristian Maggioni (WBL) - we'll give him a 2 week trial, he appears to be pretty good and would give us some depth.

Transfer IN:
Luca Pezzottini (WBR) - a good athlete that will add some depth.

July 26 - at Carpenedolo

A 180 from the media and we are being picked to win this one.

10' - Capellupo picks up an injury on a midfield collision and we pull him immediately. Giardina comes on.
21' - Giardina with a great pass into the scoring area to Peluso and he capitalizes on the feed with a great goal! Casale 1, Carpenedolo 0
Unfortunately Giardina hurt himself on the pass and we will take him out, Gaetano Iannini will come on.
26' - Peluso with a great centering pass to Crocetti and he scores in the top right corner! Casale 2, Carpenedolo 0
39' - Peluso goes down after a hard challenge and he will have to come off.
45' - Napoli takes a knock and needs to come off. WTF.
66' - Rodriguez gets possession off a Carpen turnover near midfield and he shows off his speed beating the defense and scoring with ease! Casale 3, Carpenedolo 0
94' - We pepper them off a corner that was sent into the 6-yard box and finally Pezzottini scores! Casale 4, Carpenedolo 0

Final - Casale 4, Carpenedolo 0

We dominated in every way, including 65% possession and out shooting them 18-2. Rodriguez picked up the Man of the Match. Now we just have to wait and see how bad these injuries are.

Injury Report
Capellupo - out 5 to 6 weeks with a twisted ankle.
Giardina - out 4 weeks with a groin strain.
Peluso - out 1 to 2 weeks with a gashed arm.

[Balldog]

Staff Update
We add Ivano Rossi to the staff as a scout, he has good knowledge of Italy and decent knowledge of England. His 1st assignment will be to head to England.

Fulvio Formigli joins the staff as 1st Team Coach.

7/29/11 - Friendly vs. GAP (France)

GAP beats us 2-0 after scoring twice in the first half. A disappointing game for our first team defensive line, they all had less than 6 HT ratings. The only bright spot was Iannini with a 7.4 FT rating.

Transfer IN:
Fabio Ferdani (WBR) - adds some additional depth at a position that is wide open.

7/31/11 - Friendly at Saluzzo (Italy)

We handle Saluzzo 2-0 with ease as Rodriguez continues to impress with a goal and an assist. Alessio Curcio added the 2nd goal in the final minutes.

8/2/11 - Injured in Training

Daniele Granata (DC) suffers a double hernia and will be out 2 to 3 months.

[Balldog]

Another Injury During Training

First team central defender Natale Gonnella has sustained a strained wrist and will miss 2 weeks.

Taddei Gets Extension

We sign Taddei to a one year extension keeping him with the club through June 2013.

Transfer IN:
Andrea Cossu (MC) signs a 3-year deal worth $57K per year to join the club, he is our top signing so far and will be our final signing.

We are now $100K over our payroll budget and will have to look to drop some salary from the staff and players.

Davide Adornato is the first victim as we terminate his loan and he returns to Pisa.

Alberto Paoli may be the next victim as we can look to terminate his Loan from Treviso.

Deeper Look at the Roster

Goalkeepers
1st Team - Stefano Fortunato, 21 years old on Loan from Modena
Stefano has all the physical skills to be a solid GK at this level but mentally he has some work to do. His main strength is positioning while his main weakness is one on ones.

2nd Team - Alessandro Pomat, 20 years old
Alessandro is more impressive physically that Fotunato but mentally he is even further behind. Our hope is that Pomat is the long term solution here. His main strength is handling while his main weakness is shot stopping.

Reserve - Alessio Dinaro, 17 years old
Alessio has the skills to be a solid GK but lacks the physical ability and mental makeup at this point. That said, the potential is there for him to push Pomat someday. His main strength is shot stopping while his main weakness is aerial ability.

Central Defenders
1st Team DC - Natale Gonnella, 35 years old (Italy)
Natale has a lot of experience in him which helps him as he our best central defender. However, his main strength is still considered to be his athleticism while his weakness is his lack of speed. He is currently out with a strained wrist and will miss 1 to 2 weeks.

1st Team DCL - Giovanni Iodice, 25 years old (Italy)
Giovanni is pretty much average at everything when it comes to ability and he isn't too far behind Gonnella. His main strength is his aerial ability while his weakness is his athleticism.

1st Team DCR - Fabio Vignati, 27 years old (Italy)
Fabio is of similar caliber as Iodice but he gets a lot out of his limited skills due to his work ethic and determination. His main strength is his aerial ability while his weakness is his athleticism.

2nd Team - Tommaso Silvestri, 19 years old on Loan from Juventus (Italy)
Tommaso is highly skilled but raw, which is why he is here. Juventus was thinking he would get some time with the 1st Team but as of now he is the first backup. His strength is his athleticism while his weakness is his selfishness.

Backup - Daniele Granata, 20 years old (Italy)
Daniele has the potential to be really good someday but right now he does not have a lot to offer. He will likely see most of his action with the reserves. He is currently out with a double hernia for the next 2 months.

Backup - Michael Ciccomascolo, 23 years old (Italy)
Michael's value is limited to marking and header threat opponent. Other than that he does not have a ton of ability and his potential is limited.

Wing Backs
1st Team WBL - Alberto Paoli, 29 years old on Loan from Treviso (Italy)
Alberto is not great at anything but he is serviceable at most of the categories we would expect from a WB. His strength is his speed while his weakness is his marking.

1st Team WBR - Luca Pezzottini, 24 years old (Italy)
Luca is a lot like Paoli, we would love to improve this area but our scouts have missed on their evaluations in this area of the field. His strength is his speed while his weakness is his marking.

2nd Team WBL - Gabriele Napoli, 19 years old (Italy)
Gabriele is a solid backup right now but he should be the long term answer for us. He does a lot well but he is raw in terms of experience. His strength is being a team player while his weakness is his marking.

2nd Team WBR - Fabio Ferdani, 23 years old (Italy)
Fabio is what I consider a bust, our scouts blew this one. We thought he would come in and be our best WBR. He has some potential but right now he needs some work. His strength is his speed while his weakness is his marking.

Midfielders
1st Team MCL - Alessandro Gambadori, 30 years old (Italy)
Alesandro is pretty good and really good in his role as a Deep Lying Playmaker. His strength is being a team player but his weakness is his marking.

1st Team MCR - Andrea Cossu, 27 years old (Italy)
Andrea is a late addition to the team but a quality one. He wins the starting job due to an injury to Stefano Capellupo. Cossu is talented with his strength being his team player attitude and his weakness being marking.

2nd Team MC - Stefano Capellupo, 23 years old (Italy)
Stefano is a good player but his potential has everyone excited. He is currently sidelined due to a twisted ankle, but he should be back in a week or 2. He is a good team player with a weakness at marking.

3rd Team MC - Gaetano Iannini, 28 years old (Italy)
Gaetano is serviceable at best, luckily for him we do not have much depth here. He will likely see more time with the reserves than with us. He is a good team player but his weakness is his athleticism.

Attacking Midfield & Strikers
1st Team AML - Reider Rodriguez, 22 years old on Loan from Bassano (Cuba)
Reider has been very impressive in the preseason and won the starting spot. He possesses great speed is a selfish player. If some how we are able to get him in a transfer we will make a solid effort.

1st Team AMR - Riccardo Taddei, 30 years old (Italy)
Riccardo is a very good player at this level with his mental ability and work in the air keeping him from being great. His technique is his strength while he is considered to be a selfish player.

1st Team Striker - Lorenzo Crocetti, 27 years old (Italy)
Lorenzo is a good player and the final piece to what should be the best attack group in the league. His skill is what makes him great while he also has the tendency to be selfish.

2nd Team Striker - Alessio Curcio, 21 years old (Italy)
Alessio is a significant drop off in talent from Crocetti but he has the potential to be better some day. His speed is his greatest asset while his aerial ability leaves something to be desired.

2nd Team AML/AMR - Maurizio Peluso, 26 years old on Loan from Gavorrano (Italy)
Maurizio lost the first team job to Rodriguez, mostly due to Rodriguez's play but also in part due to Maurizio's ability to play multiple positions. Peluso is a very intelligent player but he struggles in the air.

3rd Team - Nicholas Siega, 20 years old (Italy)
Nicholas is another bright young player that needs more seasoning, his potential has the staff very excited. His speed is something to see but he is also a selfish player.

3rd Team - Salvatore Lillo, 20 years old (Italy)
Salvatore is about as raw as it gets but he has the potential to be a good one. Barring a string of injuries he will spend all season with the reserves. His speed is his greatest asset while his lack of experience is his biggest weakness.

[Balldog]

Coppa Italia de Liga Pro

At the draw we get placed in Group A with Cuneo, Monza, Paganese, and Vibonese. There will be Round Robin play with each team playing each other once and then the Top 2 teams advance to the next round.

Group play started on August 14th, we had the day off. Here are the results for the day:
Monza 2 : 1 Cuneo
Paganese 3 : 1 Vibonese

Our first match is on August 17th at Cuneo.

[Balldog]

Coppa Italia de Liga Pro Group A - Casale @ Cuneo
August 17, 2011

Match Preview

Casale First Team:
GK - S. Fortunato
DCR - F. Vignati
DC - T. Silvestri
DCL - G. Iodice
WBR - L. Pezzottini
WBL - A. Paoli
MCR - A. Cossu
MCL - A. Gambadori
AMR - R. Taddei
AML - R. Rodriguez
STC - L. Crocetti

Bench - A. Curcio, M. Peluso, N. Siega, G. Napoli, F. Ferdani, A. Pomat, G. Iannini
Inactive - M. Ciccomascolo (inj), N. Gonnella (inj), D. Granata (inj), S. Capellupo (inj)

We are underdogs at 3-1 Odds. Our gameplan is to play a Rigid Defensive style today and rely on our Attackers to create some opportunities.

Casale destroyed by Cuneo

A.C. Cuneo 1905 5 - 0 A.S. Casale Calcio (Coppa Italia Lega Pro Grp A)

In a result few would have bet on, A.S. Casale Calcio were played off the park by a rampant A.C. Cuneo 1905.

Striker Giuseppe Ingari got A.C. Cuneo 1905 off to a flying start by scoring a tap-in in the 3rd minute. Then followed controversy as A.C. Cuneo 1905 were denied claims by young full-back Nicolò Donida for a penalty.

Midfielder Marco Garavelli doubled A.C. Cuneo 1905's lead with a tidy finish in the 36th minute. Lodi scored with a free kick from the edge of the area in the 45th minute to extend the lead further.

Journeyman striker Massimiliano Varricchio then added to the lead with a fine header from pointblank range in the 50th minute. Young striker Manuel Personè completed the rout with an accurate finish in the 74th minute.

Man of the Match: Marco Garavelli (Cuneo)
Attendance: 900

Match Summary
3' - Cuneo Goal: G. Ingari
27' - Casale Yellow Card: A. Cossu
36' - Cuneo Goal: M. Garavelli
40' - Cuneo Yellow Card: N. Donida
45+2' - Cuneo Goal: D. Lodi
45+2' - Casale Yellow Card: T. Silvestri
50' - Cuneo Goal: M. Varricchio
74' - Cuneo Goal: M. Persone
77' - Cuneo Yellow Card: D. Lodi
78' - Casale Yellow Card: A. Gambadori
90+1' - Casale Yellow Card: G. Iodice

Casale Stats
Shots: 5
On Target: 3
Possession: 30%
Fouls: 13

Cuneo Stats
Shots: 16
On Target: 8
Possession: 70%
Fouls: 12

Manager Notes:
Not the way we were looking to start competitive play but we came out flat and never recovered. We must improve at nearly every facet if we want to compete in Cup or League play.

[Balldog]

Coppa Italia de Liga Pro Group A - Vibonese @ Casale
August 24, 2011

Match Preview

Casale First Team:
GK - S. Fortunato
DCR - F. Vignati
DC - T. Silvestri
DCL - G. Iodice
WBR - L. Pezzottini
WBL - A. Paoli
MCR - A. Cossu
MCL - A. Gambadori
AMR - R. Taddei
AML - R. Rodriguez
STC - L. Crocetti

Bench - A. Curcio, M. Peluso, N. Siega, G. Napoli, F. Ferdani, A. Pomat, G. Iannini
Inactive - M. Ciccomascolo (inj), N. Gonnella (inj), D. Granata (inj), S. Capellupo (inj)

We are favorites with 5-4 Odds. It is a hot afternoon at 93 F so I am hoping our lack of depth does not hurt us.

...

Casale edge narrow Vibonese game

A.S. Casale Calcio 1 - 0 U.S. Vibonese Calcio (Coppa Italia Lega Pro Grp A)

A.S. Casale Calcio won a hard fought battle against U.S. Vibonese Calcio on a hard and bouncy surface at Natal Palli.

The first incident of note was on 36 minutes as U.S. Vibonese Calcio were denied claims by Andrea Saturno for a penalty. A.S. Casale Calcio's winner came through Reider Rodríguez as he seized on Gianluca Ibba's mistake to score an accurate finish.

Both teams had a number of attempts at goal, which promised much, but the quality of finishing was poor throughout.

Man of the Match: Reider Rodríguez (Casale)
Attendance: 383

Match Summary:
60' - Casale Goal: R. Rodriguez
81' - Vibonese YC: P. Cosentino
83' - Vibonese YC: M. De Francesco

Casale Subs:
71' - Pezzottini Out, Ferdani In
71' - Taddei Out, Peluso In
90' - Crocetti Out, Iannini In

Vibonese Stats
Shots: 8
On Target: 3
Possession: 50%
Fouls: 13

Casale Stats
Shots: 9
On Target: 1
Possession: 50%
Fouls: 10

Manager Notes:
We had several quality opportunities but failed to many balls on target today. All in all a much improved effort for everyone. With the win we are within striking distance of a Top 2 finish with 3 points, Paganese and Monza are the Top 2 currently with 4 points.

[Balldog]

Coppa Italia de Liga Pro Group A - Casale @ Paganese
August 31, 2011

Match Preview

Casale First Team:
GK - S. Fortunato
DCR - F. Vignati
DC - N. Gonnella
DCL - G. Iodice
WBR - L. Pezzottini
WBL - A. Paoli
MCR - A. Cossu
MCL - A. Gambadori
AMR - R. Taddei
AML - R. Rodriguez
STC - L. Crocetti

Bench - A. Curcio, M. Peluso, G. Napoli, F. Ferdani, A. Pomat, T. Silvestri, S. Capellupo
Inactive - M. Ciccomascolo (inj), D. Granata (inj), N. Siega, G. Iannini

Another mid-90s afternoon and we are underdogs with 4-1 odds.

....

Casale fortunate to beat Paganese

Paganese Calcio 1926 1 - 2 A.S. Casale Calcio (Coppa Italia Lega Pro Grp A)

A.S. Casale Calcio recorded a somewhat fortuitous win over Paganese Calcio 1926 on a fine summer's afternoon at Marcello Torre.

Veteran centre-back Natale Gonnella suffered the ignominy of scoring a calamitous own goal in the 33rd minute on the clock. Midfielder Riccardo Taddei then equalized for A.S. Casale Calcio in the 59th minute with a free kick from the edge of the area.

Striker Lorenzo Crocetti then clinched a late winner on 89 minutes with a fierce shot. Crocetti's impact delighted the fans with his late goal.

Man of the Match: Riccardo Taddei (Casale)
Attendance: 801

Match Summary:
31' - Casale YC: Cossu
33' - Panganese Goal: Gonnella (OG)
47' - Panganese YC: Bamba
59' - Casale Goal: Taddei
66' - Casale YC: Rodriguez
67' - Casale YC: Vignati
70' - Casale YC: Peluso
89' - Casale Goal: Crocetti

(Cossu will be suspended our next Cup Match)

Casale Subs:
45' - Pezzottini Out, Peluso In
71' - Cossu Out, Capellupo In
89' - Rodriguez Out, Silvestri In

Casale Stats
Shots: 7
On Target: 5
Possession: 44%
Fouls: 12

Paganese Stats
Shots: 10
On Target: 2
Possession: 56%
Fouls: 10

Manager Notes:
A surprising comeback as our 5-3-2 formation is just not working, at least not on the road. We scrapped it at half time and went to a 4-4-2 and the guys responded well.

Coppa Italia de Liga Pro Group A Table
1) Cuneo (2-0-1, 6 pts)
2) Casale (2-0-1, 6 pts)
3) Paganese (1-1-1, 4 pts)
4) Monza (1-1-1, 4 pts)
5) Vibonese (1-0-3, 3 pts) *Eliminated*

Basically as long as we at least get a draw against Monza we will advance, that match is September 7th. First we have our opening league match at Poggibonsi.

[Balldog]

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Casale @ Poggibonsi
September 4, 2011


Match Preview

The staff and I have decided to work with a 3-4-3 going forward.

Casale First Team:
GK - S. Fortunato
DCR - F. Vignati
DC - N. Gonnella
DCL - G. Iodice
MR - L. Pezzottini
ML - N. Siega
MCR - A. Cossu
MCL - A. Gambadori
SCR - R. Taddei
SC - M. Peluso
SCL - L. Crocetti

Bench - A. Curcio, G. Napoli, F. Ferdani, A. Pomat, T. Silvestri, S. Capellupo, A. Paoli
Inactive - M. Ciccomascolo (inj), D. Granata (inj), , G. Iannini, R. Rodriguez (travel)

Another warm day with temperatures expected in the mid 80s and we are the underdogs again with 7-4 odds.

...

Casale's poor performance adds to disappointing defeat

U.S. Poggibonsi 1 - 0 A.S. Casale Calcio (2ª Divisione Girone A)

U.S. Poggibonsi's fans left Stefano Lotti wondering quite how their team had only managed to win 1 - 0.

Winger Manuel Pera gave U.S. Poggibonsi the lead with a real poacher's effort in the 26th minute.

Casale were carved open a number of times but despite the ability of their opponents to create chances, they struggled to put them away.

Current manager Duccio Baresi joined A.S. Casale Calcio in July 2011 and has been in charge for 2 months.

Man of the Match: Manuel Pera (Poggibonsi)
Attendance: 582

Match Summary:
26' - Poggibonsi Goal: Pera
35' - Poggibonsi YC: Pera
50' - Casale YC: Gambadori
69' - Poggibonsi YC: Cirina

Poggibonsi Stats
Shots: 11
On Target: 3
Possession: 53%
Fouls: 7

Casale Stats
Shots: 3
On Target: 0
Possession: 47%
Fouls: 10

Manager Notes:
Another disappointing start to play as we were dominated early and only in the 2nd half did we create an opportunity for ourselves. The loss drops us to 14th in the league table. Our next league match is home vs. Lecco (15th) on 9/11/11. Up first though we have an important Cup match at home vs. Monza.

[DavidCorperial]

Just to let you know, you double posted the Poggibonsi September 4th match.

[Balldog]

Originally Posted by DavidCorperial

Just to let you know, you double posted the Poggibonsi September 4th match.

Deleted, thanks!

[Balldog]

Coppa Italia de Liga Pro Group A - Monza @ Casale
September 7, 2011

Match Preview

Casale First Team:
GK - S. Fortunato
DCR - F. Vignati
DC - N. Gonnella
DCL - G. Iodice
MR - L. Pezzottini
ML - N. Siega
MCR - G. Iannini
MCL - A. Gambadori
SCR - R. Taddei
SC - M. Peluso
SCL - L. Crocetti

Bench - A. Curcio, G. Napoli, F. Ferdani, A. Pomat, T. Silvestri, S. Capellupo, A. Paoli
Inactive - M. Ciccomascolo (inj), D. Granata (inj), A. Cossu (suspended), R. Rodriguez (travel)

Another great day for football with mid-80s and a little breeze. We are heavy underdogs (odds: 9-2) and need at least a draw to advance. Our plan is to play responsible defensively and counter in spurts.

...

Casale cruise to victory at Natal Palli

A.S. Casale Calcio 2 - 1 A.C. Monza Brianza 1912 (Coppa Italia Lega Pro Grp A)

In a surprise, A.S. Casale Calcio overcame A.C. Monza Brianza 1912 at Natal Palli 2 - 1.

Midfielder Francesco Velardi gave A.C. Monza Brianza 1912 the lead with a good diving header from close range in the 11th minute. Striker Lorenzo Crocetti then equalized for A.S. Casale Calcio in the 34th minute with a real poacher's effort.

The last goal of the game came from young centre-back Andrea Boscaro whose 74th minute own-goal will undoubtedly cause him some embarrassment.

Man of the Match: Francesco Velardi (Monza)
Attendance: 474

Match Summary:
11' - Monza Goal: Velardi
26' - Monza YC: Oualembo
34' - Casale Goal: Crocetti
69' - Monza YC: Russo
74' - Casale Goal: OG by Monza's Boscaro

Casale Substitutions:
63' - Pezzottini Out, Ferdani In
74' - Fortunato Out, Pomat In
74' - Gambadori Out, Capellupo In

Casale Stats
Shots: 9
On Target: 4
Possession: 52%
Fouls: 7

Monza Stats
Shots: 6
On Target: 2
Possession: 48%
Fouls: 6

Manager Thoughts:
We ended up playing our best match of the year so far even without 2 of our best midfielders. I had planned on playing more defensive but after they scored their first goal we ended up going to counter and started to take control of the match so we stayed in counter for about 75% of the match. We also pulled Fortunato because his lack of confidence seems to be impacting his performance, he can't really stop anything unless it is right at him. The guys are exhausted after this one so we are hoping a day of rest will help before our league match in a few days against Lecco.

[Balldog]

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Lecco @ Casale
September 11, 2011

Before the match we learn that we have drawn Poggibonsi in the 1st Rd of the Pro Cup. They just beat us last week 1-0.


Match Preview

Casale First Team:
GK - S. Fortunato
DCR - F. Vignati
DC - N. Gonnella
DCL - G. Iodice
MR - A. Cossu
ML - R. Rodriguez
MCR - S. Capellupo
MCL - A. Gambadori
SCR - R. Taddei
SC - M. Peluso
SCL - L. Crocetti

Bench - A. Curcio, G. Napoli, F. Ferdani, A. Pomat, T. Silvestri, , A. Paoli, L. Pezzottini
Inactive - M. Ciccomascolo (inj), D. Granata (inj), N. Siega, G. Iannini

Another perfect day weather wise in the mid 80s and dry. Again we are underdogs this time with 7-2 odds. We plan to start the match with a counter strategy and see how it goes. This is probably our best lineup we can put out there.

...

Lecco held to draw

A.S. Casale Calcio 2 - 2 Calcio Lecco 1912 (2ª Divisione Girone A)

A.S. Casale Calcio will have undoubtedly been the more contented of the two teams after clinching a somewhat surprising 2 - 2 draw against Calcio Lecco 1912.

Journeyman striker Gianluca Temelin gave Calcio Lecco 1912 the lead with a close range finish which was timed impeccably in the 17th minute. A.S. Casale Calcio's equalizer came through Lorenzo Crocetti as he seized on Luca Tabbiani's mistake to score a powerful penalty. Striker Filippo Fabbro then put Calcio Lecco 1912 in front after 56 minutes with a simple finish from close in.

Experienced midfielder Riccardo Taddei equalized for A.S. Casale Calcio in the 72nd minute with a placed shot.

Media-friendly boss Duccio Baresi joined A.S. Casale Calcio in July 2011 and has been in charge for 2 months.

Man of the Match: Alex Mattaboni (Lecco)
Attendance: 1,242

Match Summary:
17' - Lecco Goal: Temelin
28' - Casale Goal: Crocetti (PK)
56' - Lecco Goal: Fabbro
69' - Casale Injury: Capellupo
72' - Casale Goal: Taddei

Casale Substitutions:
69' - Capellupo Out, Pezzottini In
77'- Gonnella Out, Silvestri In
89' - Taddei Out, Curcio In

Casale Stats
Shots: 8
On Target: 4
Possession: 46%
Fouls: 5

Lecco Stats
Shots: 12
On Target: 5
Possession: 54%
Fouls: 14

Manager Thoughts:
All in all a good performance given the fatigue we faced heading into the match. It looks like Capellupo will not miss anytime which is huge for us. Taddei played really well today and just missed a winning goal off a free kick when it hit the cross bar. We get some much needed rest before our next match, which is a league match at Renate who are in 2nd place currently.

[Balldog]

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Casale @ Renate
September 18, 2011

Match Preview

Casale First Team:
GK - A. Pomat
DCR - F. Vignati
DC - N. Gonnella
DCL - G. Iodice
MR - A. Cossu
ML - R. Rodriguez
MCR - S. Capellupo
MCL - A. Gambadori
SCR - R. Taddei
SC - M. Peluso
SCL - L. Crocetti

Bench - A. Curcio, G. Napoli, F. Ferdani, S. Fortunato, T. Silvestri, N. Siega, L. Pezzottini
Inactive - M. Ciccomascolo (inj), D. Granata (inj), G. Iannini, A. Paoli

Renate comes into the match 2nd in the table but somehow we are favored with 6-4 odds. The weather is perfect at mid-70s & dry and the players are well rested.

...

Casale fortunate to beat Renate

A.C. Renate 1 - 2 A.S. Casale Calcio (2ª Divisione Girone A)

A.S. Casale Calcio recorded a somewhat fortuitous win over A.C. Renate on a fine summer's afternoon at Mario Riboldi.

Veteran centre-back Natale Gonnella suffered the ignominy of scoring a calamitous own goal in the 26th minute on the clock. Midfielder Stefano Capellupo then equalized for A.S. Casale Calcio in the 49th minute with a curled effort from eighteen yards.

Midfielder Alessandro Gambadori scored what proved to be the winner on 62 minutes with a tidy finish. A.C. Renate also saw their 93rd minute strike disallowed in controversial circumstances.

Man of the Match: Stefano Capellupo (Casale)
Attendance: 604

Capellupo sharp in narrow Casale win

Stefano Capellupo had a fine game this afternoon during Casale's 2 - 1 Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A victory over Renate but it was a tight match that could really have gone either way.

The Casale central midfielder put in a superb performance for his team and will be delighted that he was able to cap his display with a goal. Midfielder Stefano Capellupo then equalized for A.S. Casale Calcio in the 49th minute with a curled effort from eighteen yards. The central midfielder's accuracy of passing was a contributing factor towards this impressive display.

Capellupo, who is valued at $12K, currently has 10 months remaining on his $25.5K p/a deal at Natal Palli.

Renate have goal disallowed
Renate were controversially disallowed a goal in the 90th minute during Renate's 1 - 2 Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A defeat against Casale.

Stefano Morotti was convinced that Simone Ghezzi was onside when the ball was played and that the goal should have been given.

Renate boss Oscar Magoni refused to openly criticize the referee after the match, claiming that he was not prepared to risk being reprimanded by the FA.

Match Summary:
26' Renate Goal: OG by Casale's Gonnella
47' Renate YC: Bergamini
49' Casale Goal: Capellupo
57' Renate YC: Gavazzi
59' Casale YC: Cossu
62' Casale Goal: Gambadori
84' Renate YC: Cortinovis

Casale Substitutions:
63' Vignati Out, Silvestri In
76' Cossu Out, Ferdani In
90' Rodriguez Out, Napoli In

Casale Stats
Shots: 7
On Target: 4
Possession: 46%
Fouls: 11

Renate Stats
Shots: 11
On Target: 1
Possession: 54%
Fouls: 15

Manager Thoughts:
We bounced back from the OG really well and pulled off a nice road win. Capellupo's goal was an amazing bender from quite far out and that seemed to spark the team. We ended up playing about 50/50 counter vs. attack in this one. The win has us at 12th in the table with our next match against 4th place Montichiari.

[Balldog]

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Montichiari @ Casale
September 25, 2011

Match Preview

Casale First Team:
GK - A. Pomat
DCR - F. Vignati
DC - N. Gonnella
DCL - G. Iodice
DM - A. Cossu
MCR - S. Capellupo
MCL - A. Gambadori
AMC - R. Rodriguez
SCR - R. Taddei
SC - M. Peluso
SCL - L. Crocetti

Bench - A. Curcio, G. Napoli, F. Ferdani, S. Fortunato, T. Silvestri, N. Siega, L. Pezzottini
Inactive - M. Ciccomascolo (inj), D. Granata (inj), G. Iannini, A. Paoli

Betfair has us favored at 5-4 odds for this home match. We have to shutdown their striker, Dimas, he has 3 goals already in season play. Our plan is to put Cossu as a DM to mark him.

...

Rossoblu strike lucky

A.S. Casale Calcio 0 - 2 A.C. Montichiari (2ª Divisione Girone A)

A.S. Casale Calcio will be wondering what might have been this morning after a close encounter with Montichiari turned into a 2 - 0 victory for their opponents.

Striker Dimas got A.C. Montichiari off to a flying start by scoring a tame effort from close to goal in the 5th minute. Young midfielder Andrea Saleri finally rounded off their victory in the 51st minute with a simple finish from close in.

Things went from bad to worse for A.S. Casale Calcio as striker Lorenzo Crocetti missed from the penalty spot at the 85 minute mark.

Casale have dropped two places to 14th in the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A, with A.C. Bellaria Igea Marina and Valenzana Calcio climbing above them.

Man of the Match: Mattia Perelli (Montichiari)
Attendance: 938

Match Summary:
5' Montichiari Goal: Dimas
21' Montichiari YC: Del Padrone
27' Casale YC: Cossu
39' Casale's Rodriguez Injured
51' Montichiari Goal: Saleri
85' Casale's Crocetti Missed PK

Casale Substitutions:
39' Rodriguez Out, Napoli In
83' Napoli Out, Silvestri In

Casale Stats
Shots: 7
On Target: 1
Possession: 48%
Fouls: 11

Montichiari Stats
Shots: 7
On Target: 3
Possession: 52%
Fouls: 12

Manager Notes:
Our strategy against Dimas didn't work well considering he scored in the first 5 minutes and it completely neutralized our attack. With the loss we drop to 14th in the table. Rodriguez suffered a bruised rib and will miss most of the next 2 weeks. This will be an interesting opportunity, while he is a great player we are using a square peg in a round circle so let's see if we can find a replacement for him.

Our next match is on the 28th at Rimini, they are currently 3rd in the table.

[Balldog]

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Casale @ Rimini
September 28, 2011

Match Preview

Casale First Team:
GK - A. Pomat
DCR - F. Vignati
DC - N. Gonnella
DCL - G. Iodice
MR - F. Ferdani
MCR - S. Capellupo
MCL - A. Gambadori
ML - N. Siega
SCR - R. Taddei
SC - M. Peluso
SCL - L. Crocetti

Bench - A. Curcio, G. Napoli, A. Cossu, S. Fortunato, T. Silvestri, G. Iannini, L. Pezzottini
Inactive - M. Ciccomascolo (inj), D. Granata (inj), R. Rodriguez
(inj), A. Paoli

We are pretty significant underdogs in this one with 11-5 odds. We are giving Cossu a rest because the match congestion has gotten him a little worn down.

...

Casale suffer heavy loss

A.C. Rimini 1912 4 - 0 A.S. Casale Calcio (2ª Divisione Girone A)

In a surprisingly one-sided encounter at Romeo Neri, A.C. Rimini 1912 defeated A.S. Casale Calcio 4 - 0. Two goals from Federico Rispoli helped Rimini to victory.

A.C. Rimini 1912 finally took the lead when striker Federico Rispoli scored a real poacher's effort in the 43rd minute. Winger Pierluigi Baldazzi doubled A.C. Rimini 1912's lead with a close range header in the 68th minute.

Then followed controversy as A.C. Rimini 1912 were denied claims by experienced centre-back Gianluca Zanetti for a penalty. An error from A.S. Casale Calcio's Andrea Cossu allowed Rispoli to score a powerful effort. Full-back Mirco Spighi completed the rout with a fluke goal in the 90th minute.

Casale have dropped one place to 15th in the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A, with Bellaria climbing above them.

Man of the Match: Federico Rispoli (Rimini)
Attendance: 5,028

Match Summary:
13' Casale YC: Capellupo
19' Casale YC: Taddei
43' Rimini Goal: Rispoli
68' Rimini Goal: Baldazzi
80' Casale YC: Gambadori
86' Rimini Goal: Rispoli
90' Rimini Goal: Spighi

Casale Substitutions:
58' Ferdani Out, Cossu In
76' Capellupo Out, Iannini In
76' Crocetti Out, Curcio In

Rimini Stats
Shots: 15
On Target: 8
Possession: 56%
Fouls: 7

Casale Stats
Shots: 7
On Target: 4
Possession: 44%
Fouls: 9

Manager Notes:
Rimini ran us off the pitch today, we were exhausted by half time and there wasn't much we could've done. Curcio made his 50th career league appearance today. Our next match is in 4 days at home with Valenzana.

[Balldog]

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Valenzana @ Casale
October 2, 2011

Match Preview

Casale First Team:
GK - A. Pomat
DCR - F. Vignati
DC - N. Gonnella
DCL - G. Iodice
MR - A. Cossu
MCR - S. Capellupo
MCL - A. Gambadori
ML - R. Rodriguez
SCR - R. Taddei
SC - M. Peluso
SCL - L. Crocetti

Bench - A. Curcio, G. Napoli, F. Ferdani, S. Fortunato, T. Silvestri, L. Pezzottini, N. Siega
Inactive - M. Ciccomascolo (inj), D. Granata (inj), A. Paoli, G. Iannini,

Valenzana is one of our biggest rivals so a big crowd is expected and I'm hoping the guys can feed off of it. Rodriguez is still slightly dinged up but we are going to get him in there as we need a win and Siega has played very poorly since the start of the season. We are slight underdogs with 13-8 odds.

...

Orafi win battle of Natal Palli

A.S. Casale Calcio 1 - 2 Valenzana Calcio (2ª Divisione Girone A)

Valenzana Calcio battled their way to a 2 - 1 victory in this evenly-matched contest between two hard-working teams.

The first noteworthy incident of the match proved to be controversial, with A.S. Casale Calcio seeing a goal disallowed. Young goalkeeper Alessandro Pomat showed a sign of things to come though as he nearly gifted Valenzana Calcio a goal in the 36th minute.

Midfielder Andrea Montanari gave Valenzana Calcio the lead with an accurate finish in the 47th minute. Experienced midfielder Riccardo Taddei then equalized for A.S. Casale Calcio in the 57th minute with a tidy finish.

Striker Lorenzo Crocetti saw a penalty beat the keeper but hit the post on the 72 minute mark. Midfielder Giacomo Chiazzolino then clinched a late winner on 87 minutes with a close range effort.

Chiazzolino's impact delighted the fans with his late goal.

Casale have now suffered three straight defeats and the relegation candidates find themselves in 18th place in the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A.

Man of the Match: Giacomo Chiazzolino (Valenzana)
Attendance: 893

Fans devastated by Valenzana result

Supporter spokesperson Cristian Vella believes the fans are very disappointed with Casale's 1 - 2 Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A defeat against Valenzana.

Cristian believes the fans absolutely hate losing to one of their closest rivals.

Alessandro Pomat, Natale Gonnella and Lorenzo Crocetti in particular were singled out as having underperformed.

Casale have now suffered three straight defeats and the relegation candidates find themselves in 18th place in the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A.

Match Summary:
47' Valenzana Goal: Montanari
57' Casale Goal: Taddei
87' Valenzana Goal: Chiazzolino

Casale Substitutions
45' Rodriguez Out, Siega In
69' Taddei Out (Injured), Curcio In
76' Capellupo Out, Ferdani In

Casale Stats
Shots: 5
On Target: 2
Possession: 47%
Fouls: 10

Valenzana Stats
Shots: 6
On Target: 2
Possession: 53%
Fouls: 11

Manager Thoughts:
A disappointing result after we played pretty well in the 1st half with Rodriguez making some good plays for us. Siega actually had the assist on Taddei's goal so we can't complain much, but that is all he did. We have another short rest before our next match, which is a Cup match against Poggibonzi. The worst news we received just after the match as it is announced that Taddei fractured his wrist and will miss 2 months. We need to find a replacement for him and Crucetti won't be taking PKs anymore.

[Balldog]

Coppa Italia de Liga Pro First Rouind - Casale @ Poggibonsi
October 5, 2011

Match Preview

Casale First Team:
GK - S. Fortunato
DCR - F. Vignati
DC - N. Gonnella
DCL - G. Iodice
DMC - A. Cossu
MCR - S. Capellupo
MCL - A. Gambadori
MC - G. Iannini
AMC - R. Rodriguez
SCR - M. Peluso
SCL - L. Crocetti

Bench - A. Pomat, A. Curcio, G. Napoli, F. Ferdani, T. Silvestri, L. Pezzottini, N. Siega
Inactive - M. Ciccomascolo, D. Granata, A. Paoli, R. Taddei (inj)

We are going to go with Fortunato in goal today, Pomat has been struggling and needs the mental break. We've also moved Rodriguez to AMC, he is still getting back into shape after his injury. Cossu slides to DMC and Iannini gets the start at MC. The weather is perfect and we are slight underdogs on the road with 3-1 odds.

...

First Half
4' - Cossu goes down after a hard tackle and he needs to come out. We move Iodice to DMC and bring on Silvestri.
13' - Fortunato can't handle a pass back to him by Silvestri and they get a shot from point blank range but rattle the post and we are able to clear it.
24' - Poggibonsi's Cutrupi gets booked for tripping Capellupo.
27' - Capellupo pulls down a Poggibonsi winger and gets a yellow card.
36' - Poggibonsi's Giunchi gets booked for tripping up Iannini killing an advantage we had on the counter.
42' - Poggibonsi's El Kamch gets the ball just outside the area and we are caught out of position but due to the angle he is not able to score and we get the goal kick.
43' - An early cross from Poggibonsi looks like it could be trouble but Gonnella dives and heads it out for a corner.

Half Time
Casale 0, Poggibonsi 0
The first half was bruttle to watch on both sides but we were terrible. They are controlling possession and we have yet to get a shot off. Rodriguez is spent so we bring on Napoli. Silvestri moves to DR and Napolia moves to DL.

Second Half
50' - Gambadori goes down after a tackle and needs to come out. Ferdani will come on.
54' - Iodice with a hard tackle and he gets a yellow card.
63' - Poggibonzi's Pera dribbles it right through the heart of our defense and puts a pass in the area to Falomi for the goal! Pogginbonsi 1, Casale 0
63' - Silvestri is furious with the official because he thought Falomi was offside! He gets a yellow card.
90+1' - Peluso goes down after a collision and needs to come off so we will have to finish with 10.

Final
Poggibonsi 1, Casale 0
Wow, that was atrocious. Not a whole lot to say after that, our defense played well but that is all we had that went well.

Casale Stats
Shots: 0
On Target: 0
Possession: 37%
Fouls: 10

Poggibonzi Stats
Shots: 11
On Target: 2
Possession: 63%
Fouls: 7

Man of the Match: Nicola Falomi (Poggibonsi), 1 goal
Attendance: 347

Going forward we are going to start working with a 4-4-2. With what we have now nothing is working so it's back to the basics.

To make matters worse Cossu will miss the next 2 months with strained knee ligaments. Wow.

[Balldog]

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Casale @ Santarcangelo
October 9, 2011

Starting Eleven:
GK - Fortunato
D - Paoli / Vignati / Gonnella / Silvestri
M - Siega / Gambadori / Capellupo / Pezzottini
A - Crocetti / Peluso

Bench: Promat, Iannini, Ciccomascolo, Ferdani, Napoli, Iodice, Curcio

Rodriguez is traveling with the Cuban team, he actually scored his first international goal yesterday. We gave the guys 2 days off to rest before coming back to practice yesterday so we should have some rest. We are planning to throw caution to the wind and attack as often as possible.

First Half
6' - A great tackle by Pezzottini and he passes into the area to Peluso who fires on goal but a great save keeps him from getting the goal!
9' - Capellupo puts a corner in the box and Vignati gets to hit but it goes over!
10' - A great move by Santarcangelo but their striker Graziani misses wide!
14' - Peluso with a great run through the middle then a thru ball to Pezzottini and he gets tackled near the penalty area but the ball shoots past their GK! (own goal for Santarcangelo) Casale 1, Santarcangelo 0
19' - Santarcangelo with an early cross and they get a shot from close range and Fortunato can't get to it! Casale 1, Santarcangelo 1
22' - Gonnella gets booked for tripping.
27' - Santarcangelo with another cross and this time they get a header goal from Ferri! Casale 1, Santarcangelo 2
32' - A nice move by Siega and he fires but it is just wide!
45+1' - Paoli gets booked after one of their guy's flops!

Half Time
Casale 1, Santarcangelo 2
We trail but we are playing really well we've just not been able to get the goals. We won't change anything going into the 2nd half.

58' - Silvestri with a great tackle near midfield and he plays it forward to Pezzottini who plays it through to Peluso and he scores!!! Casale 2, Santarcangelo 2
62' - A nice early cross in from Siega and Crucetti fires from up close but he gets denied!
64' - An excellent move by Santarcangelo leads to a one on one but he shoots it a mile high!
70' - We take Paoli out to avoid a 2nd booking from him and Napoli comes on.
72' - Siego plays a great pass into the area and Capellupo is there to receive it but his shot gets blocked by the defender! A sure goal was missed there!
74' - A weak cross leads to a weak header for Santarcangelo but Baldinini some how gets it past Fortunato! Casale 2, Santarcangelo 3
76' - Capellupo with a excellent ball into the area and Crocetti makes the most of it, goal!!! Casale 3, Santarcangelo 3
88' - We had it in deep but played it back to Fortunato and he turns it over leading to a goal by Graziani! Vignati is protesting that there was a handball! Casale 3, Santarcangelo 4
89' - Peluso comes off and Curcio comes on.

Final
Casale 3, Santarcangelo 4

A tough loss to one of the top teams in the league. Baldinini was brilliant for them with a goal and 2 assists. For sure a lot of positives to take out of this one but they do have one of the poorest defenses in the league.

Casale Stats
Shots: 13
On Target: 4
Possession: 59%
Fouls: 12
Santarcangelo
Shots: 12
On Target: 5
Possession: 41%
Fouls: 12

Man of the Match: Santarcangelo's Baldinini
Attendance: 491

During the next week of practice Rodriguez goes down during sprints with a strained groin, he is expected to miss 4 weeks.

The same day in practice Fabio Ferdani goes down with a calf strain, he will be out 4 to 5 weeks.

[Balldog]

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Virtus Entella @ Casale
October 16, 2011

Starting Eleven:
GK - Fortunato
D - Paoli / Vignati / Gonnella / Silvestri
M - Siega / Gambadori / Capellupo / Pezzottini
A - Crocetti / Peluso

Bench: Promat, Iannini, Ciccomascolo, Ferdani, Iodice, Curcio

We are favored in this one with 6-4 odds and keeping the same strategy as these guys have a poor defense as well.

First Half
4' - Capellupo plays a great ball into the area and Peluso runs onto it and fires but just misses high!
5' - Gambadori gets booked for tripping.
12' - Some more great passing leads to another opportunity for Peluso this time the GK deflect it off the post!
20' - Paoli gets booked for holding. The free kick leads to a long shot that is placed perfectly but Fortunato is able to tip it wide!
23' - Virtus Entella's Villagatti is booked for holding.
41' - A defensive breakdown costs us as they basically end up with a 3 on 1 and score with ease. Virtus Entella 1, Casale 0
44' - Siega gets booked for tripping.

Half Time
Virtus Entella 1, Casale 0
We played well but were unfortunate to not score, we aren't going to change much just try to make better of our opportunities.

Second Half
52' - Silvestri centers it outside the penalty area and Gambadori strikes it clean and gets the goal from about 20 yards out!! Virtus Entella 1, Casale 1
61' - A long strike from Virtus Entella gives Fortunata a little trouble but he stops it!
62' - Off the ensuing corner kick the ball bounces free and Rosso scores his 2nd goal for Virtus Entella! Virtus Entella 2, Casale 1
71' - Capellupo gets booked for tripping.
72' - Siego comes off, Napoli comes on.
78' - Pezzottini gets free behind the defense and scores! Wait he is ruled offside!
79' - Crocetti picks the pocket of one of their defenders and has a run to the left side of the field and bends a great shot past the GK to tie it!!! Virtus Entella 2, Casale 2
81' - Pezzottini comes off, Iannini comes on.
83' - Paoli gets booked for holding.
84' - On the ensuing free kick they get free in the area but miss the shot wide!
86' - Off of a turnover Virtus Entella centers it into the area and Rosso is there for his 3rd goal of the match! Virtus Entella 3, Casale 2

Final
Virtus Entella 3, Casale 2
Sigh. Can't buy a win! The loss puts us in the table at 19th with the 5 game losing streak.

Virtus Entella Stats
Shots: 11
On Target: 8
Possession: 53%
Fouls: 9

Casale Stats
Shots: 12
On Target: 5
Possession: 47%
Fouls: 12

Man of the Match: Virtus Entella's Rosso
Attendance: 435

[Balldog]

Free Transfers Signed

Due to the amount of injuries and the level of players that have been injured we have little depth and ability so we've decided to look at the free transfer market to upgrade the team.

We have signed the following players:

Frederico Del Grosso, DR/MR
Del Grosso comes in as our best DR & MR, he gives us the option to return Silvestri to Juventus to free up some payroll. He is poor in the air but a great athlete, we don't have a lot of those. He was with Inter just 2 seasons ago so the ability is there somewhere.

Mauro Zaccagnini, MC/ML/MR
Zaccagnini's strenght is at MC but he can play all 3 positions so this gives us some nice depth in the midfield. He is known for his speed, something we are lacking. He has bounced around in higher levels of Italian soccer in the past so hopefully he can bring something we are missing.

Andre Bicca, MC/DMC/DR
Bicca was signed for one reason only, that is his marking ability. This is an area we have been weak at so hopefully he can help us there.

Simone Piva, DL/ML
Piva brings a lot to the table, he is probably the best of the players we brought on. He is a great athlete and very good in the air, something we are lacking.

We will be expecting these guys to make an impact right away. The scouts did well to find them and once they are caught up to speed we will likely send some of the players on loan back to their squads.

[Balldog]

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Casale @ San Marino
October 23, 2011

Starting Eleven:
GK - Promat
D - Paoli / Vignati / Gonnella / Silvestri
M - Siega / Gambadori / Capellupo / Pezzottini
A - Crocetti / Peluso

Bench: Fortunato, Zaccagnini, Bricca, Del Grossi, Piva, Iodice, Curcio

We are heavy underdogs at 10-1, San Marino is favored with 1-6 odds. They will put a lot of pressure on our defense so we are going to play with a counter strategy to start.

First Half
4' - Siega has a nice run and feeds it to Crocetti just outside the penalty area and puts a through ball perfectly to Peluso who scores with ease!! Casale 1, San Marino 0
17' - San Marino with a low cross that looks dangerous but Vignati slides and breaks up the play conceding the corner.
21' - With a free kick from the corner Capellupo with a nice feed to the head of Gonnella and he puts it on goal but one of their defenders blocks it!
24' - Off a corner one of their defenders flicks it toward the goal and their forward Chiaretti dives in and knocks it home to tie it up! Casale 1, San Marino 1
32' - Siega with a throw-in to Crocetti and he plays a cross perfectly to Peluso who heads it in!! Casale 2, San Marino 1
33' - Their forward Poletti gets free and Pomat comes out to challenge him and whiffs! Silvestri makes a great play to break it up!
34' - After the ensuing corner in which San Marino had a header opportunity that went high, Pomat sends the goal kick near midfielder and there is a big collision between Silvestri and their forward Poletti. The official books Poletti with a RED card!
43' - Vignati steals possession off a San Marino goal kick and plays it ahead to Corcetti on the counter, he runs through the middle of their defense and sends a through ball into the area to Capellupo! Capellupo sneaks it just past the reach of their GK for the goal!!! Casale 3, San Marino 1

Half Time
Casale 3, San Marino 1
What a shocking lead at the half! We have been in control of possession and have created very good opportunities for ourselves with some great passing. For now we are going to keep doing what we've been doing. I would like to sprinkle in some of the new guys in the 2nd half but we'll see how it plays out.

61' - For the most part we have been in control of possession and on the attack in the 2nd half. Our constant pressure finally pays off from a low cross from Paoli to the box and Pezzottini slides in to knock it past the GK for his first ever goal for Casale!!! Casale 4, San Marino 1
64' - Gonnella gets booked for tripping.
67' - San Marino plays a long forward pass that catches us napping to their striker Vitaioli but his first touch is poor and Pomat dives on the loose ball! This is note worthy since Pomat really needs to develop in this area, usually he sits back.
71' - Gonnella comes off for Del Grosso, Silvestri will slide over to DC and Del Grosso will play DR.
84' - Paoli comes off, Piva comes on.
88' - San Marino sneaks a long pass through the teeth of our defense and gets the easy goal from Chiaretti, his 2nd of the match. Casale 4, San Marino 2
88' - Pezzottini comes off, Zaccagnini comes on.

Final
Casale 4, San Marino 2
What a day! Damn near everyone played great today, with everyone's F/T rating above 7.0 except Pomat and Gonnella. We were led by Paoli (8.2), Corcetti (8.6), and Peluso (8.8) but everyone played well today. Morale also took a major step in the positive direction!

Casale Stats
Shots: 8
On Target: 5
Possession: 52%
Fouls: 6

San Marino Stats
Shots: 11
On Target: 4
Possession: 48%
Fouls: 15

Man of the Match: San Marino's Chiaretti (wtf)
Attendance: 350

The win moves us up to 17th in the table and out of relegation for the moment. Our next match is at home against Borgo a Buggiano in just a few days.

After the match their manager goes on a tirade about the official giving a red card to their forward Poletti, he surely will get reprimanded.

Four players were selected to First Team of the Week - with Paoli, Capellupo, Pezzottini, and Peluso being chosen.

[Balldog]

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Borgo a Buggiano @ Casale
October 26, 2011

Before the game I had a heart to heart chat with Gonnella about his poor performance so far in league play. He seems positive that he will improve. My goal was to lay the ground work for a mutual termination, we'll see how this plays out.

Starting Eleven:
GK - Promat
D - Paoli / Vignati / Gonnella / Silvestri
M - Siega / Gambadori / Capellupo / Pezzottini
A - Crocetti / Peluso

Bench: Fortunato, Zaccagnini, Bricca, Del Grossi, Piva, Iodice, Curcio

We are slight favorites with 5-4 odds into this match on a dry mid-40s day. Borgo has a weak defense and we plan to attack it heavily early to see how they deal with it.

First Half
16' - Crocetti with a free kick and he plays a nice ball through the area with Gonnella beating his man for a well timed header - it's in!! Borgo 0, Casale 1
26' - Borgo answers with a goal from Stella off a corner kick which some how manage its way through our defense! Borgo 1, Casale 1
41' - Peluso plays an early cross towards the six yard box and Crocetti has an advantage but they scramble it away and concede the corner.

Half Time
Borgo 1, Casale 1
We've controlled the game for the most part, especially the last 10 minutes but have not been able to get many quality opportunities. Vignati is struggling so we pull him and bring in Del Grosso at DR, Silvestri will slide over to DC.

Second Half
54' - Borgo's Paganelli gets booked for tripping.
56' - Borgo's Ibba gets booked for tripping.
59' - Piva comes on for Siega (tired).
67' - A long through ball from Capellupo into the area and Peluso is free! He makes them pay with a great strike! Borgo 1, Casale 2
72' - With an interception at midfield by Gambadori we have an advantage with Crocetti on a run. He has Peluso free to his right but does not see him and fires the shot just high!!
74' - Capellupo with a great corner and Gonnella beats his man again but this time its off the crossbar! Silvestri is there for the rebound but gives it a poor effort.
76' - Pezzottini comes off, Bricca comes on.
81' - Borgo's Stella gets booked for tripping after a well timed tackle from Silvestri ending an opportunity for Borgo.

Final
Borgo 1, Casale 2
By far our best performance to date, we dominated possession and were pressing them almost all game.

Casale Stats
Shots: 12
On Target: 4
Possession: 55%
Fouls: 9

Borgo a Buggiano
Shots: 2
On Target: 1
Possession: 45%
Fouls: 8

Man of the Match: Crocetti
Attendance: 621

The win moves us to 15th and Borga a Buggiano stays put at 9th. Our next match will be Cuneo. They pounded us 5-0 early this season in Cup play.

San Marino fire their coach after they lose to Bellaria 2-0. They hire just a few days later Francesco Zanchini, he appears to be a very good hire.

[Balldog]

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Casale @ Cuneo
October 30, 2011

Before the match we have agreed to a mutual termination with Physio Eduardo Chimenti. He was pretty much useless but he gets a $16K buyout and both parties move on.

A little over 2 months Cuneo pounded us 5-0 and they are heavily favored again this time with 4-7 odds.

Starting Eleven:
GK - Promat
D - Paoli / Vignati / Gonnella / Silvestri
M - Piva / Gambadori / Capellupo / Pezzottini
A - Crocetti / Peluso

Bench: Fortunato, Zaccagnini, Bricca, Del Grossi, Siega, Iodice, Curcio

Piva gets the start instead of Siega. Siega has not played well as of late.

First Half
20' - A quiet start to the game until Cuneo put together a nice move and their striker, Varricchio, blasts a shot from 20 yards out and scores! Casale 0, Cuneo 1
24' - Another great move by Cuneo gives Varricchio an opportunity to score with ease but Silvestri catches up to him and makes a great tackle just as Varricchio was ready to shoot!
33' - A corner by Cuneo and they again target Varricchio, he heads it on goal but Pomat leaps to make the save!
41' - Gambadori goes down on a hard tackle and needs to come off. Zaccagnini comes on.
45+1' - Silvestri centers a ball to the top of the area and Piva gets a clear shot but misses wide!!

Half Time
Casale 0, Cuneo 1
We are lucky to be down by only 1, they have dominated us so far. Piva will move back to DL and Paoli will come off, Siega will come on at ML.

Second Half
52' - Again off a corner Cuneo target Varricchio, another header ... this time it gets past Pomat but Silvestri is there to clean it up!
63' - Crocetti plays a ball ahead into the left side of the area to Peluso who crosses it and Pezzottini beats his marker and scores!!! Casale 1, Cuneo 1
74' - A good opportunity comes off a throw-in and a early cross to Crocetti at the top of the penalty area but their GK makes a great play on the ball!
75' - Pezzottini got dinged up on a tackle and needs to come off, Del Grosso comes on.
86' - Vignati has a brain fart and marks the wrong man, allowing an early cross from Cuneo to be converted into an easy goal by Cuneo's Beretta! Casale 1, Cuneo 2

Final
Casale 1, Cuneo 2
A frustrating loss due to a mental mistake by one guy! We should've came away with the draw, I let Vignati know I am not happy with him. They controlled the match but we kept it within reach, at least we see progress.

Casale Stats
Shots: 4
On Target: 2
Possession: 43%
Fouls: 8

Cuneo Stats
Shots: 10
On Target: 4
Possession: 57%
Fouls: 10

Man of the Match: Cuneo's Persone (1 ast, 7.5 f/t rating)
Attendance: 1,319

Even though we lost we moved up a spot to 14th in the table due to Lecco losing as well. Up next we play at home against Treviso (6th).

[Balldog]

November 1st Board Confidence Update:

The board is satisfied with the coaching of the team despite losing 7 out of last 9 matches. Surprisingly they are not upset that we are over our salary budget by close to $200K at the moment. However, the club did manage to lose $87K last month and now has a balance of $290K in the hole.

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Table

1) Alessandri (24 pts)
2) Rimini (23 pts)
3) Poggibonsi (22 pts)
4) Cuneo (21 pts)
5) Santarcangelo (19 pts)
6) Treviso (19 pts)
7) Renate (18 pts)
8) Virtus Entella (16 pts)
9) Borgo a Buggiano (15 pts)
10) Bellaria (14 pts)
11) Giacomense (14 pts)
12) Velanzana (11 pts)
13) Montichiari (11 pts)
14) Casale (10 pts)
15) Lecco (10 pts)
16) Savona (10 pts)
17) San Marino (10 pts)
18) Pro Patria (9 pts)
19) Sambonifacese (6 pts)
20) Mantova (4 pts)

Pro Patria is fighting an uphill battle as they started with a 13 point deficit.

Lorenzo Crocetti is currently tied with the most assists at 6 and tied for 2nd place in pass completion at 86%.

Injury Updates

Reider Rodriguez and Fabio Ferdani return to full training. Cossu has another 11 days and Taddei another 4 days before returning to full training.

[Balldog]

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Treviso @ Casale
November 6, 2011

We are heavy underdogs in this match with 13-2 odds. Paoli is not available due to the loan agreement with Treviso that does not allow him to play against them. So Piva will move back to DL and Rodriguez will get right back into the lineup.

Starting Eleven:
GK - Promat
D - Piva / Vignati / Gonnella / Silvestri
M - Rodriguez / Gambadori / Capellupo / Pezzottini
A - Crocetti / Peluso

Bench: Fortunato, Zaccagnini, Bricca, Del Grossi, Siega, Iodice, Curcio

We plan to go the defensive route for this one simply due to their offensive ability.

First Half
3' - A defensive breakdown and Pomat comes out for the ball but misses it and they get the easy goal! Treviso 1, Casale 0
13' - Rodriguez gets booked for tripping.
24' - Treviso puts a cross into the 6-yard box and Promat can't handle it and they get another easy goal! Treviso 2, Casale 0
26' - We answer quickly with an amazing goal from Peluso! We bent it from a sharp angle and got it in! Treviso 2, Casale 1
38' - A blown assignment leaves a Treviso forward in a one on one with Pomat but somehow Pomat stops him!
45+1' - Treviso's Cammarota gets booked.

Half Time
Treviso 2, Casale 1
Not much we want to change, we've just been unlucky so far. Rodriguez took a knock but he says he is OK.

Second Half
52' - Gonnella decides to take a nap and they run right past him and bang one in off the cross bar!! We pull Gonnella instantly in favor of Iodice. Treviso 3, Casale 1
71' - Capellupo comes off for Zaccagnini.
77' - Crocetti feeds Peluso with a great ball and he is in behind the defense but drills the cross bar!!!
85' - Rodriguez comes off for Siega.
90+1' - Another great feed by Crocetti this time to Siega and he puts it on goal but their GK dives to deflect it wide!

Final
Treviso 3, Casale 1
Overall I thought we played well, we were just unlucky with the 2 weak goals we allowed early. Gonnella's nap time cost us dearly as it put us back too far.

Treviso Stats
Shots: 6
On Target: 5
Possession: 49%
Fouls: 9

Casale Stats
Shots: 11
On Target: 6
Possession: 51%
Fouls: 10

Man of the Match: Jaroslav Sedivec, Treviso (2 goals)
Attendance: 960

The loss drops us to 16th. We have a week off before we get a match at Pro Patria, which we will be heavy underdogs again.

[Balldog]

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Casale @ Pro Patria
November 13, 2011

We are heavy dogs again with 10-1 odds this time out. Rodriguez is traveling with the Cuba squad. We need to be on the look out for their striker, Matteo Serafini, he has 10 goals in 12 matches.

Starting Eleven:
GK - Fortunato
D - Paoli / Vignati / Iodice / Silvestri
M - Siega / Gambadori / Capellupo / Pezzottini
A - Crocetti / Peluso

Bench: Promat, Zaccagnini, Bricca, Del Grossi, Piva, Gonnella, Curcio

Gonnella is going to start this one on the bench after last week's mental lapse. We are also giving Fortunato some run at GK and Siega at ML. We are going to play a counter strategy to start, but need to be very mindful of their attack.

First Half
22' - An interception by Siega leads to a long forward pass to Peluso and he gets denied the goal!
26' - Silvestri gets booked for tripping.
36' - Serafini gets free past our defense and scores but is called for offsides!
41' - Pro Patria's Inglese gets booked for tripping Pezzottini.
43' - Pezzottini gets booked for a rough tackle.
45' - A great play by Pro Patria leads to a header goal and they take the lead! Casale 0, Pro Patria 1
45+3' - Pro Patria's Anulfo gets booked for tripping Pezzottini.

Half Time
Casale 0, Pro Patria 1
The boys have played really well so far, we have just been unlucky. We've had a decent share of opportunities we just have not capitalized. We are going to take Gambadori out in favor of Zaccagnini.

Second Half
48' - Siega with another interception near midfield and this one leads us to a 3 on 2 advantage. Siega plays it to the left to Peluso who draws the attention of both defenders and he passes it through to Crocetti who scores with ease!! Casale 1, Pro Patria 1
54' - Serafini just misses a goal off a free kick, just wide of the net!
58' - Zaccagnini gets booked for tripping.
59' - A great play by Pro Patria leads to a point blank shot but they somehow miss!
64' - An outstanding early cross by Capellupo catches them off guard and puts Crocetti in position to score his 2nd goal but he gets denied from just outside the 6-yard box with a great save!
79' - Bricca and Del Grossi come on for Capellupo and Pezzottini.
90+1' - Paoli gets booked for tripping.
90+3' - Pro Patria is pressing forward and gets a shot from just outside the penalty area and it clangs off the crossbar right to one of their forwards but he gets injured before he can play it on goal! He's ruled offsides anyway!

Final
Casale 1, Pro Patria 1
A good result against one of the better clubs in the league! We were unfortunate to miss out on several opportunities but we can't complain.

Casale Stats
Shots: 12
On Target: 4
Possession: 51%
Fouls: 15

Pro Patria Stats
Shots: 8
On Target: 3
Possession: 49%
Fouls: 12

Man of the Match: Pietro Arnulfo (Pro Patria)
Attendance: 989

Our next match is in just a few days at home against Sambonifacese, they are currently 20th in the table.

[Balldog]

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Sambonifacese @ Casale
November 16, 2011

We are slight favorites in this one with 5-4 odds. It's a cool 44 degrees but dry so the weather should make for some nice play.

Starting Eleven:
GK - Fortunato
D - Paoli / Vignati / Iodice / Silvestri
M - Siega / Gambadori / Bricca / Capellupo / Pezzottini
A - Peluso

Bench: Promat, Zaccagnini, Del Grossi, Piva, Gonnella, Curcio, Crocetti

Crocetti is worn out, so he will get the day to rest and Bricca will take his place but play DMC.

First Half
35' - After an uneventful first 35 minutes finally Sambonifacese get a free kick from just outside the area and clang it off the cross bar!
45' - Sambonifacese centers one into the box and they are able to knock it in! Sambonifacese 1, Casale 0

Half Time
Not the first half we were hoping for, we've controlled possession but have failed to create any opportunities. As a result we will switch back to 4-4-2 and bring on Curcio for Bricca.

Second Half
47' - Peluso creates our first opportunity with a nice run then he centers the ball to Siega. Siega has a lane and fires but misses by inches!
70' - Del Grosso comes on for Pezzottini.
72' - Peluso runs down a long pass before it goes out and plays it into the box to Curcio! However a well timed tackle keeps us from scoring!
73' - Zaccagnini comes on for Capellupo.
74' - Iodice takes a knock and we can't take him.
85' - They are picking on Iodice and get a shot from up close but Fortunato denies them and again off the rebound!
90+1' - Our best attacking movement of the match and Siega sends a cross into the area, Del Grosso beats his man and sends the ball into the box. Their GK deflects it and Zaccagnini gets the carom and fires on goal but it is blocked by their defender. Peluso gets the rebound and their GK blocks it but can't control it! Peluso shoots again but this time their GK snatches it up! All this action with 6 yards of the goal and we can't score.

Final
Sambonifacese 1, Casale 0
We really missed Crocetti's playmaking abilities today but he needed the blow.

Sambonifacese Stats
Shots: 7
On Target: 2
Possession: 51%
Fouls: 10

Casale Stats
Shots: 6
On Target: 1
Possession: 49%
Fouls: 10

Man of the Match: Zanetti (Sambonifacese)
Attendance: 413

The loss drops us to 20th, aka last place.

[Balldog]

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Casale @ Mantova
November 20, 2011

We are underdogs with 4-1 odds. Before the match Taddei returns to full training but will need a week or 2 to get in shape.

GK - Fortunato
D - Paoli / Vignati / Gonnella / Silvestri
M - Rodriguez / Gambadori / Capellupo / Pezzottini
A - Crocetti / Peluso

Bench: Promat, Zaccagnini, Bricca, Del Grossi, Piva, Iodice, Siega

We are going back to our preferred style of 4-4-2 mixing up the attack and counter. Siega and Iodice are both a little tired due to match congestion so they will start on the bench.

First Half
7' - After some nice passing Peluso shoots at the far side of the goal and misses just wide!
15' - Mantova catches us on the attack with a quick counter and they take advantage for an easy score. Casale 0, Mantova 1
20' - We work it deep into the box and Peluso gets his shot blocked!
23' - Again we are working the ball deep into the box this time a short cross from Rodriguez to Crocetti and he just misses the goal wide!
37' - Off a free kick the loose ball finds its to Gonnella who fires on goal but hits the post!
38' - A great cross by Pezzottini finds Paoli all alone but his header goes over the goal!

Half Time
Casale 0, Mantova 1
I don't think we need to change much we just need to score! Silvestri is mentally worn out so we pull him in favor of Del Grosso to start the 2nd half.

Second Half
61' - A long through ball cut right through us and they get their 2nd goal as Fortunato is caught out of position! Casale 0, Mantova 2
74' - Bricca comes on for Gambadori and Piva for Paoli.
82' - Pezzottini with a great short cross to Crocetti for the sure goal but it gets blocked by the defender!
87' - Rodriguez gets booked for tripping.

Final
Casale 0, Mantova 2
A disappointing result for sure.

Casale Stats
Shots: 13
On Target: 5
Possession: 51%
Fouls: 11

Mantova Stats
Shots: 7
On Target: 2
Possession: 49%
Fouls: 7

Man of the Match: Maschio (Mantova - 1 goal, 1 assist)
Attendance: 3,234

After the match we held a team meeting and everyone left with a positive reaction. Let's hope that brings a good result in our next match against Giacomense.

[Balldog]

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Giacomense @ Casale
November 27, 2011

Cossu returns to full training and we are now completely healthy.

GK - Fortunato
D - Piva / Vignati / Silvestri / Del Grosso
M - Rodriguez / Gambadori / Capellupo / Siega
A - Crocetti / Peluso

Bench: Promat, Zaccagnini, Cossu, Gonnella, Paoli, Iodice, Taddei

We've moved a lot of people in and out of the lineup today trying to stir things up. It's our first game in the rain this season, we'll see how we play.

First Half
12' - Giacomense's Tabenelli gets booked for tripping.
32'- Capellupo with a free kick from just out front of the penalty area. He goes for goal and bangs it off the cross bar!
33' - They split our defense with a nice run and score without much effort. Giacomense 1, Casale 0
44' - Off of a corner kick we find Silvestri on the far side and he goes for the header but misses just high!

Half Time
Giacomense 1, Casale 0
We've taken control of the match in the final 15 minutes of the first half, it seems we are moments from getting the equalizer.

Second Half
50' - After an interception on near midfield Crocetti plays a long through ball ahead to Peluso who has a one on one with the GK but misses!
62' - Del Grosso with a long throw into the box and Crocetti heads it on but its off the cross bar!
82' - Gambadori and Peluso come off for Cossu and Taddei.

Final
Giacomense 1, Casale 0
They did well to slow us down in the 2nd half but again we feel like we let this one get away from us.

Giacomense Stats
Shots: 6
On Target: 2
Possession: 50%
Fouls: 8

Casale Stats
Shots: 8
On Target: 2
Possession: 50%
Fouls: 9

Man of the Match: Scotto (Giacomense, 1 goal)
Attendance: 386

We now have not won in six matches and are quite lucky not to be further buried in the table, as it stands today we are only 1 point behind 19th placed Pro Patria. We are now 3-2-11 on the season.

[Balldog]

December 2011 Board Update

The board is now disappointed with my coaching of the team.

We are also in poor financial condition and lost $37.5K last month.

Injury Update

Iannini suffered broken ribs during a reserves match and will miss up to 5 weeks.

Gonnella Restructured Contract

Gonnella is our 2nd highest paid player at $185K/year and he has no right to be with his performance and ability. We seem to have an agreement on a significant pay cut but in exchange he needs a 1-year extension through the 2012 season. The move will lower our payroll by roughly $130K.

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Alessandria @ Casale
December 5, 2011

Another rainy day and in the mid-40s. This one is on national TV, let's try not to embarrass ourselves.

GK - Fortunato
D - Piva / Vignati / Silvestri / Del Grosso
M - Rodriguez / Gambadori / Capellupo / Siega
A - Crocetti / Peluso

Bench: Promat, Zaccagnini, Cossu, Gonnella, Paoli, Iodice, Taddei

First Half
1' - Capellupo looks to be fired up for this one! Right out of the gates he is creating pressure on their defense and his final move is a long lobbed through ball to Peluso. Peluso gets a great opportunity but their GK denies him!
6' - From a throw-in; Piva centers the ball to Capellupo who makes a nice run through their defense and shoots but misses just wide!
7' - Off of a counter attack we create masterpiece with a one-on-one for Crocetti but he misses wide!
32' - Things have settled down but off a corner Piva finds himself wide open in front of the goal but he isn't able to control the ball!
33' - A great play by Alessandria gives them a golden opportunity but Fortunato denies them with a great block!
45+1' - Alessandria on the attack and a fine move gets them a sliding goal right in front of Fortunato to take the lead heading into the half! Alessandria 1, Casale 0

Half Time
Alessandria 1, Casale 0
We can't seem to get over the hump, we were in control and applying steady pressure most of the half. We'll look to regain the pressure in the 2nd half.

Second Half
49' - A nice corner from Capellupo finds Piva but his header shot is denied!
65' - Gambadori comes off for Zaccagnini.
74' - Alessandria eloquently moves the ball down the pitch and gets a great opportunity but they miss the goal wide!
77' - Crocetti comes off for Taddei.
85' - An early cross right on point and they get the ball deep in our penalty area and make us pay! Alessandria 2, Casale 0

Final
Alessandria 2, Casale 0
I'm at a loss for words after this one, early on we played extremely well but in the 2nd half they dominated possession and toyed with us.

Alessandria Stats
Shots: 13
On Target: 8
Possession: 59%
Fouls: 10

Casale Stats
Shots: 6
On Target: 3
Possession: 41%
Fouls: 6

Man of the Match: Martini (Alessandria, 2 goals)
Attendance: 788

[Balldog]

Lega Pro Seconda Divisione Girone A Match - Casale @ Bellaria
December 11, 2011

Another rainy day and in the mid-40s. We are heavy underdogs at 4-1 odds.

GK - Fortunato
D - Piva / Vignati / Silvestri / Del Grosso
M - Rodriguez / Zaccagnini / Capellupo / Siega
A - Crocetti / Taddei

Bench: Promat, Gambadori, Cossu, Gonnella, Paoli, Iodice, Peluso

Mixing things up a little bit as Peluso and Gambadori have both struggled lately.

First Half
2' - Vignati goes down after a hard tackle and needs to come off. Gonnella will come on.
30' - Finally some action with a cross by Siega, Crocetti plays it out front to Taddei who shoots but its deflected wide!

Half Time
Casale 0, Bellaria 0
A boring first half is good I suppose. They have dominated possession but have not made anything of it. We are playing OK when we have the ball but the weather is making it difficult for both sides to create much.

Second Half
57' - We work the ball around and find Rodriguez, he shoots from the top of the area and skims the cross bar!
59' - A give and go by Rodriguez and Crocetti ends with Rodriguez shooting from close range but it gets deflected!
62' - They have an excellent move but Fortunato denies them the goal!
65' - Iodice comes on for Del Grosso.
71' - Off a corner kick, Piva finally gets solid head on the ball and scores!! Wait, he is called for a foul!
78' - A long shot by Bellaria and Fortunato blocks it but he can't control it and their striker Fioretti blasts it past him! Casale 0, Bellaria 1
79' - Gambadori comes on for Zaccagnini.

Final
Casale 0, Bellaria 1
Another devastating loss.

Casale Stats
Shots: 7
On Target: 1
Possession: 41%
Fouls: 12

Bellaria Stats
Shots: 8
On Target: 4
Possession: 59%
Fouls: 7

Man of the Match: Fioretti (1 goal)

[Balldog]

After the match...

Casale fires Baresi

Well I thought I would have heard some rumors first but the board was quick to pull the trigger and I can't blame them!

Baresi was on the job for 152 days and earned $35K before getting fired. In 22 games played he only managed to win 6 of them, losing 14 with a goal difference of -18.