GO S.Giovanni 4-0 USO GALAXY

The first match of the 2023-24 season pits the Galaxy against the newly crowned Provincial champions and fresh Super Cup winners, St. John Polaveno. The debut on Mr. Valenza's bench could not have been more complicated.

In the white-blue's den, the Galaxy arrive with important defections: Bergamaschi is knocked out with a calf problem and recovery time is uncertain, Gamba will return in November from his work trip to the States, Bregoli will be back on the field not before the third day, while Eddiraoui is still out of Italy, always considering Vitali who can come out of the infirmary not before January '24.

The starting 7 is therefore composed as follows: Martinuz; Romeo; Gazzoli, Magri, Mazzetti M., Belotti; Lamberti (a disp. Crea, Fioretti, Bertolini, Mazzetti A., Boccuti).

As expected, the hosts started off strong and at 4' were already ahead. The Giallorossi, however, do not lose heart and slowly begin to gain confidence and assurance. The match is very balanced and the teams seem to equalize. Chances also arrive for the Galaxy, but luck does not reward Magri's conclusion that shatters on the post to the right of the now beaten goalkeeper. Shortly afterwards it was Belotti who had the ball for the equalizer, but the opponent's extreme defender was very responsive in deflecting the ball over the crossbar, still leaving the guests high and dry. A minute from the end of the first half, however, the hosts doubled thanks to a rebound from the post that was turned into a goal by the experienced center forward, who was shrewd in getting to the vacant ball before the entire Giallorossi defense.

The resumption saw no new faces among the Giallorossi. Valenza's first change is Bertolini for Gazzoli in the 30th minute, looking for physicality in the face of fantasy. The plot does not change, however, and slowly the Galaxy's pressure diminishes. The Giallorossi would have the chance to shorten the distance, but Lamberti wastes it all by kicking a restart to the stars. Boccuti and Crea also entered in place of Mazzetti and Lamberti, but the hosts held up well and risked nothing more. In the 43rd minute came the 3-0 goal that cut the Castegnatesi's legs off, a gem on which Martinuz could do nothing. Mazzetti A. also entered in place of Romeo, wetting his debut in an already compromised game. Three minutes later came the goal of the final 4-0, with a good choral action by S.Giovanni culminating with a left-footed shot into the low corner by the central defender.

The hosts confirmed themselves as the team to beat, but the Galaxy held up well (especially in the first half). All that was missing was the spark of a goal that would have completely reshuffled the cards, but the season is long, and though empty-handed, the Galaxy return from Polaveno with the knowledge that they can play their cards right.