Lega Serie D – General Discussion

[Jocksboy]

A 1-0 win for Messina yesterday sees them rise to seventh in the table and a little further from the relegation dogfight.
Meantime Venezia went down 2-3 at home. With nearest rivals Porto Tolle and Legnano idle the lead at the top of the table is still eight points but could be cut to five if either or both their nearest challengers secure three points in the games next midweek. This coming weekend's results will be cruical to all three clubs.

[Jocksboy]

Rai Sport 1 Seie D game at the weekend is again on Sunday at 2 p.m. GMT. It's the match that was wrongly advertised for last week: Pontedera v. Castel Rigone.

[Jocksboy]

1-1 for Messina on Sunday, whih keeps them in seventh place.
Venezia won 2-1: they're still eight points ahead but chasing duo D.P. Tolle and Legnano each have a game in hand.
Verona's possibilites of having three teams in the pro leagues are still looking good. Virtus Vecomp Verona moved to the top of Girone C, albeit on goal difference.
There is also the outside possibility of Padova having three teams in the pro leagues next season. The city's third largest club, San Paolo Padova are in the top five in their league.

[Jocksboy]

Rai Sport 1 Serie D live match is back to its more usual time of Saturday at 12.50 p.m. GMT. This week's offering is San Nicolo v. former Serie A club Ancona.

[Jocksboy]

There's been a change in the schedules for today's Serie D match. It's now Messina v. Palazzolo, still at 12.50.

[Jocksboy]

Got it wrong again - it was Palazzolo v. Messina! It finished 1-1, but that drops Messina back to 9th place with the two teams immediately below them having a game in hand. I videoed the game on Saturday but haven't had time to watch it yet.
Venezia also drew 1-1. Porto Tolle won their game in hand last midweek and drew on Sunday, so Venezia's lead at the top remains at five points. Legnano lost so they are now one point behind Porto Tolle.
A few years back Martina (from the Puglia town of Martina Franca) came so close to making it to Serie B, only losing in the playoff final. Sadly like other clubs before and since the effort to make the big time proved too much and they went bankrupt. On reforming they were relegated to Lega Promzione 1, the seventh level of Italian football.Two successive promotions have brought them back to Serie D and they currently lie second in Girone H, four points behind leaders Ischia. I'll report occasionally on their progress.

[Jocksboy]

Watched the video last night. It was an entertaining game with some spells of good football. Messina took the lead after one minute and ten seconds and dominated for the first ten minutes. In that time they had a couple of half chances which had they been taken would have almost ensured the three points. Palazzolo came back into the game after that and the sides were very even for the remainder. The equaliser came early in the second half. Messina have the advantage, rare in Serie D, of having two players experienced at the higher level. Striker Giorgi Corona has had lengthy spells in Serie B and midfielder and captain Carmine Coppola has been around Lega Pro teams as well as a previous spell with Messina. I've a feeling that he was with them in their Serie A days. They should stay up though I think top spot and promotion is now beyond them.

[Jocksboy]

Toiday's Serie D game is recorded and is at 7 p.m. GMT on Rai Sport 2. Fidenza v. Olgianetese.

[Jocksboy]

Messina had a fine 3-2 win over league leaders Hinterreggio yesterday. They stay in ninth place however, seven points off the top and coincidentally seven points away from the relegation zone. That's how tight the league is. Yet again, woe for that seven point deduction!
Venezia are slipping. A 3-2 home defeat yesterday, coupled with wins for Porto Tolle and Legnano leave he Arancioneroverdi just two points clear with 52 to Tolle's 50 and Legnano's 49.

[Jocksboy]

Rai Sport 1 Serie D match is Legnano v. Venezia, recorded and on Sunday night at 7 p.m. GMT.

[Messinterista]

They (Messina) are on a decent run of form. As you said, they should be able to avoid relegation, but I'm quite impatient and want them to get promoted
Also, Captain Coppola was with us for about 8 years. Good to see him back and hopefully there to bring us back up!

[Jocksboy]

Messina won 2-0 away from home yesterday to move up to seventh. They are still 7 points off top spot, but now 9 points clear of the relegation zone.
It's as you were at the top of Girone C with all three top teams drawing, Venezia 1-1 away. And now an apology. I've been giving wrong information these last few months. The team lying third is Legnago and not Legnano, a totally different club. Sadly Legnano, they of the lilac strip, are out of business after going bankrupt in 2010. Hard times for a club that was once briefly in Serie A and spent many seasons before the war in Serie B. Italian football can be very confusing with all these teams with similiar names. There's Lecce and Lecco, Reggina and Reggiana, not to mention two clubs called Francavilla and two called Ssetese.

[Messinterista]

It's all good Jocksboy. Just keep delivering the good news

[Jocksboy]

Today's live Serie D game on RaiSport 1 is Agnonese v. Ancona. Transmission starts at 12.55 p.m. GMT.

[Jocksboy]

A 1-0 away win in the derby at Marsala sees Messina jump to fifth, just one point out of second place. Unfortunately leaders Hinterreggio also won so Messina are still seven points adrift of automatic promotion.
Venezia (2-1), Porto Tolle and Legnago all won in Girone C so it's as you were at the top.
In Girone H Martina have now taken over top place, two points clear of Ischia.

[Messinterista]

its getting really tight, as long as we keep our good run we'd be in a definite Promotion Play-off spot.

[Jocksboy]

Unfortunately there are no promotion playoffs in Serie D. Only the top team goes up. If there are defaults from the Lega Pro the first choice for promotion goes to the Serie D cupwinners. I'm not sure how they work it after that if there are a lot of defaults - I think financial position comes into it. We can always hope I suppose.
Meantime there are two Serie D games live on Rai Sport 1 this week:
Today (Wednesday) Chieri v. Albese at 1.45 p.m. GMT
Saturday - Civitavecchia v. Sora at 12.50 p.m.

[Jocksboy]

Actually the above is slightly misleading. There are playoffs of a sort, but they don't necessarily lead to promotion. At the end of the regular season the nine divisional winners play for the Poule Scudetto - the overall championship of Serie D. The second and third placed teams in each division have a playoff system based on mini leagues and then a knockout stage. I'm not 100% sure but I think any additional places in Lega Pro (in place of clubs forcibly relegated) if and after the cup winners' are given promotion are awarded to the winners and runners-up of this playoff competition. All of course depends on the financial standing of the clubs concerned.
With only two divisions in Lega Pro 2 this season additional places are likely to be few. Five will go down from each of the two divisions and that will probably take care of any clubs going bankrupt. Although one never knows with the Lega Pro. Two years ago a record 20 clubs dropped out and last season it was 15.
Far better if Messina (and Venezia) win their divisions, get the finances straight and go up automatically!

[Messinterista]

Unfortunately for Messina, they are not the epitome of a club that is filthy rich. If they were make it to Lega Pro 2, they'd probably be sent back down the season after due to their finances not being in a particularly healthy shape.

[Jocksboy]

It's as you were for both Messina and Venezia after yesterday's games. Messina won 2-1 at home, but the four clubs above them all won, so they're still a point off second place and seven points from the top.
Venezia had a good 1-0 away win, but again Porto Tolle and Legnago also won, so it's still a slender two point lead at the top.
We've been regretting the Messina penalty, Messinese Interista, but spare a thought for one of my other favourite clubs. Pro Patria were deducted a whopping THIRTEEN points at the start of the season. But for that they'd be leading Lega Pro 2A by a point istead of languishing in mid table and still not clear of the relegation zone.
Two Serie D matches live on RaiSport 1 this week. On Wednesday at 2.30 p.m. BST it's a Coppa Italia Serie D clash between Sant'Antonio Abate and Viterbese. Saturday at 1 p.m. features Francavilla v. Internapoli.