Reggina - Palermo Preview
By: Matt |
15 Comments
We’re getting close to match day for the 26th giornata, so I thought I’d post my first preview. I must say, I couldn’t have chosen a better time to start the Reggina blog. Only a week after the 2 – 1 win over Juve, and in anticipation of this weekend’s game against the Sicilians.
Here’s some background and analysis, on everything from the match-ups, to some historical tidbits you might not have known.
The Reggina – Palermo game gives Amaranto fans an extra reason to be excited. First of all, with Messina’s drop to Serie B this year, this is the closest thing Reggina fans have to a true derby. I know the two teams traditionally haven’t been main rivals, but the rossoneri are the closest squad to Reggio Calabria, location-wise (actually, Catania is pretty close too, but I need to build some added drama to this.)
I think this “rivalry” holds true more for American fans than Italian. The majority of Italian emigrants came over from Southern Italy, specifically and there is a distinct pride the Palermitani associate with being from Sicilia, and there is equally as much pride that the Calabresi take in coming from their part of the boot. Anyway, this should add a little extra spice to anyone who follows these teams.
Also, I thought I’d shed some light on the political backdrop over the past month in both places that has set the stage for this game. Take this for what it’s worth. Its impact on the game will probably be non-existent, but for me, it does add some extra intrigue:
Category: Team News
Serie B Gameday
By: Matt | 10 Comments
So, there’s nothing quite like kicking back on a Saturday morning and watching the Serie B version of La Giostra dei Gol (OK, so the “no work tomorrow” part has a lot more to do with this than the actual quality of games, but still, it’s a good feeling…)
So I’m a pretty avid supporter of US Lecce, who you all are probably familiar with from their recent stints in the top flight of Italian soccer (in fact, they even cracked the top 10 in the 2005 table.) For the record, here are the teams I support:
1. AS Roma (Serie A)
2. Reggina Calcio (Serie A)
3. US Lecce (Serie B)
4. US Foggia (Serie C)
Category: Team NewsWelcome aboard…
By: Matt | 13 Comments
Ok, so a little about me, and what brings me here to the Reggina blog. I promise I’ll try to make the future of these blogs posts as entertaining as possible. But you know, I need to get the introduction out of the way first, so please bare with me over the next few thousand words:
Let me premise this whole post by saying that I have a number of confessions which would logically lead you to believe that I’m not qualified to write this blog, so I’ll get those out of the way now:
Confession #1: Firstly, the majority of my blood comes from Foggia, which, for those of you who don’t know where it is, is located in Puglia, situated pretty much in between Bari and Napoli, thus making me mostly Pugliese by blood (not Calabrese).
Confession #2: This brings me to my second point: my favorite team, in fact, is not Reggina! However it is Foggia, who are currently buried in the bowels of Italian soccer, fighting for a playoff position in Serie C.
Confession #3: OK, onto my next flaw: I’m also a diehard Roma fan. And when I mean diehard, I’m the kind of person who skips work to watch the Lupi in their most important games…Champions League knockout stages, Serie A battles, etc.
I lived in Roma for a while, and developed a passion for the Giallorossi. So that will never go away. But I agreed long ago to root for two teams (Roma and Reggina) and rationalized it this way:
I think it’s OK to support one top-tier team that is always going to be in contention for a European position, and one team that will never finish better than middle-of-the table, at the same time. Two completely different mentalities and goals = two completely different teams I can root for.
So this segways nicely into why I choose to root (and write about) Reggina:
Here are a few rules that I developed for myself, when choosing to root for a specific calcio team (please note most of the following teams are only Serie A teams. I didn’t feel compelled to go into my feelings for other lower league teams, although I did reference a few of them):
1. I can’t root for a team that’s won more scudettos than you can count on one hand:
Eliminated: Juventus, Inter, Milan, Genoa, Torino, Bologna (not in Serie A anyway), Pro Vercelli (ditto)
2. I can’t root for a team from northern Italy (I have too much respect for the people who come from humble origins)
Eliminated: Fiorentina, Udinese, Sampdoria, Atalanta, Empoli, Siena
2. I can’t root for a team that is not on mainland Italy:
Eliminated: Cagliari, Catania, Palermo
3. I can’t root for a team that blatantly endorses racism and whose fans are associated with suburban trash:
Eliminated: Lazio (if trailer parks existed in Italy, the tifosi for Lazio would be knocking on those people’s doors, beginning to let them in and watch the biancocelesti games)
4. I can’t root for a team that has an intense derby with Foggia:
Eliminated: Napoli, *also Bari (Serie B), Avellino (Serie B), Salernitana (Serie C)
Also, I was born into a family that is part Calabrese, and my wonderful fiancée is the full-blooded offspring of emigrants from Reggio Calabria.
So this brings us to the blog…
I can’t lie and say I’ve followed Reggina closely through their Serie B and C days. But for as long as they’ve had a presence in Serie A, I’ve been an avid supporter (their rise to the top-flight dates back only to the late 90’s).
This is one of the main advantages of rooting for Reggina – it’s a team with a relatively modest history (meaning history of success, not being in business) that doesn’t date back too far. This is attractive for the younger audience, as Reggina’s history is currently in the making. As opposed to some of the northern foe’s, who, no matter what they accomplish in the future, will never be able to relive their clubs’ golden years.
Reggina has consistently fought with spirit and bred high-quality talent (see Pirlo, Perrotta, DiMichele, Bianchi). So, here I am, writing for the Reggina blog.
Now what to expect from this blog…
If you’re looking for first-hand historical accounts of the team, you’ve come to the wrong place (although I do know quite a bit about the club’s history, players, etc.)
But one thing I can guarantee is that you’ll find consistent coverage and thoughts on Reggina and Italian soccer, in general.
My hopes are to make this blog a forum that focuses on the Amaranto (nickname for Reggina), but also is a place where thoughts on the beautiful game in general are exchanged, as it’s played in the most beautiful country in the world. So expect to see thoughts and commentary on things not necessarily Reggina-related, as well.
Looking forward to meeting you all. And if you’re looking for a Serie A team to follow, you might want to create a set of rules to narrow down the field (it worked for me).
- Matt
Category: Team News
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