[FM23] The Traders of Trieste

[keeper#1]

The Traders of Trieste

After the board let me down in Germany, I've started a new save in the far northeastern corner of Italy.  The city of Trieste boasted a rich history and was once a key port city during The Middle Ages and was the endpoint of one of the world's greatest trade routes.  For these reasons, I am starting my next save (hopefully longer than three seasons) with Triestina located in the city of Trieste.

The port city of Trieste sits at the head of the Gulf of Trieste on the Adriatic Sea.  The major waterway is shared by Italy, Slovenia and Croatia.  The city is considered the European endpoint of The Silk Road trading route to Asia.  From The Renaissance to the end of World War I, Trieste was the major port for the Habsburg Monarchy.  It is the intersection of the Latin, Slavic, and Germanic cultures of Continental Europe.  It is a city with a rich history and a club that does not match that rich history.  I intend to change that.  I will use the city's rich trading history to create a network of affiliate clubs to loan young players to improve their skills for the senior team or to sell to other clubs.  As time goes on, this network of clubs will be used by Triestina to poach the best of the best from these clubs to make the club the best.  First in the northeast corner of Italy and then push the Milan clubs for best clubs in northern Italy which would put us in the conversation of the best club in Italy and possibly all of Europe.

Triestina was founded in 1918 when the clubs of Ponziana and Foot-Ball Clib Trieste merged.  It took just six years for the club to move from Serie C to Serie B and then five more to go from Serie B to Serie A.  The club stayed in Serie A from 1929 until 1956 and reached it's high point in 1948 when it finished runners-up.  After 1956, the club bounced between Serie A, B, and C until 1994 when the club folded for the first time.  The club reformed in 1994 as US Triestina Calcio.  The new club never reached Serie A but had a very tumultuous 2005-06 season when they switched managers five times.  In 2012, the club went bankrupt for a second time and reformed as 5th tier club US Triestina Calcio 1918.  In just five years, the club had re-established itself in Serie C.  They have four trophies in the case: 1958 Serie B, 1962 and 1983 Serie C, and the 1994 Serie C Cup.

Years per division

Serie A; 26 (1959)

Serie B: 22 (2011)

Serie C: 33 (current)

Serie D: 8 years (2017)

Serie E: 1 year (2013)

The club play in the largest stadium in Serie C.  The Stadio Nereo Rocco which, in the FM universe, holds 28,565 people in an all-seater stadium.

Celso Sala was born in nearby Venice and wants to bring the following philosophies into the club:

• play with an attack-minded 4-3-3 formation using the DM as the main playmaker
• primary source of talent should come from the youth academy - ideally bringing 2+ players per year into the senior team from the academy
• Use a network of affiliate clubs in neighboring nations as "trade partners" - Triestina sends players out on loan and then picks the best of the best from those club's youth systems to bring into Triestina
• Give the Head of Youth Development free reign when it comes to training and development for the players in the U18 and U20 teams while playing in the club's 4-3-3 formation
• Get the club back into the Serie B and finally return to Serie A for the first time since 1959   

[keeper#1]

Triestina Team Introduction

Goalkeepers

We look to be set at goalkeeper.  Matteo Pisseri has the starting job locked up.  Loanee Davide Mastrantonio has the backup and cup goalkeeper job.  The goal will be work with his parent club and see if we get him to join us permanently as third-string goalkeeper Alessio Pozzi does not look like he has the skill to take the starting job and might get pushed by a goalkeeper currently on the U20 or U18 team.

Wing back is another position where we seem to be on solid ground.  Aging Matteo Ciofani has the right back starting job and is backed up by two capable players who can also slide into the center back position as well.  We only have one true left back on the roster in Daniele S. Puttini, who is a good but unspectacular player.  

Only three true centerbacks on the roster and two of them are under 20.  We may need to depend on the two right backs who can slide into the middle more than I thought we would need to.  I don't want to be in a position when I need to depend on a young player as a starter at the center back position.  

We have a lot of options at the center midfielder positions.  Mirko Gori is the leading candidate to play at the base of the midfield triangle as the defensive midfielder.  Since that position is going to be the engine room of the team, I need an all-around type of player and Gori looks like he could fit that bill.  The more attacking midfield positions has lot of competition featuring both experienced and youthful players in the mix.

Lots of options on the right side with two players on loan both costing us nothing in salary.  The left side has just one option in Mattia Felici but he is a young player with a good amount of potential.

Three good center forward options.  One with experience and two younger players who are pushing him to stay good and, most importantly, there is not a lot of dropoff between the starter and the backups.

The board want us to reach the Serie C/A playoffs which is in line with the media prediction of 5th place.  We are a title contender if things break right for us but we aren't the odds-on favorite to win.  Once you get into the long and winding road that is the Serie C playoffs, anything can happen.

We've got fans in all categories.  The majority of our fans fall into the Core and Fair Weather fans category.  The goal will be converting our 3rd largest group "casual" into core fans.

We had a decent Head of Youth Development when I took the job.  However, I searched potential upgrades and gauge their interest.  Emidio Franchellucci, a Model Professional with reserved media handling, was available and had interest.  He's not the best at gauging how good a player is and how good they could become but the personality combination was too good to pass up.

 

[SteinkelssonFM]

Will be following this one along as have family connections in Trieste. Wishing you all the best. 💪

[Deisler26]

Good luck buddy!

[wearesporting]

Enjoyed a save with them last installment. The fans quickly pack that stadium as you rise through the leagues. Good luck.

[keeper#1]

September 2022

4 September 2022 at Virtus Verona

 

We dominated the play against Virtus Verona everywhere but on the scoreboard.  We just couldn't score.  We had plenty of chances but none of them found the target.  It was a low key affair until sub Ella Petrelli broke the deadlock in the 75th minute.  Verona thought they had tied the match but had the goal called backed for offsides.  Petrelli almost doubled the lead but his shot hit the crossbar and went out of play.  Virtus Verona finally tied the game after our defense fell asleep late in the match and they earned a draw.

DRAW:  Virtus Verona 1 (1.07 xG)  Triestina 1 (1.48 xG)  +0.41 xG

11 September vs Pro Sesto

We absolutely dominated this game from start to finish.  Loanee Ala-Myillymaki scores on a free kick in the 4th minute to open the scoring.  Four minutes later, Gori finds Cristiano Lombardi with a defense splitting pass to double our lead.  We had some great chances later in the match but did not score.  Pro Sesto never had a great look on goal in the entire match.

WIN:  Triestina 2 (1.77 xG)  Pro Sesto 0 (0.19 xG)  +1.56 xG

14 September at Pergolettese 1932

Pergolettese dominated the play for most of the match by keeping the ball away from us as they dominated possession almost 2 to 1.  We fought against this lack of possession by taking advantage of the one great chance that we had.  Geno buries the penalty kick chance to give us a 1-0 lead.  Pergolettese continued to pile on the pressure and we, eventually, broke when they scored off of a set piece.  

DRAW:  Pergolettese 1 (1.28 xG)  Triestina 1 (1.42 xG)  +0.14 xG

18 September vs Prodenone

 

Home again and we put a fence around our goal allowing just three shots.  Furlan sat on the back post on a crossed set piece to open the scoring in the second minute.  Right before the halftime whistle, we doubled our lead when Paganini lurked on the back post when Furlan broke free after a throw-in.  Our center forward, Ganz, finds Ala-Myllymaki alone in the box and he buried his 76th minute chance to give us a 3-0 victory.

WIN:  Triestina 3 (2.07 xG)  Prodenone 0 (0.47 xG)  +1.60 xG

25 September vs Pro Vercelli

This is was a tough back and forth match.  Quick ball movement frees up Petrelli in the box and we pop out to a 1-0 lead.  Pro Vercelli tied the game right before the half when Furlan turned the ball over in the midfield and three passes later Cami put the ball in the back of the net.  Pro Vercelli's Della Morte outmuscled both the centerback and the goalkeeper to poke the ball into the net and gave Pro Vercelli the lead.  We earned a corner deep into stoppage time.  The initial cross was cleared but not out.  Centerback Sabbione was left alone in the box and he finds the back of the net to allow us to steal a draw.

DRAW:  Triestina 2 (1.68 xG)   Pro Vercelli 2 (1.82 xG)  -0.14 xG

FOR THE MONTH:  Triestina 9 (8,44 xG)  Opponents 4 (4.85 xG)  +3.59 xG

Two wins and three draws.  Should have beaten Virtus Verona but should have lost to Pro Vercelli so those two matches balance each other out.  Complete domination in two of our three home matches.

Sitting in 7th place and solidly in the playoff fight but we haven't played a team in the top half of the table yet.

[SteinkelssonFM]

You've got to be pleased with that start, outperforming your xG and conceding less than expected. 

[keeper#1]

7 hours ago, MattyLewis11 said:

You've got to be pleased with that start, outperforming your xG and conceding less than expected. 

Yes and no.  I'd like to see more wins than draws but at least we aren't turning draws into losses.

[keeper#1]

October 2024 Update

2 October at Juventus U23

This was a very boring game from the fan perspective.  Not a lot happened.  Teams got shots on goal but they weren't of any real quality.  I brought on super sub Ella Petrelli in the second half to see if he could shake things up in the center forward role.  He got a great chance off that was saved but he buried his second chance to give a slim 1-0 lead over league leaders Juventus U23.  We continued to restrict Juventus U23's shots on goal and held on for the 1-0 win.

WIN  Triestina 1 (1.00 xG)   Juventus U23 0 (0.85 xG)

9 October vs Renate

This was a match that we dominated from start to finish.  We kept Renate out of our penalty box and we peppered their net with shot after shot.  We jumped on the board early when the ball got cycled, after a throw-in, to left bak Sarzi Puttini, who hit a curling shot from 20 yards, to give us the lead 1-0.  Midfielder Marco Crimi was sitting on the back post and was able to head home a Ala-Myllymaki cross to give us a 2-0 lead just 21 minutes into the game.  In the second half, we gave little used center forward Mattia Minesso some playing time and he rewarded us with an 81st minute goal when he saw the goalkeeper overplay a cross and got himself out of position.  Minesso slotted home the chance and gave us the 3-0 win.

WIN:  Triestina 3 (1.74 xG)  Renate 0 (0.17 xG)  +1.57 xG

 16 October at Padova

This game pissed me off.  We got out to a 1-0 lead when Simone Ganz broke away from his center back market after a long pass from Mirko Gori to give us a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute.  The game was uneventful after that goal.   In the second half, the fourth official put up five minutes of extra time in a second half that featured no goals and no injuries.  in the SEVENTH minute of extra time, De Marchi powers home a cross from a corner kick to give Padova the tying goal.  We put the ball in play to restart the game and the referee blows for full time right away.

DRAW:  Triestina 1 (1.11 xG)  Padova 1 (0.69 xG)  +0.42 xG

19 October at Novara

This match kicked off a key three match string against teams in the playoff/promotion mix.  Three matches which could make or break our season early on.  How do we respond?  We jump all over Novara.  Starting in the 35th minute, Ganz goes against the run of play with a blast from the top of the box to give us a 1-0 lead.  Ganz finds the back of the net later in the first half when Alessandro Lovisa plays an over the top ball that allows Ganz to run behind the Novara backline.  Ganz completes his hattrick late in the second half off of a pass from Ala-Myllymaki.

WIN:  Triestina 3 (1.76 xG)  Novara 0 (0.76 xG)  +1.00 xG

23 October at AlbinoLeffe

This was another frustrating match.  We could do everything but find the net and AlbinoLeffe could barely get across midfield.  I rotated a lot of players after the Novara match but even with that in mind, we should have been able to find, at least, one goal with all those attempts on target.

DRAW:  Triestina 0 (1.70 xG)   AlbinoLeffe 0 (0.06 xG)  +1.64 xG

30 October vs Mantova 1911

A match that we should have won easily but our defense decided to take the night off on the the defensive side of the ball.  Mantova takes advantage of our first defensive lapse which resulted in Alessio Sabbione giving away a penalty kick and they are off to the races up 1-0.  We tie the game when Sabbione redeems himself by sitting onside right on the goalline as the ball finds it's way to him for an easy tap-in goal.  Mantova come out quickly from halftime to retake the lead when Monsah rises above everyone to head home a corner kick.  They did an excellent job of limiting our chances and I was looking at my first defeat as Triestina manager.  I tap Minesso on the shoulder and bring him on again as a sub.  He responds with a 79th minute goal to tie the game and then, after we earn a PK of our own, scores the game-winner in the 89th minute.

WIN:  Triestina 3 (3.32 xG)  Mantova 2 (1.39 xG)

FOR THE MONTH:  4W 2D 0L  Triestina 11 goals (10.63 xG)  Opponents 3 goals (3.92 xG)  xG Difference: +6.71 xG

We sit behind Juventus U23 by one point but they have played one more match than us also I don't think that they are eligible for promotion as a U23 side.

 

[Deisler26]

Great run so far!

[keeper#1]

November 2022

November was a great month for us.  It was an offensive explosion.  We scored 3+ goals in five of the seven matches.  Vicenza was the only league team to hold us under three goals in a game.  The defense was adequate but shaky.  Need that to improve if the offense dries up at some point.

6 November at Lecco

Lots of shots on goal from the center of pitch.  Very few wide angle/low percentage shots.  In ice hockey, you want to be shooting in the "home plate" area which is a pentagon shaped area in front of the goal.  If you expand that area out from football, we got a large percentage of our shots in that "home plate" area.  Left forward Cristano Lombardi opened the scoring from a tight angle.  I think his goal is represented by the purple star inside the six-yard box.  Lecco tied the game up in the 25th minutes.  Just seven minutes later, Lecco take the lead when Tordini takes a direct goal kick from the goalkeeper.  I rip the team at halftime for their lack of defensive effort.  Lombardi responds late in the second half with his second goal of the game to tie the match.  Mattia Minesso comes off the bench and does what he does best...create a goal when he finds Ala-Myllymaki streaking into the box.

WIN:  Triestina 3 (1.34 xG)  Lecco 2 (1.57 xG)  -0.23 xG  First time our opposition has had a higher xG than us.

13 November vs FerapiSalo

Another match we completely dominated.  Lots of shots from the "home plate" area, three of which led to goals.  Alessio Sabbione continued his aerial dominance on set pieces when he opened the scoring in the 7th minute.  FerapiSalo tied the game after a good spell of dominance in the middle portion of the first half.  The second half proved to be a tactical battle until Simone Ganz found some Minesso's bench magic when he draws a penalty and then buried the kick.  Ala-Myllymaki put the game away with a third goal.

WIN:  Triestina 3 (1.96 xG)  FerapiSalo 0 (0.92 xG)  +1.04 xG

17 November at Vicenza

This was a game where we got a lot of shots on target but not a lot of them were from the home plate area.  We scored on one of the home plate chances but the other two were saved while the rest of the shots were from either outside the area or from a wide angle.  Minesso puts us out in front early in a situation where we were playing 2 v 6 inside the box.  A situation where we shouldn't score but we found a way.  The rest of the match was a defensive stalemate but it was enough to preserve a 1-0 win.

WIN:  Triestina 1 (1.67 xG)  Vicenza 0 (0.69 xG)  +0.98 xG

26 November vs Sangiuliano City

Lots of quality chances from the home plate which led to four goals.  The action started early when Gori scored from inside the box in the 2nd minute.  Our defense felt generous and let City tie the game just three minutes later.  But Ala-Myllymaki scored right after the kickoff and we regained our one-goal lead.  After that, things settled down for the remainder of the first half.  Ala-Myllymaki doubles our lead when splits the centerbacks and its 3-1.  The Triestina defense decided to take a nap as low cross thru the box to a wide open winger and they close the gap to 3-2.  Ganz finishes the game off when he scored from inside the penalty dot.

WIN:  Triestina 4 (1.46 xG)  Sangiuliano 2 (0.59 xG) +0.87 xG

30 November at Trento

Just four days later, we decided to play a defense-optional game against Trento.  We jump out to an early 2-0 lead after goals from Minesso and right winger Federico Furlan.  The lead expanded to 3-0 when little used left forward Pagarini capitalizes on a defensive mistake.  Then, our defense took a nap and let Trento to close the gap to 3-2.  Late in the second half, we put together a ten-minute offensive flurry.  Two goals by Minesso which completed his hat trick and a goal from Ala-Myllymaki allowed us to relax and cruise to a 6-2 victory.

WIN:  Triestina 6 (1.81 xG)  Trento 2 (1.71 xG)  +0.10

FOR THE MONTH: 6W 0D 0L  GF: 17 (8.77 xG)  GA: 7 (5.48 xG)  Difference: +10 (+3,79 xG)

18 points from a possible 18 allowed us to move to the top of the table and get some cushion between us and 2nd place.

[Deisler26]

It's too easy!

[keeper#1]

December 2023 Update

December was not as prolific as November.  Knocked out of the Serie C Cup in the quarterfinals while getting two wins and two draws in the four league matches.

4 December vs Arzignano

Arzignano did an excellent job of keeping us out of the home plate area.  We had a lot of chances but they were all from wide areas or from deep.  Arzignano took a 1-0 lead when Cayfor finished a well-crafted move.  We finally broke through the second half when Ala-Myllymaki got free in the penalty box and took advantage of his chance to tie the game.  We had lots of chances after that but they were all low percentage chances and the game ended in a 1-1 tie.

DRAW:  Triestina 1 (1.95 xG)  Arzignano 1 (0.36 xG)  +1.59 xG

11 December at Piacenza

This was a very frustrating game.  We gave away one real chance on a penalty kick which resulted in almost all of their xG.  We responded by hitting the post three times.  It took a late goal by Ganz for us to earn a 1-1 draw.

DRAW:  Triestina 1 (1.63 xG)  Piacenza 1 (0.86 xG)  +0.77 xG

18 December vs Pro Patria

This was a match where we had plenty of good chances from inside the home plate area but just couldn't convert on any of them.  The good news was we limited Pro Patria's chances.  The game was a very boring 1-0 win after Ganz picked out a low corner on a well-placed shot from inside the box.

WIN:  Triestina 1 (1.90 xG)  Pro Patria 0 (0.71 xG)  +1.19 xG

23 December at Virtus Verona

Look at all those quality chances from inside the home plate area.  Virtus Verona had the bold strategy of not defending our attackers inside the 18-yard box.  Minesso opened the scoring by sitting unmarked during a goal mouth scramble that he tapped in.  Virtus Verona tie the game on a low percentage 22-yard chip over the goalkeeper.  Minesso plays playmaker and finds Furlan with the crossing through ball on the left wing which Furlan buries to give us a 2-1 lead.  We expand the lead to 3-1 when Minesso hits the post.  The goalkeeper clears but right to Furlan who finds Ala-Myllymaki in the box to make it 3-1.  Virtus Verona makes it a game at 3-2 but can get no closer.

WIN:  Triestina 3 (2.65 xG)  Virtus Verona 2 (0.73 xG)  +1.92 xG

FOR THE MONTH:  2W 2D 0L  GF: 6 (8.14 xG) GA: 4 (2.66 xG) +5.48

Starting to put more distance between ourselves and the rest of the league.

Not a great intake.  Hopefully it's improved come April.

[keeper#1]

1 hour ago, Deisler26 said:

It's too easy!

On the field is the easy part.  Trying to figure which players, whose contracts expire in June, that we want to keep around, most likely, in Serie B is the hard part.

[Deisler26]

13 minutes ago, keeper#1 said:

On the field is the easy part.  Trying to figure which players, whose contracts expire in June, that we want to keep around, most likely, in Serie B is the hard part.

I'd let them all go tbh.

[keeper#1]

3 hours ago, Deisler26 said:

I'd let them all go tbh.

The senior team players, yeah they're gone.  The U20 and U18 team players; those are the ones I'm making the decisions on.

[SixPointer]

Catching up. Love the club choice 

[keeper#1]

January-February 2023 Fixtures

Over the past couple posts, I've talked frequently about the "home plate" area and it's importance.  This what I'm talking about.

In ice hockey, the offensive zone is roughly 65 feet and the top of circles are about 30 feet from the goal line.  The "home plate" area goes from the top of the circles, through the faceoff dots and angles in toward the goal line.  Translating this to football, I'm looking at an area from the top of the 18 yard box, in line with the six yard box and then angles in to the end line.  On offense, I want high percentage chances from this area and on defense, I want us in front of the attacker in a position to block the shot or force them into a pass wide and outside of the "home plate" area.

In January, teams started to force us out of the home plate area and our results started to suffer.  We had our first loss of the season to Pro Sesto and then closed the month with a loss at Pro Vercelli.  As you can see, Pro Vercelli did an excellent job of keeping us out of the home plate area.  The result: zero goals and a xG below 0.70 for the match.  In the two matches, we won...we had more shots in the home plate area (including one penalty kick).  For the month, our opponents had a higher xG than we did and we split the month with two wins and two losses.

As the month of February went on, we got back to what we do best...getting shots from the home plate area and as we did this, our winning ways started to come back.  We opened the month with a tough 1-0 to the Juventus U23 team.  We had plenty of quality shots in front but just couldn't find the net.  They went against the run of play and scored on a header from a corner kick.  The turning point was the match against Padova.  We played lock down defense and had lots of good chances which we converted.  We took the momentum from this match into three tough contests against Novara, AlbinoLeffe and Mantova.  We won all three matches and have an iron grip on the top of the Serie C/A table.

12 point lead over Vicenza with just eight matches remaining.

[Deisler26]

Title surely yours!

[_Ben_]

Going really well! Hadn’t realised you’d ended the German adventure but landed on your feet in Italy!

[keeper#1]

March 2023 Update

We did an excellent job of keeping the opposition out of the "home plate" area during the month.  The only clear chances that we gave away penalty kicks to Vicenza and Sangiuliano.  The PK against Vicenza didn't cost us any points but the Sangiuliano PK during a win in a draw.  Sangiuliano also did a great job of keeping us out the "home plate" area which helped them get a draw even though they did not have a lot of chances.  On the whole, we had two wins and two draws in the month while outscoring the opposition 9-6 and having +1.13 xG than them.  A solid month which allowed us to maintain our lead at the top of the table. 

We hold a nine-point lead with just 12 points left to play for.  Barring a complete collapse, the title is ours.  It's just a matter of when we clinch not if we clinch.

 

 

\

[keeper#1]

[Deisler26]

Congratulations buddy! Great work!

[SixPointer]

Congratulations on the title win

[keeper#1]

Leaving today for a week long holiday.  I'll have a write-up on the end of the season and the offseason when I return.

[keeper#1]

Back from holiday and ready to post

[keeper#1]

End of 2022-23 Season

As I mentioned last week, Triestina won the Serie C/A title.

We slowly pulled away from the back once we got to the top of the table.  Mantova, along with 10 other Serie C/A teams, entered the massive Serie C playoffs.  They earned the 4th promotion place along with the three regional champions.  Three teams, Piacenza, Virtus Verona, and Pro Sesto, were all relegated.  Pro Sesto was automatically relegated while Piacenza and Virtus Verona fell through the relgation playoff trap door.

We also won the Serie C Supercup played between the three regional champions.

Our diverse scoring attack was led by Mattia Minesso, who put up a team-high 30 goals.  He was followed by reserve center forward Simone Ganz, who scored 14 goals, and Lauri Ala-Myllymaki with 12 goals.  Lauri also had a team-high 10 assists.

Not a great intake with no elite talents and only three top talents in the group.  Still some players who could provide some depth for us in the coming seasons but I'm not sure a player who can break into the first team consistently.

We built our core group of supporters and the expense of family, corporate and casual supporters.

[SixPointer]

Nice to see the support change! The league title have a big effect! 👏🏻

[keeper#1]

SUMMER/EARLY SEASON 2023

Sitting over 2 million euros in the hole, The Traders of Trieste did not splash cash around.  In fact, we needed to sell a couple of assets to ease both the wage bill and reduce some of the bank debt at the club.  We did bring in a bunch of players on frees for both depth and the first team.

The biggest loss is center midfielder Luca Paganini, who had two goals, five assists, and a stabilizing presence in the midfield for us last season.  Salvatore Pezzella was a good sale for us.  He could never break through into our midfield and we found a good home for him in Chievo.  We are still over a million euros in the hole but these moves helped us from further into debt.  Ten new faces brought in for no transfer fees.

The media have us pegged to finish in 19th place.  My goal is to finish in 15th place to avoid the playout game.

We've had a tough start to the campaign.  Starting with the Benevento match, our defense started to settle in and play like they did last year.  However, the offense has disappeared which led to a lot of draws and losses.  

26 August at Cagliari

Cagliari was the first side to give us a taste of our medicine - keeping us out of the home plate area while dominating their attacking home plate area.  We had shots but they were all from wide areas or from a lone way out.  They pounded our home plate area scoring three goals - all from 12 yards or less.

LOSS: Triestina 0 (1.18 xG) Cagliari 3 (2.55 xG)  -1.37 xG

29 August vs Torino

Our first home match in Serie B was against relegated and title contender Torino.  They completely shut us down offensively and peppered our goal with shots.  We held firm until Torino were awarded a stoppage time penalty kick to take home the win.

LOSS: Triestina 0 (0.34 xG)  Torino 1 (2.08 xG) -1.74 xG

2 September at Brescia

We finally showed up on offense against Brescia.  Minesso tied the match with a header and new signing Emanuel Zuelli gave us a 2-1 lead with a right-footed volley.  The defense could not hold on again in stoppage time allowing a late goal.

DRAW: Triestina 2 (1.05 xG)  Brescia 2 (1.76 xG) -0.71 xG

16 September vs Benevento

Our best result of the first few weeks of the season but it was because the Benevento goalkeeper had a terrible match.  He allowed both chances that we had from the home plate area.  Minesso gave us an early lead.  We gave away other penalty to allow Benevento to tie the match.  Right winger Mattia Felici dribbled through two defenders and fired in the winning goal.

WIN: Triestina 2 (0.66 xG)  Benevento 1 (1.75 xG) -1.09 xG

23 September at Bari

Our best overall match of the season, thus far, was at Bari.  We played good defense allowing only a few shots from inside the home plate area.  We were able to generate a couple home plate area shots of our own.  They got on the board early.  We fought back after winning a couple of 50-50 balls in the air, Ganz got behind the defense and tied the game.

DRAW: Triestina 1 (1.09 xG)  Bari 1 (1.76 xG) -0.67 xG

26 September vs Parma

Not much to say here.  We had a lot of chances outside the home plate area.  Our goalie stood on his head making save after save as we allowed a lot of chances from the home plate area.

DRAW:  Triestina 0 (0.55 xG)  Parma (1.59 xG) -1.04 xG

30 September at Salento

A game without a lot of chances.  We gave away our third penalty in seven matches and that goal was the difference in a 1-0 loss.

LOSS: Triestina 0 (0.48 xG)  Salento 1 (1.70 xG) -1.32 xG

FOR THE PERIOD: 1W 3D 3L 5 GF (T15th) 9 GA (15th) 5.35 xG (19th) 13.19 xGA (20th)

Sitting in 16th but we are the best placed promoted team at present and six of our seven matches were against team in the top nine places of the table.

 

[keeper#1]

October 2023 Update

Another tough month offensively with only two goals scored and only one goal coming from open play in stoppage time after the game was no longer in doubt.  The penalty tally was enough to win us a match which is plus.  The defense also stepped up this month allowing just four goals in four matches (one goal per game).  If we can keep this type of pace, we should be able to hit my target of 15th place.

7 October vs Perugia

Both sides did an excellent job of keeping the home plate area free of activity.  They had a couple of decent chances but our goalkeeper was able to scoop them up fairly easily.  The outcome a 0-0 draw and a tough point earned.

DRAW: Triestina 0 (0.75 xG)  Perugia 0 (0.77 xG) -0.02 xG

21 October at Pisa

Pisa kept their area clear.  We did not.  The worst goal came when we turned the ball over in our own 16-yard box which led to a quick counter and a goal.  They added a second goal to seal the game and took all three points.

LOSS:  Triestina 0 (0.53 xG)  Pisa 2 (1.37 xG)  -0.84 xG

24 October vs Hellas Verona

Another tough game for our defense as we just couldn't keep them out of the scoring area.  They did an excellent job of keeping their goal mouth clear.  We were able to score late on a tight-angle shot but we had no quality chances.

LOSS: Triestina 1 (0.77 xG)  Hellas Verona 2 (1.68 xG)  -0.91 xG

28 October at Modena

Our first game against a fellow relegation battler.  We got the early advantage when we earned a penalty kick which was converted by Simone Ganz.  This was the first game where we were able to get extended pressure and shots off from quality areas.  We did a decent job of restricting their chances and kept a clean sheet to get a hard-earned three points.

WIN: Triestina 1 (1.49 xG)  Modena 0 (1.65 xG) -0.16 xG

FOR THE MONTH: 1W 1D 2L 2 Gf (3.54 xG)  4 GA (5.47 xG)  -1.93 xG

We are in 16th place and in the playout places but we are now 1-0-0 against the teams below us in the table so we have a chance to earn some points in November and December as we play more teams around us in the table.

 

[keeper#1]

November 2023 Update

Another one win month.  Two poor defensive efforts including one against fellow relegation candidate Ternana where we played a man down for 70 minutes.  Venezia got a penalty (our fourth allowed in 14 matches) and we had to chase the match.

5 November vs Reggina

A match that reminded me of the form we had last season.  Lots of good chances and we kept them to the outside.  First match where we had more xG than our opponents and we were rewarded with a 1-0 win.

WIN: Triestina 1 (1.18 xG)  Reggina 0 (0.33 xG) +0.85 xG

12 November at Ternana

Everything we did right against Reggina.  We did wrong at Ternana.  Had a player sent off in the 20th minute and gave away four goals along with plenty of shots in the scoring area.  Recorded just five shots ourselves as we gave a fellow relegation candidate three points.

LOSS:  Triestina 0 (0.12 xG)  Ternana 4 (2.04 xG)  -1.88 xG

26 November vs Venezia

We played better against Venezia but we gave away a first half penalty which forced us to chase the game.  They added a second half goal to claim a 2-0 win.

LOSS:  Triestina 0 (1.04 xG)  Venezia 2 (1.59 xg) -1.05 xG

FOR THE MONTH: 1W 0D 2L  1 GF (2.34 xG) 6 GA (3.96 xG) -1.62 xG

Still above the automatic relegation fight but still firmly in the fight for the playout tie.

[SixPointer]

Battling hard!! Thts what it’s about down there!

[keeper#1]

December 2024 Update

Our best month of the season.  Three wins, including two against teams also battling against relegation, two draws and only one loss (to the team at the top of the table).  We did have a mess of match against Udinese in the Coppa Italia but I played my entire second team so the first team could rest up for the SPAL match on Christmas Eve.  Great month which really helps avoid the relegation fight for a few matches as we play teams above us in talent and in the table.

2 December at Crotone

The Crotone goalkeeper played a great game and kept us at bay the entire match.  Our defense did a great job of limiting their quality chances and never really gave them a good look at goal.  Still we drew at home against a team that is down with us in the relegation fight.  I consider this match two points lost and not one point gained.

DRAW:  Triestina 0 (1.48 xG)  Crotone 0 (0.37 xG) +1.11 xG

5 December vs Reggiana

Another tough tactical battle where most of the action was in our offensive zone.  They only had three very low percentage chances from wide or deep locations.  We pounded shots away from in the front their net.  Our efforts were finally rewarded when Simone Ganz buried a well-placed low cross from Federico Furlan to give us a 1-0 victory.

WIN:  Triestina 1 (1.21)  Reggiana 0 (0.26 xG) +0.95 xG

10 December vs Cosenza

We showed a lot of heart and fight in this match.  Marjian Cavar takes a chance from deep and is rewarded with his efforts giving us an early 1-0 lead.  Just 12 minutes later, Giacomo Drago can't get behind a Maric shot and we are tied back up.  The next 60 minutes were devoid of any real action.  Cosenza, then, started to press for the winning goal and had a couple of great chances which we turned away by our defense.  We catch them on the counter attack and little used Filippo Iacovoni makes a brilliant near post run to score the game winner in stoppage time.  

WIN:  Triestina 2 (1.00 xG)  Cosenza 1 (1.56 xG) -0.56 xG

17 December at Mantova

A match where we got on the board early.  Our defense allowed Mantova to get back in the game with a tying goal.  Then, our offense went back to work.  Just a minute later, Iacovoni scored his second goal in as many matches to give us a 2-1 lead.  We continued to piled on the pressure.  Moutir Chajia wins a 50-50 ball and dribbles through a couple of defenders to score a security goal as we close out the game with a 3-1 scoreline.  Our best game of the season to this point.

WIN:  Triestina 3 (1.70 xG)  Mantova 1 (0.88 xG)  +0.82 xG

24 December vs SPAL

We close out the first half of the season with a tough match against SPAL.  They did a great job of keeping us out of the scoring area.  We did a great job as well but they were able to convert a low cross to give themselves a 1-0 lead.  Our offense rebounded when Ganz re-discovered his scoring form after breaking through the SPAL defensive line.  The second half was a stalemate and we close our the first half with a draw.

DRAW:  Triestina 1 (1.07 xG)  SPAL 1 (1.72 xG)  -0.65 xG

31 December vs Cagliari

One more match to close our 2023 and it was against the league leaders in Cagliari.  They played like the league leaders as they limited us to just four shots and zero shots from high quality areas.  We limited their chances from high quality areas as well but they had a shot from deep.  Both of center backs though that the shooter was offside.  VAR disagreed with them and that lapse in concentration was the difference.

LOSS: Triestina 0 (0.32 xG)  Cagliari 1 (0.82 xG)  -0.50 xG

FOR THE MONTH: 3W 2D 1L  7 GF (6.78 xg)  4 GA (5.61 xG) +1.17 xG

FOR 2023: 6W 6D 8L 15 GF (T17th)  23 GA (T11th)  18.18 xG (17th)  28.06 xGA (20th) -9.88 xG

Sitting pretty in 12th place in the table but the difference between ourselves in 12th and 16th place and the playout game is just four points.  Very fine margins as we enter the second half of the season.

A couple of good players should be coming through the intake in April but it's a sharp dropoff after the first couple of players by the looks of it.

 

[SixPointer]

Great month. Three massive wins!

[keeper#1]

January 2024 Update

For as great as December was, January was a dumpster fire.  Three losses in three matches.  Zero goals scored.  2+ goals allowed in every match.  Just a disappointing month.

It was the same story in every match.  We couldn't generate any chances in front of the goal while giving our opponents a clear path to the net.  We were "good" against Brescia but they capitalized on their chances in front of the net and we couldn't.  Just awful.

And with three straight losses, we have slid right back down into the fight for the relegation playout places.

[keeper#1]

February 2024 Update

This bipolar swung back the other way in February as we won three of the four matches and pulled ourselves out of the relegation playout fight.

3 February vs Bari

By all accounts, we should have lost this game by the reverse score line.  Bari completely outplayed us.  They peppered our net with shots and Drago did excellent job of keeping us in the game.  We found the net with two of our higher quality chances and that was enough to earn us a 2-1 victory.

WIN:  Triestina 2 (1.12 xG)  Bari 1 (2.33 xG)  -1.21 xG

12 February at Parma

This was game where all the action was in the first half.  Oulad M'Hand took a chance with a long range shot that found the back of the net.  Two minutes later, Furlan beats his defender and is able to fire a low cross through the six-yard box to Chajia who doubles our lead.  Tutino, for Parma, takes a tough angle shot to cut the lead in half.  Parma, for all their efforts, could not tie the match and we escape with three points.

WIN:  Triestina 2 (1.73 xG)  Parma 1 (0.89 xG)  +0.84

17 February vs Salento

Salento just bullied us in our defensive zone.  All three of their goals came from efforts where they pushed our defense around either to create a shot for themselves or for someone else.  We didn't help ourselves either as all three of their shots on target found the back of the net.  We got a goal from a low percentage chance when Gori finished a chance laid off by Chajia.

LOSS:  Triestina 1 (0.24 xG)  Salento 3 (2.23 xG)  -1.99

24 February at Perguia

This was our best game of the month.  We scored on a high quality chance from the penalty spot when Ganz made an interception near midfield, passed the ball out wide to Furlan, and finished the play when Furlan passed it back to him after a long run into the box.  Our defense did a good job of pushing Perguia away from the high quality scoring zone.  Third win in four.  

WIN:  Triestina 1 (1.72 xG)  Perguia 0 (0.99 xG)  +0.73 xG

FOR THE MONTH:  3W 0D 1L  6 GF (4.81 xG)  5 GA (6.44 xG) -1.63 xG

Back to being safely away from the relegation playout games.  Five point lead over 16th place Reggina.  That said, it's only a five point lead and as I saw in January, we could be right back into the relegation playout fight.

 

[keeper#1]

March 2024 Update

A mixed bag of fixtures this month.  The win over Modena was huge especially after the thrashing we took from Verona.  Doing just enough to keep us above the relegation zone which is all I'm really asking for at this point in the season.

2 March vs Pisa

Not a lot to say here.  Just two teams of similar quality cancelling each other out in a bore 0-0 draw.

DRAW Triestina 0 (0.61)  Pisa 0 (0.64)  -0.03 xG

9 March at Verona

Verona jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after they converted a penalty and then a close in shot.  They had lots of opportunities to score and added a third goal to make it 3-0.  We had a few decent chances that we could not convert into goals.  We did a consolation goal in stoppage time when Ganz finally slotted one past the goalkeeper.

LOSS  Triestina 1 (1.33)  Verona 3 (2.35)  -1.02 xG

16 March vs Modena

A game which did not have a lot of action in the first half and most of the second but business really picked up in the dying moments of the match.  We kept Modena away from the key scoring areas for most of the match.  They did a great job of forcing us to take a lot of shots from the left side of the pitch.  However in the last 10 minutes of the match, we were able to score two goals while they only scored one goal which allowed us to escape with a 3-2 victory.

WIN  Triestina 3 (1.47)  Modena 2 (1.22)  +0.25 xG

23 March at Reggina

Our worst all around effort of the match.  We allowed Reggina free reign in front of our net.  They restricted our chances.  That said it was only 1-0 until the 90th minute of the match when Ricci got the second goal for Reggina and they claimed a 2-0 victory.

LOSS  Triestina 0 (0.86)  Reggina 2 (2.37)  -1.51 xG
FOR THE MONTH:  1W 1D 2L  4 GF (4.27)  7 GA (6.58)  -2.31 xG

We should be safe from the relegation zone.  I learned that the playout match only occurs if 16th and 17th place are within five points of each other which probably won't be the case this season.

 

[keeper#1]

April Club Notes and Youth Intake

In an unexpected move, the club was sold during the month of April.  Not a club shaking move...just an internal takeover.

But it was enough to clear our debts...at a cost.

We had a good intake....one elite talent and three top talents.

But our elite talent has an unambitious personality.  The other personalities seem to be good.  There is hope for this class.

 

[keeper#1]

April 2024 Update

Another mixed bag of a month.  Five points from 12.  Still doing just enough to keep us out of the relegation zone.

6 April vs Ternana

A disappointing draw against the last place team in the league.  Their defense completely shut us down and we were able to snuff out all of their "good chances."  A bore draw.

DRAW  Triestina 0 (0.34)  Ternana 0 (0.42)  -0.08 xG

16 April at Venezia

Not a lot of good chances for either sides.  We scored three first half goals and cruised to a 3-0 victory as Venezia had nothing but scattered shots from deep.

WIN  Triestina 3 (1.04)  Venezia 0 (0.68)  +0.36 xG

20 April vs Crotone

We jumped on the board early when Ganz was left open at the top of the box.  There was a lot of half chances as the game continued.  Until Petriccione took a low percentage long range effort and tied the game.  We had more chances after that goal but we could not find the back of net.

DRAW  Triestina 1 (1.06)  Crotone 1 (0.65)  +0.41 xG

29 April at Reggiana

I forgot to get the match story and xG for this match.  Quick recap: we got pounded 2-0

LOSS  Triestina 0 (1.30)  Reggiana 2 (1.68)  -0.38 xG

 

[keeper#1]

May 2024 Update

A third straight mixed month.  Three matches.  One win.  One draw.  One loss.

4 May at Cosenza

A very disappointing effort from Triestina.  We couldn't get any shots away.  They got plenty of shots and lots of high quality ones at that.  They scored on three of them.  We only had five shots total.  That's not winning recipe.

LOSS  Triestina 0 (0.41)  Cosenza 3 (1.43) -1.02 xG

12 May vs Mantova

Our best match of the season.  We did a great job of limiting them to shots from outside the box.  We made the most of our chances that we had inside the box.  It took a late penalty for us to claim the 1-0 win.

WIN  Triestina 1 (1.43)  Mantova 0 (0.76) +0.67 xG

16 May at SPAL

We end the season with a late action-packed 0-0 draw that we could have won but did not.

DRAW  Triestina 0 (1.04)  SPAL 0 (0.43) +0.61 xG

FOR THE MONTH 1W 1D 1L  1 GF (2.88)  3 GA (2.62) +0.26 xG
FOR THE SEASON:  12W 10D 16L  30 GA (17th)  35.78 xG (15th)  48 GA (16th)  53.35 xGA (18th)  -17.57 xG

Safe from relegation and a respectable 13th place finish.

No change in the supporter profile.

Already made some signings in the winter for next season.  I'll have a full roster breakdown once I hit July 1st.

[keeper#1]

Summer 2024 Roster Changes

Finally, we started to trade.  Granted these are all players given their outright release or signed for free with other teams while we bring in new talent also for free.  But we are starting to live up to the Traders part of this save.  On June 30, we outright released 12 players including Simone Ganz, our leading goalscorer last season, Federico Furlan, our starting right forward from last season, and Matteo Pisseri, our backup goalkeeper.  We lost another starter when Aleesio Sabbione left for Foggia in Serie C.  

The midfield received an overhaul when we shipped the "A Team" of Andrea Vallocchia and Alessandro Lovisa to Ancona for a combined 50k.  Neither of them really started for us last season so it's not a big impact.  We also sent utility forward Mattia Felici to Catazaro for 400k to provide us with some cash and some salary flexibility.

In all of those player's places, we bring in 11 new players.  I'll dive into them in the roster breakdown.

Goalkeepers

Not much changed at all at the goalkeeper position.  Giamcomo Drago will stay as the starter.  The only change is at the backup position where we brought in Richard Marcone after we released Pisseri.

Defenders

The defense received a semi-overhaul.  The leftback position saw Frenchman Matthieu Huard brought in as the new starter and relegating Yuri Rocchetti to the backup role.  Rocchetti is a left midfielder converted into a left back while Huard is more of a true left back so we should see some improved play there once Huard gets settled in.  The center backs see two new faces come in to provide some competition and better offensive playmaking for Matteo DiGennaro and Andrea Meroni.  Tiago Ferreira and Riccardo Cargnelutti join the back line.  They may end up as the starting duo by the end of the season but right now, I intend to split them with DiGennaro and Meroni to give me two pairings where the newbies are split up.  The right side sees Francesco Donati come in, on loan, from Empoli.  He will be the starter and Florin Borta will be the backup.  These two players allow me to move DiGennaro to the center back position.  He doesn't have the athleticism I need from the right back position to play there full time.

Midfielders

Another position where we saw a decent amount of turnover.  Spainard Jorge Alastuey joins the group as a primary backup at the Mezzala position.  Cari Gustafsson comes in on loan will find his way into the starting lineup.  Agazzi and Gori will split time at the defensive base of our midfield triangle while Oulan M'Hand said he wasn't fully interested in signing a new contract, no one was willing to meet our agreed upon price demands to send him to another club.  Hopefully, I can come to a deal with him during the fall or else he could walk away for nothing.

Forwards

A lot of change to forward position.  Alessandro Capello comes in as the new centre forward replacing Simone Ganz.  Ella Petrelli will be his primary backup after spending last season out on loan.  Not listed is Jose Melro who is the new starting right forward.  Mattia Tordini is new starting left forward while Mattia Podda, another academy product who was out on loan last season, and Moutir Chajia, a starter last season, will be the primary backups.

 

[keeper#1]

August 2024 Update

Three league matches in quick order after the first round of the Coppa Italia which we were bounced from in quick order.

24 August at Ternana

We opened the season at Ternana.  They were one of the bottom half of the table sides that owned us last season.  We lost one and drew one.  This year, we came out on top.  We started strong with a good chance but then they were able to neutralize our offensive attack for a good portion of the match while they were on the attack.  They had a lot of good chances which were turned away as Drago played a great game.  Late in the game, Oulad M'Hand started an offensive move where he found Melro down the right wing.  Melro beat his marker and was able to get a cross in Petrelli, who had a tap-in goal, to give us a 1-0 win.

WIN  Triestina 1 (1.50)  Ternana 0 (1.29)  +0.21 xG

27 August vs Perguia

Another match against a bottom of the table side in Perguia.  This was a match of few chances but they were all high percentage chances.  Perguia opened when they converted a first half penalty to take a 1-0 lead.  After a dull first half for us, we picked it up in the second half.  Rochelli lurked on the left side of the pitch as we had a throw-in on the right sideline.  We worked the ball beautifully from right to left and Rochelli had a wide open chance which he converted to tie the game.  Then, Perguia got a red card.  They did a great job keeping us away from the attacking box.  We had a large foray into the box which turned into a penalty kick of our own.  Capello converted the 86th minute penalty and give us the 2-1 lead which became a 2-1 victory.

WIN  Triestina 2 (1.31)  Perguia 1 (1.48)  -0.17 xG

31 August at Verona

After two matches in four days, we played a very rotated side against Verona and it showed.  It was our worst performance of the three matches.  Verona just lived in our attacking area getting off shot after shot.  Drago played well in a 2-0 loss.  The offense did not show up at all as we were completely dominated by Verona.

LOSS  Triestina 0 (0.35)  Verona 2 (3.01) -2.46 xG

FOR THE MONTH:  2W 0D 1L  3GF (T7th)  3 GA (T8th)  3.43 xG (12th)  5.78 xGA (16th)

[Vakama2619]

wait Juventus U23 can get promoted?

[keeper#1]

9 hours ago, Vakama2619 said:

wait Juventus U23 can get promoted?

It looks like they can get promoted from Serie C to Serie B.  Their odds for promotion to Serie A are listed as N/A

[keeper#1]

September 2024 Update

Another month which I will consider a success.  A worrying trend for me is our performance is when we have to play three games in quick succession.  In August, we got trucked by Verona in that third game.  This month, Benevento gave us the business.  Both cases have been teams that are clearly better than us but we just haven't shown up in those matches to put up a fight.

14 September vs Brescia

Just an outstanding performance against Brescia.  We had a ton of chances inside their box.  Jose Melro is proving to be a great signing for the club.   He started the scoring when he headed home a free kick in the 38th minute.  He doubled his tally when he slotted home a second half penalty kick.  We took a very high percentage shot on goal which was deflected by the Brescia goalkeeper on to the post.  However, it deflected off the post and into the goalkeeper's back before trickling back into the net to close the game 3-0.

WIN  Triestina 3 (1.71)  Brescia 0 (0.57)  +1.14 xG

21 September at Mantova

This was a tough loss to take.  We had beaten Mantova in all four previous meetings.  Both teams did a great job of negating the opposition's attack.  In the first half, Mantova scored on a corner kick.  They got a red card midway through the second half.  We pressed for the tying goal but it would not come and Mantova escape with a 1-0 victory.

LOSS  Triestina 0 (0.78)  Mantova 1 (0.68)  +0.10 xG

24 September vs Cittadella

This was an odd game.  We got out to an 1-0 lead when Merlo got away from his marker to get a cross over to Chijia on the left wing in the 11th minute.  The next 50 or so minutes were pretty dull.  We had chances but they were all from wide positions.  Cittadella finally woke up the game with a second half goal.  Just 10 minutes, Merlo responded with his third goal of the month by scoring on a lobbed pass from deep.  Cavar scored just two minutes later on a free kick and we come out 3-1 victors.

WIN  Triestina 3 (1.09)  Cittadella 1 (0.28)  +0.81 xG

27 September vs Benevento

Our goalkeeping made this game a lot closer than it should have been.  Benevento just dominated the play.  They had chance after chance in our attacking zone.  Our defense did a great job holding them to just one goal in the first half and that goal came on a cheap turnover in our zone.  We found a way through Petrelli to tie the game in the second half.  But in the end, our defense had just gotten too tired and we allowed two goals in the 84th and 86th minute as Benevento pulled away to a 3-1 victory.

LOSS  Triestina 1 (0.98)  Benevento 3 (2.81)  -1.83 xG

FOR THE MONTH  2W 0D 2L  7 GF (4.54)  5 GA (4.34)  +0.20 xG

At this pace, we should not have to worry about relegation this season but there is plenty of season left to play.

Melro definitely looking like the signing of the season with three goals and two assists already.

[_Ben_]

Strong start! Keep it up.

[keeper#1]

October 2024 Update

A split month with two wins and two draws.  But boy were those two wins fun to watch.  So much offense.  The losses well the offense just couldn't break down the door as much as we tried.  A pair of 1-0 losses to teams with more resources than we have and got the break that we needed to win the game.  Tough losses but still a very successful month for us.

2 October at Ascoli

Man was this a game.  Jose Melro gave us a 1-0 lead when dribbled through the defense after we successfully high pressed them into a turnover.  Then we gave them a chance on a free kick which was converted into a goal.  We returned the turnover favor and gave the ball away in our half of the field.  Now, we faced a 2-1 halftime deficit instead of tie match.  Another direct free kick was converted by Ascoli and we trailed 3-1.  Then, our center forward, Alessandro Capello, got injured.  In comes Elli Petrelli and the game changed.  He strips their center back on a high press to cut the deficit to 3-2.  He ties the game ten minutes later when he breaks their offside trap and has clear 1v1 on the goalkeeper.  Mattia Podda made the game 4-3 when the goalkeeper gave away a rebound.  Petrelli gets a hat trick off the bench to put the game away as we bring home a 5-3 victory.

WIN  Triestina 5 (2.16)  Ascoli 3 (2.06)  +0.10xG

19 October vs Torino

Both teams did a great job of keeping the high percentage scoring area clear of activity.  Drago gave us a rebound off a shot and they were there to pounce on it to give Torino a 1-0 victory.  

LOSS  Triestina 0 (0.87)  Torino 1 (1.39)  -0.52 xG

22 October at Pisa

This was a tough loss to take.  Pisa took a low percentage shot (0.03 xG) from outside the box which curl its way into the top corner of the net.  They had no good chances for the rest of the match.  We had a few good chances from the high percentage scoring zone which were turned away.  A tough loss to take on the road but we are playing a lot better than this time last season.

LOSS Triestina 0 (1.44)  Pisa 1 (0.46)  +0.98 xG

28 October at Catanzaro

We came out inspired against Catanzaro.  Melro drew a penalty early in the first half which he converted to give us the 1-0 lead.  Catanzaro scored on the only high percentage chance that they had in the match to tie as we headed into halftime.  Oulad M'Hand started a sequence to Chijia who crossed to Melro who had a tap-in to give us a 2-1 lead.  Melro completed his hat-trick and gave us the insurance goal as we walked home to a 3-1 victory.

WIN  Triestina 3 (2.74)  Catanzaro 1 (0.76)  +1.88 xG
FOR THE MONTH  2W 0D 2L  8 GF (7.21)  6 GA (4.66)  +2.55 xG

Sitting pretty in 5th place and far away from the relegation zone.  Need to start turning some losses into draws but I'll take 6W 0D 5L with a +4 GD as the calendar turns to November

[keeper#1]

November 2024 Update

Just an absolutely terrible month.  Offense went completely dry.  Defense did the best they could to keep us in the matches but when you don't score, you don't win.  One point from a possible 12 is not a good month for any team.

Matches

I lumped all four matches together because they were all pretty much the same.  We were kept to the outside and away from the high percentage scoring areas.  Our defense did the best they could facing a lot of shots per match.  Need to figure out the lack of scoring before it becomes a real problem.

FOR THE MONTH:  0W 1D 3L 1 GF (3.10)  4 GA (5.67)  -2.57 xG

We've tumbled down the table 13th and could find ourselves in the relegation fight if we are not careful.

[keeper#1]

December 2024 Update

What a difference a month makes!  Last month, we couldn't score.  The offensive improved this month but the defense was an absolute rock - allowing just one goal in five matches.  A former goalkeeper that makes me really really happy.  Our season had the chance to really go off the rails and into the relegation fight but we rallied and pulled ourselves out the funk.

3 December at SPAL

This was a game that we did not deserve to win.  SPAL kept us out of the high percentage scoring zone.  They lived inside our 16-yard box.  We didn't give them many high percentage chances but we gave them plenty of low percentage chances which Drago did an excellent job of keeping out of the net.  Ella Petrelli broke through for us in the 26th minute to give us the 1-0 lead.  The defense held firm and we escaped with the 1-0 win.

WIN  Triestina 1 (0.56)  SPAL (1.63)  -1.07 xG

7 December vs Reggina

Our defense played great.  Reggina did a good job of keeping our offense in check.  However, their goalkeeper had a bad day.  He allowed three goals on an xG of only 0.88.  Melro opened the scoring with a headed goal after a deep cross from Huard.  He also closed the scoring early in the 2nd half.  In between, he set up Huard who camped outside the box and had all day to tee up a shot which crossed the goalie face and into the far corner.

WIN Triestina 3 (0.88)  Reggina 0 (0.55)  +0.33 xg

15 December at Juventus U23

This game was the counter balance to the Reggina.  We did everything but score against the Juventus U23.  We had plenty of great chances to score and put this game away but couldn't find the back of the net.  We limited them to just a few high percentage chances which we all turned away.  The result: a 0-0 draw.

DRAW  Triestina 0 (2.21)  Juventus U23 0 (0.81)  +1.40 xG

21 December vs Frosinone

Another match where we took advantage of the chances presented to us.  Frosinone jumped out to 1-0 lead when we decided to aimlessly pass the ball around the back.  They forced a turnover which started a quick range counter attack and the lead.  Merlo puts us on his back again and dribbles through the Frosinone defense to tie the game heading into halftime.  Midway through the second half, DiGennaro got his head on a deep Cavar cross on a free kick to put us ahead 2-1 - a lead that we would never give up.

WIN  Triestina 2 (0.74)  Frosinone 1 (1.20)  -0.46 xG

FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE SEASON:  9W 2D 8L  25 GF (4th)  19 GA (T11th)  22.04 xG (9th)  24.78 xGA (16th)

29 December vs Ternana

Another hard fought draw where each team did a great job to nullify the opposition's attack.

DRAW  Triestina 0 (0.68)  Ternana 0 (1.17)  -0.49 xG

FOR THE MONTH  3W  2D  0L  6GF (5.02)  1 GA (5.36)  -0.25 xG

Back up to 8th place in the table and safely away from the relegation zone.

Youth intake does not give me much hope.

Jose Melro is carrying us this season with 11 goals.

 

[keeper#1]

Traders of Trieste Have Returned

For the first two and half seasons of this save, the Traders of Trieste have been dormant.  Swapping free players for free players.  Not really exciting.  But in January 2025, that all changed - in some cases our hand was forced because I wanted to cash in on expiring contracts.  Some were because players were disgruntled with their playing time.  But the traders have come out of hiberation.

700k+ in transfers out the door in five moves.  The move that hurt the most was the Ismail Ouland M'Hand deal.  I had an almost million euro transfer on the table for him in the summer window.  I wanted to keep him because he had a lot of potential.  His agent gave me the impression that he was willing to sign a new contract/contract extension.  So, I rejected the offer.  After the summer window closed, he would not sign a contract.  I had to take a massive cut rate deal for him.  The only positive from the deal was a 30% future transfer profit clause that I could insert into the deal.  The midfielder got even weaker when Emanuele Zuelli and Davide Agazzi wouldn't sign new contracts either so I cashed in on them as well.  The best move was sending back-up right-back Florin Borta home to Romania, after he became upset with playing time, for 250k euros.  Westerlo came in from utility forward Moutir Chajia for 250k deal.  Lots of moves for the Traders of Trieste.

 

We bring in four players...all who can be inserted into the starting lineup.  Two of the players are loans and two others are my first cash dealings with the club.

Mattia Vitale is an excellent all-around midfielder who can play a variety of positions in our main 4-3-3 formation.  Great passer of the ball.  Doesn't have a great first touch but once he gets it under control.  He can be a great midfielder for us going forward.

Antonino LaGumina is a big upgrade for us at the center forward position.  He can score on his own but also create chances for others and bring them into the play.  Takes a lot of pressure off of youngster Ella Petrelli and can move Antonio Capello out to the left wing if we want to go with an aggressive attacking front line.