Wolves battle Guelph for promotion
The St. Catharines Club Roma Wolves have a tough road to promotion.
The Wolves host Guelph United Wednesday at Rinaldi Field at 8 p.m. with promotion to the Premier Division of League1 at stake.
Guelph finished with a 4-14-4 record and in second-last place in the Premier Division, but Roma head coach Federico Turriziani feels they will provide at formidable opponent.
“Two years ago they won League1 and were the first League1 team to play against a CPL (Canadian Premier League) team,” he said. “They have a good team and they played last Monday so they have their legs because they had official games and we didn’t have any. Our last game was Aug. 16. That could be a problem for us because it’s been three weeks so that’s a handicap but we’ll try to do our best.”
Davide Massafra, Roma’s Roma’s Technical Director of soccer, agrees the Wolves will be in for a difficult battle.
“We always talk about promotion and trying to get better but the reality is when we saw the competition and the level, we realized we are a small city in the region and in tough to compete with the GTA clubs. Those clubs have years and years of support,” he said.
Having said that, Massafra feels the team is still motivated for the challenge.
“We say in Italy when you start to eat then you start to feel hungry. After you eat, you want to eat more. League 1 is tough and the players did an incredible job to get here,” he said.
Roma will be without several key players who are away at school.
“It’s unfortunate that we play the most important game of the season without so many starters and players that got us here,” Massafra said. “For sure we’re missing seven or eight players that will have a huge impact on the game. It will make it very difficult.
“We have to win this game and we’re going to need a miracle.”
Turriziani is grateful the game is being held in St. Catharines.
“It’s great that we can play at Club Roma in front of our people,” he said. “That’s a big advantage to try to close this gap there is now. They are Premier, we are Championship and they just finished and we have to try and bring the energy back and chemistry and come back to where we were. After three weeks, that’s not easy.”
Turriziani has been involved in soccer for almost two decades and is well aware anything can happen.
“Every final is a different game. Everything is different. For sure we will have our chance but Guelph is stronger than us, that’s for sure,” he said. “For the Club Roma program it could be amazing to be part of this event. It’s a historic event. It would be a perfect final to close the season.
“It could be amazing because this could be the first and last playoff in League1 because the rumours are for next season the top two will be promoted and the last two will be relegated.”
Mark Bolton, Club Roma’s General Manager, Soccer Operations, is thrilled with the progress of the team this season which battled back from a rough start to win eight games in a row at one point.
“To be able to make this incredible run throughout this season and to make it to the playoff game for a chance for promotion in League1 means everything to this club. I could not be any more proud of these boys and these coaches for what they have accomplished this season,” Bolton said. “We have worked extremely hard to create a culture of respect and integrity for all of our staff and players and I feel we have accomplished just that. The club, the coaches, and the players have proven that when everyone works together, there is nothing we can’t do I am proud to be a part of this amazing program and incredible club.”
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