Final act. Epilogue. More simply: the final. The final series of the Serie A2 Credem Banca playoffs begins on Sunday, May 3rd, at the Pala Santa Maria (6:00 PM). With home-field advantage on their side thanks to their regular-season lead, and boosted by last Wednesday’s resounding 3-0 victory in Game 3 of the semifinal against Aversa, ABBA Pineto is preparing to host Tinet Prata di Pordenone in a match that will continue until at least May 10th. The format dictates a five-game schedule, with a possible verdict no earlier than Game 3, and with the white-and-blues, as mentioned, able to count on the support of the Abruzzo crowd in the first, third, and possible fifth games.
This final between Pineto and Prata di Pordenone is an unprecedented one, if only because both teams are reaching the final stage of the playoffs for the first time in their history. It’s not entirely unprecedented, however, given that the white-and-blues lifted the Del Monte® Coppa Italia for their category on the Friulian side’s home turf. That was on February 22nd, and since then, the two teams have faced each other once again, exactly the week after that final, with coach Mario Di Pietro’s yellow-and-blues managing to prevail 3-2.
In the semifinals, Prata di Pordenone managed to sweep the series against Gruppo Consoli Sferc Brescia in two games: 3-1 in Lombardy and 3-2 at home, a result that gave Tinet a few more days of rest compared to Paolo Di Silvestre and his teammates, who were forced to play to Game 3 by Virtus Aversa. Pineto will therefore return to action just four days after last Wednesday’s 3-0 victory, but at least they will be able to continue using their home base.
Among Pineto’s most positive players at the moment is spiker Antonino Suraci: the 1996 Varese native was very responsive in replacing the injured Karli Allik: “I think reaching this final, after a high-quality Game 3, is a fitting culmination of a very high-level year we’ve had,” he said. “On a personal level? I’m happy, of course, but the important thing is to give the best possible contribution to the team. This is also thanks to Simone (Di Tommaso), who has always instilled in us from the beginning the value and importance of each of us on this team, both when he’s on and off the court. So, I repeat, it’s a pleasure for me to be able to help the team achieve enormous success. I’ve had a very strong bond with the fans, with the Pala Santa Maria crowd, from the start. I like to experience games with great energy, with great motivation, cheering on the crowd both on and off the court.
