A1 F - SIS Roma in top form, defeats Brizz Catania 17-4
In its first home game of the Serie A1 championship season (after playing nine matches across Italy and Europe in the Champions League qualifiers, Italian Cup, and Championship), SIS Roma overwhelmed Sicilian team Brizz with a commanding 17-4 victory. Brizz, a strong team capable of reacting with pride to the dominance of the Roman team in the second half, couldn't contain the home team, who collected a resounding 9-0 score in the third and fourth quarters to close out the game.
There was anticipation in Rome to see the Capanna-led team in action, which, following its Champions League and Italian Cup qualifications, started the Championship on the right foot by winning in Cosenza and now adding a dominant victory over Brizz.
SIS started off strong, with the Sicilian team trying to resist, but found themselves trailing by five goals in just 6 minutes and 12 seconds. The Romans displayed a desire to play and impress, and the outcome of the match seemed almost certain, with only the final score left to determine. However, the atmosphere changed drastically in the second half, as a counterattack by Brizz, supported by a slight miscalculation, allowed the visitors to narrow the gap.
Although not a serious setback, the incident seemed to unsettle SIS. While everyone expected a fierce reaction, the Sicilians persisted and narrowed the gap further, with Chiara Ranalli scoring 6-2 midway through the game. SIS regrouped and took control again, but the visitors managed to score twice more, capitalizing on a couple of uncertainties, and brought the score to 4-6.
With 60 seconds left in the half, Brizz suffered a heavy blow with an 11-0 turnaround starting from goals by Papi and Gual, restoring the Roman's lead to +4. In the third quarter, SIS increased the tempo and ended with a ten-goal advantage (14-4). The final 17-4 score in the fourth quarter emphasized the clear distance between the two teams.
"We confirmed our good form with Brizz," says coach Capanna. "It wasn't an easy game, but whenever teams face SIS, they always try to give their best... taking advantage of some of our mistakes and a relaxation due to a secured lead (+5 at the end of the first half), they tried to reopen the game.
The opponents' prideful response can put you in difficulty, but that didn’t happen in this case. We are improving from game to game; I have seen concrete progress in defense. Although we still make some naive mistakes and miscalculations, overall, I am satisfied, but I am convinced that we can still improve."
After the championship, SIS dives back into the Champions League and is expected in the Netherlands, in Gouda, at the Donk pool (at 2 PM) on Saturday for the first match of the second phase (Group stage).
"It will be a fascinating match," Capanna continues. "The Dutch team is very strong and well-prepared. SIS will aim to play on equal terms; we will do the math at the end."
SIS Roma
Press Office
