Lugano wins, it’s a canton’s triumph

One thinks of an illusion of the senses, of a play that actually cannot be. One imagines oneself in a foreign world, rubs one’s eyes and asks: “Is that all true?” FC Lugano has just defeated FC St. Gallen 4-1 in the cup final, causing the dams in the Wankdorf stadium to break. It doesn’t play YB, no. Lugano is here. And how. Cool on the field, fiery in the stands.

Hundreds storm on the artificial turf afterwards, thousands, the colors white and black dominate, most of the upper bodies are unclothed. The security forces line up, set up bars and make sure that the spilling scenery remains under control. FC Lugano wins the cup for the fourth time ever and for the first time since 1993. The club is celebrating. It’s as if an audience power is presenting itself here.

Ticino media representatives cheered uncontrollably in the stands. Distance is such a thing in moments like this. She’s missing, of course. But now the southern part of Switzerland is cooking, not just FC Lugano, the canton of Ticino. It is a sign of life, a statement, in the middle of the stadium in the German capital.

FC Lugano has fewer than 3,000 spectators in the league

On average, the Luganesi do not even welcome 3,000 people in their home games, they are in foreign hands and always play in their Cornaredo stadium almost closed to the public. That’s why the cup final in Bern has something bizarre about it. The Wankdorf lawn is flooded. Where are these people when FC Lugano is playing football at home? Disinterested, not in the stadium, elsewhere, maybe in hockey.

But now the fans are there. The Ticino reactions in the media gallery alone indicate that this is about a kind of self-assertion, a special kind of rebellion. Here we are, here is the canton of Ticino, here is Lugano.

The Swiss Cup has had difficult pandemic times and two cup finals in a ghost atmosphere. But his mobilizing power seems to be unbroken. With it, average seasonal performance can be concealed. Nobody knows that better than those responsible at FC Sion, who sometimes define themselves through the cup competition.

Of course, FC St. Gallen and its community are in the majority, rarely has one seen such a long march of fans in the city of Bern as before this cup final. But the Ostschweizer Fuder is overloaded, the whole thing is turning too high, the expectations are too high, especially since the final the year before at the same place without an audience against FC Luzern lost 1: 3. Now the moment would have come, well, with an audience, the first cup trophy since 1969. Would be.

After the final whistle, the St. Gallen management team can be seen in a snapshot. The trainer Peter Zeidler, turned away from the action, petrified. The sports director Alain Sutter standing next to it. President Matthias Hüppi, dressed in a green jersey, joins them and hugs Zeidler for a long time.

What an emotional collapse, what a hard hit after days of hype. The “We Project” Hüppi suffers a setback at the end of a season that was dark for FC St. Gallen at first and became brighter and brighter after the winter break. However, the increase run does not end in the cup frenzy, but in disillusionment. Perhaps Hüppi will pay attention to charging less and tempering more at the next opportunity. A lot of feeling can be good. Too much feeling turn into the opposite. Especially in a final game.

4:1 Or from Eastern Switzerland’s point of view: 1:4. A lesson. The St. Gallen initially run as if there were no summer temperatures, as if they wanted to decide the match in five minutes. They are looking for risk, which can be seen in the behavior of full-backs Patrick Sutter and Isaac Schmidt. First 0:1, a little later 1:1. But even before the break, the green and white mischief takes its course.

Matej Maglica, the acclaimed header to make it 1-1, makes a mistake and Olivier Custodio scores for Lugano to make it 2-1. When it was 3-1 in the 58th minute, 31-year-old Mattia Bottani stole away in the penalty area behind youngster Schmidt. And what happens then brings the downfall of St. Gallen. Without mercy, without mercy, with little delay: St. Gallen take far too much risk in an emergency, open the defense as if it were all or nothing prematurely. Coach Zeidler also waits a surprisingly long time before changing players and has to watch as his team is dismantled. 1:4 after 70 minutes. The fourth goal would have been possible after 60, 65 minutes. The St. Gallen ran into sporting ruin.

The voltage drop comes early

The cup final 2022 thrives on its colorful supporting program, with the pyrotechnics being overused. At the beginning of the second half, the St. Gallen curve ignited fireworks as if August 1 and New Year’s were together. Average fare is served on the pitch and the tension drop is extreme in the second half. This reduces the afternoon from a neutral point of view.

But it produces a winner who deserves it, who is calmer and smarter than the adversary. Not Peter Zeidler and the St. Gallen People’s Movement are cup winners, but the Lugano coach Mattia Croci-Torti, who himself has a final game with a roof cap behind him.

The only question now is how these pictures, which beautify the reality of football in Ticino, will be received in Chicago. It’s good promotional material for rich club owner Joe Mansueto. What remains to be said: Not necessarily FC Lugano, but its canton is alive. And the Ticino have been working excellently under foreign leadership so far. Better than their foreign-directed counterparts in Lausanne and Zurich (GC). Trophy included.

Lugano – St Gallen 4: 1 (2: 1). Wankdorf, Bern. 28,500 spectators (sold out). – Referee: Schnyder. – Gates: 4. Celar 1-0. 21. Maglica 1:1. 44. Custody 2:1. 58. Botani 3:1. 69. Haile-Selassie 4-1. – Lugano: Saipi; Rüegg, Daprelà (85. Hajrizi), Ziegler; Lavanchy, Lovric, Sabbatini, Valenzuela; Bottani (70th Amoura), Custodio (66th Haile-Selassie); Celar. – St. Gallen: Watkowiak; Sutter (73. Fazliji), Stergiou, Maglica, Schmidt; quintilla; Görtler, Ruiz (81. Lungoyi); Von Moos (73. Toma), Duah (73. Schubert), Guillemenot (81. Besio). – Lugano without Maric (injured). St. Gallen without Münst, Kräuchi (both injured), Kempter and Lüchinger (not in the squad). Bookings: 55 Duah (foul), 71 Maglica (foul), 77 Toma (hitting the ball away).