Lorenzo Palmisani’s Perfect Sunday

Had Como left the Benito Stirpe stadium on Sunday 20 September with three more points in the table, no one would have had a word to say against it – not even the Frosinone supporters. Instead, the ‘laghée’ left Ciociaria having conceded two goals, with zero points and their first defeat of the season. Frosinone played well, Como better still; the difference between the two sides came down to one man: Lorenzo Palmisani, the Gialloblù’s goalkeeper.

Frosinone’s number 22 was simply sensational against Como; he earned the applause of both his own supporters and the opposition’s, saved everything he needed to save and, on two occasions, even more than could reasonably be expected. Take the sixth and forty-second minutes, for instance, when he deflected three headers from close range – shots that four times out of five would have ended up in the net. Not on Sunday. Because Sunday was the perfect Sunday for this goalkeeper who, at twenty-two, has already found the composure and maturity needed to be decisive in Serie A. And it doesn’t always go like that. In fact, it almost never goes like that, because perfection always floats far from the turbulent waters in which goalkeepers operate. And yet it is nothing but perfection that is expected of a goalkeeper. Around the number ones, there is always the pointing finger of those who can do nothing but blame a ball retrieved from the back of the net; there are snorts, insults and doubts.

As for Lorenzo Palmisani’s talent, however, there were few doubts even before kick-off in the match against Como. You don’t end up guarding the goal for Italy’s Under-19, Under-20 and Under-21 teams by chance. You get there through skill, physicality and anticipation. And the Frosinone goalkeeper has all of this, as well as being fairly two-footed – which certainly doesn’t go amiss in today’s game.

Meanwhile, Frosinone are enjoying an unexpected sixth place in the table, ten points that will come in very handy when tougher times arrive (and for a newly promoted side, tougher times usually do come around) and an eight-point cushion above the relegation zone – which perhaps smacks of faint hope but is still a welcome prospect. They are relishing Antonio Raimondo’s goals, Giorgi Kvernadze’s dribbling, the passing and tactical play of Romano Schmid and Giacomo Calò, and the numerous saves by Lorenzo Palmisani – a man who dreamed of being Gianluigi Buffon and who will be able to say that, at least on one day in his life, he came close.

Meanwhile, for what it’s worth – and it’s not worth much – Lorenzo Palmisani can claim to be the second goalkeeper to occupy both first and second place in the ‘Guanti sporchi’ daily rankings: the first was Elia Caprile against Hellas Verona.

 

1. Lorenzo Palmisani in the 6th minute of Frosinone v Como 2–0 – 5 points

2. Lorenzo Palmisani in the 42nd minute of Frosinone v Como 2–0 – 3 points

3. joint top: David De Gea in the 21st minute of Fiorentina v Napoli 1–1 – 1 point

3. Vanja Milinković-Savić (joint top) in the 63rd minute of Fiorentina v Napoli 1–1 – 1 point

1. Lorenzo Palmisani (Frosinone), 11 points
2. Chrīstos Mandas (Lazio), 7 points
3. Guglielmo Vicario (Juventus), 6 points
4. Guglielmo Falcone (Lecce), Filip Stanković (Venezia), 5 points
6. Edoardo Corvi (Parma), Mike Maignan (Milan), Josep Martínez (Inter), Alex Meret (Napoli), Maduka Okoye (Udinese), 3 points
11. Elia Caprile (Cagliari), David De Gea (Fiorentina), Vanja Milinković-Savić (Napoli) 1 point

 

What you have just read is "Guanti sporchi", a light-hearted football-themed piece about Serie A’s number ones and the save that somehow made the football weekend better – at least from the perspective of that minority who dress differently from the others on the pitch. You can find all previous instalments here.