Calcetto - Sept 20, 2006

Last Wednesday a group of adventurous students met at Piazzale Michaelangelo to catch soccer fever, “Italian style,” by playing a mini-tournament of Calcetto. Calcetto is Italy’s version of indoor soccer, except for a few fantastic distinctions; first, there are no walls surrounding the pint-sized playing field, only a net covering the space to keep the ball from becoming lost, and secondly, you can compete any time of day or night, because the field is outdoor, fueled by powerful stadium lights. For our competition we planned to meet early in the evening and take advantage of the cool twilight temperatures. The dark Florentine night would be a perfect backdrop for the final game under the lights. The location was amazing; a group of soccer fields directly behind the legendary Piazzale where David stands overlooking the city. Our miniature pitch mirrored a full-size soccer field with goalposts, sidelines, and even a penalty area, but this field only hosted 10 players, not the usual 22; 5 for each team. We were able to produce three strong teams from Palazzo Rucellai. To make it a genuine tournament experience, the school also invited some local Italian friends to join in the fun. With the addition of the Italians, our mini-tournament was complete. Since most of the world watched the World Cup this summer, the Italy-US rivalry would be an opportunity for us Americans to show the Italian players that we know how to play soccer too! The predominance of American representation could give us a chance to win over the world-renowned and world-champion Italians.
When the tournament began, we started with two playing fields, and four full teams. We decided that after two consecutive goals by any single squad, the winning squad would rotate to the other field, and play the winner of the other match. This allowed everyone to play and get into the spirit and scoring potential of this game. I quickly realized that calcetto was much faster than full-field soccer in the USA. Easy scoring opportunities motivated us to run like crazy all over the pitch. There was no dominant team and our rules gave an extra impetus to score. We soon realized that every player had more than their share of exercise because no substitution was available on the sidelines. It was actually a treat when you were called upon to play goalie, because it was your chance to get a little bit of rest. At one point during the game, I thought that my legs were running on their own. To be a strong player in this game, one has to have quick feet and a lot of energy. The games produced two lost balls, more goals than we could count, and the dominant squads emerged. The teams who advanced to the final were of course, one Palazzo Rucellai team, and the other was inevitably the Italian team. By this time it was dark outside and the stage was set; the final match under the lights. The Italians even wore the World-Cup Italy jerseys; this was probably an attempt to shake the confidence of us Americans. The final game was a battle until the finish. Both sides played well, but the win went to the Italians. I don’t know if it was the home-field advantage, or if their shirts fueled a bit of nostalgia, but it was a fun, well-played match. In fact, after the game we all exchanged numbers so we could get together and meet again for a friendly re-match. It was a truly Italian experience, an evening to remember, and one that my aching legs will be sure to remind me of the rest of the week.