Under 19 from San Marino winning the debut in the qualifiers for the European Championships • newsrimini.it
A little less than a year after the historic play-off played by the futsal national team, obtained with an amazing passage of the round in qualifying for the European Championship that will be played next year in the Netherlands, San Marino five-a-side football still holds a page of history, on the 90th anniversary of the San Marino Football Federation.
Matteo Selva’s boys make their debut against Estonia in qualifying for the European category and the start is all thrills and emotion. Glacial, as if to confirm the stereotype of Scandinavian peoples, the young Estonians who, after an attempt to neutralize Cavalli, put Pazzini in serious difficulty with Vain’s initiative. The same pivot is the author of the goal of the immediate advantage of the host, who arrived at the end of a furious scrum in the San Marino area after a series of contrasts at the limit of the regulation. Estonia tries to capitalize on the favorable inertia, but Vdovin does not find the door in insertion on the near post. Having won the excitement of the debut, the Titans begin to grind the game and show themselves with the attempts of Tonini and Cecchini from an inactive ball. A little later Menghini also tries, who sees himself walled up by Gabenko, before an imprecise conclusion by Zanotti.
The opponents do not stand by and become dangerous on the counterattack with Reinsaar’s right, extended for a corner by Pazzini. The biancazzurro goalkeeper will be one of the great protagonists of the challenge. Meanwhile, San Marino is growing minute by minute, also trying from distance as with Rossi in the middle of the fraction. The pivot of the Thunderbolt then invents a dry dribbling in the lane and engages Gabenko. It is a moment of great San Marino pressure, which fails to lead to the deserved draw – not even on an interesting lateral pattern that leads to Rossi’s undersized heel, out of a whisker. Shortly before, a restart led by the same Estonian goalkeeper, after neutralizing an attempt by Zanotti, generates a beautiful conclusion by Reinsaar saved by Pazzini. The Titans give the impression of being able to score at any moment, but at the end of the first half the finalizer is missing on the beautiful cross also between Rossi and Cavalli, with the latter in the center of the area after having eluded the possible intervention of Gabenko . It goes to the interval 1-0 in favor of Estonia, also thanks to two great saves by Pazzini following as many balls lost trivially by Menghini and Cavalli.
The second half opens with a double chance for Menghini, who is blocked by Gabenko – decisive in the one against one. Baltic front, Filin takes the chair who tests Pazzini’s reflexes, amazing during the second half. The match gets up to a dizzying pace and Pazzini keeps his team in the wake with two nice saves on the conclusions of Vdovin and Timoska. Twelve seconds of actual play after the second intervention of the San Marino goalkeeper, Tonini’s equalizer: the central player finds himself well positioned on the far post, to correct Sensoli’s cross-shot on the net. He runs on 26 ‘and everything needs to be redone, but the inertia is now decidedly San Marino. So much so that Menghini has suffered the overtaking ball, but his right is deflected a few steps from the goal. Shortly thereafter Tassitano comes out behind the scorer on a long pass, but fails to find the ball in front of Gabenko.
Estonia does not stand by and touches the 2-1 with Vendelin: first on the development of an inactive ball scheme, then on the bloody ball lost by Tassitano. Monumental on the occasion captain Zanotti, who saves a goal scored. After a new attempt by Vain, San Marino builds a great opportunity with Menghini who – all alone in front of the goalkeeper – is hypnotized by Gabenko. Bitterness dissipated a few seconds later, the time needed for Cecchini to earn a free-kick close to the area after a big hook and subsequent tunnel. Missing of the joke entrusted to the pivot of Domagnano who, after a first retorted attempt, finds the decisive left-handed who makes the Multieventi explode with joy. From here, a whole other game comes on, made up of occasions in rapid succession on both fronts. And this is where Pazzini makes the difference: the youngest of the selection is a real giant among the San Marino posts. The show begins with a spectacular intervention on Filin, in a rustic duel that will always be resolved in favor of the goalkeeper. The number ten opponent also tries from distance on two consecutive occasions, but Pazzini is not surprised. In the opposite half Cavalli jumps a man wearing a sombrero, but does not find the ball for a destroyed on the fly that your audience made stand on. San Marino is even stronger than its mistakes, like on the lost ball from Forty to five from the end: monumental Pazzini and big slaps on the back for the side, factor in the final passion. Pazzini defuses with his feet yet another Estonian attempt with Karu, before Skipersky changes the goalkeeper. Selva proves to have also worked on the defense in numerical inferiority, with the San Marino roar to move in an orderly and perfect way on the opponent’s ball turn, almost as if it were a metronome. In fact, there is only an imprecise attempt by Filin and – above all – a great save by Pazzini on Timoska, before the triple liberating whistle of Matula that uncorks the San Marino party. Futsal sets another milestone in the history of the FSGC, winning the debut in the qualifiers for the U-19 European Championships over Estonia, with the final score of 2-1 – obtained in comeback.
Thursday the second match against Wales, beaten three seconds from the siren by Andorra. The Multieventi tournament is in fact open with an intense and decisive match on the finishing straight. Andorra’s first advantage comes after less than two minutes: Blat recovers the ball in the band and with a sudden ‘bet’ steals Allen’s time. Andorra is inspired and presses Wales upwards, hitting the British woods twice: at the 4th pole of Villalta Perez propitiated by the ‘rabona’ of Albino, after the crossing hit by Guirao. But the British do not come out of the game, on the contrary, in the 5 ‘they take advantage of the opponent’s excessive safety: Villalta Perez beats the intervention on Lyon, who in front of Pons is cold enough. Andorra returns to be pressing and at 13 ‘regains the advantage with Guirao, who surprises Allen with a destroyed from distance. At the start of the second half Villalta Perez devours the 3-1 with an empty net. In the meantime, Wales grew and in the 32nd minute took it back with Perkins, who was clear at the net after a quick restart. In the end the garra rises on the field. Both will win, but Andorra has the last word when there are three seconds to the siren: on the last corner, Garcia Cervos’ team spins the ball to the far post, where Albino’s foot comes out and gives Andorra victory. and provisional primacy in the group, before being hooked in the evening by the Titans.
UEFA Futsal EURO U-19, Preliminary round | San Marino 2-1 Estonia
SAN MARINO
Pazzini; Zanotti, Cecchini, Cavalli, Menghini
Available: Cecchetti, Tonini, Tassitano, Sensoli, Pascucci, Rossi, Quaranta
Coach: Matteo Selva
ESTONIA
Gabenko; Väin, Karu, Vendelin, Reinsaar
Available: Ladoškin, Sorokin, Timoska, Filin, Raužin, Vdovin, Bayteryakov
Coach: Dmitry Skiperskiy
Referee 1: Martin Matula (SVK)
Referee 2: Turekhan Tursumbayev (KAZ)
Third Official: Igor Puzovic (BIH)
Timekeeper: Luca Tura (ITA)
Scorers: 3 ‘Väin, 26’ Tonini, 33 ‘Cecchini
UEFA Futsal EURO U-19, Preliminary round | Andorra 3-2 Wales
ANDORRA
bridge; Albino, Perez, Guirao, Blat
Available: Gutierrez, Novis, Estany, Domenjo, Ache, Iglesias, Rechi
Coach: Isidre Aitor Garcia Cervos
WALES
Allen; Joe Thomas, Eswaeds, Morris, Perkins
Available: Joseph Thomas, Hibbert, Owen, Ashoworth, Banks, Lyon, Rollason
Coach: Gareth Walwork
First referee: Ademir Avdic (SWE)
Second referee: Igor Puzović (BIH)
Third referee: Turekhan Tursumbayev (KAZ)
Timekeeper: Luca Tura (ITA)
Scorers: 1’40 “Blat, 4’47” Lyon, 12’31 “Guirao, 31’12” Perkins, 39’57 “Hugo Albino
Bookings: Novis, Morris
FSGC | Press office