Football, the San Marino national team does honor against Lithuania: 1-2
The good tradition of the San Marino national team, often scoring in official friendlies, is also confirmed against Lithuania. Filippo Fabbri enters his name in the historical register of players who rejoiced with the blue-white shirt, thus crowning an evening of celebration and enthusiasm that the National team gives to itself and its fans – even without the comfort of the result – on the day of the return to the field after the last European Qualifiers. At the Stadium there is a large and joyful audience to welcome the Titans in the evening that opens the new cycle by Fabrizio Costantini. The technical steward chooses 3-5-2 as the dress for the official debut. To compose the attack tandem two of the returning players, Stefanelli and Rinaldi, supported by a midfield made up of Alessandro Golinucci, Michael Battistini and Mularoni in a more central position, D’Addario and Grandoni on the flanks. And it is precisely the side lanes that are the terrain that Lithuania probes at the beginning to approach Elia Benedettini’s door. But without finding cce, also because the Titans contain the spaces with great attention, loaded by the festive noise of the public, which underlines every play of their children with enthusiastic “oohs” and applause. Applause that intensified at Elia Benedettini’s address when, on 9 ‘, the home goalkeeper saved the door with a feat on Golubickas’s conclusion shot from the heart of the area. The episode, however, has the effect of somehow getting out of the guests. Who manage to find the net of advantage a few minutes later: Augustinas Klimavičius pounces like a hawk on Vaitkūnas’ very perfect cross and with his head leaves no chance for the home keeper. The National Titan team reacts by raising the lines. Danilo Rinaldi puts on the field all his desire to do well on the return night. It is he, in the quarter of an hour, to conquer and dish out a free kick from the three quarters in the area: Mularoni anticipates everyone, but the midfielder’s shot is off target. Ten minutes later, another providential reflection by Benedettini on Černych’s shot which, deflected, was loaded with poison, but not enough to make the end of the house capitulate. In any case, Lithuania remains in the area and on 27 ‘finds the doubling on a corner: he beats Milašius with his left-handed, Mėgelaitis perfectly chooses the timing of insertion and with his head shoves the ball close to the far post, with Benedettini impotent.
At the top of the half hour, San Marino sees itself forward with a beautiful plot that leads to the left corridor, with Grandoni who adapt to the right times but miss the measure of the cross, too long for the many white-blue intervened to fill in the area . In the final, Lithuania still dangerous with Golubickas’ sharp cross for Klimavičius, anticipated with punches by Benedictines. On the other hand, a couple of consecutive crossings did not surprise the defense in yellow jersey, vigilant both on Stefanelli and on the other white-blue raiders. The Pennarossa striker is the first to leave the pitch: Matteo Vitaioli is back from half-time alongside Danilo Rinaldi. For the Tropical Coriano striker – a sign of his own against Lithuania in September 2015 – this becomes the number 72 presence in the national team, one less than the record holder Andy Selva. In the second half, San Marino is always lively and perky: a free kick kicked by Rinaldi brings a potential danger to the guest rearguard, careful to clear the area. Shortly after, a nice southpaw on Grandoni’s flight “risks” to shorten the distance, if only the extreme precision of the attempt – the ball ended up at the intersection – does not correspond adequately to strength: Gertmonas blocks.
However, it is a San Marino national team that clearly shows its desire to reward its audience with something tangible. And the intention becomes action when Palazzi guesses the timing of the detachment and heads perfectly along with Fabbri’s insertion. The rest comes from the 2002 class: his left-hander on the fly is perfectly direct and for Gertmonas, who has taken over from Plūkas in the meantime, there is absolutely nothing to do. The grandstand explodes while the defender in force at Forlì – who finds his first exultation in the senior national team – is literally overwhelmed by his teammates. In the meantime, the substitutions are flaking, with Costantini who, after Ceccaroli and Zafferani, also joins the fray Jacopo Raschi, on his debut with the senior national team. The Titans do not stop running, carried away by the heat of the grandstand, but it is Lithuania that gets closer to the net, even without building transcendental opportunities. Benedettini intervenes with an open hand on the outside shot that Kučys throws from a tight angle; then there is an abundant meter to separate Novikovas’ free kick from the crossbar at the home goal. A few small skirmishes immediately resolved does not ruin the last phases of the game of a match that for the home national team retains all the characteristics of a party: the 580 present in the stands, including many children, warmly applaud the Titans as they leave the ground game, further embellishing the wonderful setting of an evening destined to remain in the memory.
The Scoreboard
Marino 1-2 Lithuania
SAN MARINO [3-5-2]
E. Benedettini; but. Battistini, Palazzi, Blacksmiths; D’Addario (from 61 ‘Zafferani), Mularoni (from 81’ Hirsch), Mi. Battistini (from 72 ‘E. Golinucci), A. Golinucci, Grandoni (from’ 81 ‘Raschi); Stefanelli (from 46 ‘Vitaioli), Rinaldi (from 61’ Ceccaroli)
Available: Simoncini, S. Benedettini, Franciosi, Vitaioli, Berretti, Tomassini, Censoni
Coach: Fabrizio Costantini
LITHUANIA [4-1-4-1]
Plūkas (from 46 ‘Gertmonas); Vaitkūnas (from 62 ‘Mikoliūnas), Šatkus, Utkus, Baravykas; Mėgelaitis, Lasickas (from 81 ‘Kazlauskas), Golubickas (from 46’ Slivka), Černych, Milašius (from 67 ‘Novikovas); A. Klimavičius (from 61 ‘Kučys)
Available: Bartkus, L. Klimavičius, Širvys, Sirgėdas, Kružikas, Verbickas
Coach: Valdas Ivanauskas
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (GER)
Assistants: Christian Dietz (GER), Markus Sinn (GER)
Fourth official: Luca Zani (ITA)
Bookings: Megelaitis, Palaces
Scorers: 13 ‘A. Klimavičius, 27’ Mėgelaitis, 61 ‘Fabbri