A comeback victory for Daniele Zoratto’s Azzurrini in their first outing of the season: the Under 16 National Team overcame England’s U16s 3-1 under the sun in Coverciano. 10:30 CEST on Thursday, again at the federal Training Centre, the second friendly between the two teams. 

“It’s a good result, winning is always a pleasure, it boosts morale” commented Head Coach, Zoratto, after the game but he also looked beyond the victory: “It’s true, the weather was very hot and it was the first game of the season but there’s still lots of work to be done, both in player selection but also in the way we want to play.”

The match. It should have been the heat that took centre stage in a match played under the beating sun in Coverciano and yet the two teams set out and gave it their all, sparing nothing. The deadlock was broken in the fourteenth minute when a sideways pass from Prisco was intercepted by Gomez Rodriguez. With the ball at his feet, he bore down on goal, running 50 metres down the pitch before slotting it coolly past Longoni to put the visitors ahead. Zoratto made use of the cooling break to give the boys some pointers and the Azzurrini equalised in the immediate corner following the break. Blini dropped a wicked ball into the box and Reggiani was the quickest to react in a crowded box, poking the ball home for 1-1 in the 26th minute. The Azzurrini completed the comeback seven minutes later when Inacio received the ball on the edge of the area. He shifted the ball from left to right and curled in a delicious effort to make it 2-1. And the first half ended two goals to one, the post stopping Zanaga’s delicate shot from making it 3-1. 

The Azzurrini maintained tactical discipline in the second half, although as time passed, fatigue began to set in, exacerbated by the heat meaning play was left more and more in the hands of the English. The visitors struggled to create real chances, excluding Walsh’s freekick attempt (75’) which sailed over the bar. And in injury time, Busiello confirmed the win, scoring to make it 3-1. 

Thursday morning (10:30 CEST kick-off, again at Coverciano), the teams will meet again for their second friendly.

 

Italy-England 3-1
ITALY: Longoni; Lissi, Natali, Reggiani, Marello; Bagordo (41' Ballabio), Prisco (24' Comotto), Lontani (79’ Carrara); Blini (49’ Campaniello); Zanaga (49’ Busiello), Inacio (68’ Grisoni Fasana). Unused subs: Huli, Nolli, Bovio, Peletti, Bolis
Coach: Zoratto
ENGLAND: Mayer; Okodwa (72’ Barret-Underwood), Richards (41' Nwozu), Simmonds, Ozcan (41' Tagoe); Julienne (65' Walsh), Jenner (65’ Bindley); Ballard-Matthews (41’ Howell), Gorman (65’ Newman), Ngumoha (54’ Bradshaw); Gomez Rodriguez (65’ Casey). Unused subs: Moses, Asemota, Emenald
Coach: Ryan
REFEREE: Zmau. Assistants: Della Bartola and Rocchi. 4th Official: Improda
GOALS: 14’ Gomez Rodriguez, 26’ Reggiani, 33’ Inacio, 80+3' Busiello
TO NOTE – Reggiani booking. Injury time: 2’, 5’

The squad 

Goalkeepers: Raffaele Huli (Juventus), Alessandro Longoni (Milan)
Defenders: Tommaso Bolis (Atalanta), Leonardo Bovio (Inter), Thomas Lissi (Inter), Mattia Marello (Udinese), Andrea Natali (Barcellona), Luca Nolli (Milan), Lamberto Peletti (Inter), Luca Reggiani (Sassuolo);
Midfielders: Nicolò Ballabio (Monza), Cristian Bagordo (Empoli), Cristian Comotto (Milan), Marco Grisoni Fasana (Inter), Simone Lontani (Milan), Vincenzo Prisco (Napoli);
Attackers: Oliver Blini (Empoli), Danilo Busiello (Empoli), Thomas Campaniello (Empoli), Cristian Carrara (Inter), Samuele Inacio (Atalanta), Edoardo Zanaga (Empoli)

Staff - National Youth Team Co-ordinator: Maurizio Viscidi; Coach: Daniele Zoratto; Assistant coach: Davide Cei; Physical trainer: Luca Coppari; Goalkeeping co-ordinator: Gaetano Petrelli; Goalkeeper coach: Fabrizio Capodici; Match analyst: Luca Dalmasso; Medics: Giuseppe Bastone, Giorgio Liberati Petrucci; Physiotherapists: Marco Fiore; Segretario: Fabio Ferappi