The World Cup has begun. The first four matches of Group A and Group B were played yesterday: the hosts Brazil opened their campaign with a four-goal attacking haul against Canada (4-1) with their number ten Peglow scoring a brace (for all the other results click here). Today it’s the second round of fixtures with another four group-stage matches, the pick of which is Japan vs. Holland.

On the day before their first match the Azzurrini had their usual morning training session and they made their final preparations which involved technical drills and a short game. Alessandro Arlotti, a replacement for the injured Lorenzo Colombo, linked up with his teammates yesterday: the Monaco midfielder looked to be on top form and eager to make himself available to the Coach and to the team, of which he was a part when they came second in the European Championships in Ireland last May. Coach Carmine Nunziata has all of his squad available to him and only has a few doubts to contend with for tomorrow’s match. But his concerns are not solely of a technical nature: “This is our first group-stage match and it’s crucial that we get off to a good start because it makes the route out of the groups much easier. It’s the most important match and you can feel the psychological pressure. But we’ve got a solid group, they’re equipped to overcome this kind of challenge.”

This will be the Solomon Islands' first time participating in a World Cup at any level. They came second in the U17 Oceania Championship which qualified them for the World Cup and they did so without losing a match in 90 minutes. Their only loss came in the final against New Zealand after it ended 0-0 at full-time and they then lost on penalties resulting in them claiming second place. Only nine players from that team are here in Brazil. They normally play with a 4-2-4 which becomes a 4-4-2 in the defensive phase and their best players are their attackers. The midfielder Raphael Leai stands out from the rest; a guiding light in the team, the former futsal player scored ten goals in the qualifying rounds. The great strength of this team comes from its cohesion and the player’s enthusiasm at just being here.

And it’s just this that the Azzurrini captain, Atalanta midfielder Simone Panada, is wary of: “They’ll want to attract attention: it’s the first time in their history that they’ve qualified for a World Cup. But we’re ready and we want to go all the way.”

Simone started playing football in Uso Casaglia in the province of Brescia at his local football school; his inspiration was Busquets (his current idol is De Jong) and he was encouraged by his older brother, who is himself a good footballer but who has decided to go to university. When he was seven years old he was scouted by Atalanta during an Easter tournament and from there he began his journey up through the youth teams. He made his debut in the Youth League against Dynamo Zagreb this season. His career with the Azzurrini began with a Christmas tournament at Coverciano. Antonio Rocca made him a part of his Under-15 team and he made his debut in 2017 against Romania. Now he is the captain of the Under-17s. Panada gave his thoughts on the current team: “We’re a group with a lot of quality and a lot of potential and we’re expecting do well at this World Cup. The only worry ahead of tomorrow is the pressure, but if we play like we did at the European Championships we’ll be fine.” He doesn’t fear the technical qualities of tomorrow’s opponents while he considers the other two teams in the group (Paraguay and Mexico) to pose a greater threat in that area.

He is expecting an improvement in terms of quality both personally and for the group: “I always encourage them to play to the best of their abilities and to play together, we are the strength that can lead us to victory at this World Cup. We need to continue be a group and always maintain a sense of humility and an awareness of our quality: on the pitch we’re a team, off it we’re a family.”

Squad List
Goalkeepers: Manuel Gasparini (Udinese), Marco Molla (Bologna), Filippo Rinaldi (Parma);
Defenders: Christian Dalle Mura (Fiorentina), Francesco Lamanna (Cremonese), Lorenzo Moretti (Inter), Alessandro Pio Riccio (Juventus), Matteo Ruggeri (Atalanta), Lorenzo Pirola (Inter), Destiny Udogie Iyenoma (Hellas Verona), Tommaso Barbieri (Novara);
Midfielders: Riccardo Boscolo Chio (Inter), Andrea Capone (Milan), Michael Brentan (Sampdoria), Samuele Giovane (Atalanta), Gaetano Pio Oristanio (Inter), Simone Panada (Atalanta), Franco Tongya Heubang (Juventus), Alessandro Arlotti (Atalanta);
Forwards: Nicolò Cudrig (Monaco), Wilfried Degnand Gnonto (Inter).

Group F Fixture List

Monday 28 October

Solomon Islands vs. ITALY (21:00 CET, Estadio Bezerrao, Brasilia)

Paraguay vs. Mexico (00:00 CET, Estadio Bezerrao, Brasilia)

Thursday 31 October

Solomon Islands vs. Paraguay (21:00 CET, Estadio Bezerrao, Brasilia)

Mexico vs. ITALY (00:00 CET, Estadio Bezerrao, Brasilia)

Sunday 3 November

ITALY vs. Paraguay (00:00 CET, Estadio Bezerrao, Brasilia)

Mexico vs. Solomon Islands (00:00 CET, Estadio Kleber Andrade, Vitoria)