The Azzurre dominate in Sittard without finding the knockout punch. Soncin: “This is the Italy we want"
Wasted chances, bad luck, and a denied penalty: another draw for the Azzurre against the league leadersFriday, July 12, 2024
The Azzurre crowding around referee Olofsson is the snapshot that concludes a match dominated by Italy but lacking a breakthrough. The 0-0 draw in Sittard is valuable given the 1-1 draw between Finland and Norway. This result stems from a lack of composure in front of goal and a mistake by the Swedish referee, who failed to see a clear handball by Spitze in the area 15 minutes before the end, allowing the Netherlands to secure a hard-fought draw.
At the Fortuna Stadion, aptly named given the events, Andrea Soncin's team, accompanied by FIGC General Secretary Marco Brunelli, dominated the first half but squandered numerous chances. In the second half, Miedema struck the crossbar and inspired her teammates, but after a few tense minutes, Linari and her squad resumed their attack, only to be thwarted by the orange wall and another refereeing error, which was further highlighted by Bonfantini's subsequent expulsion.
The EURO 2025 qualifying group will wrap up on Tuesday. Andrea Soncin's team, currently in third place due to a worse goal difference than Norway, will host Finland at the Druso Stadium in Bolzano, with the visitors sitting at the bottom with 5 points. A victory for the Azzurre, regardless of the outcome of the other match, would secure direct qualification without the need for playoffs (which would also apply in the case of a draw and a Netherlands win). This would conclude a campaign in which the team has shown great personality, skill, cohesion, and a strong commitment to the shirt.
“The girls played outstandingly," stated Andrea Soncin. "Especially in the first half, we created many clear chances to take the lead. Our play put the opponents under significant pressure. It's a shame because this is yet another match where we could have earned three points, but this is the Italy we want. An Italy that fights and takes pride in wearing the blue shirt".
THE MATCH. In the starting lineup, there were three changes compared to the match against Norway the previous month. Boattin returned in front of Giuliani, taking Bartoli's place on the left and moving Di Guglielmo to the opposite flank. The central defensive partnership featured captain Linari and Lenzini, both of whom had started every group match. In midfield, Greggi was chosen for a more cautious approach instead of Dragoni; playmaking duties were handled by Caruso, with Giugliano on her right, using her skills to excel in the build-up. Up front, Giacinti remained the central striker, supported by Bonansea and Cantore, who was preferred over Bonfantini, the scorer of the decisive 2-0 in the reverse fixture.
The match began in a lively fashion. On 6', Miedema quickly demonstrated her talent with a through ball to Beerensteyn, surprising the Azzurre defence but not Lenzini, who made a fantastic sliding tackle to deny her former teammate’s close-range shot. Just before 20', Italy crafted a promising attack with a series of passes, culminating in Giugliano's delivery to Caruso, who entered the area but had her cross-shot deflected for a corner. On 26', Giacinti capitalised on a poor back pass from Groenen, finding herself one-on-one with Kop but failing to hit the target.
The Azzurre continued to push higher up the pitch, and fifteen minutes later, they nearly took the lead from a corner. Boattin delivered a precise left-footed cross to Bonansea near the small box. The striker leapt to head the ball, leaving the Leicester goalkeeper rooted to the spot. However, Miedema was well-positioned on the line and made a diving save to deny the Juventus player’s effort. This marked the end of a first-half dominated, at least in terms of chances, by Soncin's team.
The second half opened with a header from the ever-involved Miedema, which narrowly sailed over the bar. A few minutes later, the former Ballon d'Or winner tested Giuliani with a low diagonal shot, but the goalkeeper did well to deny the Manchester City newcomer. On 62', Dragoni and Cambiaghi came on for Greggi and Cantore, a tactical move by the coach to regain control of the match, which had dangerously shifted in favour of the players in orange. Miedema continued to showcase her talent, and on 65', she curled a shot that hit the outside of the crossbar from just outside the box. Just a minute later, Spitze unleashed a powerful strike from the same distance, which, despite a slight deflection, forced the Italian goalkeeper into a spectacular save.
The Netherlands' relentless pressure prompted Soncin to substitute Salvai for Giacinti. With three central defenders, the Azzurre regained their composure. On 75', they passionately appealed for a clear penalty for a handball by Spitze. However, the referee signalled to continue play, to the relief the 9,000 spectators present at the stadium. In the final minutes, Bonfantini received a second yellow card, leading to her expulsion and forcing the Azzurre into a tense finish. Despite this, they displayed great resilience and managed to avoid a last-minute setback.
Mediagallery
Nazionale A femminile
L'Italia sbatte sul muro Oranje: a Sittard finisce 0-0, ottima la prestazione delle Azzurre
NETHERLANDS 0-0 ITALY
NETHERLANDS (4-4-2): Kop; Casparij (46’ Wilms), Spitze, Janssen, Brugts; Van de Donk, Groenen, Kaptein, Grant; Miedema, Beerensteyn (’86’ Snoeijs). Unused Subs: de Jong, Weimar, Van der Zanden, Buurman, Van Dongen, Nijstad, Ripa, Leuchter, Jansen R., Egurrola. Coach: Andries Jonker
ITALY (4-3-3): Giuliani; Di Guglielmo, Lenzini, Linari, Boattin; Giugliano (’84’ Severini), Caruso, Greggi (62’ Dragoni); Bonansea (71’ Bonfantini), Giacinti (71’ Salvai), Cantore (62’ Cambiaghi). Unused Subs: Baldi, Schroffenegger, Bartoli, Bergamaschi, Beccari, Glionna, Piemonte. Coach: Andrea Soncin
Referee: Tess Olofsson (SWE). Assistants: Almira Spahić (SWE) and Niklas Nyberg (SWE). Fourth official: Eva Svärdsudd (SWE)
Note: Booking: Giugliano (I), Red card for two bookings: Bonfantini (I). Attendance 9000
Calendar, results and table of Group 1 (League A)
Matchday 1: ITALY 2-0 Netherlands, Norway 4-0 Finland
Matchday 2: Finland 2-1 ITALY, Netherlands 1-0 Norway
Matchday 3: Norway 0-0 ITALY, Netherlands 1-0 Finland
Matchday 4: Finland 1-1 Netherlands, ITALY 1-1 Norway
Matchday 5: Finland 1-1 Norway, Netherlands 0-0 ITALY
Matchday 6 (16 July): ITALY vs. Finland (19:00 CEST, Bozen), Norway vs. Netherlands (19:00 CEST, Bergen)
Table: Netherlands 8 points, Norway and ITALY 6, Finland 5
