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TORRE DEL GRECO, ITALY - JANUARY 28: Angela Caloia and Sofia Colombo of Italy U19 Women celebrate the 2-0 goal scored by Angela Caloia during the U19 Women International friendly match on January 28, 2020 in Torre del Greco, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
If it’s true that a good beginning often leads to a good ending, then the U19 Women’s National Team can have high hopes for their upcoming European Elite Phase this 2020, the tournament taking place from 7 to 13 April in Portugal as the Azzurrine face the host nation, Bosnia Herzegovina and the reigning European Champions: France.
In a Stadio Liguori warmed by the Torre del Greco sun and full of local fans, Italy won their first of two friendlies with Sweden, a convincing 4-1 end result thanks to two braces from Asia Bragonzi and Angela Caloia. The win was well-deserved by Enrico Sbardella’s side, who were 2-0 up after as little as 30 minutes thanks to two great headers from the Juve and Harvard strikers respectively. The first half ended with a defensive lapse in concentration as Lindell gratefully closed the gap, but Caloia’s brilliant longshot restored Italy’s two-goal lead in the 57th minute and Bragonzi netted again with six minutes to play to seal the scoreline at 4-1.
Sbardella spoke after the match: "The girls had a great game, they fought for it right from the off, grabbing a real hold of play. I’m very satisfied, not just with the result but also with how we played. I want to thank the fans for their great support, Torre del Greco gave us a wonderful welcome just like the Turris Club. It truly was a great day for football."
Italy now return to action on Thursday at 14:00 CET, as they face Sweden for a second friendly in Torre Annunziata. The Azzurrine Coach spoke briefly about their next game: "I’ll try something different with the hope of seeing the same attitude we saw today. I want a team that is proactive, aware of its means and that approaches games with confidence and optimism."