European 5-a-side football: Italy, another draw with Slovenia

Two seconds from the end of the match with Slovenia, Italy’s European Championship virtually risked finishing. With the goalkeeper on the pitch and the blue goal empty, the Slovenian goalkeeper Berzelak kicked, finding the post and keeping the Azzurri alive. However, the national team remains hanging by a thread: after the draw caught in the final against Finland, the one with Slovenia (2-2) has arrived, which already puts Italy with its back to the wall. The last game on Friday against Kazakhstan (17.30) will be decisive, but for the team seen in these first two matches it seems a very tough mission. To complicate the life of the national team, Stefano Mammarella’s positivity at Covid, even if his replacement in goal Lorenzo Pietrangelo was perhaps the best in the field: a signal.

WITHOUT BREAST

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Italy’s day had started with the positivity of captain Mammarella, replaced in the list and between the posts by Pietrangelo, who was already aggregated in the Netherlands and who was immediately put on the field with the 18-year-old Berthod (who was already in the 14 ) on the bench. Motta also out due to injury, replaced by De Oliveira. Italy, however, started very well, taking the lead after only 39 seconds with Nicolodi, who already scored against Finland. Azzurri one step away from doubling: the Slovenian goalkeeper Berzelak was lucky to deflect Merlim’s free-kick on the post. The new captain of Italy and star of Sporting, however, at 9’38 ” was the protagonist of the episode that gave Slovenia the equalizer. On Turk’s lineout, Merlim’s detour fooled Pietrangelo. The goalkeeper of Came Dosson in the final of the first half and with Slovenia with five fouls was good on Ceh and Hozjan, player of Naples.

DRAW MERLIM

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As in the second half of the first half, even at the beginning of the second half Italy seemed frightened: Cujec pardoned her by kicking out from a few meters, on the other side a lightning bolt from Musumeci with a deviation of Berzelak’s foot. But Slovenia (already executioner of Italy in 2018 and the only one to beat them in the European Championship won in 2014) continued to be scary: Totoskovic’s pole (he also plays in Italy, in Sampdoria) also thanks to a deviation. But in the end Slovenia found the goal: Hozjan won the rebound with Merlim and had the coldness to move the ball and kick it behind Pietrangelo. When Italy was close to collapse, Merlim on a free kick found the only space available between the goalkeeper and the barrier and let the 2-2 ball pass there. At 6’40 “, Italy found themselves with five fouls against: Pietrangelo was still decisive on Hozjan, then Bellarte – to keep possession, but not only – tried the move of the moving goalkeeper (Musumeci) , but the result did not come off thanks to yet another intervention by Pietrangelo on Cujec’s header and Berzelak’s incredible post from his own goal. The numbers of the match are in any case the photograph of the match and of the moment of Italy, which shot less than half of the Slovenians in the mirror (7 against 16) and a total of 13 fewer times (34 to 47). That’s why we need a feat against Kazakhstan, but luck was on our side.