In Estonia the Italian goalkeeper studies his sheet of paper and stops his opponents from the spot three times, once in the 90′, which ended 1-1. Coach Daniele Franceschini is happy
There is a superhero between the posts, who takes Italy by weight and pushes them to the final of the U17 European Championship. His name is Christian Lupo, he was born in Bari and makes the youth sector of Lecce proud, where foreigners (a well-known trend) are adding roots planted in the Apulian territory. A penalty saved in the 90′, plus two more – after having studied a piece of paper with notes on the shooters – in the series from the spot that decided the semi-final against the very strong Spain. An opponent we looked in the eye, even in moments of trouble. Because among young people it goes like this: Italy is a consolidated power and gets to play in the second final in three years, hoping to repeat the glories of 2024 when Camarda’s brace against Portugal made Massimiliano Favo’s team rise to the top of Europe. Daniele Franceschini’s boys will also try, Sunday at 7pm against Belgium. Precisely in the days in which the age gap from the (experimental) national team of the greats is at an all-time low: Samuele Inacio, given his debut by Baldini in Luxembourg, played in the U17 European Championship exactly one year ago. An unimaginable space-time accelerator. It ends 5-3 after a 1-1 draw in the first 90 minutes of the game.
the match
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From a complicated first half, Italy came out ahead but aware of having to suffer until the end. The key to the first 45′ are always the penalties, one for each side, awarded by the Welsh referee Owen. In the 28th minute Spain made a mistake from 11 meters with Inga, brought down by Bonifazi but then hypnotized by Lupo’s gloves. In the 39th minute, however, it was the Azzurrini who showed up on the spot (handball by captain Diaz), with Croci very coldly attacking Ponce. Ice in the veins for the Fiorentina striker, who plays under age at 15 and is the eighth different scorer in four matches of this expedition. Widespread happiness. Aside from the 11-metre saga, Italy had come close to taking the lead at 0-0 with a bicycle kick from Corigliano, only to then take big risks in a couple of situations, attacked from the side by the sprinters Inga and Badji (in the center of the area, Varali from Parma sweeps away everything he can). After the break, Spain tried to react with substitutions, especially with the entry of the expected center forward Enzo Alves, son of Marcelo (present in the stands) and champion of the latest Youth League with Real Madrid. It was the number 9 who made Italy tremble in the 72nd minute, hitting the post with his head from a corner. These are the dress rehearsals of the deserved draw (77′): on another action that envelops the 16 meters of the blue, Lupo also saves the flies and Varali tries to sacrifice himself on the line, but there is nothing to be done on the winning rebound from the just-entered Urrestarazu. Immediately afterwards we risk being overtaken by the brilliant heel of Tunkara (Barcelona star) who sends Mencia towards goal, but the right-footed shot is too narrow. Sigh of relief. Every Spanish attack smells of danger and playing it directly on penalties – there are no extras – becomes the best possible outcome at that point. Especially knowing that we can count on a giant, who shrinks the goal in the eyes of our opponents and makes us feel strong. A year ago, in the semi-final in Tirana against Portugal, there were 11 meters of unhappiness. This time we smile, we needed it.
franceschini
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“I’m happy – underlines the Italian coach – not only because we have reached a very important goal like the final of a European Championship, but also for the path that led us to gain the chance to play it. The boys, from round 1 to round 2 and also in this final phase, have grown game after game, acquiring more and more awareness of their abilities to the point of deserving all this. I’m really proud of them”.
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