Under 20 World Cup: Italy-Brazil 3-2, Casadei brace, Prati goal

Dazzlingly beautiful for an hour, then good at gritting your teeth. Italy U20, the ramshackle national team that took the “no” from the clubs and physiologically had to give up its big names (Scalvini, Gnonto, Miretti), ate Brazil at its debut in the World Cup. And it is an unexpected blue tale that opens the adventure in Argentina: 3-2 to the champions of South America, rich in talent but become small for two thirds of the game in the shadow of our giants. One above all, of gigantic dimensions: Cesare Casadei, box to box ruler who digs the furrows in the offensive half of the field. Chelsea bought him from Inter last summer for over 15 million, after the Primavera Scudetto and without even playing a minute in Serie A. Then they transferred him on loan to Reading (in the Championship, the English B). for an evidently virtuous growth path. The blue number eight split the match, of which Brazil tried hard (and too late) to put the pieces back together.

furious

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Italy starts with a bad look and Guarino, Empoli’s Primavera defender, immediately dismisses potential trouble. Baldanzi and Pafundi make bubbles between the not exactly compact lines of the Brazilian 4-4-2. But it’s in midfield, where the diamond gives numerical superiority, that the balance is immediately broken. The opening action, complex in its linearity, was born after 11′ from the assault on the attacking midfielder’s area: left-back Turicchia (Juve Next Gen) crossed with his foot reversed, a splash from Casadei and a ferocious assault on Matteo’s far post Meadows. Directly from Spal’s unfortunate season, here is a little gem that shines with its own light even away from Serie B (2 goals in the season, only a year ago it was in D). Prati is from Ravenna, Casadei from Cervia, pride of Romagna in the most difficult days. At times we suffer from the speed of Giovani Henrique, Palmeiras’ right wing, but it doesn’t take much to overturn the front: Baldanzi is irresistible in management and sends Andrey Santos crazy, credited with being the new Casemiro (and paid 12.5 million in January from Chelsea, too) but devastated by Empoli. Corner kick, and Italy doubled their lead in the 28th minute: it was Casadei again who headed the adventurous exit of goalkeeper Mycael. Brazil is us also on the action of the trio: Baldanzi enters the area with the ball glued to his left foot, supports for Casadei who swerves hard in dribbling and gets knocked down by Arthur. The penalty goes to beat him himself, for a brace, after 35 minutes, screaming. The Malvinas Argentinas stadium in Mendoza accompanies the blue dribble with the olè, back to the locker room on 3-0. Surreal. Beautiful.

suffering

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Menezes, who also has the interim for the senior national team, orders two substitutions at the interval and gives the shock. Brazil is living a nightmare and trying to get out of it. In any case, Baldanzi builds the first chance for the second half, who steals the ball from Kaiki and engages Mycael (careful here) in a serious save. However, the wind of the match here begins to change direction. In the 70th minute Guarino goes out on a stretcher with a knee problem, Fontanarosa inside him instead of him. And Italy, physiologically lowering the center of gravity, brings the troubles home: Kevin’s cross from the left, the alarm goes off for Marcos Leonardo, number nine who has already scored 41 goals with Santos. The green-and-gold center forward scored twice within a few minutes, this time from a cross from the right. Two clean balls, two goals. Too late though, because only Italy was there for 60 minutes.