COPPA ACLI - FINAL: Ambrit 9-2 Forte Bravetta

 On a hot Sunday afternoon, Ambrit brought the curtain down on the 21/22 season in style, winning the Cup Final by a seven goal margin.

And yet, after 19' of the first half, the sides were still level. Pedro had come closest, winning the ball with a strong tackle on the edge of the area and shooting well but the keeper made a great save. Alberto glanced a header just wide but it was Ale who turned and shot from 20m to open the scoring. Ale made it 2-0 shortly afterwards off an Emilio assist (looking good for next year!) and then Ale passed to Alberto for a third goal.

Santiago scored immediately in the second half: 4-0. Bertie made it 5 after some neat passing from Emilio to Ale and then Bertie almost scored again, but his header rebounded off the post. Forte Bravetta nicked a goal themselves but Emilio got onto the scoresheet - another Ale assist - to make it 6-1 and Santiago struck a ball sweetly from 30m into the top corner to make it 7-1. Theo set up Giorgio for number 8, Bravetta made it 8-2 but Bertie had the last word.

CONGRATULATIONS to Alessandro Ambra, capocannoniere this year with 30 ACLI goals!!

COPPA ACLI (2007/2008): Ambrit 4-2 Santa Caterina

 Was this Ambrit's best performance of the year? Probably. Was this Ale's best match of the year? Definitely. Against a re-worked Santa Caterina of 2007 players + two 'fuori quota', Ambrit kept their shape, played the better football and, in Ale, had a ruthless and clinical finisher up front.

The game started badly: Santa Caterina broke through on the left and shot past Mattia to make it 1-0. But, to Ambrit's credit, they came right back at their opponents immediately. The first goal was a gem. Santiago won the ball in defence, pushed forcefully into midfield, waited for the defenders to commit themselves and then played a perfect pass to Ale, who made just enough space for himself to shoot the ball home.

Not long after Ale received another ball, this one much more difficult to control. But his first touch was good, his second was better and his third made it 2-1. And now Ambrit were reduced to 7 players, the referee rightly sanctioning Santiago's lack of shin pads and socks. Ambrit played the next 12 minutes with one player less but, undeterred, they made it 3-1... this time Ale latching onto the through ball and beating the goalkeeper with a perfectly-judged lob. 3-1, half time and now Santiago was back with his shin pads.

The second half was a war of attrition. A lot of fouls, a lot of shots, a few close escapes at either end, some great saves from Mattia and then a fouth Ambra goal (his 28th of the season). This time it was a long throw from the left that found Ale at the far post. His header came back off the post, then off the keeper and then in.

All this should mean that Ambrit's LAST GAME of the season will be the FINAL of the COPPA ACLI on Sunday morning (19 June).

COPPA ACLI (2007/2008): Ambrit 4-2 Vigna Pia

 Ambrit began slowly today but eased more and more into their stride as the game wore on, emerging victorious thanks to an astute second-half performance.

Vigna Pia deservedly took an early lead but luckily this served more to wake up the Ambrit players than to demoralise them. The eqialiser came when Vittorio found Pedro with a pinpoint pass from 40 meters away and Pedro conjured up a magical finish to leave the Vigna Pia goalkeeper clutching at thin air.

Ambrit began the second half well and Ale was finding more space on the right. After 3', he scored to make it 2-1. Bernardo (in the first half) and now Mattia had been making good saves all day but Mattia made an extraordinary save halfway through the second half when he threw a desperate right hand to deflect away a certain goal! But Vigna Pia did equalise two minutes later: 2-2 and another grandstand finish!

Ambrit came forward again, playing through the middle. As the ball bobbled back from another tackle, who was there to shoot? Carlo! Yes, with a well-aimed shot into the corner of the goal, he put Ambrit 3-2 ahead. Now Vigna Pia threw everything into attack and Ambrit defended well... but they found time and space to counter too. And on one of these forays, Alberto got free on the right and timed a perfect pass to Zach who only had to turn the ball into an empty net to seal another win.

Teachers 3-4 Grade 8

 A historic victory today at Ambrit Stadium as grade 8 overcame the Teachers with a Golden Goal victory in overtime. It was Bertie who opened the scoring after 5', with Dylan adding a second before the Teachers had fully recovered from the shock.

The students changed their team and Mr. Jack, who had already impressed the crowd with a series of clever flicks and astute passing, slotted the ball past Lucas to make it 2-1. This second g8 team continued to disappoint and, when Mr. Francesco found himself with space in the penalty area, he turned and fired home an equaliser. The teachers had their tails up now and they took advantage of the tide when Mr Max met a corner with his head and crashed home the rebound after Lucas had saved the header: 3-2.

The students now sent in their last team and piled on the pressure. Alberto found the perfect glancing touch with his head to guide home a long throw from Santiago: 3-3... and so into 'golden goal' territory. Mr Max had the first chance and shot just past the right-hand post; Giorgio had the second chance but turned the ball outside the left-hand post. Aurora made a good chance for herself and was unlucky to shoot over. And then, inevitably, Giorgio pounced on some defensive confusion, shot the ball home and disappered under a wave of celebrating students!

 

Period 1: Myla, Theo, Vittoria, Zach, Emma, Jonah, Dylan, Lorenzo, Bertie

Period 2: Lucas, Adam, Bernardo, Sofia, Santiago, Isabel, Pedro, Mattia, Ben

Period 3: Lucas, Athena, Santiago, Maya, Cameron, Camila, Alberto, Aali, Giorgio

GIRLS FINAL: Russia 3-1 Mexico

 Colpo di scena all'Ambrit Arena: il favoritissimo Mexico, capace di conquistare ben 13 punti nel girone, viene surclassato dalla Russia della sorpresa Irene, che con una tripletta chiude la sfida e si prende la Palma di Migliore in campo.

E pensare che il Messico era andato in vantaggio con Emma, in quella che sembrava una partita dal risultato scontato. Tuttavia, dopo il vantaggio, il Messico ha progressivamente perso terreno, mentre la Russia ha iniziato a carburare e a prendere fiducia, trovando in Irene il terminale offensivo ideale per la rimonta e il sorpasso.

Le più attese della vigilia, Sara e Carolina, non hanno brillato, mentre le "seconde linee" hanno preso in mano la gara e sono state determinanti.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS: Irene 6, Emma 3, Rose 2, Ella K 2, Ella L 2, Carolina 1, Clara 1, Maya 1.

Coppa ACLI (2007/2008): Miracoli 2-3 Ambrit

 This game was a bit of a roller-coaster, with Ambrit's fortunes swinging up, then down and then finally up again in hard-fought finale.

Ambrit had numerous chances in the first half: Zach chipped he goalkeeper but saw the ball deflected narrowly wide; Ale shoy just wide, hen Zach again. Alberto too came close and Giorgio played Zach in for another chance but the goalkeeper made a great save. This kind of profligacy deserved to be punished - and it would have been were it not for the heroics of Mattia, in goal today. He made four great saves in the first half, three with his feet! Alberto had another pop at goal, Giorgio too from a Zach assist. Santiago shot wide and then nearly scored from a corner, and then the goal finally came, Zach's long throw glanced in off the head off Santiago. Giorgio had time to pick up a yellow card before half time.

In the second half, Miracoli were rewarded for some good football and equalised very quickly. Now they were coming forward and had a spare man in attack every time. Ambrit needed to get another defender in there but... too late: Miracoli scored again. Now Ambrit had to dig deep and find the energy to draw level again. Vittorio's free kick was cleared off the line and Mattia made two more great saves to keep Miracoli out. Alberto shot just wide and Santiago flicked a ball just wide too. But now Ale was in attack and moving defenders around with some good runs into space. Santi picked him out on one of these runs and Ale finished beautifully with a delicate shot over the goalkeeper. Ambrit nearly re-took the lead whn Ale passed to Pedro and his clever flick went out off the post. But it was the Santiago-Ale combo that came up trumps again and Ale finished it with the coolness that we have come to expect.