BOYS' FINAL: Austria 0-1 Denmark

 A single goal was enough to decide an excellent final today and captain Diego will carry the trophy proudly back to Copenhagen! In fact, it was Diego who scored the only goal of the game - a viciously-struck cross-shot that beat Aron and finished in the net. Austria threw everything into attack. Antonio had a chance but kicked wide to the right; Sam had a chance but Adrian made an acrobatic save. At the other end, Antoine had a chance to wrap up the points but Aron reacted well. Rocco attacked down the right, through the middle and, mostly, down the left. James supported well on the right. But Giovanni blocked everything. To finish, a huge thank you to Austria for their very sporting gesture, allowing the match to be played earlier to accommodate Giovanni. 

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Antonio Jnr 3, Carlo 3, Diego I 3, Giovanni 3, Rocco 2, James 2, Adrian 2, Lorenzo G 2, Aron 1

GIRLS FINAL: Switzerland 0-0 Sweden

 La notizia principale è che la Svizzera 🇨🇭 non ha vinto, ed è la prima volta quest'anno! Quindi brava la Svezia 🇸🇪  a contenere le favorite e a non concedere più di tante occasioni.

La finale verrà quindi decisa ai calci di rigore e qui c'è tutto un altro mondo: la bravura e l'intuito dei portieri, Maria e Freydis, la tensione, la mira, le scelte di chi batterà il rigore... insomma lo spettacolo non mancherà.

Il match è stato molto combattuto, da una parte e dall'altra, con la Svizzera a gestire il gioco, come prevedibile, e la Svezia pronta per le ripartenze. Molto impegnato il centrocampo, con Sophie in grandissima crescita e Livia sempre super reattiva, in mezzo alle "veterane" Naila ed Erin, con Erica braccata dalla difesa svedese. Difficile scegliere un "migliore in campo".

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS: Sophie 4, Livia 3, Naila 3, Erin 2, Sofia 2, Costanza 2, Freydis 2, Sara P 1, Alessandra 1, Jiayi 1, Suleyma 1, Sara W 1.

Sweden 1-0 Croatia

 Nell'ultimo match valido per il secondo Intramural 2024 la Svezia conquista i tre punti necessari a scavalcare Malta e a conquistare l'accesso alla finale femminile! Ottima prova di squadra delle nordiche che, nonostante la pesante assenza di Livia, riescono a passare con un gol di Costanza e a difende il risultato dal ritorno delle croate.

Ottimo l'agonismo visto in campo, anche da parte di chi era già virtualmente fuori dal torneo, ma che ha dato tutto per concludere dignitosamente la stagione. Molte ragazze hanno sfoderato una prestazione notevole, difficile premiarle tutte.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS: Naila 4, Viola 3, Costanza 3, Margherita 2, Freydis 2, Clotilde 2, Sara P 2, Lavinia 2, Zoe 2, Sofia 2, Anna C 2, Caterina 2, Megan 1, Una 1.

Switzerland 1-0 Malta

 La Svizzera batte un'ottima Malta e completa il girone con un record di 6 vittorie su 6! Incredibile!

Eppure la formazione maltese avrebbe meritato oggi almeno il pareggio, per un atteggiamento e una volontà ferrea di non mollare e non cedere di un millimetro. La Svizzera, infatti, ha dovuto faticare non poco per segnare e mantenere il vantaggio sino alla fine della partita.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS: Sophie 3, Chloe 2, Carla 1, Sara W 1, Erica 1.

Austria 4-1 Turkey

 Turkey crashed out of the IM championship today at the hands of Austria and their hat-trick hero, Lucas! James had another good game today and he turned and shot well early on to be first to test Christian in the Turkish goal. No luck there but Lucas did open the scoring off a lovely through pass from Rocco. Turkey got back into the game quickly though, Claudio nodding home a Jacopo throw. Rocco almost scored soon after but his hot, after a mazy dribble through three defenders, was wide.

In the second period, Rocco did score quickly to put the Turks on the back foot again. Then Lucas scored with another well-placed shot and looked to be in full control. Lucas completed his hat-trick off yet another Rocco assist.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Lucas P 3, Simon 3, Jacopo 3, Aron 2, Antonio C 2, James 2, Rocco 2, Adriano 1, Sam 1, Rex 1, Tancredi 1, Giulio R 1

ACLI SF (ritorno): Ambrit 6-3 Velletri (14-3 on aggregate)

 Tired from their morning heroics at La Storta, Ambrit found enough energy and a few fresh legs to seal their place in next week's ACLI final against Nomen. Goals from Dylan, Vittorio, Martino, Antonio, Kevin.

Kick-off: Sunday 9 June, 09.00

Circolo Stella Azzurra, Via dei Cocchieri 11

RISA friendly (11-a-side): St George's 1-2 Ambrit

 This was a very, very good performance by Ambrit. Playing away on an unfamiliar pitch against opponents who had a physical advantage in almost every position, Ambrit went behind, pulled level and then scored again to seal a well-earned win. Inspired by Giovanni Z in midfield - always available to receive the ball - Ambrit got to half-time with the score at 0-0, and both sides had had their chances. In defence and midfield, Ambrit were solid, always closing down their opponents and denying them time and space to play. Behind the defence, Gabriele was calm and in control.

St George's took the lead early in the second half. A long diagonal pass from the goalkeeper cleared the half-way line and put the SGBIS captain through on the left. Kevin did well to drive him wide initially but then he cut inside and unleashed an unstoppable shot past Gabriele into the top corner. Ambrit now redoubled their efforts and when Rocco - always determined and inventive (but maybe should pass the ball more often) - went on another of his testing, mazy runs though the defence, he was tripped in the area and Giovanni banged home the resulting penalty to make it 1-1. Shaken, St George's lost their shape in defence and Ambrit took advantage. With Antonio Junior always calm in possession and Lorenzo supplying clever flicks and movement, they started to create more chances. Daniele broke through on the right, crossed to the far post and Antonio Junior arrived late to strike the ball against the post and just wide! Daniele himself had a chance to score just a minute later when the ball fell to him on the edge of the area but his shot was straight at the 'keeper. Ambrit kept attacking though and, in a photocopy of the earlier move, Daniele crossed again to the far post and this time it was Giovanni 'Tino' Vitiello who arrived late to meet the ball and slide it home! Ex-Ambrit player Ben had a chance to level the scores near the end but he too hit the post when he probably should have scored and the referee blew the final whistle shortly afterwards.

TEAM: Gabriele; Francesco (capt), Vittorio, Matteo, Giovanni V; Kevin, Giovanni Z, Antonio F, Antonio Junior, Lorenzo; Rocco, Daniele. 

Denmark 2-1 Belgium

 The game got off to a fast start, Giovanni Z scoring with the second touch of the game when his well-struck ball took Leopoldo by surprise. Belgium equalised soon though, when Antonio F  - under severe pressure from the defence - kept his concentration to finish a Daniele assist. Denmark re-captured the lead in controversial circumstances. Referee Corcoran awarded a corner to the Danes and, with Belgium protesting that it should have been a kick-out, Lorenzo G got a near-post flick to put his team 2-1 ahead. Belgium had a golden chance to equalise in the second half when Antonio was chopped down in the box by Carlo. But Giovanni Z pulled off a good save from Daniele's penalty and Belgium's best chance was gone.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Giovanni Z 5, Lorenzo G 4, Antonio F 4, Daniele 2, Luca 2, Sam 1, Carlo 1, Diego 1, Martino 1

BOYS SEMI FINALS

Four teams qualify for the semi-finals and line up as follows:

FRI MAY 31: Turkey versus Austria

WED JUN 05: Belgium versus Denmark

and the FINAL will be played on FRIDAY June 7th!

Germany 2 - 4 Austria

 Austria won this germanic derby with a fine display of crisp attacking football against a weakened team from Germany. After Antonio's well-worked opening goal early in the first half, Rocco banged in two more. The second of these came at the end of a lovely passing move involving James in midfield and Adriano on the left. Kevin had one good shot before half time but Aron saved well.

Germany re-grouped in the second half and Federico forced Aron into another save. The Germans played well but, in the Austrian defence, Simon was even better. He stopped attack after attack and played calm passes out of defence to his midfielders in wide positions. But Maverick did find a way through and he scored to give Germany some hope. Then Ashton forced his way past two defenders and blasted another one in to make it 3-2! But hopes were quickly quashed when Austria attacked at the other end and, following a goal-mouth scramble - went 4-2 up thanks to an unlucky own-goal.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Simon 4, Rocco 3, Antonio C 2, Martti 2, Federico 2, Lucas P 2, Aron 1, Adriano 1, Kames 1, Ashton 1, Maverick 1, Kevin 1

Belgium 1-1 Turkey

 A lively game today saw the points shared between two teams who have already qualified for the SFs. Antonio had a couple of early chances in the first half but a combination of bad aim and good goalkeeping from Christian kept the score at 0-0. Luca tested Christian too but it was Belgium who took the lead when Claudio scored a trademark goal - a blistering shot from the heft that found the opposite corner of the goal: absolutely no chance for Leopoldo in goal. Turkey launched back into attack and Luca scored a fantastic equaliser when he ran onto a ball on the half-way line and fired home a shot low and hard to give a retreating Claudio no chance. Turkey almost stole the three points; Antonio spurned a good chance in the penalty area and Sam hit the bar with a great shot from the right.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Luca 4, Claudio 3, Sam 2, Matteo 2, Antonio 2, Tancredi 2, Giulio R 2, Jacopo 2, Leopoldo 1, Christian 1 

Belgium 3-1 France

 The final score flatters Belgium beyond any measure of their less-than-total domination. After a quiet first half, Sam fired the Belgians into the lead when he was first to a ball palmed down by Matteo N off Antonio F's corner. France began the third period 0-1 down but Vittorio almost equalised immediately with a fiercely-struck shot from 30m out that only narrowly missed. Antonio F then tested Mostafa at the other end before Daniele made it 2-0. France kept playing though: Gabriele and Freddie were industrious and creative and the latter set up Diego A for a shot that went only slightly over the bar. Giovanni and Gabriele then combined well down the left and Gabriele poked the ball home to light a fuse of hope for the French. But it was not to be. With one minute left on the clock, Vittorio cleaned out Antonio F in the penalty area and the Turkish ace converted the penalty.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Sam 4, Francesco 3, Freddie 3, Gabriele T 3, Antonio F 2, Daniele 2, Vittorio 2, Mostafa 1, Junio 1

Switzerland 2-1 Sweden

 Continua la marcia inarrestabile della Svizzera, che travolge anche un'ottima Svezia e si assicura il posto in finale, grazie alla sfortunata autorete di Zoe e all'eurogol di Erica. Inutile, ma pregevole, il gol finale di Sara P, oggi migliore in campo.

Veniamo al match: la partita viene gestita dalle Svizzere, che tengono palla e si muovono bene, ma senza diventare pericolose a causa di una Svezia molto attenta, che non molla su nessun pallone: Zoe, Caterina e Costanza, ben coordinate da Freydis in porta, non concedono grandi occasioni; Livia si mette in controllo di Erin e la partita sembra viaggiare verso il pareggio. Sul fronte opposto Sara P prova a sfondare con grinta, tentando spesso una delle sue serpentine, ma arrivare da sola nell'area avversaria è un'impresa, specie se Sara W si mette come ultima a spazzare tutto.

L'episodio che sblocca la gara è un calcio d'angolo di Erin, che Zoe colpisce con coraggio - come sempre - ma che finisce in porta. La delusione è palpabile e poco dopo arriva il raddoppio: su azioni insistita delle svizzere, Erica trova un gol bellissimo, con un destro che bacia la traversa ed entra in porta. Freydis è costretta agli straordinari su un paio di conclusioni di Erin e, sul fischio finale, finalmente arriva il gol meritatissimo della Svezia, proprio con Sara, che trafigge in contropiede il portiere.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS: Sara P 4, Sara W 3, Costanza 2, Erin 2, Erica 2, Zoe 3, Freydis 2, Sophie 1, Caterina 1, Livia 2, Sofia S 1, Suleyma 1, Amba 1, Sole 1, Jiayi 1.

France 5-2 Italy

 La Francia gestisce bene l'insidia italiana e guadagna meritatamente i tre punti, con un match giocato con attenzione e senza grandi rischi. Una doppietta di Vittorio nel primo tempo mette al sicuro il risultato, ma un rigore - poi trasformato da Aurora - riapre la partita. Solo per pochi attimi, in realtà, perché arriva la girata di Diego a spegnere gli entusiasmi delle ragazze e di seguito il 4-1 firmato da Lorenzo.

Gli ultimi minuti sono avvincenti, con l'Italia che accorcia le distanze con un bel gol di Erica, propiziato da un'incertezza difensiva e il gol finale di Lorenzo, anche lui molto ispirato oggi.

Da segnalare la prestazione eccellente di Freydis in porta, che ha parato tutto il parabile e...anche qualcosa in più!

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS: Freydis 5, Lorenzo 4, Vittorio 2, Erin 2,  Francesco 2, Livia 2, Megan 1, Erica 1, Diego 1, Aurora R 1.

Denmark 3-3 Austria

 A thrilling comeback by Austria saw the game end in a 3-3 draw - a fair result in a match that neither team deserved to lose.

James played very well today and he opened the scoring with a well-taken goal to put the Austrians ahead. Denmark soon equalised though: Giovanni's free kick was saved by Aron but the ball fell to Antoine and this natural goal-poacher converted!

Boosted by this, Denmark continued to push forward; this time, Giovanni's pass found Antoine and his shot was saved by Aron but Max collected the rebound to score.

In the second half, Lorenzo shot wide early on and Aron made two more good saves. Adriano climbed well at a corner and looked to have scored but the Giovanni made a fingertip save and then Lorenzo scored on the break at the other end to put the Danes 3-1 up.

But Austria did not give up. James passed to Antonio C and his shot was unstoppable: 3-2! And then, with only seconds left, Lucas pounced on a loose ball to score the equaliser!

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Antoine 3, Aron 3, James 3, Sam 3, Giovanni Z 3, Max 2, Antonio C 2, Adriano 2

Malta 0-0 Croatia

 With both teams missing lots of players, the captains agreed to split the points.

ACLI League: AMBRIT finish in FIRST place!!!

 With two victories in their last two games, Ambrit swept aside all rivals and finished the league phase in 1st place! A 1-0 win away to OMC was followed up with a 6-3 win at Velletri. The team now waits to see how the Play-offs will be arranged and these should take place after the International Break, which sees most of the team travel to compete at this years Mediterranean Cup in Verona!

Germany 1-2 Italy

 With a player sent off, Italy came from behind to record a historic win today in from of a partisan crowd at Ambrit Stadium. Germany took the lead when Federico clipped a smart shot in from the left. Freydis, who had another good game today, got her left glove to the ball but couldn't keep it out. Naila picked up her first yellow card for a cynical foul on Ashton and her second for another foul on the same player. Referee Corcoran was merciless and brandished a red card immediately. But Italy rallied and rallied well! Margherita latched onto a long ball and shot past Martti into the corner: 1-1. Then Italy broke out of defence again: Livia controlled the ball and played an accurate and decisive pass to Margherita; Margherita's first touch was good and set her up for another shot past Martti - this one even better and right into the corner!

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Federico 5, Freydis 5, Margherita 3, Aurora 2, Costanza 2, Lavinia 2, Ashton 1, Livia 1

Switezerland 3-1 Croatia

Partita molto vibrante quest'oggi sul campo dell'Ambrit, dove la corazzata Svizzera, nonostante l'assenza di Erica, continua la marcia a punteggio pieno.

In realtà ad andare in vantaggio era stata la Croazia 🇭🇷 con una bordata da fuori di Lavinia, abile a controllare e a imprimere potenza al tiro. Ma poi la Svizzera 🇨🇭 ha iniziato a giocare con una bella trama di passaggi, tra Alessandra, Erin, Sophie e Suleyma, riuscendo a ribaltare il risultato con due reti della stessa Erin e la gemma finale di Suleyma, che con il tacco ha deviato in rete un tiro ancora di Erin.

Positive le prove di Sara W, in difesa, sempre molto attenta, Clotilde - in porta e fuori - Megan, Anna e Margherita. Il calcio femminile sta crescendo e di questo ci rallegriamo. Bellissimo anche il duello fisico tra Lavinia ed Erin...

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS: Erin 4, Suleyma 3, Sophie 2, Lavinia 2, Alessandra 2, Sara W 2, Margherita 1,  Clotilde 1, Megan 1, Anna 1.

Turkey 4-4 Denmark

 A cracking game to re-start the IM championship after the recent international break! Max fired the Danes into an early first-half lead when he finished off an Antoine assist and Jacopo almost equalised immediately but his shot went past the left-hand post. Claudio then put the Turks ahead with a quick double-tap from his left foot to make it 1-1 and then 2-1... both of them classic Claudio goals - a quick drag back to make space for the shot and then a deadly accurate finish. Giovanni equalised immediately with a shot from the half-way line and then he put n an excellent block to stop Claudio from scoring again for Turkey. Diego was next to try his luck but Christian saved well and then Lorenzo missed with a header from 2 meters out: exciting stuff! Just before half time, each team had another good chance: Diego almost scored in the middle of a huge goalmouth scramble and then, at the other end, Steve saw his shot go wide.

Denmark took the lead in the second-half when another long shot from Giovanni - this one an exaggerated lob - took Christian by surprise. But Claudio soon equalised again when he received the ball after a good move involving Jacopo and Max: 3-3! Antoine pounced to put Denmark ahead with just a couple of minutes left on the clock but Turkey equalised yet again right at he death: Steve was chopped down in the box and he picked himself up to convert the penalty!

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Claudio 6, Giovanni Z 4, Jacopo 3, Max 2, Steve 1, Tancredi 1, Matteo 1, Diego 1, Antoine 1, Lorenzo 1,  

Ambrit - Chateaubriand 3-0

 In una bella mattinata di sole le ragazze Ambrit, guidate dal coach Mr. Antonio, hanno affrontato in amichevole le pari età della scuola francese di Roma Chateaubriand. 

L'Ambrit ha dominato la partita in lungo e in largo, nel primo tempo con la "formazione tipo", nel secondo tempo con le giovani leve della prima media: in entrambi i casi le giocatrici di casa hanno concesso pochissimo alle avversarie (ottime le prove difensive di Costanza, Gracie e Caterina), mentre in centrocampo e in attacco hanno creato moltissimo (ottimo lavoro di Lavinia, Erin ed Erica), raccogliendo addirittura troppo poco. 

Il primo tempo ha visto le reti di Erica, brava a tirare in porta durante una mischia e di Erin, lanciata in contropiede da Costanza. Molte altre occasioni sono state sventate dal bravo portiere avversario, mentre altre ghiotte occasioni non sono state sfruttate (del resto le ragazze stanno cercando l'intesa giusta). Si sono viste molte cose positive: l'ottimo pressing a centrocampo, la grande attenzione in difesa, la corsa e l'impegno. Qualcosa si può senz'altro migliorare: l'intesa dei passaggi, il gioco con palla a terra...

Nel secondo tempo le ragazze più giovani sono entrate in campo, con grande spirito di sacrificio, ma la situazione non è cambiata molto: Aurora, che già si era distinta nel primo tempo per intensità e tecnica, si è piazzata al centro della difesa senza dare scampo alle avversarie, mentre Megan ha siglato la terza rete con un sinistro secco da fuori area sul palo opposto. Nel finale di nuovo Megan ha colpito l'incrocio dei pali con un sinistro fantastico...

In conclusione vogliamo sottolineare la grande disponibilità di Sara che, assenti tutti i portieri titolari, si è prestata a stare in porta per gran parte del match, con ottima prontezza. 

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Aurora. Chiamata a fare gli straordinari, ha risposto presente con una prestazione a tutto campo, tra attacco, difesa e ripartenze. Un pochino sfortunata nelle conclusioni, ma fondamentale per l'equilibrio della squadra, il pressing, le punizioni e le conclusioni.

Austria 1-1 France

 Un match molto fisico, con un'evidente difficoltà di alcuni giocatori in campo a contenere le emozioni e l'impulsività, che finisce in pareggio, grazie alle reti di Vittorio, molto ispirato oggi nelle due fasi, e Adriano, abile a insaccare una corta respinta del portiere su tiro di Rocco.

Poco altro da aggiungere, se non che Vittorio era andato già vicino al gol con i suoi tiri dalla distanza.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS: Vittorio C 4, Rocco 3, Giovanni V 2, Adriano 2, Simon 1, Antonio Jr 1, Lorenzo I 1.

Friendly: Ambrit 4-3 St George's

 In the first 10 minutes Ambrit did not play well and the visitors scored the first goal. On a corner from Francesco, Giovanni Z scored an amazing goal to make the score 1-1 but, right at the end of the first half, St George's scored again to lead at half-time. 

At the beginning of the second half one of their defenders handled in the area and Antonio buried the penalty. Next, a long pass from Giovanni V turned into an assist for Antonio, who nutmegged first a defender and then the goalkeeper to score his second goal and Ambrit's third. The home side extended their lead when Nicholas passed to Giovanni V; his shot was blocked but Antonio passed it back to Giovanni V to dribble two defenders score. At the end of the match, St. George's got a free kick which they turned into a goal. 

Malta 1-1 Sweden

 Una bella sfida quella di oggi tra Svezia 🇸🇪  e Malta 🇲🇹 , finita in pareggio, secondo noi abbastanza giusto per ciò che si è visto in campo. 

Malta è passata in vantaggio con un gol dalla lunga distanza di Aurora, che ha trovato un tiro spiovente, che ha ingannato la brava Freydis e si è infilato sotto la traversa. Da quel momento le Svedesi si sono accese e hanno iniziato una dura battaglia, tra difesa e centrocampo, grazie alla fisicità di Naila, Livia e Costanza. Proprio quest'ultima, a metà del secondo tempo, ha trovato l'imbucata giusta su fallo laterale per servire Sara - a tu per tu con il portiere - che non ha sbagliato.

L'1-1 ha retto fino alla fine del match, anche grazie alla bella prestazione in difesa di Angela da una parte e di Zoe dall'altra. Buon lavoro di Carla e Chloe nel centro-attacco, lavoro a tutto campo di Aurora, ma poco altruismo nelle sue giocate.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS: Costanza 4, Livia 3, Angela 3, Zoe 2, Aurora 2, Naila 2, Carla 2, Chloe 2, Sara P 2, Freydis 1, Maeve 1.

Turkey 3-1 Italy

 These two sides were well matched and studied each other carefully for the first period, Christian saving from Aurora and Freydis saving from Jacopo. Christian saved another Aurora shot just after the break but then Claudio broke the deadlock, beating Freydis with the help of a deflection. Turkey doubled their lead when Matteo's strong shot was well-blocked by Freydis but the rebound fell to Steve. In the third period,  Aurora pulled one back with a penalty after Matteo handled in the area but Claudio restored the two goal margin with a well-placed shot.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Claudio 3, Livia 2, Aurora R 2, Freydis 2, Rex 2, Matteo 2, Costanza 1, Sara W 1, Erika 1, Steve 1, Giulio R 1, Jacopo 1, Christian 1, Steve 1

Ambrit 3-1 Nomen

 A key match today at Ambrit stadium: 2nd place Ambrit hosting league leaders Nomen... a real test for the Tajani boys and they came through with flying colours!
In the first 10’, the match was tense and Ambrit was struggling in defence, the other team’s n.10 winning lots of ball in midfield. But Gabriele kept them at bay with some outstanding saves and then Dylan managed to score from a loose ball. Dylan later switched positions to central midfield in order to man mark the dangerous n.10 and it worked: Ambrit found more space, more possession and played better football. In the second half, Daniele doubled the lead and then Antonio made it 3-0. In between, Ambrit kept control by fair means and foul, both Vittorio and Giovanni picking up yellow cards for tactical fouls on the n.10 who had broken free. On the first occasion the n.10 got booked for an exaggerated reaction. On the second occasion he attacked Giovanni, tried to headbutt him and got sent off. Nomen scored a late consolation goal to make it 3-1.

Germany 2-1 Turkey

 Turkey were missing some players today - including captain Matteo - and Germany took full advantage but they had to work hard for the three points. Christian was busy in goal all through the game and he made an early save from Kevin. Claudio was everywhere: in one action early on, he narrowly missed a shot and was back to clear a shot off his own goal line 30 seconds later. Steve and Claudio linked up well going forward and Turkey took the lead when Claudio, running to the left, spun to shoot back into the bottom right corner. But Nicholas equalised immediately, just before half time. In the second half, Steve came close to stealing the lead but then Maverick scored to put Germany ahead. Steve and Claudio continued to test Christian but the grade 7 ace made save after save.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Claudio 4, Kevin 3, Steve 3, Christian 2, Maverick 2, Martti 2, Nicholas 2, Federico 1, Josh 1, Erik 1.

Malta 1-1 Croatia

 With a lot of absences today, Malta generously allowed Croatia to borrow Freydis and Livia and the two guest players turned out to be crucial, helping in no small measure to deny Malta the three points (Livia & Freydis not eligible for 'Best Player' points). Both Aurora R and Angela tested Freydis in the first half, but the Ambrit No. 1 responded well. She was helpless though when Malta did score just before half time, Aurora's strong free-kick coming through a forest of legs in front of her. Croatia equalised in the second half: after her earlier shot was well saved by Aurora A, Livia didn't miss her second chance, driving the ball home from the right.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Aurora R 3, Chloe 3, Gracie 3, Megan 2, Lavinia 2, Emma 2, Carla 1, Aurora A 1, Una 1

Belgium 1-3 Austria

 A quiet opening period came to an abrupt awakening when Austria stitched together a neat first goal: Gabriele F won the ball and passed to Antonio C; Antonio played in Rocco and Rocco finished it off. In period 2, Adriano was close with a header and then a Lucas P corner found its way to the net via Rocco's head: 2-0. Both teams then wasted good free kicks, Antonio C kicking over for Austria, Antonio F replying in kind for Belgium. Austria went 3-0 up after 2' of period 3, José scoring an own-goal as he tried to clear his lines. Daniele brought his team back into the game with a well-taken goal, turning quickly on a ball to fire home from the left. But Austria parked the bus for the last few minutes and Belgium never came near.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Antonio C 7, Gabriele F 3, Rocco 3, Sam 2, Antonio F 1, Daniele 1, Adriano 1, Simone 1, Simon 1, Lucas P 1

ACLI League: Ambrit 1-1 Santa Maria Assunta FC

Before the match, a quick glance at the league table would have shown you that today's opponents - one of the older fuori classifica teams - was second in the table with 18 points out of a possible 21. And the Ambrit players suffered a heavy 9-1 defeat in their previous encounter!

But today, Ambrit started the match positively: well-organised and tactically aware, looking to avoid their biggest defender and swarming over their opponents as soon as they crossed teh half-way line. There were chances for each side but SMA’s big number 16 managed to score a header to give the visitors the lead. But Ambrit kept playing good football; Dylan was fouled repeatedly but his work in midfield opened up spaces in front and Daniele almost scored more than once, their keeper making great saves. At the end of the first half Gabriele made a spectacular save too, tipping the ball over the crossbar from a free kick.

In the second half, Ambrit upped their game even more and dominated possession. Dylan made good runs off the ball, drawing defenders to the side to make space for Kevin and Daniele and luring their big captain out of the way. Dylan scored with 10 minutes remaining and Ambrit stayed solid at the back to earn a very tough point. Great defending from Giovanni, Vittorio, Martino and Adriano.

France 0-1 Germany

 Not a top quality game today but we did get some excitement towards the end. In the first half, there was no real action, no real chances; one half-decent shot from Diego A which was ably dealt with by Martti. In the second half, things did liven up. Maverick tested Mostafa in goal; Mostafa saved well. Kevin tested Mostafa in goal; Mostafa saved well. Ashton had a great chance but shot high but then Maverick made all the pressure finally tell; his first shot was well saved by Mostafa but he followed up to score. Maverick almost scored a second but shot wide and then he thought ha had scored a second with a great header from a corner, but VAR ruled out the goal because the corner was kicked from an illegal position! Germany continued to press - Lorenzo L was next to have a shot saved by Mostafa and France found it difficult to get forward. When they did, Diego A did a great job of winning possession, holding possession and bringing team mates into the game. Giovanni V managed to get a shot in but, again, Martti was comfortable.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Maverick 4, Diego A 3, Ashton 3, Erik 3, Martti 2, Mostafa 2, Francesco 1, Kevin 1, Vittorio 1, Lorenzo L 1

Switzerland 1-0 Sweden

 La Svizzera 🇨🇭 continua il suo percorso netto, con 3 vittorie su tre, battendo una buona Svezia 🇸🇪 .

Ancora una prestazione solida di Erin, autrice della rete-vittoria, ma stavolta la vera giocatrice da fermare è stata Erica, davvero imprendibile a tratti. Sul versante opposto ottima partita di Livia, presente e combattente in ogni angolo del campo, qualche sprazzo di classe da parte di Sara P, vicina al gol con uno slalom dei suoi. Sempre molto solide e affidabili Sara W, Alessandra e Sophie. Da segnalare la buona prestazione di Zoe, più volte pericolosa dalle parti di Maria.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS: Erica 4, Erin 3, Livia 3, Zoe 2, Maria 2, Freydis 2, Sara P 1, Sara W 1, Alessandra 1, Sophie 1, Caterina 1.

Belgium 2-2 Denmark

 The opening goal was a low and fiercely-struck shot from Giovanni Z but, following the Denmark player's red card, Antonio equalised from a free kick and then put Belgium ahead with a good finish under pressure. Five goals in five days for Antonio. Belgium almost had the three points in the bag but then, when Antoine tried to collect a high ball in the box, he was fouled by Luca Tommaso and Lorenzo converted the penalty.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Antonio F 4, Lorenzo G 3, Luca T 3, Daniele 2, Sam 2, Giovanni Z, Adrian 1, Ryan 1, Martino 1, Max 1, Antoine 1, Edoardo 1

RISA friendly: Ambrit 4-1 Lycee Chateaubriand

 After conceding an early goal, Ambrit took control of the match. An in-form Antonio F - looking to nail down a starting place for MedCup - slotted home a har-trick and ACLI captain Francesco added another.

TEAM: Gabriele, Francesco, Antonio F, Kevin, Adriano, Dmitrii, Nicolas, Aurora

Italy 0-2 Austria

 A well-judged lob from James in period 1 and an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner from Gabriele in period 2: two goals that were enough to take the three points to Vienna. But Italy, again, played well and deserved to get something out of the match. Aurora won countless tackles in midfield, Erin made countless runs from box to box, Naila stopped attack after attack.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Aurora R 3, Erin 3, Naila 2, Livia 2, James 2, Gabriele F 2, Simon 2, Antonio C 1, Alvaro 1, Maeve 1, Rocco 1, Adriano 1,   

Malta 1-0 Sweden

 La vittoria di misura di oggi permette a Malta 🇲🇹  di portarsi a pari punti con la Svezia 🇸🇪  e di rimettere equilibrio nel campionato: le formazioni di oggi, infatti, sono appaiate a 3 punti alle spalle della corazzata elvetica.

Le formazioni si sono presentate in campo con due assenze pesanti: da un lato la capitana svedese, Sara e dall'altro il portiere maltese Aurora. Lo spettacolo è stato godibile ed equilibrato, fino al gol di Aurora, un diagonale dalla lunga distanza, che è sfilato tra tante gambe e ha sorpreso la brava Freydis.

La Svezia, senza Sara, aveva un po' di difficoltà nel creare occasioni pericolose e Malta ha suggellato la vittoria con un paio di belle occasioni, di Angela e della stessa Aurora, neutralizzate bene da Freydis.

Bene la difesa maltese, con una prestazione convincente di Carla e Gracie, buono anche l'apporto di Chloe, coraggiosissima a rientrare in campo, dopo un terribile fallo subito.

Dal lato svedese, ottimo come al solito il contributo di Livia, ben supportata da Jiayi e Zoe a centrocampo, bene la difesa con Naila, Caterina e Sofia.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS: Aurora R 4, Livia 3, Freydis 2, Carla 2, Naila 2, Angela 1, Zoe 1, Jiayi 1, Gracie 1, Chloe 1, Caterina 1, Sofia 1.

France 2-2 Denmark

For Denmark, Max started strongly today and was unlucky to see two shots from close in going just wide. For France, it was Giovanni V who had the first chance after receiving a pass from Lorenzo I. Diego A almost opened the scoring but Giovanni Z got back to clear the ball off the line. Denmark then went ahead, Max's hard work paying off as he scrambled the ball over the line for a messy goal. With France still reeling, Lorenzo G took advantage with a shot from the left that was cleverly left by Max to creep into the corner for 2-0. Vittorio C had two chances to narrow the score before the break but one was saved, one went wide. France sorted out their problems at the break though and Lorenzo I scored a lovely individual goal to make it 2-1 and he then followed up to bury Diego A's assist for 2-2. Both teams wanted all three points, but it was Denmark who had the best chances towards the end. Diego I hit the post and Lorenzo G had a good shot saved by Freydis.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Lorenzo I 6, Diego A 4, Giovanni Z 3, Max 2, Lorenzo G 1, Vittorio 1, Diego I 1, Antoine 1, Francesco 1, Adrian 1

ACLI league: Ambrit 3-1 OMC

Today's match started with Ambrit continuously attacking and creating several opportunities, even hitting the crossbar. Finally, two minutes before the end of the first half, relentless pressure culminated with Adriano chesting down the ball down and shooting past the defender, only to see another opponent clear it off the line! Bit never fear, Dylan followed up and tucked home the rebound. 

The second half began with OMC trying to pull back into the game and they managed to get more possession and stay on the offensive, but Gabriele in goal was secure and determined and saved Ambrit's lead several times. However, after many shots, the ball did go in off the crossbar to level the score and set up another nail-biting finish! Ambrit reacted quickly though, bouncing back into attack and a one-two between Dylan and Adriano saw Adriano's finish put Ambrit back into the lead. After a few more shots from each side, Francesco broke free and played a lovely pass to Adriano who, in form today, controlled it, set up the shot and placed it into the opposite corner of the goalkeeper to seal today's victory.

Germany 0-2 Belgium

 Germany started stronger today but their effort petered out later on, with Belgium striking twice to take home the three points. Federico played Maverick in for an early chance but Zain made an excellent save. The crowd was still gasping when Zain pulled off another stop, this time blocking Kevin's shot. Germany followed up with another chance but, this time, Maverick's header came back off the crossbar. Maverick had another headed chance in the second period but this one went just wide. After all that, it was Belgium who took the lead. Captain Martino passed to Sam and Sam took off on a run that took him diagonally past three opponents before his well-placed reverse shot beat the goalkeeper at the far post. This was the crown on an amazing performance by Sam today. He was everywhere - tackling strongly, passing accurately, shooting on target. Antonio was also having an excellent game for Belgium in midfield, providing the energy to stop the German advances and turn them into threatening Belgian attacks. And, when Nicholas was yellow-carded for a foul on Sam, it was Antonio who fired the resulting free-kick into the back of the net.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Sam 8, Antonio 4, Maverick 3, Zain, 2, Erik 1, Federico 1, Leopoldo 1, Martino 1

Switzerland 2-1 Croatia

 Una partita combattuta e bellissima, vinta meritatamente da una Svizzera 🇨🇭  a punteggio pieno, contro una buona Croazia 🇭🇷 ancora a zero nel punteggio ma con la consapevolezza di potersi rialzare.

La fisicità di Erin, con la tecnica di Erica e Alessandra a centrocampo, l'intensità di Sophie e l'ottima difesa di Sara W: questi gli ingredienti che hanno permesso alla Svizzera di vincere il match. Dal lato croato non sono bastate le folate offensive di Margherita e Lavinia, né l'aggressività di Clotilde, ottima anche nel ruolo di portiere, né le buone prestazioni difensive di Una e Anna.

Tutto è accaduto nel secondo tempo: una punizione-bolide di Erin, pronta a insaccarsi in rete, viene fermata da Margherita con le mani. Inevitabile giallo e rigore, trasformato dalla stessa Erin con freddezza. Passa un minuto ed Erica, su azione personale, fa 2-0. Sarebbero addirittura tre se il tiro di Erin, direttamente da calcio d'angolo, non centrasse il palo... La reazione della Croazia non si fa attendere e Margherita accorcia le distanze con uno scatto che brucia tutti e inganna il portiere. Il tempo però è agli sgoccioli e la Svizzera controlla il finale senza grandi preoccupazioni.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS: Erin 4, Alessandra 4, Erica 3, Sophie 3, Margherita 2, Una 2, Lavinia 2, Clotilde 2, Sara W 2, Anna 1, Megan 1, Suleyma 1, Greta 1.

Denmark 3-0 Italy

 A goal-less first period in which the highlight was Erica's shot that was well-saved by Adrian led to a second period dominated by Denmark. Diego first struck the bar with a savage shot and then scored with a powerful strike that got past an excellent Freydis. In fact, the girls'm goalkeeper made two great saves from Lorenzo and Diego before the second period ended. Diego added two more goals in period 3: one a header and one a right-foot shot.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Freydis 5, Erica 3, Diego 3, Giovanni Z 3, Naila 2, Aurora R 1, Margherita 1, Erin 1, Adrian 1, Livia 1

ACLI League: VIS Velletri 1-13 Ambrit

 Ambrit started well with an early goal from Dylan. Then, from a set piece situation, Dylan scored again and Kevin added another after lonking up with Dylan and Antonio. Kevin scored again to leave the home side reeling, but they did manage a goal to make it 4-1 before cancelling that with an own goal to make it 5-1. Antonio was next to get in on the scoring act, nabbing two to make it 7-1. No mercy from the visitors, with Dylan and and Giovanni swapping passes to send Giovanni in for a goal and Dylan scored again too just before half time. In the second half Ambrit banged in five more (two Martino, one Antonio, one Dylan, one Kevin). Gabriele made some very good saves.

Turkey 2-1 Austria

 Ancora una vittoria per la Turchia 🇹🇷 , capace di impressionare di fronte alla corazzata austriaca, con un Claudio indomabile, che quando ingrana la marcia diventa un bel problema per ogni difesa. Sono bastati, infatti, un paio di guizzi del campioncino da 56 milioni per sistemare un avversario temibile e ben organizzato come il team guidato da Aron.

Veniamo alla cronaca: i Turchi partono forte, con Claudio e Jacopo molto risoluti, ma anche molto individualisti (non si registrano passaggi tra loro). Proprio da una di quest azioni individuali nasce il vantaggio dei rossi: Claudio si libera di tre avversari e lascia partire un diagonale stretto all'angolino, su cui Aron non può fare nulla. La partita si accende e l'Austria prova più volte a lanciare Rocco, che con le buone o con le cattive viene arginato dalle buone prestazioni di Matteo e Dmitri. Sul fronte opposto non c'è grande movimento di palla, con Jacopo che prova a fare tutto da solo, idem Claudio e il povero Steve che cerca di fare da tramite tra centrocampo e attacco. 

A cinque minuti dal termine la svolta: Rocco protegge palla in area e viene messo giù da Matteo. Per l'arbitro è rigore, che lo stesso Rocco si incarica di trasformare: 1-1. La Turchia riparte a testa bassa e, di nuovo, trova il vantaggio con un'altra prodezza di Claudio, che stavolta si coordina bene su una palla vagante e la spedisce su palo opposto. L'Austria 🇦🇹 non ha più benzina, né convinzioni, nonostante qualche tentativo di Gabriele da lontano che non trova la porta.

Chi riuscirà a fermare la nazionale di Montella?

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS: Claudio 6, Aron 4, Matteo T 3, Jacopo 3, Gabriele 2, Rocco 2, Dmitri 1, Steve 1, Lucas P 1.

Switzerland 2-0 Malta

 Una partita combattuta ed entusiasmante, in bilico fino alla fine, nonostante il punteggio sembri piuttosto punitivo per Malta.

La Svizzera 🇨🇭 inizia la partita con grande veemenza, conquistando subito il vantaggio grazie allo sfortunato autogol delle Maltesi, ma in fondo meritando per la grande pressione esercitata. Da quel momento inizia una grande sfida, fisica e tecnica, tra Erin - protagonista assoluta ma un poco solitaria - e Aurora - anche lei poco abituata a passare il pallone. Le occasioni si susseguono, da una parte e dall'altra, con un'ottima difesa di Sara W, da una parte, e di Maeve dall'altra. Per ben due volte le Maltesi sfiornao il pareggio, prima con Aurora su una bella punizione che si stampa sulla traversa, poi con Angela, che su respinta corta del portiere colpisce il palo.

Quasi a tempo scaduto giunge il raddoppio di Erin, velocissima, a suggellare i tre punti della vittoria.

Da sottolineare diverse buone prestazioni, come quella di Valerie e Carla a centrocampo, Gracie e Maeve in difesa per Malta 🇲🇹 , oltre alla già citata Aurora R; Erin, Sara W, Alessandra, Sophie nella Svizzera. Meno brillante del solito il talento di Erica, poco servita dalle compagne.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS: Erin 6, Sara W 3, Valerie 3, Maeve 3, Aurora R 2, Carla 2, Gracie 1, Sophie 1, Alessandra 1.

Denmark 3-1 Germany

 This was one of the best games of the year. Denmark dominated the first period, with shots raining in from Lorenzo G (terrible moss early on!), Carlo (over), Diego (fantastic save from Martti) and Antoine (wide) but then, out of the blue, Germany took the lead. Kevin's pass found Maverick who was marked by Giovanni but Maverick scored with an unbelievably good turn and shot! The lead was short-lived though. Lorenzo G headed in an equaliser a minute later off a corner (and then picked up a yellow card for provocative celebrations!). Denmark hit the ground running again in period 2, Diego shooting over. Next, Giovanni tested Martti but the g6 'keeper made another fine save. Next, Giovanni passed to Antoine and Lorenzo G slid onto his assist for 2-1. Federico almost hit back early in period 3 but Adrian made a brilliant save. Denmark scored again though. Lorenzo G's assist; Diego's goal. Denmark continued to press right to the end: Giovanni shot over and Carlo pulled another good save from Martti.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Giovanni 4, Lorenzo G 3, Federico 2, Diego I 2, Adrian 2, Martti 2, Maverick 2, Antoine 2, Carlo 1, Kevin 1 

BOYS Friendly: St George's 4-4 Ambrit

 It might have been billed as a 'friendly' match but neither side lacked a competitive edge in this morning's encounter. Ambrit started well but, just like in last Sunday's ACLI match, a moment of distraction saw them concede an early goal. But the team settled down and then drew level, the goal coming from new signing Giovanni Z. In the second half, Ambrit conceded their customary early goal... and then another to find themselves 3-1 behind. But Ambrit were rescued from an unlikely source! Adriano used to be considered a defender but, employed this year by Mr Gabriele as an attacking wing-back or even as an out-and-out striker, he showed all his skills today to pop in a hat-trick to propel Ambrit into the lead. However, despite the solid pairing of Giovanni Z and Vittorio in defence, a lack of focus throughout the team allowed the hosts to equalise towards the end.

France 1-2 Turkey

 A match that was 0-0 after period 1 and still 0-0 after period 2 exploded into life for the last period of play. France looked livelier early on and Lorenzo I and Vittorio C both hit shots that might have troubled a less attentive 'keeper than Christian. Turkey came into the game more in period 2 and Jacopo sent a warning shot across the French bows, though Francesco hit back himself with a good attempt for France. Turkey almost went ahead when Jacopo latched onto a Rex shot but he headed just over the bar. He followed this up with a long range shot that also went over the bar... but Jacopo was just finding his range for later! 

It was France who took the lead. Giovanni V won the ball and played in Diego A; the 6th grader stroked it home calmly. But Turkey equalised almost immediately: Jacopo played in Steve, who was faster to the ball than Matteo and Steve slid it past him. The winning goal came soon after... and it was a beauty. Jacopo won the ball in midfield and decided he was going to score. He beat one man, looked up to check his position again; then he beat another man, looked up to check his position again; and then he hit a perfectly-calibrated shot high over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net!

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Giovanni V 6, Jacopo 6, Vittorio C 2, Lorenzo I 1,Diego A 1, Rex 1, Steve 1, Francesco 1, Dmitrii 1

Sweden 1-0 Croatia

 Una bella battaglia: così definirei la partita tra Svezia 🇸🇪 e Croazia 🇭🇷 di ieri. Molta fisicità da una parte e dall'altra, poche buone occasioni e due difese molto attente, almeno fino a 2 minuti dalla fine, quando una colossale distrazione del portiere croato ha permesso a Sara di accompagnare la palla in rete e regalare i primi tre punti del campionato alla sua squadra.

Bella la sfida tra Naila e Margherita, come quella tra Sara e Clotilde. Molto buone le prestazioni dell'esordiente Greta, di Anna, Emma e Caterina in difesa e - soprattutto - di Livia a centrocampo e...un po' ovunque.

Il campionato è ancora lunghissimo, infatti nel secondo intramural le squadre si incontreranno all'andata e al ritorno; quindi c'è modo, per ciascuna squadra, di riorganizzarsi, di aggiustare il tiro, di cambiare posizioni e di gestire le forze.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS: Livia 4, Naila 3, Margherita 3, Lavinia 2, Sara P 2, Caterina 2, Greta 2, Anna 2, Emma 2, Costanza 2, Clotilde 1, Freydis 1, Megan 1.

Belgium 3-0 Italy

 The first match of this new Intramural was a thriller. These two teams tore into each other from the very start and, despite the final scoreline, Italy played just as well as their victorious opponents. Daniele - Best Player in Autumn - had three good shots today but Freydis made three fantastic saves to keep him off the scoresheet. It was Captain Martino who finally broke the deadlock, following up in a goalmouth scramble to dribble past an unlucky Freydis. In the second period, Martino scored again, this time directly from a corner and, from another corner, he supplied the assist for Luca's expertly finished goal.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Freydis 4, Daniele 3, Luca 3, Naila 3, Martino 3, Lucas C 1, Erin 1, Sara P 1, Margherita 1, Ryan 1

Galatasaray/France 3-0 Teachers

 The teachers poor run of form continued today when they were totally outplayed in the first half by a rampant team of Intramural Champions. Worryingly (for the future of the teachers), the damage was done by two 6th graders; Lorenzo G fired home the first, Claudio numbers two and three - and all three goals were similar. All were well-struck shots from the left that flew low into the opposite corner of the goal.