Spurs 5-1 Man City

Postecoglu’s attacking football paid dividends today as his Spurs team over-ran a City that lacked organization and failed to finish the few chances that they created. Spurs went ahead when City gave away a penalty thanks to the controversial ball-over-the-South-fence penalty rule! Freddie converted, 100% success from the spot for him. Later in the first half, Antonio equalised with an unstoppable shot from 25m out, giving Ashton no chance in the Spurs goal. 

Freddie followed this up in the second half with an assist to put Lorenzo F clear and the 6th-grader cooly slid the ball past Martti for 2-1. A goalmouth scramble following a free kick from the left saw the ball fall to Steve at the far post and he tapped home the third. And it was Steve again who shot home the fourth goal, with Christian rounding off the win with a fifth.

BEST PLAYER: Steve 4, Antonio 3, Freddie, 3, Lorenzo F 3, José 2,  Matteo 2, Christian 1,  Simone 1, Maverick 1, Lupo 1

 

Roma 1-0 Como

 

A full Ambrit Stadium today was treated to an action-packed first half but had to sit through a disappointing second half as Roma did just enough to take the three points.

The only goal of the game came towards the end of the first half. Having soaked up the pressure from their opponents for 10’, Roma attacked and forced a series of corners. From the last of these, an unlucky touch from a Como defender swept the ball past Chloe in the Como goal.

Before that, Como were in charge. Anna came close for with a high lob over the bar and Livia set up a good chance for Maeve but her shot was well-saved by  Sofia All through this first half, Livia had a constant battle with Megan down one side of the pitch and Vittoria N and Carla battled each other through the middle. 

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Vittoria N 3, Megan 2, Livia 2, Carla 2, Aurora 1, Maeve 1, Aissatou 1, Ginevra 1, Sofia 1 

Ipswich 4-4 Spurs

 

Another thrilling game today with the result in doubt right until the final whistle. The teams were level when Junio scored off a free-kick to put Ipswich ahead. Ashton made two good saves from Jacopo shots and then Spurs equalised when a ball out of defence was allowed to run all the way up the pitch until Steve collected it and rolled it past Lucas: 1-1. A lovely passing move from Ipswich saw the ball move quickly from Jacopo to Max but,again, Ashton made the save. Gianluigi had a chance then but he scooped it up and over the bar and the first half ended with a good save from Lucas to keep Lorenzo F out. 

This first half had been characterized by a lot of good running and passing from Jacopo but, on the other side, Raul was doing a fantastic job to shut him down before he could do too much damage. A great battle between two good players.

Not long after the re-start, Freddie hit the post but Ipswich re-took the lead when Jacopo set up Max to score. But almost immediately, Junio fouled in the penalty area and Freddie converted the spot-kick. Freddie was again the protagonist two minutes later, his free kick saved by Lucas but Steve was following up and he buried the rebound to put Spurs ahead for the first time. The Jacopo-Max link up worked again though and Ipswich leveled the game at 3-3. The tit-for-tat scoring continued when Freddie collected a loose ball and hammered it home with his left foot. Spurs tried to hang onto their lead to the end, but Jacopo wasn’t having any of that; another of his long, mazy runs finally ended with a goal to tie the game for the final time.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Raul 4, Jacopo 3, Freddie 3, Steve 2, Ashton 2, Max 2, Giulio R 2, Gabriel 1, Simone 1, Christian 1

RISA friendlies

 Ambrit 3-4 AOSR

A seven-goal thriller to open Ambrit’s RISA season for 2024-25. After conceding an early goal, Ambrit went ahead thanks to two goals from in-form striker Lorenzo G and Ambrit managed to conserve their lead until the half-time break, thanks also to a fantastic clearance off the line by Gabriel. AOSR equalised but Lorenzo G completed his hat-trick in the second half and Ambrit was 3-2 ahead. AOSR equalised again but Lorenzo G came very close to a fourth goal but this time his attempt bounced back off the bar. In the dying seconds, AOSR broke away and scored to win the match.

Ambrit 4-4 St George’s

Unbelievable!!!

St George’s ran away into a four goal lead in the first half. Full credit to Ambrit though, they never lost heart. The torrential rain that came down seemed to wake them up for the second half and Lorenzo G made it 4-1. Diego shot from way outside the box and scored: 4-2. Lorenzo G scored yet again: 4-3. And Noel, making his debut today, flicked home a loose ball to tie the score and seal a great comeback for the boys from Tajani!

Liverpool 4-3 Fulham

 

Fulham traveled to Anfield today for their opening match and they pushed the Reds all the way. It was the home side who started more quickly though, Lorenzo G playing in Filippo for Liverpool’s first goal. Not long after, Filippo brought a great save out of Patrizio but Lorenzo I was on hand to force in the second goal. But Fulham then started to play. Diego found Federico; his shot was pushed out by Rex but then, from the corner, the ball somehow ended up at Diego’s feet and he slotted home: 2-1. Fulham were back on level terms before half-time, a nice move involving Diego, Lorenzo L and Federico ending with the captain burying the ball into the corner of the net.

The second half began with two more long shots from Federico, both dealt with comfortably by Rex. Liverpool then struck on the break through Lorenzo G but Diego equalised with a fantastic shot from 25m out that looped over Rex for 3-3.

Lorenzo Levi almost stole the points for Fulham off a Federico assist but Rex saved again. Lorenzo G did steal the points with a late shot on the turn!

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Federico 4, Lorenzo G 4, Diego 3, Lorenzo I 3, Filippo 2, Mostafa 2, Giovanni Vitt 1, Ryan 1, Patrizio 1

Empoli 0-0 Atalanta

 L'Intramural femminile inizia con un match vigoroso, segnato da un agonismo totale in cui ciascuna giocatrice ha dato il massimo, senza risparmiarsi. Il pareggio appare il risultato più giusto, dopo un primo tempo decisamente a favore dell'Empoli, e una ripresa in cui i maggiori pericoli sono stati creati dall'Atalanta, in particolar modo negli ultimi minuti, con una clamorosa occasione di Suleyma, "ipnotizzata" da Aurora. 

Nell'Empoli, dove oggi era assente il capitano Erin, le ragazze hanno mostrato entusiasmo e buona organizzazione, con le ottime prestazioni di Zoe e Anna in centrocampo, Gracie, Viola e Greta in difesa. Ottimo l'impatto di Caterina nel secondo tempo.

L'Atalanta, dal canto suo, dopo un'iniziale fase di assestamento, è stata abile a riorganizzarsi, grazie alla versatilità del capitano Alessandra e alle generose prestazioni di Sophie, Letizia e Ludovica tra centrocampo e difesa. Ottima anche la partita di Suleyma, che ha sfruttato bene il poco spazio concesso dai difensori avversari.

In generale è stata una partita molto combattuta, ma poco tecnica: quando le ragazze cresceranno nel controllo palla, nel passaggio e nel tiro, i gol non mancheranno!

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS: Zoe 3, Anna 2, Gracie 2, Alessandra 2, Suleyma 2, Sophie 1, Ludovica 1, Letizia 1, Viola 1, Caterina 1.

Chelsea 3-2 Manchester City

 

What a fantastic game to get the FIGC Premier league off to a great start. City struck first when Maverick pounced on a Chelsea mistake and slotted past Sam for the first goal. Gabriele had the first chance to equalise but he couldn’t sort his legs out in time to turn home a good cross from the left. Maverick almost doubled the lead but Sam made a great save and then Chelsea made ANOTHER mistake in defence to let the City captain in for his second goal. Before half time however, his opposite number scored the best goal of the game: from a free kick, Carlo blasted a rocket from the way out on the right over Martti and into the corner! Boosted by this, Chelsea took the initiative and Claudio equalised on the stroke of half time with a neat shot on the turn.

Less goals but lots of action in the second half. Noel forced a save from Sam, Carlo forced a save from Martti. From a corner, Leopoldo shot well but just too high. Antonio struck the ball perfectly with another shot but, again, Sam was equal to it. Maverick got through on the goalkeeper but dragged his shot wide and both Matteo and Claudio shot over the bar. A draw might have been a fair result… but Claudio wasn't content with a point. A City attack broke down, Chelsea attacked quickly, Claudio scored.

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Antonio 4, Maverick 3, Sam 3, Claudio 3, Carlo 3, Matteo 2, Martti 2, Gabriele 1

Teachers 2-3 8S

 

Having just captured the coveted crown of Homeroom Champions, 8S took on the teachers today… and what a game!

After the first few minutes of cut and thrust with the teams studying each other, the game exploded into life as Maverick got clear on the right and slipped the ball home for a 1-0 lead. The teachers reacted quickly, piling on the pressure, but it was 8S who scored again on the break: the ball fell to Steve on the edge of the area and he rattled it past the goalkeeper and into the corner.

Again the teachers re-doubled their efforts. Chance after chance was created and spurned… and then it happened again! Another breakaway move, started and finished by Lorenzo, to make it 3-0.

Now the teachers team was stunned and looking tired too. But then, just when it was needed, Mr Zukas pulled a rabbit out of the hat, sliding a well-struck shot along the ground and past Rex into the far corner of the net. And there was suddenly hope - a new spring in the teachers’ step! And then it was 3-2, Mr Guarnieri’s expertly-struck volley crashing down off the crossbar and over the line: game on!

8S were hanging on by their fingernails now. All around them, the teachers were crossing, passing, shooting: it was a siege. And then, the latest shot struck a hand in the area and Mr Corcoran blew his whistle and pointed to the spot. Chaos! Was 8S just about to be hauled back to 3-3? Mr Paolo stepped up bravely, knowing that this might be the last chance. It was… the ball slid just outside the post and 8S and their supporters celebrated a famous win. 

Homeroom Challenge: F I N A L 7C 2-2 8S

 

A worthy final indeed!!

8S got off to a quick start, Steve hitting the post with the goalkeeper beaten. At the other end, Antonio had a shot but off target to the left. 8S took the lead when Steve headed home Lorenzo’s cross.

Into period 2: Giovanni forced Aurora into a good save and José was tackling and clearing everything that came his way.Diego was next to make Aurora work and, from the resulting corner, Antonio played in Diego but he shot over. Just before the break, 8S won a corner and Lorenzo scored directly with the kick!

So: 2-0 to 8S heading into period 3. Antonio had two early shots but one was wide, one was blocked. Then Giovanni stole a ball on the edge of the area and rolled it past Aurora - 1-1. Soon after, Steve was pulled up for a foul in midfield. From the resulting free kick, Giovanni crossed to Diego and his header made it 2-2! The 7th graders could have won the game too, but Antonio’s shot from an indirect free kick in teh box rattled back off the bar.

Penalties tomorrow!

Homeroom Challenge: SF2 7C 5 - 0 6A

Homeroom Challenge: SF1 7R 0-5 8S

After a 5-0 win in their QF, 7R crashed to a 5-0 defeat against a vastly superior 8S today. Claudio started off between the sticks and denied Steve an early goal but, when Lorenzo blasted one past him, Claudio swapped places with Martti. Before the end of period 1, Maverick added a second.

In period 2, Maverick followed up on Martti’s save from a corner to tap in the third goal and he completed his hat-trick when he latched on to a poor clearance and shot past Martti again.

In the past period, Claudio tested Rex on two occasions but Rex saved both. Lorenzo had a shot parried by Martti but Steve was on hand to make it 5-0. Rex picked up two yellow cards though for unsporting behaviour late in the game: he was sent off and will miss the final.

Homeroom Challenge: QF4 6A 4-2 6T

Enthusiasm a-plenty in this g6 elimination tie, our first chance to study the new players in middle school this year. 6A took the lead in the first period when Filippo cut to the right and fired a well-placed cross-shot into the bottom corner. At the other end, Pier Valerio forced Lorenzo C to make a good save but 6A went further ahead when Noel used his body well to hold off the defenders and then lob the goalkeeper. In the second period, Lorenzo F made it 2-1 from a free kick on the edge of the penalty area and then, following sustained 6T pressure, he rifled home an equaliser into the same bottom corner. Going into period 3, the game was nicely balanced but 6A now struck twice on the break, Filippo providing an assist for Lupo for the third and Lupo returning the favour for goal 4.

Homeroom Challenge QF3 7C 2-2 7D

 

This was a derby match played with a hint of desperation and at a fast pace - maybe too fast to allow either side to develop any coherent pattern. Antonio Jr pushed his team forward from the start but Junio, Una and Matteo made a formidable defence and Livia contested every ball in midfield.

Antonio put his team ahead when he pounced on a loose ball and struck it first-time into the back of the net. Lorenzo G’s equaliser came soon after though and was a similar, opportunistic goal. As the play swung from end-to-end, the next chance fell to Giovanni but Sam was out quick to save well. Lorenzo then put his team 2-1 up and Matteo almost made it 3-1, but his superbly-struck free kick crashed back off the crossbar. In the final period, Lorenzo G took over in goal and 7C attacked, determined to secure a draw. They did! Antonio Jr took a corner and fortune deflected the ball off Una and into the net.

Penalties on Monday!

Homeroom Challenge: QF2 7R 5-0 8V

 

An impressive team performance from 7R saw them progress to the SFs at the expense of the older team. In the first period, Lorenzo dominated in midfield for 7R but Freddie tested Martti with a good long-range effort. Claudio came on in period 2 and forced n early save from Ashton. He then played in Gianluigi but his shot came back off the post. Claudio opened the scoring shortly afterwards and then added two more; Lorenzo made it 4-0 and Claudio added a fifth.

Homeroom Challenge: QF1 8P 4-4 8S

 

A top quality game today with 8S racing off into a 4-1 lead before 8P managed to claw themselves back into the game and earn a draw with the last kick of the game.

The first 8S goal was well-worked: Maverick shot, Lucas saved and Steve followed up to score. 8P equalised a few minutes later - another nice goal: Jacopo passed to Gabriele on the right and he fed it inside to Federico who dribbled the defender to score. But 8S sored again immediately to recapture the lead, Maverick lobbing Lucas off Lorenzo’s long assist. Maverick turned assist man for the next goal, setting up Steve for a second, and 8S might have turned around with an even bigger lead only for a great double save from Lucas. In the second period, 8S went 4-1 up when Steve completed his hat-trick and all seemed lost for 8P. But some astute substitutions began to make a difference. Jacopo went off on another long solo run but, this time, he managed to keep the ball and finish the move with a goal: 4-2. Ditto Federico: 4-3. And then, with the last kick of the game and from an acute angle, Federico squeezed a shot in past Rex at the near post to make it 4-4 and set up an exciting penalty shoot-out! 

Teachers 2-1 Grade 8

 The most eagerly-awaited appointment in the Ambrit sporting year finally arrived today and it was a game worthy of the occasion. The teachers went into the lead in period 1, Miss Amaranto poking a clever pass through to Mr Gabriele G in the penalty area and he finished into the corner. New signing Mr Francesco replaced his more senior namesake for period 2 and the teachers continued to dominate possession. The students defended well though and carved out a few half-chances too but it was the teachers who scored again, Mr Gabriele notching up his 4th goal in two days off a Mr Francesco assist.

But the students came back and, out on the left, Rocco cut inside and unleashed a guided missile into the opposite bottom corner to close the second period at 2-1. The third period was evenly contested. The teachers should have made more of a couple of breakaway chances and the students might have capitalised on some loose defending and some goalmouth scrambles. But they didn't and, for this year at least, the Bernard Mullane Memorial trophy stays in the hand of the teachers.

Teachers 4 - 0 Intramural Champions

 A resounding win for the teachers today underlined the step-up from Intramural league football to the International Stage. New signing Mr Gabriele gave the team a focus and, in the first half, on-loan Antonio Jr put the opponents under pressure. After toying with the defence for a time, Mr Gabriele finally banged in the first goal and Referee Corcoran brought the first half to a close.

In the second half, Mr Alessandro directed play and Mr Gabriele scored his second goal off a beautifully timed assist from Diego A (on at half-time for Antonio Jr). Miss Giulia and Miss Sonia linked up on the right for the third goal, driven in off the crossbar by the former and another on-loan player - Claudio - completed the rout with a fourth.

THIRD place final: Turkey 2-2 Belgium (6-5 after penalties)

 A cameo appearance from Claudio in the first half and a goal to put Turkey ahead. Belgium's equaliser came from Daniele, finishing off a move that saw Antonio and Leopoldo combine. Belgium then went ahead in the second half when Antonio ran onto a through ball. The ball bounced up between Antonio and Christian and the young Belgian showed great courage, putting his head to the ball when he knew Christian's fist was arriving. Courage was rewarded as the ball rolled into the net! Belgium had a couple of chances to wrap it up, the best one falling to Daniele, but Christian made a great save. Then Steve scored a fantastic equaliser for Turkey. He showed determination to win the ball, determination to keep it, determination to find space and determination to shoot home!

BEST PLAYER POINTS: Antonio F 4, Steve 3, Giulio 2, Daniele 2, Matteo 2, Christian 2, Lucas C 1, Luca Tommaso 1, Claudio 1, Zain 1, Sam S 1, 

Congratulations Ambrit: ACLI 'Giovanissimi' Champions 2023-24!

 Ambrit's football season came to a close this morning at the Stella Azzurra Football Stadium, where Ambrit met Nomen in this year's 'Giovanissimi' final. Ambrit got off to a fast start, Dylan almost scoring twice and then Daniele was close with a spectacular scissors kick! The early pressure finally paid off when the ball fell to Adriano on the edge of the area. He took it on the volley and fired an unstoppable shot in off the crossbar! He had a chance to make it 2-0 almost immediately, meeting Daniele's cross just 2m from the goal but he somehow put the ball over the bar (too much rugby?😏). Dylan had another chance too, but the tide was turning. Nomen were starting to play and starting to create chances. Ambrit fell back and Gabriele had to make a string of saves - some quite simple but some far from routine; one that he touched slightly and just enough to send it crashing back off the crossbar instead of into the net. He kept his team in the game until the half-time break.

The break allowed Ambrit to re-organise and they began the second half more positively. Almost immediately, Antonio stole the ball in midfield, glanced up and struck a powerful shot that finished in the back of the net: 2-0! But Nomen reacted quickly and their captain pulled one back. A high ball found him in the penalty area and his control and shot were top-class: 2-1! But Ambrit's goals today were all very well-timed and now they scored again to quench the nascent Nomen hopes. Daniele robbed a ball off the defender and shot back in the direction that the goalkeeper was coming from. The ball trickled into the net, the goalkeeper finished up in a heap and the winners' trophy finished up in Via Tajani!

Three wins out of three for the u12s!

 If the u14 team was characterized by determination and some good individual performances, the u12 team was characterized by some really excellent football. The passing was clean, well-timed and accurate. The movement off the ball was constant and intelligent. This might have been the best performance ever from an Ambrit u12 team and, when you consider that Antonio and Claudio didn't play, it makes for an exciting future! The first game against Marymount was a little chaotic and served the Ambrit players to get their bearings. Giovanni M and Lorenzo G scored in a 2-1 win. 

Next, Ambrit faced AOSR. Ambrit dominated possession, building from the back. Martti's distribution was good; Simon and Mostafa were always available and the ball found its way through midfield with great fluency. Chances were created - lots of chances! But only one was taken, Diego in the right place at the right time as he so often is. A bare 1-0 win then: should have been more! The last game was again Acorn. More good football had the opposition manager purring and asking his lads to copy our passing and movement! Three goals this time: Diego finished off a great passing combination for 1-0. Giovanni M scored the second when he was put through by the best pass of the day by Diego; and Lorenzo G added a third, arriving late to tap in at the far post.

TEAM: Mostafa, Giovanni, Martti, Diego, Lorenzo G, Ryan, Simon, Edoardo, Matteo, Lorenzo L

Ambrit Boys Win another Double victory at AOSR!

 An already successful season was nicely wrapped up the AOSR June tournament this morning with Ambrit's Boys finishing FIRST in both the u14 and u12 categories.

The u14 boys started the ball rolling with a match against AOSR. Some late arrivals meant that Ashton and Steve were thrown in at the deep end and they both coped admirably. After putting their hosts under pressure for most of the game, Ambrit suddenly found themselves behind when the AOSR captain released a thunderbolt from 20 meters out straight into the top corner. Ambrit reacted well though and added even more urgency to their attack. A great cross from the right by Kevin was fumbled by the goalkeeper and Adrian was on hand to tap it in to tie the game. Next up was St George's and, after last week's impressive 11-a-side win, Ambrit took the field confidently. It was another hotly-contested game. It was another 2-1 win for Ambrit, goals from Antonio and Kevin. The third match pitted Ambrit against Acorn, who had won their first two games. But Ambrit gave them no time to settle. An early free kick was awarded and Rocco banged it in for 1-0. Then Gabriele added a second: a trademark curler from wide on the left into the opposite top corner - Goal of the Day! Rocco popped up to add a third, beating two defenders on the edge of the area and dragging it back past the goalkeeper who went the wrong way. 

This comprehensive 3-0 win meant Ambrit would face Rome International in the final. Again, the Portuense boys were quick out of the traps. Two early goals from Rocco (another free kick converted!) and an own-goal put them 3-0 up half-way through. But it was far from all over. RIS pulled one back... and another: 3-2 and nerves were frayed. Then Kevin crossed from the right and Giovanni was first to the ball and turned it past the goalkeeper to restore a margin of comfort. But RIS scored again and kept attacking. Aron made three good saves and RIS hit the crossbar too but Ambrit made it safe with a fifth goal, this one from Vittorio!

TEAM: Vittorio, Gabriele, Kevin Ashton, Adrian, Aron, Steve, Sam, Dmitrii, Antonio, Rocco, Giovanni, Adriano 

GIRLS FINAL: SWEDEN CHAMPION

 La Svezia si aggiudica il trofeo, beffando una Svizzera sin qui perfetta. I rigori "tradiscono" proprio alcune delle giocatrici più brave e promettenti del torneo, che mostrano troppa tensione o troppa sfortuna al momento di calciare... Un rigore parato da entrambi i portieri e una palla sulla traversa fanno la differenza...

Sara P alzerà il trofeo e con lei tutta la squadra svedese.

BUONA ESTATE A TUTTE LE FANTASTICHE RAGAZZE CHE QUEST'ANNO HANNO RESO IL CAMPIONATO DIVERTENTE ED EMOZIONANTE!!!

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