Manchester Utd 2-1 Ajax

Esordio da tre punti per il favorito Manchester United di Yara (oggi purtroppo infortunata), anche se la prestazione non è esattamente da incorniciare. I due gol di Lucrezia, infatti, sono stati piuttosto fortunosi e la squadra non è riuscita a esprimere un gioco organizzato. Leila ha fatto ottima guardia in difesa, ma ancora non c'è stato dialogo tra centrocampisti e attaccanti. Sul fronte opposto Gaia, anche lei infortunata e schierata solo nel primo tempo, non ha saputo mettere in campo una squadra ordinata, lasciando  troppo spazio alle iniziative dei singoli: provvidenziale è stata Giulia, che ha evitato un parziale più pesante con molti interventi in difesa. Improponibile la scelta di sacrificare Allison in porta nel secondo tempo, quando la squadra era sotto per 2-0. La sconfitta è stata parzialmente attenuata dalla rivelazione Malena, autrice del gol olandese.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS: Giulia 8, Lucrezia 5, Leila 4,  Malena 4, Beatriz 2, Michelle 2, Allison 1, Sofia DM 1, Celeste 1.

Link to all Pictures of this season

Juventus 2-0 Chelsea

Pre-tournament favourites Chelsea suffered an early reverse in today's opener against Juventus, widely fancied before the tournament to finish in last place.
A surprise tactical move by Taro saw Juve line out with Federico in goal and Giuseppe outfield and it proved to be a shrewd choice. All through the match Giuseppe tackled, passed and dribbled with energy and purpose and it was his two goals that sealed the victory.
Chelsea had their chances too. Once in the first half and twice in the second, Jacopo was denied by an excellent Federico. But it was Juventus who dominated. Daniel in the first and Ale in the second showed why the G6 teams have been so successful this year. Good save from Peter too near the end.
BEST PLAYER POINTS: Daniel 8, Giuseppe 5, Taro 4, Ale N 4, Federico 2, Anthony 2, Raphael 1, Lorcan 1, Peter 1

Link to all Pictures of this season

Teachers 4-1 6A

Teacher's new star centre-forward rises high

After defeating 8V, 7P and 6M, the homeroom champions finally met their match today at Ambrit Stadium and were unable to overcome a determined and cynical staff team.
The students had the better chances in the first half but were unable to put the ball in the back of the net; Daniel was particularly impressive.
After the half-time break, the teachers began to take control. Nothing got past Nardi and he distributed the ball well. One of his passes found Mr Piccolo on the left and his perfectly-placed shot into the bottom corner put the Staff 1-0 ahead.

Mr Piccolo celebrates the crucial first goal

The teachers now poured forward but questions were being asked about their expensive new signing from Sweden - Mr Lottering - when he missed an excellent chance created by veteran striker Mr Antonio.
But all was well two minutes later when Lottering pounced on another chance to make it 2-0 and, minutes later, he made it 3-1, justifying his hefty price tag and cementing his place in the team.
A fourth goal was added by Mr Piccolo and the rivalry between Piccolo and Lottering for the number 9 shirt looks likely to continue for some time.

Mr Antonio fires a header just wide

Teachers celebrate Mr Lottering's second goal

FINAL: 7P 1-1 6A (6A win 4-3 after penalties)

The teams before kick-off

A wonderful game, worthy of the final, finished in dramatic circumstances at Ambrit Stadium today when 6A defeated 7P to become this year's Homeroom Champions.
Showing a maturity beyond their years, the younger players dominated the first half and took a deserved lead early on when Gavin showed himself more alert and more determined then the rest and shot his team in front.
7L did create opportunities but spurned them and arrived at the break 0-1 down.
In the second half, 7L came more and more into the game and always looked like scoring. But 6A were dangerous on the break and should have extended their lead but Peter made a couple of fantastic saves to keep his team in the game.

Aden scores his penalty but 7P loses

And thn 7P did finally equalise when Ale Z managed to control a ball, turn and shoot quickly into the bottom corner. No more goals were scored and the teams headed into an exciting penalty shoot-out which was decided by Daniel's fantastic save! SEE VIDEO BELOW!!

Ale Z lines up the equaliser!

Intramural Teams - published NOW!

Check them out on the pages above.

If your name is not there and you want to play, let us know immediately!

If your name is there and you DO NOT want to play, let us know immediately!

Victory for 6A!

 

Today's continuation of the epic penalty shoot-out between 6A and 6M finally threw up a winning team and 6A will now face 7P in an intriguing final on Wednesday.

WINNERS TO PLAY AGAINST TEACHERS!!

6A 2-2 6M

E' ancora un rebus il nome della seconda finalista di quest'anno, nel primo torneo delle Homerooms!
Il derby accesissimo di prima media è stato combattuto sul campo e nessuna delle due squadre è riuscita a prevalere. 2-2 il punteggio sul quale si è concluso il match, poi di nuovo il brivido dei rigori: pochi errori dal dischetto e una serie infinita che è stata interrotta dal'arbitro per limiti di tempo. Lunedì al primo break la serie ricomincerà: nervi saldi!

7G 2-2 7P (7P won penalty shoot-out)

A cracking derby today at Ambrit Stadium saw 7P prevail over their 7G rivals but it was close!

7G dominated the first half possession but created few chances. Nathan finally opened up teh 7G defence and put his team ahead but, not long after, Lapo played Nico through and he lobbed Giuseppe to equalise.
The second half was similar in many ways. Again it was Nathan who found a goal, squeezing a shot in at Bernardo's near post and again Lapo was involved in the equaliser: this time he scored it. Peter made a fantastic save in the penalty shoot-out; Ale buried the decisive kick.

6M 4-3 7L (after penalties)

Un'altra classe di prima media approda alle semifinali. Un'altra "giostra" dei rigori.
Tuttavia oggi la vittoria per la 6M sarebbe potuta e dovuta arrivare molto prima: la squadra capitanata da Alex ha giocato decisamente meglio, con rapidi passaggi a terra e molta velocità, sbagliando tuttavia troppe occasioni sotto porta. Sul fronte opposto - in realtà - la 7L è apparsa molto ben organizzata, con rapide puntate offensive, la voglia di cocludere spesso a rete e un portiere - Tiberio - in grande spolvero.
Ora le due semifinali si presentano come due interessantissimi derby: che vincano i migliori!

6A 7-1 8V

Grotesque, Unbelievable, Bizarre, Unprecedented!
Grade 6 put on a fantastic display to defeat the older team in today's quarter final.
G6 started well but wasted a lot of chances and it looked like they might pay for it when Edo P scored for 8V. But Daniel came out and equalised immediately and 6A quickly raced into an unassailable lead with more goals from Daniel (2 more), Antony, Michele, Jacopo and Gavin.

7G 2-2 8T (7G win on penalties)

The first surprise of the year was delivered by 7G as they fought back from a two-goal deficit to eliminate 8T.
The eighth graders went two goals ahead in the first half thanks to a double strike from Taro and the seventh graders seemed to be doomed.
But G8's turnover in the second half allowed 7G back into the game. Nico scored first and then Lucrezia to tie the game at 2-2. 7G held their nerve better in the penalty shoot-out, with Lapo saving one and scoring another to send his team through to a semi-final derby with 7P!

7P 5-0 6R

Grade 6 are at a disadvantage this year, having been divided into three homerooms with only 14 students in each. 7P took full advantage.
Adapting quickly to the 4-touch rule, Nathan put his team 2-0 up  before half time and the rout was completed later on with goals from Giuseppe (2) and Alessandro.
Senai led his team well, turned up everywhere on the pitch but was fighting a losing battle.
7P picked up two yellow cards (Aden, Alessandro) and will need to be careful later on.

Homeroom Challenge Cup

In preparation for  the first Intramural League of the year, we will run this exciting annual competition between the homerooms.

MATCHES WILL BE ON THE BIG PITCH FROM 13.00 – 13.30

Quarter Finals

Wed 07 Sep 7P vs 6R

Thur 08 Sep 7G vs 8T

Fri 09 Sep 6A vs 8V  

                     

Wed 14 Sep 7L vs 6M

Semi Finals

Thur 15 Sep SF1

Fri 16 Sep SF2

Final

Wed 21 Sep Final

Fri 28 Sep Winners vs Teachers!

RULES

Grade 6 can have 9 players on the pitch

Grade 7 can have 8 players on the pitch

Grade 8 can have 7 players on the pitch

MINIMUM OF THREE GIRLS ON THE PITCH AT ALL TIMES FOR ALL TEAMS

ONLY FOUR TOUCHES ALLOWED ON THE BALL

Teachers 2-1 Grade eight

Without their talismanic top scorer (Mr Calento: injured) but with new signing Mr Nardin, the teachers held the 8th graders at bay and secured a precious win to remain unbeaten this year.
With Mr Nardi back in the team and controlling the midfield, the teachers took the lead when Mr Piccolo controlled a ball on his chest, turned in mid-air and volleyed past a stunned Andrew - a goal that Mr Gilbody was later to describe as 'breath-taking'!
The students did not lose hope and, following a defensive mix-up, Ramnath planted a perfectly-placed shot past new Dynamo Kiev signing, Mr Mallary.
In the second half, the eight graders brought on the 'big guns': Sasha, Francesco and Sam. After some promising moves early on and a couple of shots from Sasha however, the threat fizzled out, except for the constant menace of Francesco in the air.
Then Mr Nardi struck with the teachers' second goal and the teachers 'closed up shop', defended their lead resolutely and live to fight another year!

Teachers 3-1 Grade 7

After yesterday's close call versus G6, the teachers played their way slowly into this one and ran out convincing winners in the end.
After a scoreless first half, the Calento-Piccolo partnership woke up and, in the space of 10 decisive minutes, cracked in 3 goals (2 Piccolo, 1 Calento).
G7 never really recovered. A late Edo P goal gave them a glimmer of hope but the glimmer faded as the seconds ticked away and 3-1 was the final score.
Man of the Match: Teacher's goalkeeper, Mr Mallary 

Teachers 4-4 Grade Six

A match that swung first one way and then the other finally finished in an exciting draw amid chaotic scenes, with Ale writhing in agony after Mr Piccolo accidentally clipped his standing foot on the half-way line.
The teachers survived the opening skirmishes and Mr Antonio, though not yet fully fit, put them 1-0 up with typically well-taken goal.
Nathan equalised when he found himself alone on the left and he kept his head to slot neatly past Dynamo Kiev's newly signed goalkeeper, Mr Mallary.
Mr Piccolo restored the teachers' lead but, again, it didn't last: Matilde followed up on a loose ball and shot home confidently to balance the books.
The teachers captured the lead yet again after another 5 minutes: Ambrit's all-time record goalscorer - Mr Antonio - stretched to reach a corner from the left and directed his header into the net. The Staff looked home and dry when Mr Piccolo struck again to make it 4-2 but Grade 6 bounced back late on: Niccolo' scored a brace to tie the game.

ANSPI: Ambrit Crowned Regional Champions

Ambrit's 'Aspiranti' team were crowned Regional Champions of Lazio after coming out on top at last Thursday's regional finals.
Ambrit lost their first match 2-3 against Parrochia San Girolamo but PSG then went on to lose 3-2 against San Francesco Rieti.
This all meant that Ambrit could finish as champions if they could hold their nerve and defeat Rieti by more than one goal... and the team responded to the challenge magnificently!
They flew into a 3-0 lead and then defended it stoically, including a fantastic penalty save from Peter.
Bellaria and the National Finals, here we come!

SOUTHLANDS TOURNAMENT: Ambrit Boys take First Place

Ambrit got off to a great start, beating Southlands A (disguised as Southlands B), an Aden goal sealing the victory.

Next up was St George's and Ambrit won again, the only goal of the game coming from Sasha.

The third group game finished 13-0 against Southlands A (B!) and Ambrit went on to contest the final against their traditional rivals: St George's.

After a bad start where Ambrit went 0-1 down, the team recovered and eventually ran out 4-1 winners. 

TEAM: Michael, Andrew, Laith, Sasha, Aden, Giovanni, Nicholas, Sam, Matteo, Noah

BOYS' FINAL: Sweden 4-1 Italy

Italy took too many touches in defence, failed to clear their lines and paid a heavy price early on. Sweden were organized, direct and imposed themselves physically - though often illegally (3 bookings and a red card) on their smaller opponents.
Sam opened the scoring, Noah Gallo made it 2-0 and Sam - off a well-flighted cross from Manfredi - made it 3-0. The first two goals were due in large part to sloppy defending and, for the third, Sam went unchallenged. Michael added a fourth before half time.
During all this, Italy tried to play good football but their last pass was often less than perfect and Giovanni mopped up many of them with cool positional play.
In the second half, Italy controlled the game and made more chances. Giuseppe scored and could have scored a second but blasted high. Matteo made some good driving runs from the back, Lapo was a dynamo in midfield and Lucrezia and Niccolo' were always dangerous.
BEST PLAYERS POINTS: Giovanni 5, Noah 4, Giuseppe 4, Sam 2, Matteo 1, Lapo 1, Tanner 1, Manfredi 1, Federico 1, Michael 1

INTRAMURAL FINALS: Girls' 1st Place - England 3 - 1 Germany

L'epilogo del torneo femminile non ha riservato molte sorprese: ha visto la squadra più forte, più organizzata e talentuosa, insomma più squadra. Nulla hanno potuto le individualità delle pur brave Lucrezia, Giulia, Beatriz, Lucie, Jean...
La "corazzata" inglese ha retto bene nel primo tempo, quando - lo ricordiamo - Lucrezia ha colpito due clamorose traverse, che avrebbero forse cambiato il volto della partita; pian piano ha preso fiducia e, al primo affondo di Margarida, è andata in vantaggio. Nella ripresa la Germania ha trovato la rete del momentaneo pareggio con Beatriz, ma il nuovo vantaggio di Margarida e la splendida rete di una caparbia Allison hanno spento definitivamente i sogni tedeschi. Bene come al solito Raffa in difesa, ben supportata da Leila ed Eilidh. Implacabile Marga, che con questa doppietta di aggiudica il trofeo del miglior realizzatore.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS:
Allison 6, Lucrezia 4, Lucie 2, Margarida 2, Raffaella 2, Giulia 1, Beatriz 1, Eilidh 1.

INTRAMURAL FINALS: Boys' Third Place - Ireland 3-3 France

Trascinata da un ottimo Francesco R., l'Irlanda prima domina, poi subisce, infine recupera un match che sembrava perso e approda ai rigori... Questa in sintesi la partita vista all'Ambrit Arena mercoledì scorso.
Nella Francia Sasha-centrica non ci sono grandi azioni da segnalare, tranne i monologhi di Sasha, che hanno annoiato il pubblico e reso furiosi i suoi compagni di squadra. Bravo Aden a trovarsi nel posto giusto al momento giusto e piazzare le due reti del momentaneo vantaggio.
Molto più organizzata l'Irlanda, che ha mostrato un buon dialogo di squadra e una maggiore fluidità della manovra, soccombendo tuttavia alle individualità della Francia.

Ireland won Thursday's Penalty Shoot-out 8-7!

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS:
Francesco 4, Aden 2, Sasha 1.

ANSPI: Aspiranti Final - Ambrit 1-3 Monaco

Played on a tight pitch (a pity and a handicap to Ambrit's footballers), the final did not go Ambrit's way: here are the live reports from our correspondent...

10': 2-0 for Monaco, both goals scored in the same minute.....

15': 1st half is over. Still 2-0 for Monaco. Ambrit needs to play the ball more, all the goalie rinvii are going to the opposite side of the field which not very helpful on a 5-a-side field.

30': End of second half. Ambrit is dominating but they haven't taken one shot. They're still taking too many long and useless goalie rinvii. Let's pray that in these next 15 minutes they can do something!

35': Ambrit scored!! (Goal by Gavin)... but so did Monaco: so 3-1.....

45': Game over (beaten... but they're still going to Ostia!

Ambrit 7-2 St George's

As always, the keen rivalry between these teams spiced up the match but, fresh from their Garda experience, Ambrit's superior passing opened up the opposition and goals from Sasha (4), Nicholas, Noah and Alex won the tie easily in the end.

Med Cup 2016: The Boys

Day 1

The Med cup got off to a tough start for the Ambrit boys as they faced a very strong team from Riyadh, the Ambrit team were still asleep as they conceded three goals in rapid succession within the first few minutes. It looked like the tournament might open with a massacre but after the ball hit the net for the third time the Ambrit team suddenly came to life. Laith, Giovanni and Francesco in the Ambrit defense began to get the better of the Riyadh team and the focus of play shifted up the field. What followed was a tense and hard fought match with Ambrit holding the majority of the possession, there was constant pressure on the Riyadh defense but Ambrit could not get a breakthrough so they opened their campaign with a defeat.

This performance set the mood for the rest of the day, Ambrit were tough and fought hard but were not always able to get the goals they needed. Against Bucharest International school Ambrit controlled the game and were only seriously threatened once when Zeno pulled off an excellent save, diving to his right and palming the ball away. Francesco’s head seemed to be a magnet for the ball, any attempt by the opposition to launch a ball towards the Ambrit area was met by a solid header back down the field where the ball would be inevitably collected by Sasha, Michael, Noah or Sam. However Ambrit could not convert their superiority into goals, in the end they were lucky to scrape a 1-0 win thanks to a Bucharest own goal.

Noah and Francesco scored a goal each in an excellent 2-0 win against the Geneva La Chataigneraie team, in this match Ambrit looked like a much stronger team as they started to find their form. The Geneva side had performed well up to this point in the competition and there was some apprehension in the team before the match but it proved unfounded as Ambrit cruised to a comfortable win.

Casablanca was in many ways the most frustrating game of the whole tournament for Ambrit, the two teams were level on points when they met and on paper they looked evenly matched however when the match started it became clear that Ambrit were the stronger team, the pushed Casablanca back and piled on the pressure until thanks to a moment of carelessness they were caught by counter attack and went 1-0 down. Ambrit hit chances over the bar and wide of the post and had several good attempts stopped by some excellent goalkeeping from the Casablanca keeper until Sasha scored a scorching long shot to bring the teams level.

Ambrit finished the first day of the tournament second in their group behind Riyadh level on points with Casablanca but ahead on goal difference. As a result of the other group matches Ambrit went into the Med Cup Champions competition for the rest of the tournament.

Day 2

Ambrit started day 2 with a very similar performance against BIS Cairo as day 1 against Riyadh, while still half asleep they rapidly conceded 2 goals before the game had really got going and after that it was always going to be an uphill struggle. Although both teams contested possession of the ball fairly evenly Ambrit lacked the attacking edge of the Cairo team and as a result went down by four goals to 1 with only Nicholas salvaging some pride for the team.

Monaco proved to be much less of a challenge as the Ambrit boys really started to get into their stride, Francesco opened the scoring with an excellent goal then the floodgates opened Nicholas scored a hat trick and Michael got a goal too as Ambrit proved to be too strong for the monaco team. In the end the game finished with a 5-2 victory for Ambrit.

Jeddah Prep’s A team was a very different proposition, their speed in attack allowed them to score early in the game and Ambrit began their attempt to even a deficit. Their focus on leveling the score led to a several dangerous counter attacks by the quick and dangerous Jeddah wingers until late in the game they scored again and the game finished with a disappointing 2-0 loss.

The result of these matches meant that Ambrit contested the Champions competition Silver semifinal against Wesgreen school on the afternoon of day 2.

The match against Wesgreen was the pinnacle of the tournament for the Ambrit team, they started strongly and never looked back, Sasha opened the scoring with an outstanding solo goal, he dribbled past half of the Wesgreen team and unleashed a fearsome shot into the bottom right corner of the goal. After that Ambrit showed how well they can play, Wesgreen was a good team who so far had done well in the tournament but they were completely opened up by fast, accurate passing. One twos between Noah, Sasha, Matteo and Michael as well as dangerous runs in behind the defence by Nicholas and a completely solid defense from Matteo, Andrew, Giovanni and Laith contributed to an excellent performance, Ramnath came on and looked dangerous, his pace and quick feet causing problems for the Casablanca defence. But the game really belonged to Sam.

He skipped around opposition players with ease, ran at the defense and caused them all kinds of problems and his single minded pursuit of goals led to the next three of Ambrit’s. The first was a crisp shot that the goalkeeper could do little but push away presenting Noah with an easy tap in. The second was an excellent run but he was unable to find the angle to pass the goalkeeper and was forced to pass across the face of the goal where the arriving Sasha buried it in the net. The third, a curling shot towards the corner was deflected away by a defender straight to Noah’s head which placed it directly into the goal.

The victory against Wesgreen put Ambrit through to the Silver Final which was a rematch against Casablanca on the morning of day 3. This time there were no mistakes, Ambrit played almost as well as they had against Wesgreen and two outstanding individual goals from Sasha secured the trophy. Casablanca were overcome by the same quick passing football and confident possession football that Ambrit displayed towards the end of the competition. 

(Huge thank you to Martin Leavy for this comprehensive report!).

MedCup 2016: a great experience

Le nostre ragazze sono appena tornate dalla Mediterranean Cup, un torneo di calcio per scuole internazionali che si tiene ogni anno a Verona. Anche quest'anno la partecipazione è stata massiccia, con 46 squadre da 17 nazioni diverse.
Nella categoria femminile a contendersi il titolo c'erano ben 17 squadre.
La nostra squadra, con buone potenzialità, ha avuto delle difficoltà iniziali ad adattarsi al terreno di gioco (il torneo è su erba, non su sintetico) e a giocare con la consueta scioltezza; nonostante la grande vittoria contro la ISSR Stockholm e la sconfitta di misura contro le fortissime Spagnole di Sotogrande, l'Ambrit ha "gettato via la qualificazione alla categoria elite con il pareggio con il Cairo e l'immeritata sconfitta contro la Casablanca AS.
Il secondo giorno è iniziato con un ritmo assai diverso: 4 vittorie su 4 partite e qualificazione strameritata alla semifinale di categoria champions. Purtroppo il semifinale è arrivata la sconfitta 0-1 contro la selezione veneta VISSTA e l'Ambrit si è dovuta accontentare del terzo posto, arrivato in finale contro la squadra di Monaco, battuta 5-0.
Al termine del torneo la nostra Lucrezia è stata premiata come miglior giocatrice della categoria champions.

Questo torneo può insegnare molto alle nostre ragazze, alcune delle quali ancora in prima media: ritmo di gioco, risparmio delle energie, allenamento tattico e fisico. Tutti fattori da non sottovalutare per una prossima partecipazione. Brave!

AMBRIT PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT: Raffaella.

Primary Soccer News

Well done to our Primary School teams who competed in two tournaments recently and made the semi-finals each time. A big thank you to Southlands and New School for hosting the events and to Giulia and Matteo for coaching the teams so successfully.

AND TALKING OF SUCCESS....!!
Miss Giulia has once again brought her 'aspiranti' team to the regional final of the ANSPI tournament. In a competition involving 16 teams, this is a fantastic achievement and we hope that there will be lots of parents and students present at the final to cheer them on! The final will be played at TBA on TBA.

Meanwhile Mr Matteo is also bringing the 'scarabocchio' season to a successful end. Having qualified for the Europa League, the G3/4 team has won their first play-off match 4-1 against Vigna Pia. For more details, see the ANSPI page on this blog.

SSS Cup 2016

Sabato scorso le ragazze dell'Ambrit hanno partecipato al torneo annuale organizzato dal Liceo St. Stephen's di Roma. È stato un ottimo allenamento in vista della Mediterranean Cup di Aprile, soprattutto perché era un confronto decisamente impegnativo, visto che a partecipare erano solo licei internazionali, quindi era possibile che ci fossero anche 6 anni di distanza tra le nostre e le altre ragazze. 6 anni di età, fisico, esperienza... beh, che dire? Le nostre ragazze, dopo il timore iniziale, si sono fatte valere e hanno strappato una vittoria e un pareggio su quattro partite disputate! Le uniche sconfitte sono arrivate contro la St. Stephen's, squadra di qualità ed esperienza, e contro le vincitrici del Marlvern College in Inghilterra.
Un grazie enorme ai nostri portieroni, Lucrezia e Anastasia, che hanno accettato di rimettersi in gioco e hanno compiuto interventi di grande importanza in tutte le partite.
Un grandissimo applauso alle nostre, piccole e grandi, che hanno combattuto con grinta (vincitrici per distacco in questo senso), con coraggio e con buona tecnica. In particolare hanno impressionato le "piccole" ma tostissime Giulia e Matilde, insieme alla "veterana" Raffaella.

PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT: Matilde.

Ambrit Primary team take Third Place out of 16 teams at St George's!

On saturday march 12th Ambrit grade 4 and 5 soccer team participated in the annual St georges tournament competing against 16 teams from various international schools of Rome. It was a beautiful sunny morning and the boys were all very excited and eager to play. The formation saw a flexible Goalie, Joel weil, who occasionally helped in the middle of the field; a strong defence with Elias El zabri, Claudio and Diego Lindeman and Gavyn Cianni holding the middle; an exceptional and steady mid field made up of alex Delve in the middle, daniel simunec and Michele di penta on the sides; and an always ready attack with alioune sarr, Riccardo di Fabio and Julian frazier.We started off with a tie and then followed with 5 consecutive wins. The Ambrit team made it to semifinals but unfortunately lost to New school. Our final game was against the german school to compete for  third place. It was a tight game, infact to take the 3rd placement cup home we had to go through a very nervewracking shoot out. Finally the hard work paid off and the Ambrit team placed itself third amongst 16 teams, bringing home a cup and lots of joy. Great job boys! Well Done Miss Giulia!

Italy 3-2 Ireland

In today's 'practice match' for this summer's European Championship clash, Italy came out on top after a feisty performance.
The Italians' passing game was working and the early patterns that they weaved made an opening for Niccolo' to score the opening goal.
Earlier, Sasha had a good shot turned wide by Gabriele and then Giuseppe saved the Italians with a header off the line.
Italy started strongly again in the second half; Gabriele played a pass down the left to give Nathan the chance to make it 2-0. Niccolo' almost made it 3-0 a couple of minuets later; Andrew saved well but was helpless when Niccolo' shot again three minutes later to make it 3-0.
Ireland fought back though and Aden pulled a goal back when Giuseppe could only palm Zeno's shot weakly to the left. Andrew then made it 3-2 but the Irish ran out of time and Italy took the points.
BEST PLAYER POINTS: Niccolo' 6, Gabriele 4, Giuseppe 4, Lapo 2, Nathan 2, Aden 1, Sasha 1, Jacopo 1

Germany 2-2 Portugal

Finalmente un meritatissimo punto per il Portogallo, che sfiora l'impresa dopo essere andato in vantaggio e aver sbagliato addirittura un rigore nel finale di partita. La Germania, già qualificata per la finalissima del 5 maggio, si rilassa un pochino e viene salvata dal talento di Lucrezia, autrice oggi di una doppietta. In campo molte ragazze hanno mostrato determinazione e una crescita tecnica che fino a poche settimane fa sembrava solo una chimera: Celeste, Grace, Fatou, Saya e soprattutto Jean sono migliorate moltissimo e hanno offerto - insieme alle "solite note" - uno spettacolo godibilissimo.
Molte le assenze e le sostituzioni, che rendono difficile il giudizio della commissione Intramural...

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS:
Lucrezia 4, Jean 4, Celeste 3, Grace 2, Beatriz 1, Saya 1, Fatou 1, Mia 1, Ginevra 1

England 4-0 Portugal

Un'Inghilterra moooolto rimaneggiata, sconfigge nettamente il Portogallo, ormai certamente fuori dai giochi, per quanto riguarda il torneo femminile di quest'anno e la possibile qualificazione per la finale. Margarida e compagne mandano invece un segnale forte e chiaro alla Germania: un 4-0 che non ammette molte repliche e qualificazione ottenuta.
Veniamo al match : la partita ha avuto un andamento piuttosto equilibrato, ma il Portogallo - abbastanza solido in difesa, come in altre occasioni - è stato carente in fase organizzativa e soprattutto conclusiva. L'Inghilterra invece ha sfruttato bene le doti di velocità e di tiro di Margarida e l'ottimo momento di forma di Matilde, onnipresente in ogni zona del campo.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS:
Matilde 5, Margarida 4, Chiara 3, Celeste 3, Leila 1, Ginevra 1, Saya 1, Fatou 1, Gaia 1, Mia 1.

Ambrit Girls 7-2 Southlands Girls

La mattinata fredda e la notizia dell'assenza per febbre di Raffaella mettono subito di malumore il Mister. Ma è solo un attimo, non c'è il tempo per le indecisioni: 5 minuti di riscaldamento e via, tutte in campo. La scelta di tenere fuori dall'inizio Lucrezia mette un poco in difficoltà la squadra dell'Ambrit, incapace mentalmente di organizzarsi e credere nella netta superiorità tecnica e fisica sulle avversarie (per la verità, piuttosto brave). Dopo una fase di studio, ecco che l'ingresso di Lucrezia coincide con la prima rete, bellissima, in scivolata. Le avversarie diventano più aggressive e trovano il pareggio quasi immediato. Tuttavia la squadra Ambrit reagisce bene e si porta nuovamente in vantaggio con un potente tiro di Margarida. In difesa Celeste e Leila fanno ottima guardia e le nostre dilagano, con un'altra rete ciascuna per Lucrezia e Marga. 4-1. Le nostre si "rilassano" ancora, il Mister inserisce forze giovani e la Southlands accorcia nuovamente sul 4-2. Si va all'intervallo. Allison, bravissima a centrocampo, si accomoda in porta e Matilde entra in campo. La musica non cambia, tranne che per il risultato: altri tre gol e punteggio finale di 7-2. Un risultato netto e mai in discussione, che ci fa ben sperare per i prossimi impegni.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Leila.

Sweden 4-1 Italy

Italy, who until now had impressed with two good wins, were never in today's game and suffered a comprehensive defeat at the hands of a dominant Swedish team.
Giovanni set up his team very well and, early on, Manfredi was denied first by a post and then by Giuseppe in goal before he finally succeeded in breaking the deadlock.
Sam followed up with two well-taken goals before half time, putting himself ahead again in the Top Scorer competition. Italy kept trying but the Swedish back line of Giovanni, Ramnath and Tristan was cool, calculating and impregnable.
The addition of Lucrezia to the Italian team in the second half gave them a few more attacking options and possession was shared more equally, but it was Sweden who scored yet again when Manfredi's snapshot went in after a slight deflection. Giuseppe helped to keep the score down with good saves from Sam and Manfredi and Sam also saw a shot rebound of the bar.
Italy finally scored a consolation goal at the end through Niccolo'.
BEST PLAYER POINTS: Manfredi 5, Giovanni 3, Giuseppe 3, Ramnath 2, Noah 2, Tristan 1, Sam 1, Federico 1, Nathan 1, Lapo 1, Niccolo' 1

England 3-0 Portugal

Molto bello il match di oggi, combattuto e vivo a dispetto del punteggio così rotondo, che di sicuro non rende giustizia agli sforzi del Portogallo di rimanere in partita. All'inizio infatti il vantaggio delle Inglesi con Matilde, abile a battere il portiere con il piatto forte e preciso dopo la respinta su calcio d'angolo, aveva dato l'impressione di una partita a senso unico. Le Portoghesi invece, grintose e ben messe in campo, hanno reagito con veemenza sfiorando il gol con Mia, il cui tiro è rimbalzato violentemente sulla traversa. Nel secondo tempo ancora un lampo dell'imprendibile Margarida ha portato l'Inghilterra sul 2-0 e ancora una volta la sfortuna ha fatto il resto: la bella conclusione di Gaia si è stampata sul palo. Quasi in risposta al detto "gol mangiato, gol subìto" è arrivata la terza e ultima rete, dai piedi di Margarida, che con questa doppietta affianca Lucrezia in testa alla classifica marcatori. Ottime prove a centrocampo per Matilde e Allison, sempre solidissima Raffaella, ben supportata da Leila. Sul fronte portoghese bella prestazione di Gaia e di Fatou; superlativa la prova di Celeste, oggi onnipresente in tutte le zone del campo.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH POINTS:
Celeste 5, Matilde 4, Margarida 4, Allison 2, Fatou 2, Gaia 2, Raffaella 1, Leila 1.

France 1-1 Ireland

Les Bleus dominated the first half but struggled to get shots on target. Francesco R finally made room from 20m out and blasted an accurate shot past Zeno. Francesco R then played Guerrino in with a beautiful pass but Guerrino, later to be sent off, missed the opportunity.
Ireland re-grouped at half-time and came back strongly. Sasha peppered Peter with shots from distance but the G6 keeper was equal to all of them. The Irish equaliser finally came from another long throw which turned into a goalmouth scramble: ideal conditions for Zehni junior to poke home a messy goal.
Final word for the girls who played today: Celeste, Matilde and Giulia; outstanding performances from all, especially Giulia.
BEST PLAYER POINTS: Francesco C 5, Francesco R 4, Peter 4, Bernardo 2, Edo J 2, Sasha 2, Zeno 1, Aden 1

France 3-3 Spain

In their final match of the qualifiers, Spain finally managed to put a point on the board with a stirring second half comeback.
The first half belonged to France and two fine goals from Francesco R and a third from Ale Z early in the second half seemed to have condemned Spain to a fourth consecutive defeat.
But Lucrezia - one of today's guest players - ignited a comeback when she fired in from a difficult angle after Peter was caught out of position. Ascanio followed up with a second goal (to shouts of Viva il Parziale!!?? from the sideline) and Taro completed the comeback with an excellent goal following a long solo run past three defenders.
One final note: though not eleigible for votes, Raffaella would clearly be a strong competitior for today's Player of the Match: Bravissima!
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Francesco R 6, Taro 5, Alessandro 4, Nicholas 3, Ascanio 3

England 2 - 2 Germany

Un buon match all'Ambrit Arena, sotto gli occhi increduli di un ex-studente particolarmente entusiasta di vedere l'ottima tecnica delle nostre ragazze. Un match perfettamente spaccato a metà: una prima parte dominata dalla Germania, capace di passare per due volte (la seconda direttamente sul bel calcio d'angolo di Lucrezia); una seconda metà in cui l'Inghilterra ha recuperato e ha rischiato di vincere nel finale, grazie alle reti di Matilde e Marga.
Brave le Inglesi a crederci fino alla fine, un po' di rammarico invece dalla parte tedesca per l'atteggiamento - forse troppo difensivo - del secondo tempo...

PLAYER OF THE MACTH POINTS:
 Lucrezia 4, Matilde 3, Giulia 3, Helèna 2, Marga 2, Allison 2, Beatriz 1, Eilidh 1, Raffaella 1, Leila 1, Lucie 1, Lea 1.

Sweden 6-2 Spain

Spain suffered another heavy defeat today. Though they rallied towards the end, they spent much of the match in disarray and are certain candidates to miss out on qualification.
Sam opened the scoring with a good diagonal shot off Michael's assist and Michael nabbed the second one himself, nipping in from the right corner to slip the ball past Taro.
In the second half, Taro scored an OG to make it 3-0 and then Noah scored the best goal of the game after a lovely sequence of one twos with Sam and Giovanni. Noah scored again to make it 5-0.
Spain's vain resurgence saw goals from Nicholas and Ascanio but a final goal from Sam sealed the victory. Congratulations to Giovanni on a very well organised team where everybody knew their job and did it well.
BEST PLAYER POINTS: Noah 4, Manfredi 3, Ramnath 3, Sam 3, Michael 2, Giovanni 2, Tristan 1, Laith 1, Thomas 1, Taro 1

England 0-0 Germany

The girls finally took to the field again and produced a good game which was not, however, adorned with goals.
For England, Eilidh and Margarida tried to pass the ball through midfield and Margarida's pace up front was always a threat. For Germany, Lucrezia and Lucie matched them step for step, ably backed up by Helena. Defences were solid, impregnable; goalkeepers were sure and steady.
BEST PLAYER POINTS: Lucrezia 3 Marga 3, Lucie 2, Raffa 2, Helena 2, Giuia 2,  Eilidh 2, Leila 1, Beatriz 1, Lea 1, Yara 1, Allison 1

Ireland 3-4 Sweden

An unexpected reverse for the Boys in Green today in this rehearsal for next summer's showdown in France.
Zeno and Sam traded goals early on and an own-goal for each side kept the scores level. Another goal for Sam was equalised by a beautiful strike from Sasha but Sam too pulled a beautiful strike out of the hat to score the winner late on.
BEST PLAYER POINTS: Sam 4, Sasha 3, Aden 2, Ramnath 2, Noah 2, Andrew 2, Tanner 2, Manfredi 1 (Y), Falco 1, Finnian 1, Tiberio, 1

Italy 3-0 Spain

An in-form Nathan made the difference in this game as Italy collected three more points.
Nathan opened the scoring after 5 minutes when he cut inside on the left and found the best route to goal with a blind-side shot that gave the keeper no chance. Niccolo had a good chance on 8 minutes but Ascanio saved well.
Spain, withoout some of their best players, battled well and kept their opponents to 1-0 until the seventh minute of the second half. Alex stopped a good shot from Gabriele andNathan hit the post when Gabriele found him with a good diagonal pass. Nathan then did score to make it 2-0 and Nico made it three.
BEST PLAYER POINTS: Nathan 5, Gabriele 4, Jacopo 3, Laith 3, Niccolo 1, Giuseppe 1, Thomas 1, Ascanio 1, Lapo 1, Federico 1, 

France 2-1 Sweden

With last season's Top Scorer (Sam) and Best Player (Ramnath) in their ranks, Sweden were favourites to win this one today but Guerrino's French team pulled off a gutsy win.
Ale Z put les bleus ahead after 6 minutes when a defensive mistake put him through and Michael was slow to close him down. Ale should have made it 2-0 seconds later he shot over. France then paid the price when Manfredi slotted home an equaliser.
In the second half, Sweden almost went ahead. A neat passing move starting from Tristan, went through Noah and finished up at Sam but he missed the shot. Sam then put Noah in but Peter tipped the shot over. The French defense was solid, thanks also to brilliant displays from Raffaella and Celeste.
With only seconds to go, Francesco turned on a ball and volleyed an unstoppable shot into the opposite corner from the edge of the area.
BEST PLAYER POINTS: Francesco R 9, Pietu 2, Ramnath 2, Noah 1, Sam 1, Tristan 1, Guerrino 1, Alessandro 1, Francesco C 1, Peter 1, Manfredi 1

Ambrit Boys Come Second in January Tournament

Ambrit entered a G5 and G6 team in today's tournament at Ambrit Stadium.
The G5 team played with a lot of spirit and held their older rivals from G6 to a 1-0 win. Lapo scored the winning goal.
G6 had started the morning off with 0-2 loss to St. George's and, quite frankly, they played badly. It should have been a higher score but Peter played really well.
But they made up for it later!
Buoyed by their derby win, they then dismantled an older team from Southlands with three goals from Manfredi, Nathan and then Manfredi again with a stunning lob over the goalkeeper from 30 meters out: un capolavoro! Nathan had a fantastic match. He teased his opponents with the ball, dragging them out of position and then delivered his killer passes.
This win put them into the final against St George's and they played much, much better than in the earlier match. Aden played a stormer in defence again and, at the end, just one goal separated the teams.
TEAM: Peter; Federico, Aden, Bernardo; Lapo, Nathan, Alessandro; Manfredi, Lucrezia 

Ireland 2-0 Spain

Favoured by a lacklustre Spain and an Irish referee, Finian's team scored two goals in the first half which were enough to capture the three points.
Sasha scored the first, Zeno the second and, despite a lot of well-intentioned huffing and puffing, the game was devoid of other highlights.
BEST PLAYER POINTS: Ascanio 5, Taro 4, Zeno 3, Edo R 3, Sasha 2, Thomas 1, Finian 1, Aden 1, Alex 1

Germany 3-1 Portugal

World Champions Germany overcame their Iberian opponents by dominating possession, taking their chances and defending very well.
Lucie put Lucrezia through for the opening goal and Jaan put Lucie through for the second.
Gaia could have pulled one back before half time but Beatriz made a great save.
Lucrezia practically killed off the game with a quick goal just after half time but Portugal, to be fair, never gave up.
After near misses from Mia (wide), Ginevra (wide), Gaia (over), Ginevra again (over), it was Celeste who finally scored the consolation goal. At the other end, Germany continued to attack and Helena came closest to a fourth goal.
BEST PLAYER POINTS: Lucrezia 4, Gaia 3, Lucie 3, Ginevra 2, Beatriz 2, Grace 2, Giulia 2, Celeste 1 , Lea 1, Juna 1,

Italy 2-1 France

The first half was a stormer and Italy should have scored, but Peter in the French goal made a series of five excellent saves to keep them out - two from Lapo, two from Niccolo' and one from Nathan. Then, in the time honoured tradition of gol mancato, gol subito, Italy were caught napping on a corner and Francesco R nipped in at the near post to put France 1-0 up.
Italy finally equalised in the second half when Gabriele made space for a shot and kept it low past Peter. Francesco R was unlucky not to restore his side's lead, but his well-struck shot came thumping back off the post.
Italy then stole the points when Nathan dribbled through the middle of the French defence and shot home.
BEST PLAYER POINTS: Peter 5, Jacopo 4, Francesco R 4, Lapo 3, Nathan 2, Gabriele 1, Guerrino 1, Bernardo 1

Teachers 2-0 Grade 8

The teachers maintained their 100% record with their third victory of the week. Against a strong-looking G8, Mr. Kisling broke the deadlock. He collected the ball with his back to goal, turned well, drifted past two defenders and scored low into the opposite corner: textbook stuff.
Noah Gallo had his team's first real chance when he found space on the right but Mr. Griffiths closed him down quickly. Sasha too made a good chance for himself. He cut inside and unleashed a good shot but Ms. Cianni got her body bravely in the way. Sasha then headed past his own goalkeeper and his team was in trouble.
But G8 had a glimmer of hope when Ms Cianni handled in her own area. Sam stepped up to take the penalty. He placed it well but Mr 'Cat' Blake sprang explosively to his right and pulled off a fantastic save.
Noah had another chance from the left late on but Mr Blake saved this one too and the teachers wrapped up the win.
BEST PLAYERS: Mr Blake; Sasha

Transfer Market: 2

The girls got their chance to spend some money today and, not surprisingly, Lucrezia fetched the highest price at 68 million: see Teams page for all the news.

Germany	Portugal	England
Jaan	Fatou	Eilidh
Beatriz	Marcela	Antonella
Lea	Chiara	Leila
Juna	Grace	Yara
Lucrezia	Ginevra	Raffaella
Giulia	Mia	Margarida
Lucie	Celeste	Matilde
Helena	Gaia	Allison
	Saya

Transfer Market

After an exciting January transfer window which saw Sasha being bought for a record price of 71 million euro, Francesco R for 40m and Gabriele for 30m, the teams are now all set for the Spring Intramural: see calendar page. Goalkeepers Ascanio (37m) and Peter (30m) were also expensive buys and each of the captains will be looking to their new star players to shine!

Italy	Ireland	France	Spain	Sweden
Jacopo	Finnian	Guerrino	Alex	Giovanni
Matteo	Zeno	Matthew	Nicholas	Tanner
Max	Edo J	AnZhe	Thomas	Pietu
Lapo	Tiberio	Bernardo	Edo P	Manfredi
Federico	Falco	Francesco R	Jerry	Ramnath
Gabriele	Aden	Francesco C	Taro	Michael
Nathan	Sasha	Peter	Ascanio	Noah
Niccolo’	Andrew	Alessandro	Laith	Sam
Giuseppe			Edo R