Italy created true magic at the FIFA U-20 World Cup, defeating Brazil 3-2 in the opening match of the competition. Our team beat the South American champions of the category at the Malvinas Argentinas stadium in Mendoza Argentina). The Azzurri were masterful against an opponent with an enormous technical and competitive range, an expression of a school that traditionally produces talent on an ongoing basis and that must always be feared.
The boys from CT Carmine Nunziata gave up three precious points and took the lead in group D along with Nigeria, who had thrashed the Dominican Republic 1-0 in the afternoon. The Africans will be the next opponents of our standard bearers in a couple of days. Italy is on the right track to qualify for the round of 16, which will be attended by the top two of the six groups and the four best third-placed teams. It should be remembered that the World Cup reserved for under-20s returns to the calendar four years after the last edition, when the Azzurri were fourth after winning the bronze medal in 2017.
Our team solved the problem in the first half to the limit of perfection, scoring three goals in 24 minutes and dazzle gold and green with a truly captivating, imaginative, precise, tonic and incisive game. Marco Prati opened the scoring in the eleventh minute (SPAL midfielder), very adept at entering the far post and finishing after captain Cesare Casadei headed in a cross from Ricardo Turicchia (Juventus defender). At that moment he gets up to his own chair. Cesar CasadeiChelsea and Reading player, who scored a marvelous double: in the 24th minute he headed in an excellent corner from Thomas Baldanzi (Empoli midfielder), then in the 35th minute converted into a penalty awarded for a foul he committed himself (it had been thrown brilliantly by Baldanzi and had gone past the opponent).
The focus was also on simone pafundi, a great promise of Italian football and praised on several occasions also by Roberto Mancini. Udinese’s 2006 class has been appreciated, making it clear that he has excellent resources at his disposal. Italy stood out for a full hour, then dipped a bit in intensity in the last thirty minutes and the Brazil tried to reopen the match: in the 72nd minute Marcos Leonardo closed the gap taking advantage of a defensive mess and at 88′ it was repeated with a nice header. 3-2 up, our team knew how to close the gap in the last minutes and took home a well-deserved victory.
Photo: Lapresse
