La Serenissima: stella del mio destino

[Wag]

Wednesday 30th August 2006

Coppa Italia Serie C, Group F #3

Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle

Having shocked Perugia in Sundays Serie C1/B match it was back to the business of trying to squeeze into the next round of the Coppa Italia Serie C little over three days later. In between the games San Marino have unveiled the signing of nineteen year-old San Marinese striking prodigy Matteo Valli and he made a surprise debut in place of fellow striker Alberto Villa who dropped to the bench having scored once in three games so far but had looked lack lustre in his last two outings. San Marino’s opponents would be Serie C1/A side Pistoiese who had collected four points from their opening three games in the competition but had little chance of qualifying for the next round so the two and a half hour journey from Pistoia was one not many of their support made. Despite this 2,618 people were at the Stadio Olimpico, no doubt many on the back of the result against Perugia but perhaps some curious to the fact that San Marino were so far unbeaten in both of the matches they’d played at the Stadio Olimpico so far this term and were looking to make it three.

There was something of a party atmosphere in the crowd before kick-off as they celebrated the return of Matteo Valli to the club from Cesena and the noise only rose as San Marino attacked their opponents almost straight from the kick-off. Luca Ceccarelli picked up a cross field pass from Alex Gasperoni on the right wing and looked to feed Matteo Valli with a low ball into the six yard box but the striker was only a whisper away and the Pistoiese defence cleared it’s lines. The young striker was causing problems early on with his height, hold-up play and pace but it was Pistoiese who got the first shot on target when Claudio Pani hit a central free-kick from around thirty-five yards straight at Emiliano Dei in the eighth minute, the goalkeeper comfortably catching the ball without much difficulty.

Time quickly flew by with both sides enjoying some possession without ever threatening before a foul on Luca Ceccarelli by Fabrizio Boccaccini high up the pitch near the right hand edge of the area presented San Marino with a perfect chance to open the scoring. Alex Gasperoni curled the ball into the box where it was met by Luca Ceccarelli who saw his header deflect to the edge of the area. Central defender Luca D’Angelo reacted quickest and drove the ball back towards the penalty spot for Matteo Valli to instinctively flick the ball firmly into the bottom left hand corner of the net with his head leaving Pistoiese goalkeeper Alessio Bandieri flat footed and the striker with a goal within eighteen minutes of his second debut for the club. As signings go so far his looked a good one and he celebrated his strike by saluting the San Marino fans near corner flag before he was mobbed by his new team-mates.

Ten minutes later he almost made it two. Alex Gasperoni raced onto a cross field ball from right back Simone Berardi, got beyond Pistoiese right back Lorenzo Collacchioni and fed the young striker just inside the area, however, his first touch was heavy and he saw his second, a shot, deflect off defender Marco Teani and wide of the target for a corner.

San Marino were looking vibrant in attack with the wing play of Alex Gasperoni and Luca Ceccarelli being ably supported by the hold-up of Matteo Valli, the passing ability of Davide Faieta, Francesco Giorgetti and the tenacious defensive work of Nicola Napolitano. The defence was also looking extremely solid but had to reshuffle in the forty-first minute when on-loan AC Milan left back Salvatore Ferraro was forced off the pitch with a twisted ankle injury that would keep him out of action for a month. Former Domagnano utility man Giacomo Maiani, a San Marino international, coming on in his place. Maiani almost immediately looked the part and was involved at the start of a move which lead to a chance for Nicola Napolitano on the stroke of half-time, the stand-in left back bursting forward then crossing for Davide Faieta to chest the ball down into the path of the defensive midfielder who unfortunately just couldn’t keep his shot down with the Pistoiese goalkeeper and defence looking extremely flat-footed.

Neither side made any alterations at the break but the Pistoiese players had to endure the whistles of their small pocket of travelling fans as they continued to under perform in the opening stages of the second half. When they did manage to attack captain Luca D’Angelo, Simone Berardi, Giacomo Maiani and the impressive Roberto Di Maio all worked together as a concrete unit to deny their forwards space and time which saw the away side limited to shooting from long range. A sixty-seventh minute effort, the first attempt they’d managed of the second half, from Lucas Simón which went well over the bar testament to how well the defence was working. Emiliano Dei, who had been a relative spectator for much of the game was called upon to claim a tame Claudio Pani free kick as time ran out. San Marino had won relatively easily and stretched their home record to three wins in a row as they looked towards their final group match against Ancona with qualification hopes still alive.

Pistoiese 1-0 (Matteo Valli 18)

Attendance: 2,618

MotM: Roberto Di Maio (San Marino)

San Marino Calcio:

Emiliano Dei; Simone Berardi, Salvatore Ferraro (Giacomo Maiani on 41), Luca D’Angelo ©, Roberto Di Maio; Nicola Napolitano, Luca Ceccarelli, Alex Gasperoni, Francesco Giorgetti, Davide Faieta; Matteo Valli

Pistoiese:

Alessio Bandieri; Lorenzo Collacchioni, Fabrizio Boccaccini, Marco Teani ©, Emanuele Venturelli; Cristian Romanelli, Saverio Maranzano, Claudio Pani, Marco Parolo (Cesare Massaro on 72); Lucas Simón (Simone Vaglini on 72), Simone Motta (Federico Gerardi on 72)

[Wag]

Thursday 31st August 2006

San Marino Oggi

Titani snap up two more!

San Marino Calcio have completed the signing of midfielders Gianluca Cappellini and Mattia Quadroni on free transfers.

The signings were revealed just a couple of hours after the one-nil victory over Pistoiese in the Coppa Italia Serie C, with both players in attendance. Cappellini, nineteen years-old, and Quadroni, twenty years-old, were both recommended to the club by scout Massimiliano Righi, who said:

“Mattia is a strong central midfielder who I feel has the ability to create and score goals. He’s young enough to develop into a fine player and I hope he fulfils his potential. Gianluca on the other hand is a defensive player, he’ll snap into tackles and do the simple things - he’s got a good future ahead of him.â€

[Wag]

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Thursday 31st August 2006

www.uefa.com

Mazza makes San Marino selection

San Marino manager Giampaolo Mazza has named a twenty-man squad for Wednesday’s EURO 2008 qualifier against Germany at the Stadio Olimpico in Serravalle, the microstates first game in Group D. The team will be led in attack by thirty-year-old captain Andy Selva, who has struck six goals in twenty-nine games for San Marino.

Goalkeepers:

Federico Gasperoni (San Marino Calcio), Aldo Simoncini (Riccione)

Defenders:

Nicola Albani (Murata), Matteo Andreini (Tre Fiori), Simone Bacciocchi (Domagnano), Federico Crescentini (Tre Fiori), Andrea Octavian (Folgore), Carlo Valentini (Murata),

Midfielders:

Marco De Luigi (Murata), Alex Gasperoni (San Marino Calcio), Bryan Gasperoni (Murata), Giacomo Maiani (San Marino Calcio), Lorenzo Moretti (Domagnano), Matteo Rossi (Rovigo), Roberto Selva (Juvenes), Damiano Vannucci (Libertas), Marco Zanotti (Murata),

Attackers:

Nicola Ciacci (Pennarossa), Andy Selva (Sassuolo), Matteo Valli (San Marino Calcio)

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It was pleasing to have four players selected for the national team, the first of what I hoped would be many. Federico Gasperoni (41/0) was the most experienced with Alex Gasperoni (13/1) then Giacomo Maiani (4/0) while the uncapped Matteo Valli had been given a chance after four goals in seven under-twenty-one games.

[Wag]

Friday 1st September 2006

The Italian transfer deadline passes with San Marino Calcio having signed nineteen players during the period in an attempt to strengthen the squad at all levels. Of all the players I’ve bought in it’s the signings of Alex Gasperoni, Federico Gasperoni, Raffaele Moroni and Matteo Valli I’m most pleased about, they were immediately on my list as soon as I took over here and although we had moments during the Valli transfer when it looked like we might not get him I was relieved and delighted to have their signatures. I feel all four will have a vital part to play in the growth of the club over the next few years as they are clearly gifted San Marinese players.

Away from the transfer market and out on the training field versatile right back Simone Berardi sustained a bad cut to his face following a robust challenge and is ruled out for around two weeks and is then unfortunately joined by another player, captain Luca D’Angelo, who is laid low with a virus, on the sidelines.

[Wag]

Wednesday 6th September 2006

Coppa Italia Serie C, Group F #4

Stadio del Conero, Ancona

Confidence was high in the San Marino camp as they travelled the relatively short hour and a half journey down to the coast to the region of Marche where they would face Ancona in the daunting 26,000 capacity Stadio Del Conero. The reason for this confidence was that San Marino had won three of their opening four competitive fixtures under new manager Jamie Waggett, two of those in the three group games played so far in this very competition. However, and rather unfortunately for the Titani this would likely be their final match in the competition this campaign with group leaders Pisa already three points ahead and also the only side to have beaten San Marino Calcio this season. With this in mind qualification for the next round of the Coppa Italia Serie C was looking highly unlikely, nonetheless the manager, players and supporters were all hoping to continue a run of form that had seen his side win three of the opening four fixtures they’d played, all by a goal to nil.

San Marino’s task was made slightly hardly by the loss of back-up goalkeeper Federico Gasperoni, left winger Alex Gasperoni, the versatile Giacomo Maiani and striker Matteo Valli, who had done so well on his debut for the club against Pistoiese, to international duty as they’d been called up by San Marino to face Germany in a European Championship Qualifier. These absences were further compounded by the loss of captain Luca D’Angelo and right back Simone Berardi to training injuries in the week while Salvatore Ferraro wasn’t fit having twisted his right ankle badly in the clubs last match. As a result of this Waggett handed debuts to seventeen year-old San Marinese defender Michele Bonifazi, central defender Devis Nossa, San Marinese attacking midfielder Raffaele Moroni, left winger Alessandro Turchetta and talismanic striker Giovanni Abate, who had recovered from injury to take the place of Valli on his own upfront. Also coming into the side was left footed defender Michele Florindo who had played thirteen times and scored once for the club last season in Serie C1/A to complete the changes.

The match was being played under bright floodlights in the dry heat of the evening in the impressive bowl that is the Stadio del Conero. A cooling breeze, occasionally seemed to ebb around the stadium, presumably from the Adriatic Sea, and despite the significant amount of upheaval in their side San Marino started the match brightly and quickly silenced those of the 6,182 attendance who were there to support Ancona by mounting a series of attacks in the opening minutes on the Ancona goal situated in front of the Curva Sud, where there small band of travelling tifosi were watching on intently, although nothing came of any of them.

However, undeterred the Titani continued to attack and were soon rewarded. Midfielder Francesco Giorgetti seized on a loose ball in his own half and propelled the ball forward over the Ancona defence. Striker Giovanni Abate, ever a willing runner, raced onto the pass, got clear of a defender then made his way towards the area. As he reached the box he looked to be shaping to shoot at goal but was hauled down by recovering Ancona defender Francesco D’Aniello mere inches from the edge of the area. The referee showed no hesitation in immediately reaching for his pocket and dismissed the defender, the home side had been reduced to ten men, a straight red. Playmaker Davide Faieta picked up the loose ball and placed it diligently just inside the right side of the ‘d’. He looked intensely at the ball then looked at the goal, the position of the wall and the ball again. The referee blew his whistle and the midfielder sent an exquisite right footed free kick curling diagonally over the wall and into the top right hand corner of the net for a seventeenth minute opener. The Curva Sud erupted in a mass of cheers, screams and tumbling bodies as the tifosi sought to get closer to the running track and their goal scorer, his first ever for the club, San Marino were leading against a side who had been in Serie A as recently as the 2003/04 season, again they were upsetting the odds.

Going behind to San Marino seemed to awaken the Ancona players from there slumbering first twenty minutes and they soon began to show that, despite having ten men, they weren’t a spent force. In the twenty-third minute Suriano struck a free kick from the edge of the area just wide of the goal with Emiliano Dei cautiously diving behind it as it made it’s way out of the play. Less than a minute later his weak goal kick resulted in Ancona striker Emilio Benito Docente picking up the ball around thirty-five yards from goal, dribbling past Michele Florindo and clean through on goal. The goalkeeper rushed out immediately, Dei must have realised he would be blamed if his poor kick cost his side a goal, with Federico Gasperoni breathing down his neck he couldn’t afford to make mistakes, Docente shot low and hard. Time seemed to slow but Dei was alert and managed to parry the ball away to safety before Michele Bonifazi hacked the loose ball into the opposition’s half to clear the danger. Although the result of the game was likely to be meaningless, no one wanted to make mistakes and the save looked even more vital six minutes later when San Marino doubled their lead.

Devis Nossa won a corner off a defender near the right touchline. Alessandro Turchetta took it left footed and floated the ball into the box on an inswinging arc. The ball caused Ancona problems, the goalkeeper Davide Micillo came to try and claim it but missed out to central defender Devis Nossa who rose highest amongst the mass of bodies and planted a powerful header firmly against the crossbar. The ball rebounded down and ricocheted into the path of striker Giovanni Abate who swept the ball neatly over the line from a matter of yards. A debut strike for the striker in front of the travelling support to send San Marino two goals up away from home after just twenty-nine minutes.

The home side looked rattled as their fans sat in stony silence. The Ancona midfield began to wilt under the pressure and passing verve of Davide Faieta who strode through two challenges then fed Francesco Giorgetti just minutes after the second goal. The on-loan Lecce midfielder forcing a brilliant save from Davide Micillo with a curling shot from just outside the area which looked to be dipping under the crossbar but instead was tipped wide of the target. Many sides, when in the situation of being two-nil up away from home before half-time would concentrate on maintaining their lead and a clean sheet by shutting up shop but San Marino continued to attack. On thirty-eight minutes Giovanni Abate was unlucky to see a snapshot just dip wide of the top left hand corner of the Ancona goal but some seven minutes later with the match on the stroke of half-time they got a further reward for their attacking endeavours.

Right back Michele Bonifazi picked a loose pass from an Ancona defender up on the right hand side and moved over the half-way line at pace. Slowing down he looks up, takes a touch then switches the ball from one side of the pitch to the other. His pass finding the feet of Davide Faieta on the left wing who controls instantly, cuts inside his marker then delivers a sweet cross with his right foot to the penalty spot where Raffaele Moroni gets ahead of Matteo Abbate and thumps a stunning first-time volley with his right foot beyond the goalkeeper to make it three-nil to San Marino. The attacking midfielder celebrating his debut, like Abate had, with a goal.

Ancona make a double substitution at the break and with a stern half-time team-talk from their manager still ringing in their ears start the second half looking to put some pride and respectability back into the score line. One of the substitutes, thirty-three year-old defensive midfielder, Fabio Cinetti forces Emiliano Dei into a solid save within the opening minutes with a shot from the edge of the area that stings the goalkeepers palms but that is as good as it gets for the home side as San Marino shut up shop and enjoy more of the possession without ever looking like scoring themselves. Late on they make a triple substitution and enjoy the luxury of being able to give debuts to San Marinese midfielders Nicolas Bollini and Andrea Moroni as well as Venezuelan striker Richard Jose Blanco Delgado in an environment without pressure. Bolloni and Moroni both show some neat touches but the Venezuelan striker, a signing before the season started from the five-a-side leagues, looks off the pace and struggles to make any kind of impact against a tiring Ancona defence.

Shortly after the final whistle news filters through the Pisa have defeated Prato two-one so despite a convincing win the San Marino players are left somewhat dejected in that they’ve failed to qualify for the next stage of the competition. Manager Jamie Waggett goes around all the players and congratulates them on continuing their run asking them to remember that consistency is the key but you have to think, had it not been for a poor performance against Pisa then they might have been celebrating today.

Ancona 3-0 (Davide Faieta 17, Giovanni Abate 29 , Raffaele Moroni 45)

Attendance: 6,182

MotM: Francesco Giorgetti (San Marino)

Ancona:

Davide Micillo; Giovanni Micallo, Andrea Suriano, Matteo Abbate, Gianmario Specchia; Ânderson ©, Simone Rizzato (Carlo Mammarella on 61), Francesco D’Aniello (sent off 17), Luca Cichella; Emilio Benito Docente (Andrea Staffolani on 45), Andrea Corrado (Fabio Cinetti on 45)

San Marino Calcio:

Emiliano Dei; Michele Bonifazi, Roberto Di Maio, Devis Nossa, Michele Florindo; Nicola Napolitano ©, Raffaele Moroni, Alessandro Turchetta (Nicolas Bollini on 71), Francesco Giorgetti (Andrea Moroni on 71), Davide Faieta; Giovanni Abate (Richard Jose Blanco Delgado on 71)

[Wag]

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Wednesday 6th September 2006

www.uefa.com

Germany hit San Marino for six

Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose both scored hat-tricks as Germany came away with an emphatic six goal victory against San Marino at the Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle in Group D of the European Championship Qualifiers.

The FC Bayern München striker set the visitors on course for their overwhelming win with the opener on fourteen minutes then doubled the score two minutes later. It was only two-nil at half-time but after the break Germany moved up a gear to record their second victory in the two games they’d played in the competition so far. Miroslav Klose netted the first of his three goals in the fifty-eighth minute before Podolski completed his hat-trick in the sixty-fifth minute. Klose then took over claiming his second goal of the game in the sixty-eighth minute with a stooping header, before he rounded off San Marino’s miserable night with a shot on the turn in the eighty-third minute.

San Marino 0

Germany 6 (Lukas Podolski 14,16, 65; Miroslav Klose 58, 68 & 83)

MotM: Lukas Podolski (Germany)

San Marino:

Federico Gasperoni; Carlo Valentini, Matteo Andreini (Federico Crescentini on 65), Simone Bacciocchi, Andrea Ottaviani; Roberto Selva, Giacomo Maiani, Marco De Luigi (Bryan Gasperoni on 78), Matteo Rossi (Marco Zanotti on 58), Alex Gasperoni; Andy Selva ©

Germany:

Jens Lehmann; Marcel Jansen, Arne Friedrich, Philipp Lahm; Bastian Schweinsteiger, Torsten Frings, Michael Ballack ©, Bernd Schneider, Manuel Friedrich; Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski

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I was pleased to see Federico Gasperoni, Alex Gasperoni and Giacomo Maiani all feature in the game but was disappointed to see San Marino fall to such a heavy defeat, however to have held a very strong German side to just two first half goals was something of an achievement. For the time being at least San Marino are never going to be able to compete with the bigger nations but I feel in the future we can cause a few shocks.

[Wag]

Thursday 7th September 2006

Following our pleasing win and the disappointing defeat by the national team matters turn to home as I offer a contract to eighteen year-old San Marinese central defender Walter Selva. He’s available on a free transfer and has been recommended to me by Andrea Macina. He looks promising so I don’t hesitate to give him an opportunity at the club, if he fulfils his potential in a couple of years time he could become the mainstay of our defence.

On the training ground right winger Luca Ceccarelli bruises his head during a practice match and will be forced to sit out the next week or two of training whilst he recovers from what was a slight concussion.

[Wag]

Saturday 9th September 2006

San Marino Oggi

Titani capture young Selva

San Marino Calcio have today confirmed that defender Walter Selva has joined the club, their twentieth signing of the season so far.

The eighteen year-old central defender has signed a four-year contract with the and it is thought he will play for the under twenty side this season.

Fabio Fantini said: “Walter is a very promising player who has a great deal of potential, he’s determined and shown a level of maturity beyond his tender years. If he can develop like we hope he can I think he’s got the ability to one day play at a much higher level as well as become a regular for the national team.â€

[Wag]

Sunday 10th September 2006

Serie C1/B #2

Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle

With three wins in their last three games. including an impressive one-nil win on the opening day of the C1/B season win against Perugia and in their last game a three-nil away win against Ancona, San Marino were hoping for more of the same as Teramo travelled two and a half hours up the coast to Serravalle. Teramo, who were tipped like the Titani for a relegation struggle, had played just twice so far in the season, drawing 2-2 with Modena in a Coppa Italia qualifier, but going out four-two on penalties, and then losing one-nil to a goal from Felice Evacuo against Avellino on the opening day of the season. Like San Marino they had played in Serie C1/A last term, finishing seventh, but had been switched to Serie C1/B this time around due to geographical reasons. Manager Silvano Fiorucci had been in charge for nearly two years and had built a squad that looked to have some attacking flair with a combination of Albanian international winger Florian Myrtaj and Uruguayan striker Daniel Baldi looking the most impressive acquisitions.

Manager Jamie Waggett made just one change with Sammarinese midfielder Alex Gasperoni returning to the side on the left wing in place of Alessandro Turchetta. Gasperoni had been on international duty for the three-nil win at Ancona but had found his way right back into the team on his return due to his impressive form in the opening matches of the season. With no changes it also meant another opportunity for two other Sammarinese players; seventeen year-old defender Michele Bonifazi and midfielder Raffaele Moroni but striker Matteo Valli had to make do with a place on the bench.

In the heat of an early September Sunday afternoon San Marino started brightly and were soon showing just why they’d had such a good start to the season. Alex Gasperoni a constant threat down the left wing and Nicola Napolitano tenacious in the tackle. On eight minutes the pair combined and Napolitano really should have hit the target following a deft layoff from Gasperoni on the edge of the box but Napolitano got his angles wrong and curled the ball high and wide of the goal just when space appeared to be opening up in front of him.

On sixteen minutes the home fans go their first glimpse of striker Giovanni Abate in a competitive game the Stadio Olimpico as he collected a pass from Francesco Giorgetti around thirty yards out, dribbled past two defenders then unleashed a dipping effort with his left foot that saw Teramo goalkeeper Marco Paoloni scrambling across his goal to turn behind. The home side continued to press and although Teramo occasionally managed to get into areas around the Titani goal nothing came of it although the away side would have been unfortunate had San Marino broken the deadlock as they so nearly did on the half-hour. Raffaele Moroni, who appeared to be carrying a knock, combined with Davide Faieta on the right wing to release the overlapping Michaele Bonifazi down the touchline. The young defender cutting inside the Teramo left back and playing a whipped cross into the area that caught a wicked deflection off of Alessandro Radi and saw goalkeeper Paoloni forced into an acrobatic save to deny the defender.

In the thirty-fifth minute San Marino were forced into a change as goalkeeper Emiliano Dei was replaced by Federico Gasperoni. Dei had suffered bruised ribs after claiming a corner and was later ruled out for two weeks. San Marino international goalkeeper Gasperoni, no relation of Alex, was fresh from conceding six goals against the German national team and brought the number of Sammarinese players on the pitch to four with another three still on the bench as he made his debut. Fortunately he had a relatively quiet opening ten minutes to his introduction as he watched long range efforts from Girolamo D’Alessandro and Daniel Baldi go high over the bar before the half-time whilst brought things to a close with the scores still level at nil-nil.

The break saw San Marino forced into another change was Raffaele Moroni was withdrawn as a precaution meaning Alessandro Turchetta, who he had replaced in the starting eleven, was given another chance to impress on the left wing. San Marino again started well, the temperature had cooled a little but the home side were still searching for a goal, Davide Faieta going close with a curling free kick in the opening minutes of the half that was well saved by Paoloni who was proving a solid goalkeeper. Midway through the half Matteo Valli came on for Giovanni Abate but the young striker failed to provide a much needed spark and the game withered away to nothing as the sides played out a dull nil-nil draw.

Teramo 0-0

Attendance: 1,744

MotM: Alesssandro Radi (Teramo)

San Marino Calcio:

Emiliano Dei (Federico Gasperoni on 35) ; Michele Bonifazi, Roberto Di Maio, Devis Nossa, Michele Florindo; Nicola Napolitano ©, Raffaele Moroni (Alessandro Turchetta on 45), Alex Gasperoni, Francesco Giorgetti, Davide Faieta; Giovanni Abate (Matteo Valli on 71)

Teramo:

Marco Paoloni; Claudio De Rosa (Donovan Maury on 74), Alessandro Radi, Vittorio Gargiulo, Giacomo Filippi; Florian Myrtaj (Fabio Andreulli on 74), Girolamo D’Alessandro, Andrea Paolucci, Pasquale Catalano ©; Alessandro La Vecchia (Gaetano Niscemi on 45), Daniel Baldi

[Mister Z]

It took me a while, but what a detail. Great story and good luck with Titani