The Under 16’s suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Denmark in their second and final friendly of the international period, which took place at the Centro di Preparazione Olimpica in Tirrenia, following Tuesday’s 4-4 draw in Viareggio.
The Azzurrini went behind in the 13th minute after the Aarhus forward, Tristan Theilade Thomsen found the back of the net. The Danes then doubled their lead in the 37th minute through Anton Wepia Christiansen, before Bologna midfielder Jody Ardeni pulled one back from Manuel Pasqual’s side in the 41st minute.
The Italy Coach spoke about the game: “We put in a good performance in this second test match. We struggled a bit in building the play in the first half, something that we don’t usually have any difficulties with. However, I must highlight the team’s reaction as they went down two goals, brought it back, stayed in the game and created many chances to then equalise in the second half. We knew we were up against a top-level team. These matches always give us more confidence, knowledge and desire to keep moving forward. It was a camp that, despite a 4-4 draw and 1-2 loss, allowed the lads to take a step forward and develop”.
THE MATCH. Italy stuck with a 4-3-1-2, changing the entire team that started three days earlier: Cauli and Rolando started up top, with Greco just behind them. Denmark changed their formation, opting for a 4-2-3-1, with Gøthler, Damgaard and Christiansen supporting Thomsen.
The Azzurrini made their presence felt in the 1st minute through Greco, but the number 21’s left-footed effort went just over the crossbar. Denmark responded in the 5th minute, testing Pellicanò with a dangerous low right-footed strike from Christensen, before hitting the post two minutes later with a close-range header from Østergaard following a corner. The cold shower for Pasqual’s side came in the 13th minute, when Thomsen capitalised on yet another run down the right flank by Karim, beating the Italian goalkeeper with a right-footed finish. Italy, after a brief reaction in the 31st minute with a long-range effort from Norelli, also conceded a second goal: Christiansen, played into the box, beat the Azzurrini’s number 22 in the 37th minute. But just when Denmark seemed to have control of the match, the Azzurrini pulled one back, with Ardeni — well set up in the box by Greco —controlling the ball and delicately chipping Lindhardt as he came off his line in the 41st minute, and the teams went into half-time with Denmark leading 2-1.
The second half opened with an excellent save from Pellicanò, who denied Vestegaard’s close-range effort in the 50th minute, before, one minute later, Gøthler’s powerful strike from the edge of the box crashed against the post. Pasqual’s side tried to respond through Cauli in the 61st minute, but the Danish goalkeeper reacted well and once again denied the Azzurrini an equaliser. During the five minutes of added time granted by referee Pietro Luciani, Italy came close to making it 2-2, first with Croci in the 90’+2 minute and then with Scaglione in the 90’+3 minute, but on both occasions Lindhardt was alert. In Tirrenia, the match ended 2-1 to Denmark.