Less than an hour after the friendly in Como against Japan had finished, the Azzurre were all gathered in a circle around a tablet, cheering on the Under-17s. Thanks to yet another outstanding performance, the youngsters beat Brazil and secured top spot in their group, booking their place in the round of 16 at the U17 World Cup. The 4-3 win earned by Viviana Schiavi’s side in Rabat has given an extra boost to the ambitions of the senior side, who on Tuesday in Parma (18:15 CET kick-off) will be chasing their first-ever victory over the Canarinhas. Brazil have come out on top in seven of the previous eight meetings between the sides, the most recent being three years ago in Genoa (0–1).

The rollercoaster of emotions for Italian football will continue in three days’ time, when both the Azzurre and the Under-17s (who will discover their next opponents this evening) return to the pitch aiming to achieve their respective goals. Soncin’s girls have the chance to end the Seleção hoodoo and continue their development ahead of their trip to the United States in November and the start of World Cup qualifying in February. The Azzurrine, meanwhile, could write another wonderful chapter in their story. There’s been plenty of quality on display in Morocco, just as it was at the Sinigaglia in Como, where Andrea Soncin handed debuts to Alice Corelli, Margherita Monnecchi, Nadine Nischler and Martina Tomaselli, and gave starting spots to 20-year-old Eva Schatzer and 22-year-old Federica D’Auria. And not forgetting 18-year-old Giulia Dragoni, who came on and returned to the pitch for Italy after months out with an ankle injury.

Italy’s new generation is ready to take centre stage, showcasing the excellent work carried out by Club Italia and the youth-team staff – further proven by the recent results achieved by the Under-19s and Under-23s. Looking ahead to Tuesday’s match at the Tardini, where the Azzurre have earned two wins and a draw so far, Andrea Soncin’s squad returned to work this morning at Coverciano to prepare for the clash with the team currently seventh in the FIFA Ranking (Italy are 12th). Brazil will be in action today at 18:30 CEST in a friendly against European champions England in Manchester.

Tomorrow morning will be the Azzurre’s final training session at the Federal Technical Centre before they travel to Parma, where they will meet students at the Istituto Comprensivo Toscanini on Monday. This will be followed by a press conference (17:45 CET) and one final training session (18:30 CET) at Tuesday’s venue.

TICKETS. The Azzurre are counting on the support of fans and enthusiasts, who are ready to fill the stands of the Tardini and push the team towards their first-ever victory against the reigning Copa América champions. Tickets will be on sale right up until kick-off at authorised Vivaticket outlets and on the websites figc.vivaticket.it and vivaticket.com. Discounts are available for Under-18s, Over-65s, university students enrolled in the current academic year and Parma Calcio season-ticket holders. On matchday, starting from 16:15 CET, tickets can also be purchased at the stadium ticket office on Via Pier Maria Rossi.

SQUAD LIST

Goalkeepers: Rachele Baldi (Roma), Francesca Durante (Lazio), Astrid Gilardi (Como), Laura Giuliani (Milan);

Defenders: Caterina Ambrosi (Parma), Valentina Bergamaschi (Roma), Lisa Boattin (Huston Dash), Federica D’Auria (Lazio), Martina Lenzini (Juventus), Elena Linari (London City Lionesses), Beatrice Merlo (Inter), Elisabetta Oliviero (Lazio), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Angelica Soffia (Milan);

Midfielders: Giulia Dragoni (Roma), Giada Greggi (Roma), Nadine Nischler (Como), Marta Teresa Pandini (Roma), Eva Schatzer (Juventus), Emma Severini (Fiorentina), Martina Tomaselli (Inter);

Forwards: Chiara Beccari (Juventus), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus), Michela Cambiaghi (Juventus), Sofia Cantore (Washington Spirit), Alice Corelli (Roma), Cristiana Girelli (Juventus), Margherita Monnecchi (Lazio), Martina Piemonte (Lazio), Elisa Polli (Inter).