Futsal, penalties again prove fatal for the reigning champions: Tre Fiori reach the semi-finals

The quarter-final derby goes to Tre Fiori, who can continue their march towards the title by way of next Monday’s semi-final against La Fiorita. Fiorentino bow out, despite having managed to snatch an equaliser just a few minutes from the end of normal time, but once again they pay the price from the penalty spot, with shoot-outs proving fatal yesterday for Michelotti’s men just as they had in their first defeat of these play-offs, against La Fiorita. The derby – entrusted to the Maltese duo Bonnici-Naudi (with ASA’s Laura Cordani as third referee) within the framework of the now well-established Referee Exchange Programme between the Malta and San Marino Football Associations – followed a clear pattern: Fiorentino try to control the game, Tre Fiori sit deep and break. After a couple of tricky saves by Angelo Casadei, especially on Pasqualini, Tre Fiori break the deadlock through Simoncini: Zafferani fires a powerful ball to the back post; the No. 10 has time to bring it under control before turning it into the far bottom corner. Fiorentino resume pressing, now with even greater intensity than before, but for the remainder of the half the only real chance is a left-footed effort by Pasqualini, deflected onto the side-netting. The tactical script remains unchanged after the restart. Yet Fiorentino’s first chance of the half arrives on the counter: Maiani manages a two-on-one break before slipping the ball to the better-placed Pasqualini, whose shot is turned behind for a corner by the excellent Casadei. Shortly afterwards, a similar situation arises but with roles reversed. This time it is Tre Fiori who have a two-on-one: Zafferani releases Rossini on the right, who opts for an early, angled shot which goes just wide. Fiorentino persist with their possession, Tre Fiori drop ever deeper to protect both goal and lead. Bugli’s side keep the danger to a minimum, their game plan seemingly working to perfection. Aside from a powerful but central effort from Pasqualini and an attempted touch at the back post by Maiani – with Casadei doing well to put him off – the Gialloblù manage to contain their cousins without any major wobbles. Indeed, on 26 minutes they have a great chance to double their advantage: Rossini nicks the ball cleanly and lays it off to Geri, overlooking Boschi, completely unmarked at the back post; when the ball bounces back into play, Boschi himself pounces on it but he too is denied by Geri. Time ticks away relentlessly and Michelotti throws on the flying goalkeeper. The move pays off with about thirty seconds to go before the 60-minute mark, when Toccaceli, from a tight angle, manages to surprise Casadei and gift his side the equaliser. Extra time follows, enlivened mainly by a swivel shot from Maiani that crashes into the well-positioned Boschi. Apart from that, the ten minutes are mostly about extremely cautious game management. The verdict is therefore left to penalties. Tre Fiori go first. The opening round is flawless: Verri scores, and so does Pasqualini. The second round is also perfect, with Simoncini converting first and then Moretti. Zafferani successfully starts off the third round, while Gasperoni hits the post. Boschi is next, and despite a slight scare – Geri gets a touch but cannot divert it – he scores like the three before him. At this point the pressure on Toccaceli’s shoulders is immense. The scorer of the 1-1 fails to find the corner and Casadei makes the save. There is no need for a fifth round: Tre Fiori celebrate and Fiorentino, the reigning champions, bow out of the competition. La Fiorita, direct competitors of Zafferani and his team in the battle for top spot in the group, will be the ones to challenge Tre Fiori in next Friday’s final, where Folgore are already waiting. Here is the play-off picture for the San Marino Futsal Championship:

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FIORENTINO Geri, Gasperoni, Gabrieli, Maiani, Righi, Moretti, Pasqualini, Ceccoli, Bollini, Carlini, M. Giacobbi, Contato, Toccaceli Coach: Matteo Michelotti   TRE FIORI Lonfernini, Sabatino, Boschi, Verri, Rossini, Simoncini, Zafferani, D. Casadei, Cevoli, Pelliccioni, Morini, A. Casadei Coach: Alex Bugli   Referee 1: Pierre Bonnici Referee 2: Andrea Naudi Referee 3: Laura Cordani Booked: Gabrieli, Toccaceli, Rossini Sent off: Gabrieli (second yellow card) Scorers: 10' Simoncini, 59' Toccaceli Note: Tre Fiori win 5-3 on penalties; this is the series from the spot: Verri GOAL – Pasqualini GOAL; Simoncini GOAL – Moretti GOAL; Zafferani GOAL – Gasperoni MISS; Boschi GOAL – Toccaceli MISS

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