Celebrations again at the Stadium: Under-21s back to a positive result after seven years

The San Marino Stadium never stops delivering emotions. After Fabbri’s goal with the senior National Team, tonight it is the turn of the Under-21s to update their historical numbers. The Young Whites and Blues record a positive result that had been missing since 16 July 2015, the date of Estonia v San Marino 0-0. There are more than a few points in common with this evening: same scoreline, another Baltic opponent. Instead of Estonia, however, in front of the home youngsters stood Latvia, level on points in the table with the side coached by Matteo Cecchetti. And it is the head coach himself who provides the other big historic note of the night: for him this was his first home match in charge. Compared to his overall debut – Thursday’s away fixture in Hungary – the Sammarinese coach, now becoming something of a specialist in international results, keeps faith with eight of his starters. The changes are Franciosi, back from suspension, Contadini and Lazzari, born in 2003, who combines in a single unicum his first call-up and his first-ever appearance with the Under-21s, and as a starter to boot. He partners Pancotti up front in the home side’s strike pairing. The Young Whites and Blues produce an admirable first half, with the opening 25 minutes standing out in particular, played with a sort of clear-headed fury. Furious is the pressing, often very high, on Latvia’s lines, and crystal clear is the management of space and tempo, with the team units always compact and well organised and a Latvia side forced into rushed plays that almost never come off – this from a team that had, not by chance, built their win in the reverse fixture on the weapon of counter-attacks. Cecchetti knows that perfectly, and so the first task for the young Titans is not to get caught in behind. Instructions followed to the letter. And not only that: the home side immediately push high up the pitch, looking to surprise their guests with their attitude as well. Lorenzo Lazzari shows all his desire to shine on debut, mixing technical quality with honest “garra”. It is the very young forward who first tests Beks’ goal with a long-range effort that sails over the bar. Shortly after, Capicchioni looks for Lazzari, who bursts to the by-line and, instinctively, looks for team-mates in the box – but they are late to arrive: Beks gathers low. Latvia make a rare, half-glimpsed appearance up front with Šits going down in the box, appealing for a penalty that simply isn’t there. San Marino immediately get back on the front foot, earning, through the tenacity of Franciosi, an advanced, wide free-kick that Tosi sends directly towards goal, drawing a routine save from Beks. A few minutes later it is again Lazzari, thanks to his very aggressive press on Meļņiks, who wins a very promising free-kick from the edge of the area. This time Capicchioni takes it, aiming for the far post with full power: the ball flies over. The home side stay camped in the final third and very soon afterwards carve out the space for a dangerous cross: as Lazzari did before, Franciosi fails to find any team-mates in the area. Latvia try a break with a long surge from Lūsiņš who, once inside the box, has to bow to a perfect tackle from Matteoni, who gets only the ball and celebrates as if he had just scored a goal. In fact, the many individual duels won are another medal on the Titans’ chest in a first half that, at a certain point, inevitably demands its toll in terms of energy management. Forced to catch their breath after 25 minutes played at full throttle, the Titans suffer Latvia’s reaction. On 29 minutes, the visitors waste a huge chance, albeit a somewhat scrappy one, as Šits climbs all over Tosi, right on the cusp of a foul, in an attempt to reach a cross from the left; the ball becomes good both for the number 9 and for Lūsiņš and, in the ensuing scramble, it is Šits who finds himself with a golden opportunity inside the six-yard box, but he somehow fails to hit the target, also thanks to a deflection. After Ķiršs’ shot, easily dealt with by De Angelis, Ciacci unleashes a stunning right-foot strike from the edge of the box that flies into the top corner, drawing applause from the home crowd. Sadly for the Titans, the joy is purely academic, as play had already been stopped for a foul on Meļņiks. In any case, it is another sign of the home side’s desire to regain control of proceedings. And that intent turns into action in the final five minutes before the break, a spell in which San Marino get back on top and even create a fine chance through the Lazzari–Pancotti axis: the former shows all his class in controlling the ball and teeing up the latter’s left foot, but Pancotti slips at the crucial moment and sends his effort, much to his dismay, well off target. There are no changes to either line-up at the start of the second half. Latvia begin with more conviction and on 47 minutes scare the home defence with a wicked free-kick from Vapne, which is cleared in the six-yard box by a vital intervention from Franciosi to deny Šits. From the resulting corner, De Angelis produces a decisive punched clearance – particularly significant if we consider that in Budapest, just five days ago, the Sammarinese keeper had ended up in A&E after taking a brutal kick to the face from an opponent. The courage shown by the number 1 is quickly matched by his team-mates, who pour forward in search of the verve they had in the first half. In this phase, however, Beks’ goal is not really under threat, while Latvia remain very dangerous from their usual set pieces: two corners cause alarm in the home rearguard, especially the one on the hour mark, when Veips shakes off his marker and powers a header towards De Angelis’ goal, but fails to hit the target. Between those two corners comes another right-foot shot from Vapne on the edge of the area, too scuffed to trouble De Angelis. On 60 minutes Ciacci’s match is over; he is replaced by Toccaceli. Shortly afterwards, Pancotti produces an excellent switch of play for the onrushing Contadini, who takes on the entire defence single-handedly before carving out room to unleash his left foot, an interesting but off-target effort. Meanwhile the fuel warning light comes on for Matteoni and Lazzari, who make way for Tomassini and Cecchetti. A minor scuffle in midfield leads to bookings in quick succession for Capicchioni, Toņiševs and Tosi. In terms of play, Latvia reappear in the Sammarinese box with a header from Meļņiks off a corner, over the bar, and above all with a massive chance for Veips from a free-kick situation: De Angelis is brilliant on the ground, making up for the moment of uncertainty that had given the visiting defender his opportunity in the first place. In the last 10 minutes, with more tired legs out there, Cecchetti makes further changes: Rastelli and Valentini come on for the exhausted Capicchioni and Contadini. The finale is all about game management: hard work, long minutes, but well organised. The Titans no longer have the energy to go and threaten the visitors’ goal, but they do have enough left to withstand Latvia’s final surges. Moretti is monumental in stopping Šits as he bursts through on goal, with a challenge that is perfect in its timing, determination and execution. There were three minutes left of normal time and conceding then would have been a hammer blow – and extremely unfair given the performance produced by the Titans. Basovs’ side have one last attempt with a shot from the edge of the area by Lūsiņš, dangerous but off target. The Portuguese referee adds five minutes, but despite the substantial amount of stoppage time, there are no bitter late twists for Cecchetti’s youngsters, also because in the 90+2nd minute De Angelis is flawless in turning away a wicked cross from Dašķevičs that could have caused serious problems in the most delicate area of the pitch. No further interventions are required from the home goalkeeper: at the final whistle, the Under-21 National Team can celebrate a result they had been missing for almost seven years. A just reward for the hugely generous Titans, who receive well-deserved applause from the crowd as they leave the pitch.

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Under-21, UEFA Euro 2023 qualifying | San Marino–Latvia 0-0 SAN MARINO De Angelis; Moretti, Matteoni (from 69' Tomassini), Tosi; Franciosi, Ciacci (from 60' Toccaceli), Dolcini, Capicchioni (from 82' Valentini), Contadini (from 82' Rastelli); Lazzari (from 69' Cecchetti), Pancotti Substitutes: Terenzi, Babboni, Zannoni, Pasolini Coach: Matteo Cecchetti   LATVIA Beks; Zeņģis (from 87' Kalniņš,), Toņiševs, Veips, Iļjins; Ķiršs (from 61' Dašķevičs), Meļņiks, Vapne, Bočs (from 74' Stepanovs); Lūsiņš, Šits Substitutes: Soloha, Uldriķis, Fedorovičs, Jaunarājs-Janvāris. Zelmanis Coach: Aleksandrs Basovs   Referee: Luis Miguel Do Nascimento Teixeira (POR) Assistant referees: Bruno Filipe Parente Fernandes (POR), Joan Guiu Serra (AND) Fourth official: Rui Miguel Maciel De Queiros (AND) Booked: Capicchioni, Toņiševs, Tosi, Pancotti

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