Futsal, Championship: Cosmos-Libertas on the brink

On the synthetic pitch in Fiorentino, the two most interesting matches – standings in hand – of the nineteenth round of the Campionato Sammarinese di futsal take centre stage. Proceedings open with La Fiorita v Virtus (8:15 p.m.), pitting the fourth against the fifth-placed sides. Separated by just two points, Pollini’s Neroverdi are aiming to leapfrog their rivals. Leaving aside the pacesetters Folgore and Fiorentino, it is precisely the clubs from Montegiardino and Acquaviva that can boast the best form over the last five games: four wins and a draw apiece. The runners-up appear to have something extra, at least on paper, but Virtus do not intend to be caught unprepared for this maturity test. By contrast, it looks more like a resit exam for Cosmos, who face Libertas at 9:45 p.m.. The Gialloverdi, unbeaten in two but still chasing a win that has eluded them since 5 December, have the opportunity to draw level with the Granata in the table, effectively dragging – insofar as it is not already involved – Tre Penne (who sit out this round, ed.) directly into the battle for access to the post-season, reserved for twelve of the fifteen participating teams. A potential victory for Muccioli’s men could further tighten up the left-hand side of the table, given a fixture list that serves up uphill clashes for their direct rivals. Starting with Murata and Faetano, who will both have to deal with the two clubs from the Castello di Fiorentino in Acquaviva. First up is the meeting between Tre Fiori and Murata, scheduled for 8:15 p.m. Both are coming off defeats and want to get back on track, albeit with radically different targets. Bugli’s side are aiming to quickly erase the 6-0 derby loss, while Murata – recently beaten by Virtus – want to show that Cellarosi’s cure is also effective against top-tier opposition. That is more or less the mission for Faetano as well, bearing in mind that Fiorentino currently look like an opponent out of reach for everyone, except for those sharing top spot on 49 points. That match is set for 9:45 p.m. By then Folgore will already have played, in their clash in Dogana against Pennarossa (8:15 p.m.). Casadei’s men are not going through the brightest spell of their season, not least because the fixture list has handed them four of the top six sides and yielded three defeats, interrupted only by the win over Faetano. League leaders Folgore are certainly not the ideal opponents when you are thinking of sparking a turnaround, also because Spada’s team – like Fiorentino – seem to be engaged in a mission that could be decided only in the head-to-head showdown in mid-April. Not to mention the starring role both are expected to play in the post-season. The second game on the same court will see Cailungo and Juvenes-Dogana face off. Despite the many matches still to be played (12), Monday night’s encounter has the feel of a last call for the Rossoverdi. With four points on the board and a nine-point gap to twelfth place, Bollini’s men must start putting positive results together. They came close against San Giovanni in the derby, which finished 1-0 to Davide Gualtieri’s Rossoneri, but they will need something extra to upset a Juvenes-Dogana side that is solid, compact and determined to reach peak mental and physical condition for their Titano Futsal Cup semi-final against cousins Folgore. The late kick-off at the Multieventi has been confirmed for Tuesday at 9:30 p.m., with Domagnano v San Giovanni on the schedule. The Wolves will take on San Giovanni on the Serravalle court, where surprises may be in store. After defeats to La Fiorita and Tre Fiori, Mussoni’s men are keen to get back to winning ways and challenge for the best positions behind the breakaway pair. San Giovanni, for their part, are chasing precious points in the race for the post-season. At present, their safety margin is slim, with just a two-point cushion over the first team outside the qualification places. Here is the full programme for the nineteenth matchday of the Campionato Sammarinese di futsal:  

---