Futsal Cup: the title returns to Falciano after nine years

After the football one, the showdown between Tre Fiori and Folgore also has the San Marino national futsal cup at stake. Massimiliano Spada can only name nine players on the team sheet, due to injuries, enforced absences and Chezzi’s suspension in the semi-final. The core made up of Protti, Busignani and Bernardi is, however, all on court and will prove decisive. The game is finely balanced from the outset, with Tre Fiori looking the more enterprising: on two occasions Rossini manages to get a shot away, with Protti fielding his powerful second effort straight down the middle. Folgore’s reply comes through Busignani, who leads the counter and plays wide to Bernardi: the former La Fiorita man tries to get round Angelo Casadei but can only find the side-netting, despite a narrow gap at the near post. Both defences are well organised and clear-cut chances can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Busignani tests the opposing goalkeeper with a free-kick from halfway, while at the other end Luca Zafferani is denied by a monumental Protti, later let off the hook by Gasperoni’s wayward follow-up when the goal seemed at his mercy. Folgore’s first tactical idea is to isolate Bernardi and Busignani: the latter is the preferred outlet, but both Angelo Casadei and his own finishing deny him satisfaction. As the half draws to a close, Tre Fiori come forward again, but only after an individual raid from Bernardi, who drives through the inside-left channel before firing a shot-cross that flashes across the area and goes just wide. Before the interval, Rossini has two promising openings, doing well with his pivot play, but on both occasions he can only go close to breaking the deadlock. At the restart Tre Fiori immediately produce a good move, but Boschi is a matter of centimetres away from connecting with the ball for what could have been 1-0. In the meantime Folgore’s attacks grow increasingly threatening, even if they still largely depend on the individual quality of their two star men. Bernardi forces a save from Casadei, who is then equally sharp in dealing with a deflected left-foot effort by Busignani. Shortly afterwards, from a similar pattern of play, Davide Zafferani is inches away from turning in what would have been the opener. On 34 minutes Folgore are a step away from taking the lead through Bernardi, who cuts inside onto his left to get a shot away that takes a deflection, but Angelo Casadei pulls off a stunning save. Five minutes later it is Busignani’s turn to go on a solo run, sitting an opponent down and threading an outside-of-the-boot pass through for Bernardi, who for a moment loses sight of the ball – which ends up safely in Casadei’s arms. Tre Fiori respond with a neat piece of close control from Simoncini, who works room for a left-foot strike – blocked at the second attempt by Protti. On 41 minutes comes the decisive episode: yet another incisive run from Bernardi finally pays off, as his skidding left-footed effort squeezes through the defensive line and is turned in from centimetres out by captain Mainardi. Bugli’s side feel the impact and, after a speculative effort from Gasperoni, it takes the extraordinary reflexes of Casadei to keep Tre Fiori in it, as he somehow keeps out a point-blank effort from Davide Zafferani, picked out on the penalty spot by an irrepressible Bernardi. From the resulting counter, Gasperoni goes close to an equaliser with a thunderous left-footer that Protti shepherds behind. As the minutes tick by, tension rises and energy levels drop. At the time-out called by Folgore on 53 minutes, the game is still wide open and Busignani has to face the decisive phase of the match under the sword of Damocles of a yellow card – the result of a blatant shirt pull on Angelo Casadei, who had left his goal to lead a counter-attack. Tre Fiori stay in touch and, as the clock hits 56 minutes, come within centimetres of levelling through Rossini: the pivot spins away from a double-team and shoots from close range, but Protti’s block with his body is crucial. Two minutes from time Rossini again tastes the prospect of a goal, first with a header from a corner – just wide – and then with a right-foot effort from the edge of the area after a recovery by Luca Zafferani. Folgore wobble and Tre Fiori throw everything forward, with Angelo Casadei acting as flying goalkeeper for the final three minutes. The ploy yields a cut-back for Rossini, who cannot get enough power on his left-foot shot from a promising position. Heart-stopping final seconds, with an incredible chance at either end: Angelo Casadei finds space to shoot from the heart of the area but hits a wall of defenders, while Felici fails to hit the empty net from his own half. It ends like this, with Folgore claiming a hard-fought victory and Tre Fiori going down by a single goal, dangerous right to the last but unable to beat Mattia Protti. The cup thus returns to Falciano, nine years on from their only previous triumph.

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Titano Futsal Cup 2021-22 | Tre Fiori-Folgore 0-1   TRE FIORI A. Casadei, Gasperoni, Rossini, L. Zafferani, Cevoli Substitutes: Lonfernini, Boschi, Crescentini, Verri, Cappelli, Simoncini, D. Casadei, L. Pelliccioni, Morini Coach: Alex Bugli   FOLGORE Protti, D. Zafferani, Busignani, Bernardi, Felici Substitutes: Stefanelli, Guerra, Mainardi, A. Pelliccioni Coach: Massimiliano Spada   Referee 1: Cristian Tonelli Referee 2: Luca Tura Referee 3: Laurentiu Ilie Scorer: 41' Mainardi Booked: Busignani

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Titano Futsal Cup 2021-22 | Tre Fiori-Folgore 0-1   TRE FIORI A. Casadei, Gasperoni, Rossini, L. Zafferani, Cevoli Substitutes: Lonfernini, Boschi, Crescentini, Verri, Cappelli, Simoncini, D. Casadei, L. Pelliccioni, Morini Coach: Alex Bugli   FOLGORE Protti, D. Zafferani, Busignani, Bernardi, Felici Substitutes: Stefanelli, Guerra, Mainardi, A. Pelliccioni Coach: Massimiliano Spada   Referee 1: Cristian Tonelli Referee 2: Luca Tura Referee 3: Laurentiu Ilie Scorer: 31' Mainardi Booked: Busignani

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