The good tradition of the San Marino National Team, often on target in official friendlies, is confirmed again against Lithuania.
Filippo Fabbri writes his name into the history books of players who have celebrated in the Biancoazzurri shirt, crowning a night of celebration and enthusiasm that the National Team offers to itself and its fans – even without the comfort of the result – on the day of their return to the pitch after the last European Qualifiers. There is a large and joyful crowd at the Stadium to welcome the Titans on the
evening that opens the new era under Fabrizio Costantini. The Head Coach opts for a 3-5-2 as the set-up for his official debut. Leading the line are two returning forwards, Stefanelli and Rinaldi, supported by a midfield of Alessandro Golinucci, Michael Battistini and Mularoni in the centre, with D'Addario and Grandoni out wide.
And it is precisely the flanks that Lithuania probe at the start as they look to get closer to Elia Benedettini’s goal. But they find no way through, also because the Titans cover the spaces with great focus, fuelled by the festive noise of the crowd, which marks every action of their boys with enthusiastic “oohs” and applause. The applause grows louder for Elia Benedettini when, on 9 minutes,
the home goalkeeper keeps the ball out with a superb save on Golubickas’ effort from the heart of the area. The incident, however, has the effect of somehow unlocking the visitors. They manage to find the opening goal a few minutes later:
Augustinas Klimavičius attacks Vaitkūnas’ perfect cross like a falcon and his header gives the home keeper no chance. The Titano side respond by pushing their line higher up the pitch.
Danilo Rinaldi puts all his desire to shine on display on his comeback night. It is he, on the quarter-hour mark, who wins and swings in a free-kick from three-quarters: Mularoni gets there first, but the midfielder’s header is off target. Ten minutes later, another crucial reflex save from Benedettini on a shot from Černych which, deflected, becomes full of venom, though not enough to beat the home keeper. Lithuania in any case stay camped in the area and
on 27 minutes they double their lead from a corner: Milašius delivers left-footed,
Mėgelaitis times his run to perfection and heads the ball in just inside the far post, leaving Benedettini helpless.
After the half-hour mark, San Marino show again up front with a fine move that opens up on the left channel, with
Grandoni making the run at exactly the right time but misjudging the weight of his cross, too long for the many Biancoazzurri who had flooded the box. Towards the end of the half, Lithuania are dangerous again with a sharp cross from Golubickas for Klimavičius, punched away by Benedettini. At the other end, a couple of consecutive crosses fail to catch out the defence in yellow, alert both to Stefanelli and the other Biancoazzurri runners. It is the Pennarossa forward who is first to leave the pitch: at the restart there is Matteo Vitaioli alongside Danilo Rinaldi. For the Tropical Coriano striker – on the scoresheet against Lithuania back in September 2015 – this becomes his 72nd cap, one fewer than record-holder Andy Selva. In the second half San Marino remain bright and lively: a free-kick taken by Rinaldi brings potential danger to the visiting back line, who clear their area attentively.
Soon after, a fine left-footed volley from Grandoni “almost” halves the deficit, were it not that the exquisite precision of the attempt – the ball was heading for the top corner – is not matched by sufficient power: the goalkeeper clutches it.
It is, in any case, a San Marino National Team that clearly shows the desire to reward its supporters with something tangible. And intention turns into action when Palazzi judges his jump perfectly and with his header picks out Fabbri’s run to perfection. The rest comes from the class of the 2002-born defender: his left-footed volley is perfectly directed and there is absolutely nothing Gertmonas – who had in the meantime replaced Plūkas – can do. The stand erupts while the Forlì defender – who finds his first goal for the senior National Team – is literally mobbed by his team-mates. Substitutions come thick and fast, with Costantini who, after sending on Ceccaroli and Zafferani, also throws Jacopo Raschi into the fray for his debut with the senior National Team. The Titans never stop running, driven on by the warmth from the stand, but it is Lithuania who come closer to scoring again, though without creating any truly clear-cut chances. Benedettini saves with an open hand on an outside-of-the-boot effort from Kučys from a tight angle; then Novikovas’ free-kick ends more than a metre over the home crossbar. A few minor flare-ups, quickly calmed down, do not spoil the final stages of a match that, for the hosts, retains all the hallmarks of a celebration: the 580 spectators in the stand, including many children, warmly applaud the Titans as they leave the pitch, further enhancing the magnificent setting of an evening destined to live long in the memory.
International Friendly | San Marino – Lithuania 1-2
SAN MARINO
E. Benedettini; Ma. Battistini, Palazzi, Fabbri; D'Addario (from 61' Zafferani), Mularoni (from 81' Hirsch), Mi. Battistini (from 72' E. Golinucci), A. Golinucci, Grandoni (from 81' Raschi); Stefanelli (from 46' Vitaioli), Rinaldi (from 61' Ceccaroli)
Substitutes: Simoncini, S. Benedettini, Franciosi, Vitaioli, Berretti, Tomassini, Censoni
Head Coach: Fabrizio Costantini
LITHUANIA
Plūkas (from 46' Gertmonas); Vaitkūnas (from 62' Mikoliūnas), Šatkus, Utkus, Baravykas; Mėgelaitis, Lasickas (from 81' Kazlauskas), Golubickas (from 46' Slivka), Černych, Milašius (from 67' Novikovas); A. Klimavičius (from 61' Kučys)
Substitutes: Bartkus, L. Klimavičius, Širvys, Sirgėdas, Kružikas, Verbickas
Head Coach: Valdas Ivanauskas
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (GER)
Assistant Referees: Christian Dietz (GER), Markus Sinn (GER)
Fourth Official: Luca Zani (ITA)
Booked: Mėgelaitis, Palazzi
Scorers: 13' A. Klimavičius, 27' Mėgelaitis, 62' Fabbri
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