U-19 Futsal Euro: San Marino pride as Beccari and Dolcini hold the group leaders

The thunder and lightning from head coach Matteo Selva after Friday’s game could not have had a better effect. The performance delivered today against Azerbaijan, rounding off the mini qualifying tournament staged in San Marino, was the complete opposite of the one against Kosovo. And the 2-2 result is just reward for the application and character shown by the Titani in this first-ever meeting with Azerbaijan. In fact, a lot can be read into the visitors’ decision to keep the ball and run down the clock for more than five minutes, with the clear intention of safeguarding a draw that sends Aslanov’s side through to the Main Round as Group B winners. At that stage San Marino were a real threat for the Azeris, having proved they had all the tools needed to beat them: had Azerbaijan lost, they would have handed top spot – and qualification – to Kosovo on goal difference. True, the crowd did not appreciate it, and overall it is fair to say it was a pity to cool down such a vibrant, hard-fought and attractive match. But that is how the game works. Azerbaijan did their calculations and were not wrong. In any case, San Marino can be more than happy – indeed proud – of the point they picked up. Azerbaijan were coming off a 4-1 win over Kosovo, while San Marino had just had their rest day. Huseynov immediately tries to break down the wing, finishing with a shot into the side-netting. The Titani are not overawed; on the contrary, they reply in kind with a lightning counter-attack led by Dolcini, who is just a matter of millimetres away from finding Barbano at the far post. Shortly afterwards, Andolina wins the ball back in midfield and goes for goal decisively, hitting the back of Gasimzade; the move continues and Barbano also looks for goal, this time with Alakbarov in the way. Azerbaijan are dangerous on the counter, too: but Forcellini is there to deal with Mashiyev’s right-footed effort. From the restart by the Biancazzurri keeper comes another good chance for the Titani: Beccari spots Fantini free at the far post, the pivot takes the ball on the bounce and shoots, but is denied by the recovering Alakbarov, once again vital in tracking back. A sudden strike from Mashiyev forces Forcellini into his most important save of the match so far: the home keeper gets down quickly and turns it behind for a corner. Then it is Gahramanov who has a go: after his first attempt from a free-kick is blocked, he cuts across goal with his left foot, but tightens the angle too much. In any case, none of this particularly unsettles the Biancazzurri five. In fact, it is Fantini who gives keeper Hasanzada a real scare when the San Marino pivot spins away from Mahmudzada and shoots just wide of the post. It was already clear from the furious doubling-up and the discipline with which the Titani closed down and disrupted Azerbaijan’s passing lanes that San Marino were fully in the game. Now, though, there is also more bite going forward. Fantini’s chance is effectively the prelude to Selva’s boys taking the lead. The opener stems from a break sparked by an opposition corner. Beccari snaps into a challenge on Guliyev and then bolts down the wing before beating Hasanzada with a toe-poke into the far corner. Forcellini has to produce another outstanding stop – this time with his foot – to keep out Alakbarov’s powerful right-footer, then it is Huysenov who goes very close to an equaliser with a left-footed effort that flies just over. At the buzzer, though, San Marino are in front. An extremely determined Azerbaijan is expected from the very first whistle of the second half and indeed the first save has to be made by Forcellini, called into action by another sudden attempt from Mashiyev, one of the hottest boots in Aslanov’s ranks. To prove the point, once again it is the Azeri number 5 who drives at Luca Fortunati and unleashes a powerful effort towards the far top corner, missing by very little. This Azeri pressure brings the equaliser, which comes from one of San Marino’s very few errors. Mashiyev’s corner is delivered into the area of Mahmudzada, who is allowed a little too much space and makes the most of it by drilling his left-footed shot in off the base of the post. Beccari, picked out by Andolina, forces Hasanzada into a save with a header; in reply, Huseynov takes on Andolina and clips the outside of the post, helped by a slight deflection off the San Marino pivot. The game is as alive as ever and completely open. Azerbaijan briefly tilt it their way with Alakbarov’s swivel and finish (his third goal of the tournament) after a dummy by Gasimzade that is at best semi-intentional, but more likely not. Even that, though, does not knock Selva’s players out of their stride, and they immediately underline their attacking threat once more. A perfectly executed set play from a kick-in releases Lotti in front of Hasanzada, who manages to save from the Biancazzurri captain at close range. Shortly after, Barbano nutmegs Huseynov and fires in a low left-footed shot that finds the Azeri keeper well-placed. In other words, heads and legs are ready to find a second equaliser. It arrives thanks to a ball recovery by Dolcini and a low shot from the same Titano, which nestles inside the post and sends the Multieventi crowd into raptures. Towards the end, that same crowd will grumble a fair bit over Azerbaijan’s decision to cool a wonderful match in the interests of the standings, even if the choice is understandable and – ultimately – effective. Before they start “taking the air out of the ball”, however, Aslanov’s players carve out two chances to make it 3-2 through Alakbarov and Mashiyev, both of them only centimetres away from the target. At the final buzzer, after a brief scuffle quickly calmed down – but which still produces two yellow cards and a red – both the Azeris and the San Marino players celebrate. For different reasons, but with very good justification.

U-19 Futsal Euro, Preliminary Round | San Marino – Azerbaijan 2-2

SAN MARINO Forcellini, Andolina, Dolcini, Barbano, Mularoni

Substitutes: Crescentini, S. Fortunati, L. Fortunati, Lotti, Laglia, Fantini, Beccari

Head coach: Matteo Selva

AZERBAIJAN Hasanzada, Mashiyev, Alakbarov, Gasimzade, Huseynov

Substitutes: Abdulov, Gasimov, Mahmudzada, Jafarzade, Valizada, Gahramanov, Guliyev

Head coach: Ilga Aslanov

Referee 1: Ádám Czene-Joó (HUN)

Referee 2: Jiri Bergs (BEL)

Referee 3: Radim Cep (CZE)

Timekeeper: Laurentiu Ilie

Booked (after the final buzzer): Gahramanov, Andolina Sent off (after the final buzzer): Laglia

Scorers: 17:14 Beccari, 23:21 Mahmudzada, 28:19 Alakbarov, 31:05 Dolcini