Under-21: Titans close to taking the lead before Latvia pull away late on

This time there is no positive result against Latvia, unlike the previous European qualifying cycle (0-0). Yet the Under-21 National Team come extremely close to taking the lead – and to scoring for the second match running after finding the net against Türkiye – before the visitors grow in confidence and eventually crown their excellent European campaign with a win, finishing on 11 points in a group with a particularly high technical level. Matteo Cecchetti immediately fields the three players drafted in from the senior National Team for the occasion: Fabbri, Valli Casadei and Giocondi. In goal, also in light of Amici’s absence, Fabio Borasco makes his first start. The captain’s armband goes to Matteoni, back from suspension. There is a cautious feeling-out phase before the game truly bursts into life. Latvia make the first move: Novikovs swings a cross into the box, Borasco takes it away from Patijčuks, then reacts superbly to smother at the feet of Grabovskis, who was shaping to apply a simple finish. San Marino’s reply is not long in coming. Fabbri releases Santi on the right: the forward skips past Penkevics with a dribble and then unleashes a powerful left-footed effort, but it’s too close to the near post. Shortly after, another Sammarinese attack develops down the opposite flank. Giocondi surges forward and squares for Santi, who gets in front of a sluggish Latvian defence but can only finish tamely under pressure from Vientiess’ last-ditch challenge. Santi then tries to contort himself to meet a cross from Nicolò Sancisi, but Beks gathers comfortably. This sustained attacking thrust from the Titans leads to a huge chance: the Latvian backline is carved open by Santi’s through ball for Marco Gasperoni, who races into open field and finds himself one-on-one with Beks. The Latvian goalkeeper does brilliantly, though, to narrow the angle and deny the Sammarinese striker in a very delicate head-to-head situation. Latvia, having ridden their luck, push up the pitch and raise the tempo. Within a minute Nikivokvs collects a half-clearance from Giocondi and drives a low shot into the side-netting. On 26 minutes their pressure pays off. Grabovskis swings in a corner towards Vientiess, who rises highest at the far post and powers his header into the net. Almost immediately afterwards it takes a miraculous intervention from Matteoni, with a big risk of conceding a penalty, to stop Patijčuks in the six-yard box after a glorious pass from Grabovskis. The Sammarinese captain stretches and pokes the ball off the Baltic centre-forward’s foot just as he is about to tap home. Towards the end of the half, Grabovskis starts his personal “battle” with the Sammarinese goal. Reingolcs picks him out from the byline and, free in the middle of the area, he fires over. He quickly makes amends, however, by delivering his second assist of the evening: a pinpoint dead-ball cross for Meļķis, who climbs above everyone and heads in off the post. The hosts push back and, after a handball by Vientiess, win a free-kick from 25 metres. Santi steps up but hits the wall. At the other end, Anmanis’ shot over the bar from the edge of the area effectively brings the first half to a close. At the restart Matteo Cecchetti immediately plays the Chiaruzzi card, sending him on for Casadei. Latvia carve out a major opportunity through Grabovskis, who plays a one-two with Meļķis but from a great position sends his shot over, before venting his frustration at himself. The 3-0, however, is only a few minutes away and stems from a poor piece of ball management by Borasco from a back-pass by Fabbri. The ball runs away from the home goalkeeper and Meļķis pounces in a flash to nick it away and then smash it into the net. On 56 minutes Grabovskis shoots from the edge and only just misses the target, via a crucial deflection. The number 16 then goes hunting for an “olímpico” goal straight from the corner flag: despite heavy traffic in the six-yard box, Borasco is alert and not caught out, after which Anmanis ends the move with a shot from a very promising position that sails wastefully wide. Latvia keep up their relentless pressure and shortly afterwards it takes a big save from Borasco to deny Novikovs, who had broken clear on goal once again thanks to the ever-creative Grabovskis. San Marino look to the pace of Marco Gasperoni to launch a counter. The Sammarinese striker bursts away from Vientiess, who is forced to pull him down and take a yellow card with the penalty area looming. The hosts still come away with an interesting free-kick, which Santi takes with a very tight angle in an attempt to surprise Beks at his near post. The net ripples, but only from the outside. In the meantime Guerra comes on for his debutin an official matchwith the Under-21s. Then it’s D’Addario’s turn to replace Nicolò Sancisi: a forward for a midfielder. The Titans try to translate this attacking intent from the bench onto the pitch, but it is again Latvia who threaten: Novikovs delivers a pinpoint cross onto the head of Patijčuks, who somehow contrives to miss from inside the six-yard box. San Marino respond and win a long corner: Matteoni recycles the ball back into the area, the defence clear with difficulty and Santi ends the move with a firm, powerful right-footed strike that flies over. In the final quarter of an hour – during which Pasolini and Simone Gasperoni also come on – Borasco is called into action again by the Latvian forwards. He is not stretched by Patika’s left-footed attempt, while far more demanding is his save from close range on Raščevskis, played in inside the area by a clever through ball from deep by Reingolcs. In the first minute of added time Rēķis tries his luck with a placed right-footed effort from sixteen metres: Borasco flies in style and even holds onto the ball. It is the final snapshot of a match which marks the farewell of the young Biancoazzurri to this qualifying campaign, and also of the 2002 and 2003-born players to the Under-21 National Team itself. For that reason too, after the final whistle, Matteo Cecchetti calls together all his men – players and staff – for a collective round of applause and thanks: due recognition for the efforts made by the group on a journey marked by intense performances and significant steps forward in their development.

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Under-21, Euro 2025 qualifiers | San Marino – Latvia 0-3   SAN MARINO Borasco; Tomassini, Matteoni, M. Sancisi; Fabbri (from 61' Guerra), Casadei (from 46' Chiaruzzi), Valli Casadei (from 78' Pasolini), N. Sancisi (from 67' D'Addario), Giocondi (from 78' S. Gasperoni); Santi, M. Gasperoni Substitutes: Battistini, M. Ciacci, S. Gasperoni, Giambalvo, F. Ciacci Head coach: Matteo Cecchetti   LATVIA Beks (from 81' Bethers); Novikovs, Vientiess, Kudeļkins, Reingolcs; Anmanis (from 65' Patrikejevs), Penkevics; Raščevskis, Grabovskis (from 76' Melnis), Meļķis (from 76' Rēķis), Patijčuks (from 65' Patika) Substitutes: Valmiers, Maslovs, Mihaļcovs, Mihaļcovs Head coach: Aleksandrs Basovs Referee: Martin Matoša (SVN) Assistant referees: Aleksandar Kasapovič (SVN) and Matic Mežnar (SVN) Fourth official: Denis Šabanagić (SVN) Booked: Reingolcs, Matteoni, Vientiess, Giocondi Scorers: 26' Vientiess, 38' and 52' Meļķis

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