Women’s Under-16: Romania win 4-0 in the first friendly

After the two friendlies played in Acquaviva in June, San Marino’s Women’s Under-16 National Team returned the visit to their Romanian peers – facing them yesterday in the first of two consecutive friendlies at the Buftea National Football Centre. Straight from kick-off, the hosts break the deadlock from the spot through Nicolae on 5 minutes. The penalty came from a clash of runs between Carli and Cândea, played in behind the defence by Nombot. The Romanian captain made no mistake, opening up her right foot to send Forcellini the wrong way. Soon after, the San Marino goalkeeper is called into her first save of the afternoon, while Terenzi looks for Paone – thwarted by Coman. On the quarter-hour mark the San Marino striker wins a corner, forcing the Romanian keeper into action. It is the best spell for the Titane, who threaten twice through Benedettini in quick succession: first from open play, then from a set piece, but on both occasions the captain fails to hit the target. On 21 minutes Elisa Terenzi takes centre stage again, firing wide after a fine one-two with Paone. Romania, however, prove ruthlessly clinical: after a couple of efforts comfortably dealt with by Arianna Forcellini, Colibaba doubles the advantage for Damaschin’s side. The midfielder cuts inside onto her right and unleashes a stunning strike from twenty metres, finding the top corner. In the closing stages of the half, the Biancazzurre push to halve the deficit: the Terenzi–Paone axis is electric, but the finishing touch is lacking. On 35 minutes Carli also ventures forward and, combining with Benedettini, causes problems for the home backline – who somehow scramble clear, and do so again a minute later after a driving run from Elisa Terenzi, who does well to pick out Tamagnini in the box, but the move breaks down thanks to Romania’s recovering defence. Before the interval, Colibaba rattles the crossbar from a very favourable position. In the second half Romania put the result to bed within the first quarter of an hour. After a solo move by Zamfir, ended in a corner, Cândea finds the back of the San Marino net as early as the 48th minute. The powerful centre forward reacts quickest to a loose ball in the area following a corner and turns it past the keeper. Ten minutes later, there is joy also for Banciu, who had come on at the start of the second half and manages to score directly from the corner flag. It’s a perfect delivery from the midfielder, who signs her name to an Olympic goal. Arianna Forcellini prevents the scoreline from becoming even heavier, before the match enters a phase marked by a flurry of substitutions. In effect, play moves straight into the final quarter of an hour, when the Biancazzurre come close to the consolation goal, but a fine individual effort by Elisa Terenzi – on a long ball from Paolini – is ruled out for offside. Everything is regular at the other end, where Forcellini flies to deny first Zamfir and then Lionte the goal that would have made it 5-0.

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Women’s Under-16, International Friendly | Romania–San Marino 4-0 ROMANIA Coman; Fülop (70' Craiovan), Borţea, Nicolae, Bogoş; Nombot (70' Cicoş), Turcu, Colibaba (46' Banciu); Olah (62' Lionte), Cândea (62' Stanea), Cojanu (46' Zamfir) Substitutes: Heim, Ştefan, Apostol, Bucşa Head coach: Iosif Damaschin   SAN MARINO A. Forcellini; Stifani (62' Bonciucci), Paolini, Carli (85' Moroni), Benedettini; Tamagnini (62' S. Forcellini), Yazici; Penserini (72' Andreini), Bianchi (72' Bartoli), E. Terenzi; Paone (85' Ragazzini) Substitutes: Lazzaretti, A. Terenzi, Francini Head coach: Giacomo Piva   Referee: Maria Văluşescu (ROU) Assistant referees: Ilinca Mazga (ROU) and Mădălina Dinu (ROU) Fourth official: Alexandra Ogică (ROU) Scorers: 5' (p) Nicolae, 25' Colibaba, 48' Cândea, 58' Banciu Booked: E. Terenzi, Benedettini

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