The Harlequin cup is from Venaria! Success in front of Female Juventus, Pinerolo and Bra

“Even simple sticks, when joined in a bundle, are unbreakable”. This is the message launched with the triumph in Harlequin cup dal Venaria, a team capable of inflaming the hearts of the fans thanks to the deep bond that binds the players, the coach, and the managers to each other almost as if they were a single entity. The Under 12 Cervotte played beautiful football, made, it is true, even with small imperfections – such as the several missed goals in front of goal – which, however, did nothing but further enhance the splendor of every good play and every goal, giving thus a truly pleasant and exciting show and reminding, once again, that victory is made up of many defeats.

VENARIA-PINEROLO

A few seconds are enough from the kick-off at Venaria to give the first shivers to the fans, today present in large numbers for the final and above all very lively and fiery in supporting their favorite team: Matilda Lo Campo receives a good ball and manages to find the necessary space for the shot by kicking the ball just above the crossbar with a very good execution. The next action the roles are reversed and now it is Pinerolo to attack. Good and even a bit lucky series of passes first in defense and then in midfield and Elisa Bellazzi manages to unload the shot without finding any of the numerous players rushed near the area along the trajectory of the shot, which this time is low and powerful and grazes the outside post and then goes out on the back. Venaria’s game appears more harmonious, organized and orderly right from the first minutes and, thanks to numerous well-executed passes, manages to maintain ball possession for a long time during the construction phases of the game. Venaria therefore returns to the attack, bringing many players into the opposing half.

In the 4th minute Matilda Lo Campo goes very close to scoring, hitting the post after a quick and ingenious exchange with Melissa Ortuso while in the 6th minute, on a free kick from an inviting position Stefania De Reulgan kicks very well, giving a lot of power to the shot as well as a splendid and deadly parable: the ball seemed destined to fly over the crossbar a lot and instead changes trajectory descending at the speed of a fireball by half a meter, hitting the crossbar violently. A few minutes later Venaria manages to create another sensational goal chance thanks to the brilliant plays of Matilda Lo Campo, who passes between three opponents and arrives face to face with the goalkeeper, making a mistake right on the most beautiful, i.e. the conclusion. which is certainly affected by the long run of the player and is weak and central. The first half ends with the same result as the match started.

It doesn’t take more than three minutes in the second half to unblock the game: Melissa Ortuso fits well in the area, receives the ball and kicks the shot angling towards the post. Goalkeeper beaten and the result is now 1-0. A real party begins in the stands. With the intention of not giving up and winning the game, the Pinerolo players seem to wake up after the goal conceded and exponentially increase the pace of the game, building two important scoring actions in the space of two minutes. Excellent and timely, however, the defensive interventions of Julia Procida, a true defensive bulwark, who uses his physique to cut off the path and free spaces for the attackers. At the third offensive manoeuvre, the defense of Venaria seems to start to falter, the number 7 of Pinerolo Letizia Zhuri receives a good ball in a secluded position on the edge of the area, loads the shot and starts a shot so powerful that the ball looks like a projectile. The shot has good speed and trajectory and seems destined to enter the net, but is fouled at the last minute with a flick of the hand by one of the defenders. Penalty kick for Pinerolo one minute from the end of the match. Letizia Zhuri herself appears to kick from the penalty spot, who with glacial coldness, despite the two running steps, manages to kick a perfect penalty by hitting with the inside of her foot. Powerful shot and ball that enters the net passing a few centimeters from the post. 1-1. The exultation of the fans in the stands for this crucial goal is one of the most beautiful and unbridled. In the last minute Venaria, masters of the game for most of the match, try to get back in front but act in haste and fail to finalize. The match ended with a 1-1 that was certainly unexpected until the penalty episode given Venaria’s supremacy on the field, which lacked lucidity in front of goal.

JUVENTUS-PINEROLO FEMALE

It was a match lacking in conclusions on target between Juventus Women and Pinerolo, but not for this lacking in emotions, on the contrary. It was a game played above all in midfield, where the ball traveled restlessly from one wing to the other. After just 2 minutes Alessia Tarollastriker with great speed and good technique with the ball at his feet, finds the goal by throwing himself like a bird of prey on his partner’s blocked shot Alice Perrone unloading a well-placed shot that leaves no way out for the goalkeeper. 1-0 ball back in the center. In the following minutes, Juventus number 9, Alice Perrone, stood out with good physical strength and excellent footballing intelligence as well as a truly enviable tranquility and promptness to act. On several occasions she receives and protects the ball to then unload it at the midfielders or fly the wingers towards the opponent’s goal. At the end of the first half, Pinerolo has the opportunity to equalize: the Juventus goalkeeper misses the goal and Elena Valentini he finds himself as if by magic the ball between his feet in an excellent position. Instead of trying to get closer to the goal, Elena kicks immediately but, probably due to her haste to surprise and jump over the goalkeeper, she doesn’t kick very well and her shot is weak and poorly angled. The goalkeeper blocks without difficulty. The first half ended 1-0.

In the second half of the match Pinerolo started at “110%” winning four consecutive corner kicks, even coming close to scoring in one of these with a volley in the fray. The next attacking action is again from Pinerolo, who stops the opponent’s offensive advance in the bud and launches into the attack with Elena Valentini who somehow manages to pass between three defenders and kick winning, thanks to the deflection of a defender, a corner kick. Juventus slowly regained control of the game and slowly began to bring several players into the opposing half of the field without ever overreacting and leaving empty spaces in the defensive line. Veronica Stefanelli, Juventus number 8, runs ball and chain down the right wing, passes an opponent with a bit of luck and, arriving near the corner flag, sends a low cross which turns out to be a brush pass for the number 9 Alice Perrone who had the necessary time to control the ball, move it to her favorite foot and kick with the right power and precision, but she gets caught up in haste and agitation and kicks immediately, coordinating badly and consequently missing the target. Ball that rears up and flies over the crossbar with a slow parable. At the end of the match, the result could have become even more rounded, but with great skill and timing the number 3 from Pinerolo Anna Giachero he saves the cross from one of the Juventus full backs on the line which is transformed, due to the imprecise trajectory, into a very poisonous shot which otherwise would have gone in as it had already passed the goalkeeper. The match ended 1-0 in favor of Juventus.

WOMEN’S JUVENTUS – VENARIA

Apart from the result, the last match of the tournament was the best and most exciting match of the final. The game opens with some sleight of hand in the midfield of number 6 from Venaria Naomi Ricotta, very agile and fast, simply unstoppable with the ball at his feet, who jumps three players even with an elegant double touch of the sole and leads his team into numerical superiority. A few minutes later it was Venaria again who made themselves dangerous in front by winning a free kick from twenty metres. To kick, as in the first match against Pinerolo, is still the number 7 Stefania Derevlean, also this time her execution is very good and dangerous, the shot comes out about half a meter on the right. In the 11th minute, after having let off numerous sparks that never turned into flame, the fire flared up: In just 3 minutes Venaria scored 2 goals, both of great beauty and crushed Juventus both physically and mentally . In the 11th minute Noemi Ricotta scored with a powerful and well-placed shot from outside the area towards the right-hand post, unreachable for the goalkeeper; while in the 13th minute, to sign the doubling is Angelica Abbatepaolo, who enters the area ball and chain with a stretch, moves the ball to the right and sends the ball to the left of the goalkeeper with a low shot. Following this last goal, the exultation of the fans becomes uncontainable, like for a decisive goal in the Champions League final, and some players on the bench run onto the pitch to hug Angelica and congratulate her. In the final two minutes of the first half Juventus try to invent with their two forwards Alice Perrone and Alessia Tarolla that for technical and athletic qualities complement each other very well, but the defense of Venaria, well compact, does not waver and gives the impression of being insurmountable. The first half ends 2-0.

In the second half Feminile Juventus is determined to start the steep climb to victory but there seems to be a lot of pressure on and off the pitch and the players are starting to lack calm and lucidity. Nonetheless, the first shot of the second half came from Juventus. Julia Pecoraro he kicks around from outside the area but the goalkeeper (among other things improvised, since Venaria does not have a real goalkeeper in this final, but has players from other positions play on goal in rotation) intervenes well and saves the ball. A thunderous burst of applause resounds from the Venaria bench in response to this far from easy save. In the 5th minute Venaria regained control of the game and scored for the third time with a goal by Alice Casotti, arrived from a corner kick after a series of lucky rebounds thanks to a low shot that grazed the post. In the 11th minute, Venaria has another beautiful and sensational goal opportunity: Melissa Ortuso escapes the defensive guard carrying the ball at high speed along the right side of the field and is left alone with the goalkeeper. He arrived a few steps from the goal, instead of low and placed kick, he loads the shot a lot and unloads a very powerful but central blow on the goalkeeper, who rejects for a corner kick. Juventus’ most important chance comes directly from a set piece a few meters from the left side of the penalty area: Frances DiMitri takes the free kick well but only finds the outside of the net. There are now only three minutes left until the final whistle and the tension on the pitch reaches the highest levels, Venaria closes in defense of their goal to safeguard the result and the coach, more active than ever, gives orders to each player continuing to incite them to one by one. The Juventus players are in no way able to wedge themselves between the well-positioned defensive lines of Venaria, who can now leave for one last attack. This time it’s kicking Emeline Tomiato whose powerful and low shot is deflected by a defender, changes trajectory, becomes a sort of lob and ends dangerously close to the post. The match ends 3-0 and Venaria can now truly celebrate: they are at the top of the standings. The Harlequin Cup belongs to Cervotte!