ISTALIA SPORTIstalia-Aloria: the exciting finals of the World CupROMULA - A match which will remain imprinted in the memory of Istalians and international football, a graet show, on the field as well as on the bleachers where the predominant Istalian element played not only the role of twelfth but also thirteenth and fourteenth men on the field.
The colors blue, green, white and red literally invaded the National Stadium, almost flooding the purple and white of the sector reserved for the 2000 Alorian spectators. As for cheering and choires, we are sorry for the Alorian fans who, while we recognize them the passion and the pride they have maintained until the end, they coulden't anything against the huge Istalian majority, not only present in the dedicated sector, but as said, even in most part of the stadium and from the stands, a single cry rose: ISTALIA! ISTALIA!
Istalia 3 - 2
Aloria ScoresHermann Egle 41' (0-1)
Simone Balbo 57' (1-1)
Hermann Egle 68' (1-2)
Daniele Maldini 83' [penality] (2-2)
Alessandro del Mauro 107' (3-2)
IstaliaGK 1 Gian Marco Bernabucci
RB 19 Falvio Zolli
YC 5'CB 5 Andrea Cannovacciolo
CB 23 Luca Boni
LB 3 Franco Grande
RM 16 Nizam Tawad
Substituted off 86'CM 8 Ciro Cottosu
CM 21 Filippo Merlo
LM 20 Niccolò Montella
Substituted off 61'SS 10 Simone Balbo
Substituted off 61'CF 9 Daniele Maldini (c)
Substitutions:
MF 4 Francesco De Rossi
Substituted in 61'FW 15 Ahmed Salah
Substituted in 61'FW 7 Alessandro Del Mauro
Substituted in 86'Manager:
Alberto Riva
AloriaGK 16 Kevin Barthez
RB 19 Willy Snyder
YC 12' Red card 82'CB 15 Theo Kropp
YC 76'CB 5 William Gallas
LB 3 Bruno Steer
CM 4 Patrick Schepens
Substituted off 56'CM 6 Trystan Bevin
YC 76'RW 22 Franck Rhys
Substituted off 100'AM 10 Hermann Egle (c)
YC 111'LW 7 Evan Griffiths
CF 12 Joachim Fenn
Substituted off 108'Substitutions:
MF 18 Klaus Muster
Substituted in 56'FW 20 David Llewellyn
Substituted in 100'FW 11 Gethin Vaughan
Substituted in 108'Manager:
Hermann Dreher
Ever since the first minutes, the game has been extremely combative with both formations that within the first ten minutes have already tried to score at least once.
In the field of personal challenges there have been many very interesting, and among them certainly the most enthralling was the one between the captains of the two teams: Daniele Maldini, top scorer and star of SS Romula, against Hermann Egle,
the Hawk, the most prolific goal-scorer in these World Cup; then the one between Evan Griffiths and Flavio Zolli, the latter considered to be one of the best defenders in the world who did not disappoint during the whole Cup, effectively fighting the fast Alorian left wing, Evan Griffiths; last but not least the performance of Gian Marco Bernabucci, who saved 5 incredible shots by Egle.
Until almost the end of the first half the match was very balanced, with interesting opportunities on both sides, among them a quick counter-attack of the Aloria ended with a goal but then invalidated because realized in offside and then the crossbar taken by Filippo Merlo on the free kick which cut the breath to a whole nation while the ball unexpectedly fell toward the opposing net at the end of a perfect parabola.
To the 41' finally arrived the score by Hermann Egle to unblock the match, who shot a ball by Trystan Bevin from the corner kick, a real cold shower for Istalia which ended the first half a goal down.
The restart again sees the Alorians pushing mostly on the right flank with a Franck Rhys like if he suddenly wakes up after a disappointing first half and that at 53' approaches the second goal with a great shot from outside area however stoped by Bernabucci slamming to the ball and touching it enough to send it out. But just from the next corner kick wasted by Aloria started the counterattack finalized by Simone Balbo who, switching unexpectedly the position with Daniele Maldini, from the latter he received the very angled ball which he shouted in the the net wrongfootingthe the opponent's extreme defender: 1-1.
From this moment the game has been steadily intensified with both teams which have expressed actions to fulfill the football history, delighting in performances of rare intensity but also technicality.
The next half hour saw again the Alorian team returning to the advantage thanks to Egle who with a fantastic solo action, smearing two defenders, managed to finalize a fast exchange with Joachim Fenn and then kick an extremely angled ball that is Passed under Bernabucci's right arm to swell the net.
However, our boys did not demoralize, and in fact, after effectively tackling two quick action by the reigned Alorians, they dominated for the next ten minutes, entering into the opponent's area several times and culminating in the penalty earned by Niccolò Montella who, after get away from Theo Kropp on the inside area, was finally shot down by Willy Snyder, who was penalized with another yellow card, leaving his teammates in 10, and giving to Maldini the possibility to realize the equalizing penalty for Istalia, confirming his excellent quality as a rigorist. We are on 2-2 and Istalia pushes like there's no tomorrow trying to take advantage of the numerical inferiority of Aloria whose players, however, until the final whistle were able to close any passage and to stop any action so to decree the passage to the extra time.
Tiredness is now being felt and the teams are visibly stretched while on several occasions the game is interrupted due to cramping players, including Franck Rhys who was forced to be replace at 100' by David Llewellyn.
Despite the speed and precision of both teams dropping significantly and up to 105' the result was still at 2-2, the first extra time still had strong emotions, especially a couple of occasions that sparked the stands with a goalposts and a very low ball close to the goal.
Second extra time: the teams are back in the field and in the light of the general conditions someone already anticipates the penalty shootout after another 15 minutes of effort, but here comes at 106' a dismissal of Bernabucci becomes a fast counterattack for Istalia, which sees the players involved released an unexpected energy that, under the eyes of a stadium without breath and of the general disbelief, it culminated in the area with a handshake of the fastest Ahmed Salah for the last Istalian star arriving on the field, Alessandro Del Mauro, who shouted the ball under the cross of the posts allowing the stadium to explode with joy: it is 3-2 and there are only 13 minutes for the Alorian players to save the game, but nothing to do. Numeric inferiority is being felt, tiredness is terrible and the last minutes also see Trystan Bevin forced by the cramps to keel over for a couple of minutes outside the field.
121': the craving final whistle comes and the stadium is pervaded by the exultation of Istalian viewers who look at their goodies exulting and running through the field hugging the teammates and crying of joy and then reaching the Istalian sector of the stands to celebrate with the fans in ecstasy before the awards.
A historic match, which will enter into the football annals, a great evening for the whole Istalia that has given joy and prestige to the whole Nation!