The Azzurrini’s run comes to an end in Doha after a loss to Austria, which will now face Portugal—the winner of the penalty shootout against Brazil—in the world title match
The Italian U-17 National Team’s run in the expanded World Cup in Qatar came to an end just one step short of their dream: after six wins across the group stage and knockout rounds, their first loss—a 2-0 defeat to Austria—proved extremely costly for Massimiliano Favo’s squad, which was defeated by a solid and well-organized opponent that had already beaten them twice in friendlies back in October. Goals by Johannes Moser, a forward for Liefering (a Salzburg affiliate) and the World Cup’s leading scorer, took his tally from six to eight: with a diagonal left-footed shot and a right-footed free kick late in the game, he was the difference-maker in the second half.
THE MATCH Favo—who had to deal with Marini’s suspension in defense—continued with the rotations that have been paying off in back-to-back matches: De Paoli replaced Borasio in the center of the defense and once again changed the attacking duo, pairing Campaniello (three goals in the previous two games) and Elimoghale, supported by the quality of the irreplaceable Inacio. Austria, like the Azzurrini, has also won all its matches and has conceded only one goal. Despite the absences of the suspended center back Ndukwe and the injured center forward Dobis, they are a team of solid overall quality, with their standout player being top scorer Moser. He’s one to watch, even before his two-goal performance in this semifinal. Italy got off to a strong start: in the first 12 minutes, four shots by Inacio, Campaniello, and Luongo all came close to Posch’s goal. For Austria, however, it’s nothing new to let their opponents take the initiative at times and then try to turn the tide as soon as possible. Midway through the first half, the match became very tactical and reached halftime without any major highlights—a lull in intensity during which our opponents seemed to feel right at home.
THE SUBSTITUTIONS Favo’s first move, 10 minutes into the second half, was to bring on Lontani for Elimoghale, who hadn’t managed to make an impact up front. The Austrian game plan, however, ended up backfiring on the first effective vertical pass: the through ball aimed at Moser found De Paoli out of position; Reggiani didn’t have time to close him down; and the feared Moser’s surgical left-footed shot beat Longoni at the far post. A reaction was needed. Maccaroni also came on for Prisco, and thus began a long period of passing in the attacking half, with the team struggling to create chances in the congested spaces. With 8 minutes remaining, Borasio and Arena also come on for Reggiani and Inacio: however, the Juventus defender’s game—he had even taken the captain’s armband—lasts only seven minutes, as a foul on Frauscher (reviewed by Football Video Support) costs him a straight red card. From the resulting free kick, the unstoppable Moser scores again to make it 2-0, effectively ending Italy’s World Cup run. Italy will nonetheless face Brazil in the third-place match on Thursday; Brazil was eliminated by Portugal on penalty kicks in the other semifinal.
