Women's World Cup, Italy ko with Brazil but first in the group
ROME – Nothing en-plein for Italy in group C of the Women's World Cup. After the first two victories in a row, on the third and final day of the group stage, the Italians made up for a knockout with Brazil (1-0), but still finished in first place in the group . Decides a penalty kick by Marta, but it is a completely painless defeat for the girls of Bertolini, who despite arriving on equal points with Australia and the Brazilians themselves, still qualify for the first knockout round, given the goal difference better than the other two selections.
The Italians start with courage and determination, bringing the first danger of the match to 5 ': Bonansea receives on the left and steers to the center trying to close with the right at the near post, Barbara is careful and diving dives in a corner kick. A little later Cernoia also tries, but his left-handed from the distance ends at the bottom. The biggest chance, however, is given to Brazil on 17 ', when Debinha invented a great back-heel from a corner situation, enhancing the reflexes of an extraordinary Giuliani, providential in denying the advantage to the opponents. An advantage that Italy would find close to the half-hour with Girelli, if it were not for the irregular position of the same on the beautiful spurt of Giacinti. The blue number 10 tries again the following action hitting all alone from head to corner, but finding the wall of the Brazilian defense. At 40 'Bertolini's team has an even clearer scoring goal: a splendid ride to the right of Guagni, a perfect cross in the middle for Bonansea's split steering wheel, which however fails to corner the conclusion well favoring Barbara's central rejection.
Many emotions but at the break the 0-0 resists. In the second half the first two rings are from Brazil, first with the poisonous punishment of Andressinha, who luckily for Italy slams on the top of the crossbar and ends outside, then with the header of Kathellen who licks Giuliani's pole to the right . The Italians are struggling to put themselves forward as in the first half, suffering more from the initiatives of the national green gold side and conceding a penalty kick for Linari's foul on Debinha in the 72nd minute: Marta made no mistake and signed the Brazil 1-0. Italy does not seem able to react, either because of fatigue or because despite the defeat and the contemporary result of Australia-Jamaica (4-1 the final), the Italians would pass first anyway. So the last minutes of the race run away without any other particular jerks: Brazil wins, but Italy still celebrates. (source AGI)
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Source: Blitz Quotidiano