If I had to guess the IOC wouldn't want the Mens football portion of the Olympics to dominate the interest. Also, how would you regulate who is allowed to compete and who isn't based on "well they never played a World Cup". Haaland never played in Qatar so his Norway should be able to compete in Paris'24 under your suggestion. But who's to say Haaland's Norway doesn't play at a World Cup in 2026?
It's too late because the football tournament of the Olympics has dominated for years. On the international stage , it is usually the most popular and most attended of all team sports. Track and Field is popular by US standards at the Olympic games but I think most nations abroad mostly care about watching international soccer. They are already using 3 overage players so I don't see how it's really an U23 competition anyway.
I don't think so at all. I know the Gold Medal match between Neymar's Brazil and Germany was massive in Rio in 2016 just 2 years after the 1-7 but what other nations follow football at the Olympics? Most sports fans use the opportunity to watch other sports that don't get the exposure.
The 1984 Olympic tournament at Stanford and LA was highly attended. This was at at time where the old NASL folded 2 months later and supposedly, soccer in the USA was virtually. dead. I was there and was sitting with the Italian Navy at Stanford. These were just the games at Stanford. July 30, 1984 West Germany 2–0 Morocco Stanford Stadium, Attendance: 23.228 August 1, 1984 Brazil 1–0 West Germany Stanford Stadium, Attendance: 75,239 August 3, 1984 Saudi Arabia 0–6 West Germany Stanford Stadium, Attendance: 26,242 July 29, 1984 United States 3–0 Costa Stanford Stadium, Attendance: 78,000 July 31, 1984 Egypt 4–1 Costa Rica Stanford Stadium, Attendance: 20,645 Egypt 1–1 United States Stanford Stadium, Attendance: 54,973 August 5, 1984 Italy 1–0 (a.e.t.) Chile Stanford Stadium, Attendance: 67,349 August 6, 1984 Brazil 1–1 (a.e.t.) Canada Stanford Stadium, Attendance: 36,150 August 8, 1984 Italy 1–2 (a.e.t.) Brazil Stanford Stadium, Attendance: 83,642 The Bronze Medal match before the final, drew 100k! August 10, 1984 Yugoslavia 2–1 Italy Rose Bowl, Pasadena Attendance: 100,374 The Gold Medal match at Rose Bowl, Pasadena drew more than the World Cup final 10 years later.... August 11, 1984 France 2–0 Brazil Rose Bowl, Pasadena Attendance: 101,799 I'm sure if they eliminate a U23 competition, the soccer tournament could be even bigger than it already is.
Good half. Slow start but the team grew as the half went on. Could have easily been 4-0. I’m really liking Zanotti. He could be easily starting on a Serie B team. Wonder what’s up with Inter and sending their young players to Switzerland
Baldanzi was a machine today. Really like our midfield at the U21 level. It might be one of the best we have seen in awhile Casadei and Ndour are some physical freaks Bove is a like a young Gattusso with his relentlessness and Prati is solid all around. The younger Esposito continues to impress with his unselfishness ..very talented at hold up play and linking up. Really looking forward to seeing his development as he is already a very smart player.
The program. Massimiliano Favo's boys will make their debut in the competition on Wednesday 25 October against San Marino (kick-off at 3pm, at the 'Valentino Mazzola' stadium). On Saturday 28 October, again at 3pm and again in Santarcangelo di Romagna, the match against Northern Ireland, while the Italian program will close with the match against Greece at the 'Tullio Morgagni' stadium in Forlì (Tuesday 31 October at 3pm). The other stadium involved in the tournament will be the 'Germano Todoli' of Cervia, which will host Northern Ireland-Greece and Greece-San Marino in the first two days. Streaming and TV. All the Azzurrini's matches will be free to enter and will be broadcast live or on TV. It will be possible to watch the first two, against San Marino and Northern Ireland, on the figc.it website, while the last match against Greece will be broadcast live on RaiSport. The list of those called up Goalkeepers: Alessandro Nunziante (Benevento), Massimo Pessina (Bologna) Defenders: Cristian Cama (Roma), Federico Colombo (Milan), Matteo Cocchi (Inter), Christian Garofalo (Napoli), Manuel Maffessoli (Atalanta), Francesco Verde (Juventus), Giorgio Vezzosi (Sassuolo) Midfielders: Alessandro Di Nunzio (Roma), Federico Coletta (Roma), Niccolò Gariani (Atalanta), Mattia Liberali (Milan), Alessandro Olivieri (Empoli), Diego Pisani (Fiorentina), Elia Plicco (Parma) Stikers: Francesco Camarda (Milan), Alex Castiello (Atalanta), Stefano Maiorana (Fiorentina), Mattia Mosconi (Inter)
Pio Esposito scored again for Spezia today. Feel like he has the best chance of the Esposito brothers (although i think all 3 should have careers in Serie A, and Salvatore should already be there)
I thought he was the least talented of the 3, but it looks like the one in the best position to succeed right now.
Seba looks to be the biggest bluff out of the three. Watched him play for Bari last season. A lackadaisical player that looks to be more interested in whether his socks and cleats look good rather than production. Haven’t followed him this season. In terms of Salvatore, he is a solid player that will undoubtedly find his way into Serie A next year. Never had the hype that Seba had, but he is of Serie A caliber. As for Pio, the sky looks to be the limit for a player, who some might consider to be clumsy, yet refined, all at the same time. He wouldn’t be the first to defy the odds of one’s physical stature and coordination not being conducive to sports. So far, so good.
I thought Seba actually did well at Bari. 4 goals and 2 assists in 11 games is decent for a player that came in January. This year it's another story as he walked into a complete shit storm at Samp. I think Inter thought that it was going to be a safe bet but so far it's looking like a tough situation. And this speaks to a bigger problem. Seba is 21 and has already been loaned out to 6 teams. Can't find any continuity at this pace.
The Under 18 national team, after facing Serbia in September (3-0 victory) and completing an internship in October in Tirrenia (PI), returns to the field for a double friendly match against Romania scheduled for Thursday 16th (11 am) and Sunday 19 November (11am) at the Concordia stadium in Chiajna. There are 22 players called up by coach Daniele Franceschini, all born in 2006, who will gather on Monday 13th (12.30 pm) at the 'Giulio Onesti' Olympic Preparation Center in Rome and, after three training sessions in two days, will leave for Bucharest on the morning of Wednesday 15 November. The list of those called up Goalkeepers: Tommaso Martinelli (Fiorentina), Francesco Saverio Plaia (Spezia); Defenders: Adam Bakoune (Milan), Alessandro Bassino (Juventus), Filippo Pagnucco (Juventus), Matteo Giuseppe Plaia (Roma), Gabriel Ramaj (Atalanta), Edoardo Sadotti (Fiorentina), Federico Simonetto (Atalanta), Alessandro Ventre (Sampdoria) ; Midfielders: Andrea Bonanomi (Atalanta), Francesco Crapisto (Juventus), Lapo Deli (Fiorentina), Cosimo Fiorini (Zurich), Leonardo Mendicino (Atalanta), Lorenzo Riccio (Atalanta); Forwards: Alessandro Bonomi (Milan), Lorenzo Carfora (Benevento), Seydou Fini (Genoa), Tommaso Ravaglioli (Bologna), Filippo Scotti (Milan), Matteo Spinaccè (Inter).
The National Under 19 team, reigning European champions, after facing Northern Ireland (3-2 victory) and the Netherlands (2-0 defeat) in September and Serbia in October (5-4 defeat and 3-1 victory) , is ready to compete in the first qualifying phase of the European Championship, which will see the Azzurrini involved in Sweden from 15 to 21 November. After the internship from 6 to 8 November in Coverciano, the coach Bernardo Corradi made official the list of 20 players called up, 14 born in 2005 and 6 born in 2006 (Cisse, Magni, Mannini, Marin, Pafundi and Romano), who, having been included in the Group 4, will take the field at the Borås Arena on Wednesday 15th (1pm) against Liechtenstein, Saturday 18th (1pm) against Switzerland and Tuesday 21st November (6pm) against the hosts Sweden. The top two in each of the 13 groups of the first qualifying phase plus the best third place enter the elite phase. The final phase of the European Championship, however, is scheduled from 15 to 28 July in Northern Ireland. The list of those called up Goalkeepers: Federico Magro (Lazio), Renato Bellucci Marin (Roma); Defenders: Wisdom Amey (Bologna), Davide Bartesaghi (Milan), Fabio Cristian Chiarodia (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Pietro Comuzzo (Fiorentina), Christian Corradi (Hellas Verona), Vittorio Magni (Milan), Marco Palestra (Atalanta); Midfielders: Aaron Ciammaglichella (Turin), Luca Di Maggio (Inter), Luca Lipani (Sassuolo), Mattia Mannini (Roma), Diego Ripani (Juventus), Marco Romano (Genoa), Kevin Zeroli (Milan); Forwards: Lorenzo Anghelè (Juventus), Alphadjo Cisse (Hellas Verona), Simone Pafundi (Udinese), Alessio Vacca (Juventus).
England and Portugal will be the next opponents of the National Under 20 team in the Elite League. After the October success against Poland - 1-0, goal by Terracciano, in front of the 8,000 fans present in the stands of the 'Ceravolo' stadium in Catanzaro - the Azzurrini will play on Thursday 16th in Doncaster (kick-off at 8pm Italian time, 7pm English) and on Tuesday 21st at the 'Enzo Ricci' stadium in Sassuolo (2pm, live on RaiSport, free entry) against Portugal, in a match that will take place again four months after the final that crowned Italy European champions Under 19. For this double commitment, coach Alberto Bollini has called up 23 players, who will gather on Monday the 13th at the Olympic Preparation Center in Tirrenia. Departure for England is scheduled for Wednesday 15th, with the national team returning to Italy on Friday 17th and preparing for the match against the Portuguese at the Mapei Football Center in Sassuolo. THE SITUATION. After having played three matches (draw in Germany, victories in the Czech Republic and against Poland), Italy is in second place in the Elite League standings behind Germany, who however have one match more. PREVIOUS. There are nine previous matches between Italy and England Under 20s. The Azzurrini have won two, drawn three and England won four. The latest challenge, however, lies with Italy, which last May defeated England 2-1 (goals from Tommaso Baldanzi and Cesare Casadei, the latter from a penalty) in the round of 16 of the Under 20 World Cup which then ended in second place. Instead, it will be the fourth time that the Under 20 national team will play in Sassuolo: the last precedent was in November 2022, a 2-1 against the Czech Republic thanks to goals from Giuseppe Ambrosino and Claudio Cassano. Finally, there are ten precedents at Under 20 level between Italy and Portugal: the balance is four victories for the Azzurrini, three draws and the same number of Portuguese successes. The last match, also valid for the Elite League, was won by Italy 2-1 in September 2022 thanks to goals from Cesare Casadei and Cristian Volpato, the latter player currently wearing the Sassuolo shirt. The list of those called up Goalkeepers: Davide Mastrantonio (Monterosi Tuscia), Lorenzo Palmisani (Olbia); Defenders: Samuele Angori (Pontedera), Giovanni Bonfanti (Atalanta), Alessandro Dellavalle (Turin), Alessandro Fontanarosa (Cosenza), Filippo Missori (Sassuolo), Iacopo Regonesi (Atalanta), Alessandro Pio Riccio (Modena), Filippo Terracciano (Verona) ; Midfielders: Lorenzo Amatucci (Fiorentina), Giacomo Faticanti (Lecce), Luis Hasa (Juventus), Lorenzo Ignacchiti (Pontedera), Tommaso Milanese (Ascoli), Niccolò Pisilli (Roma), Federico Zuccon (Cosenza); Forwards: Federico Accornero (Pescara), Nicholas Bonfanti (Modena), Luca D'Andrea (Catanzaro), Daniele Montevago (Gubbio), Nicolò Turco (Liefering), Cristian Volpato (Sassuolo).
After the victory in Bolzano against Norway, the National Under 21 team is ready for a double away trip that is fundamental for the journey towards the 2025 European Championship in Slovakia. The Azzurrini will return to the pitch on Thursday 16th in Serravalle against San Marino and on Tuesday 21st in Cork against Ireland, currently leading Group A with full points with three wins out of three. Both matches will be broadcast live on Rai 2. Italy, which began its journey in the qualifiers with the draw in Latvia and the victory in Turkey in September, follows with 7 points, in the company of Latvia, which however has played two more games than Carmine Nunziata's team. PREVIOUS. Italy and San Marino will return to face each other at Under 21 national level, 34 years after the double 2-0 win for the Azzurrini in 1989 (European qualifiers). Ireland, on the other hand, is on Italy's path to the Under 21 European Championship for the third two years in a row: a draw (0-0, October 2019) and a 2-0 victory (October 2020, in Pisa, goals of Sottil and Cutrone) in the two-year period 2019-21, two victories (2-0 away in November 2021, goals by Lucca and Cancellieri, 4-1 in Ascoli in June 2022, scored by Rovella, Cambiaghi, Pellegri and Quagliata) in the two-year period 2021-23. The latter match gave the Azzurrini qualification to the final phase. Overall, in the nine previous matches against Ireland, six Italian victories, two draws and only one defeat. The list of those called up Goalkeepers: Sebastiano Desplanches (Palermo), Jacopo Sassi (Pro Vercelli), Gioele Zacchi (Giana Erminio) Defenders: Tommaso Barbieri (Pisa), Riccardo Calafiori (Bologna), Diego Coppola (Verona), Daniele Ghilardi (Sampdoria), Samuel Giovane (Ascoli), Gabriele Guarino (Empoli), Lorenzo Pirola (Salernitana), Riccardo Turicchia (Juventus), Mattia Zanotti (Sankt Gallen) Midfielders: Tommaso Baldanzi (Empoli), Alessandro Bianco (Reggiana), Edoardo Bove (Roma), Cesare Casadei (Leicester), Giovanni Fabbian (Bologna), Jacopo Fazzini (Empoli), Fabio Miretti (Juventus), Cher Ndour (Paris Saint Germain ), Matteo Prati (Cagliari) Forwards: Giuseppe Ambrosino (Catanzaro), Lorenzo Colombo (Monza), Francesco Pio Esposito (Spezia), Wilfried Gnonto (Leeds United), Luca Koleosho (Burnley), Gaetano Pio Oristanio (Cagliari)
Vi ricordate di Mattia #Almaviva? Francesco Totti gli consegnò simbolicamente la fascia di capitano il giorno del suo addio al calcio. Oggi Mattia ha 17 anni, gioca nella Roma U18, e grazie a un suo gol i giallorossi hanno vinto il derby contro la Lazio a Trigoria.
Nice to see that Sebastiano Esposito has opened his scoring account. Sampdoria are out of the drop zone and on a good run of form. Hopefully they can keep it up