Quite entertaining game between two relaxed teams (yeah, finally Napoli was too), that was comfortably won by Como with 3 goals by some of their most representative players: Julia Karlernäs (at her 5th goal in the league), Alex Kerr (6 goals for her) and Nadine Nischler, who ends the league with an impressive total amount of 11 goals, just out of the podium by one single goal. On the other hand, Elisa del Estal once again showed how she's too much wasteful and thus not really suited for Serie A Femminile, as I had already pointed out earlier this season. Napoli fought valiantly (especially with Marija Banusic) and even scored a goal with Matilde Lundorf who kept the game on a 1-1 score for some minutes in the 1st Half, but in the end they had to give up. They had anyway already reached their target of avoiding relegation last week, when Sampdoria lost their game, so they weren't overly disappointed by today's result. A final note: Katja Schroffenegger was seen back on the pitch in Como's goal after a long injury. Quite interesting game in Sassuolo also: Sampdoria even went ahead twice, in the 1st Half with Giada Pellegrino Cimò and in the 2nd Half with Sara Baldi (despite being at that point down a player because of Alice Barbieri's Red Card), but the home team equalized both times, at first with a confused action finished by Valeria Monterubbiano, then by a spectacular backheel-volley by 19 yo HT-sub Emma Girotto, and finally Lana Clelland scored the brace that led her team to a 4-2 win and lifted her up to a total of 10 goals in the season: not bad, at 32, for one of the most prolific strikers in the history of Serie A Femminile (we're talking 92 goals in 10 season, for her ). Today's matches: Como 3-1 Napoli Sassuolo 4-2 Sampdoria Today's highlights: So, the curtain falls on Serie A Femminile 2024-2025; these are the final rankings of the title pool and of the relegation pool: Title Pool 1.Juventus 55 64-31 2.Inter 51 50-26 3.Roma 45 49-36 4.Fiorentina 41 36-34 5.Milan 35 42-46 Relegation Pool 1.Lazio 41 52-31 2.Como 38 39-43 3.Sassuolo 34 45-49 4.Napoli 14 15-50 5.Sampdoria 10 16-62 And these are the top 10 positions of the scorers' rankings (probably a good sign for the NT that the top-positions are mostly Italian, not sure about what it could mean for the league and its power of attraction ): 1 - Cristiana Girelli (Juventus) 19 goals (with 4 PKs) 2 - Martina Piemonte (Lazio) 17 goals 3 - Evelyn Ijeh (Milan) 12 goals (with 1 PK) - Manuela Giugliano (Roma) 12 goals (with 4 PKs) 5 - Clarisse Le Bihan (Lazio) 11 goals (with 3 PKs) - Nadine Nischler (Como) 11 goals - Sofia Cantore (Juventus) 11 goals 8 - Gina Chmielinski (Sassuolo) 10 goals - Lana Clelland (Sassuolo) 10 goals - Tessa Wullaert (Inter) 10 goals (with 1 PK)
On Saturday the 17th of May, next week, at 18:00. It's Juventus-Roma and it will be played at the "Giuseppe Sinigaglia" stadium in Como (beautiful place, the stadium is at a very short distance from the lake's shore).
And with 10759 seats it's big enough for a Italian Cup final? (Maybe I'm expecting too much because of the German Cupfinal in Cologne?)
Although there were some good or very good attendances this season, Serie A Femminile's numbers remain quite low; also, if travelling from Turin to Como is really easy, I don't how many supporters one can expect to travel from Roma. Como can look like a small venue for a national cup final, but I tend to think that it's realistically measured to women's football's popularity in Italy.
I don't often talk about Italy Youth National Teams, here, but this time is worth: at the Euro U-17 tournament, Italy defeated (and eliminated) the reigning champions of Spain, thus qualifying for the U-17 WWC in Morocco. Apart from having grabbed a place in the WWC, there is now a semifinal vs Norway to play this Wednesday. The match vs Spain (as you can see in the highlights below) was incredible: shots were 29 to 3 for Spain , but two perfect counterattacks, one per half, were clinically finished by Giulia Galli (who, last season, on May 2024, had been the youngest player to debut for Roma in a Serie A's match, Sassuolo-Roma ). Some of the readers of this thread could also remember about GK Matilde Robbioni, who gave her team, Inter, the final of the Primavera tournament for youth clubs by saving a crucial PK in the semifinal vs Roma (I had posted the highlights here). All in all, an impressive achievement, given the group Italy had ended up with, full of traditional powerhouses of youth women's football (they had been drawn with Spain, France and Poland). This Italy's team even topped that group (thus avoiding Netherlands in the semifinal, who have quite easily dominated their group instead). Bravo!
The increase from 16 to 24 teams at World U-17 will really stretch the quality of the competition pretty thin. I felt there were some pretty weak teams last time.
Yes, that's apparently the formula, according to UEFA's website. So Spain still have a chance to qualify. I agree that the expansion to 24 teams is probably too much, but that's the same direction the Senior WWC is (sadly) going towards.
A short recap (in Italian, this time) of Italy's matches at the final group stage of this U-17 Euro Championship:
11 attempts made, 0 goals scored and 28 goals conceded across 3 games... I'd say the hosts still punch above their weight considering Faroe Islands have population 55k and pool of ~170 registered senior players.
Guagni in the world wide newspaper guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...for-female-players?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other Guagni printed her CV out to inspire the new generation she said. I however sense that there is a rightful frustration of having her career being a bit ignored. Sadly I think this is the way it is with a small sport like womens football in Italy is. You must be part of a big club, with other famous players to be noticed. It's not enough with a great career. If only she was a few years younger, she would probalby enjoyed a bigger fame. Anyway at least me and @blissett remembers and appreciate this great player as many other woso fans, especially in Firenze.
It's going to be streamed here(and you can see it afterwards): According to this site, it should not be geo blocked in USA: https://polsy.org.uk/stuff/ytrestrict.cgi?agreed=on&ytid=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FW1eq8uItSM (Gray areas areas not geoblocked)
Starting line-up on Coppa Italia's final (I am going to watch it on TV here in Italy in 5 minutes, not sure if the DAZN's streaming works outside of Italy): Juventus Women: Peyraud-Magnin; Kullberg, Salvai, Harviken; Thomas, Brighton, Schatzer, Boattin; Cantore, Girelli, Bonansea. On the bench: Proulx, Capelletti, Lehmann, Rosucci, Vangsgaard, Bennison, Godo, Beccari, Bergamaschi, Calligaris, Krumbiegel, Lenzini. Coach: Canzi. Roma: Ceasar, Minami, Di Gugliemo, Giacinti, Giugliano, Haavi, Glionna, Kuhl, Thogersen, Linari, Troelsgaard. On the bench: Merolla, Kresche, Viens, Corelli, Pilgrim, Oladipo, Pante, Pandini, Cissoko, Kim. Coach: Spugna. Last Italian trophy of the season: we're going to see who wants it more.
Alayah Pilgrim doesn't start, but Como is very close to Switzerland and I predict Alessandro Spugna will give some satisfaction to the Swiss supporters during the game. Edit: talking about Switzerland, I am not sure what uventus will do with Alisha Lehmann instead! But it looks like she's no more injured, she's on the bench.
Well, let's say it was an unusual version. Meanwhile, a chain of blunders and carelessness lead to a PK for Juventus and Cristiana Girelli converts it at 13'. As strange as it can sound for a player who was the best striker of Serie A Femminile with 19 goals, it's her first goal in this year's edition of Coppa Italia (it has to be said, though, that Juventus often played matches of this competition with second-string players).
Roma's defense is an horror show! Sanne Trolsgaard gitfs the ball to Sofia Cantore, who thanks for the gift and scores. 2-0 at 21' and it could easily get uglier.
3-0 at 30'. I guess it will be given to Lindsey Thomas, although it could be maybe seen as an own goal.