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Youth Sector - 15 Aug 2007 - 6:07 PM
Youth team: bring on AC Milan
And in the end Vincenzo Chiarenza gave us another masterpiece. The umpteenth match against Internazionale ended in triumph yet again. On foreign soil this time, after so many victories in Italy (two Italian Cup finals and a Super Cup to name but few). The Bianconeri beat the Nerazzurri 2-0 in the quarter finals of the Champions Youth Cup in Kuala Lampur: one goal in each half, one by Daud and the other by Pasquato, proved decisive, as was a penalty kick by Slavkovski saved by Merlano. The semifinal will be against Filippo Galli's AC Milan, on Friday the 17th, in Kuala Lampur again, at 8.40 pm local time (2.40 pm in Italy).
It truly was a masterpiece because the boys played so well, always on the attack from the start, and they practically never had any problems at the back, apart from a couple of Inter counter-attacks. Up front, Pasquato, Daud and Dantoni were always a danger. After a Daud shot had been saved and a Dantoni header had gone just a few inches wide, on 28 minutes Juventus finally scored. Daud was the star this time; he scored with a great left footer in the top corner, impossible for Tornaghi to save. In the second half, it was up to Esposito's team to attack and try and level the score. But Juventus were the ones who scored, after 10 minutes, again thanks to a shot from outside the penalty area, this time by Pasquato. As the strikers at last started scoring (Juventus had only scored once in the first three matches), the back four proved to be unassailable again. When the defenders failed, Merlano was there. Just one minute after the second goal, Inter could have got back into the game when the referee awarded them a penalty, but Juventus' number one saved Slavkovski's effort. After that, it was all about Chiarenza's boys, who went close to getting the third goal twice, first with Esposito, who hit the post, and then with sub Bottone missing in front of Tornaghi, who had ran out towards him.
The end result was 2-0 and Internazionale ended the match with ten men (Federici was booked twice and sent off). Juventus thoroughly deserved to qualify for the next round. Having sent one team from Milan home, now it's time to try to do the same with the other: the semi-final with AC Milan is the next hurdle. Some Bianconeri have already showed their class against the Rossoneri: especially Daud, who scored two goals against them in the Final of the 2007 Beppe Viola Trophy in Arco di Trento.