The Peloritani prevailed on penalties, with Sartore, Bollino, and Sarao scoring. Pisciotta’s error proved fatal for the Rosanero, as he hit the crossbar with a chip. The match ended 0-0. ACR will face Spanish side Arandina in the final, having won 2-1 in the first of three matches in the triangular tournament hosted at the renovated Capaci stadium.
Pre-match. The renovated synthetic pitch in Capaci hosts the “Trofeo Mike Morra,” featuring Athletic Palermo, who competed in the last Serie D tournament, Messina, relegated to the Eccellenza league, and Arandina, who plays in the Tercera Division, the Spanish Eccellenza league. In the first match, somewhat surprisingly, the Iberian side prevailed 2-1. ACR then faced the Rosanero in the second match. Albanian Guri and youngster Sofia were the only players missing from the squad list, while Theodore, a Frenchman on trial, also sat on the bench.
The match report. Bollino takes the captain’s armband, working with Burzio and Sartore to support lone striker Sarao. Sbuttoni and Doni are in the center of defense, with Bontà on the right and Pellegrino on the left as wingers. Tanasa and Langone operate in midfield. Messina immediately shows a good pace and wins a corner. Athletic tries to replicate their attack, but Sbuttoni promptly closes down the middle. Messina immediately demonstrates their significant physicality, something they lacked last season.
ACR was caught out in the middle in the 10th minute, but Gabriele Rampulla , one-on-one with Sanchez, fired over. In the 14th minute, the Giallorossi won another corner but the defense cleared. In the 21st minute, Sarao tried a free kick but his shot was weak. On the immediate counterattack, a last-gasp block on Nicolás Micoli went wide. In the 25th minute, Rampulla’s diagonal shot went wide. The tempo slowed, partly because it was Athletic’s second match in a row, while Messina had only a handful of training sessions and the first few days of work in their legs. A defensive block from Langone put an end to the hostilities.
The match went to penalties: each team took only three, as in all major summer tournaments. Sartore outwitted the goalkeeper and put Messina ahead, with Maurino equalizing . Bollino curled a shot just wide of the post, while Pisciotta attempted a chip but hit the crossbar. Sarao opted for power and curled it just wide of the post, even though the Palermo goalkeeper had first guessed the angle. The shot was unstoppable, and Messina won 3-1. They will face Arandina in the final to decide the Capaci trophy. The standings see the Spanish team ahead with three points, Messina with two, and Athletic Palermo disappointingly finishing with one.
Messina-Athletic Palermo 3-1 – Messina’s starting lineup: Sanchez; Bontà, Doni, Sbuttoni, Pellegrino; Tanasa, Langone; Bollino, Burzio, Sartore; Sarao. On the bench: Maniscalco, Bonanno, Giunta, Konaté, Kragl, Loria, Palumbo, Theodore, Varela, Zampa, Calabrese. Coach: Alfio Torrisi. Penalty kicks: Sartore goal, Maurino goal, Bollino goal, Pisciotta hits the crossbar, Sarao goal. Notes – A minute’s silence was observed before kick-off in memory of the victims of Pistunina and longtime AC Milan captain Franco Baresi.
