The Italian team, with another double from Casadei and another goal from Ambrosino, put an end to the Dominican Republic’s first World Cup adventure this Saturday (0-3) and guaranteed their ticket to the round of 16 as second in the disputed group D of the World Cup. Argentine sub-20.
At the Malvinas Argentinas stadium in Mendoza, the Azzurri, who had just lost to Nigeria, beat the Dominican team without stepping on the accelerator and saving strength for the round of 16 match, which will be against the first team in group E, possibly England.
Cesare Casadei opened the score with a header from a corner (m.19) and Giusseppe Ambrosino expanded in the second half by finishing off a loose ball in the front of the area (m.50).
The Reading FC midfielder, who has already scored four goals in the tournament, found the net again in the 84th minute to end the Dominicans’ first participation in a World Cup among all categories.
The Caribbean team ends with three defeats, a single goal for and eleven against, although with the feeling of having competed with three powerful teams during some phases of the matches.
With this result, Brazil and Italy pass as first and second in group D, respectively, with six points, the same as Nigeria, which also secured its place in the round of 16 as one of the four best third-placed.
Cold game and icy atmosphere in the Malvinas Argentinas with a thermal session of six degrees. In the stands, which were crowded by 6,709 brave men, the thermoses for the mate multiplied and the pace of the game slowed down on the pitch.
The Italians recovered the same recipe with which they defeated Brazil on the first day: accumulate players in the middle, high pressure and associate quickly with Tommaso Baldanzi and Simone Pafundi.
And it worked from the start.
Ambrosino, Pafundi and Baldanzi, this one after an individual play along the baseline, were the first to test Xavier Valdez, who, as in the previous two days, was the best of his team.
The European team did not have to scratch much more, who found the goal from a corner kick combed into the area and finished off by Casadei.
From there, Italy controlled the pace of the game at will. The Dominican Republic, impotent, tried to bring danger with Derek Cuevas and Montes de Oca, but Casadei ate the midfield of the Caribbean team.
In the second stage, Carmine Nunziata’s team continued to harass Valdez’s goal, almost without meaning to.
And so the second came, in a loose ball that Ambrosino caught in the front and put into the back of the net.
The final minutes served to see another genius of Casadei. The elegant midfielder entered the area, gave a couple of bicycles and shot Valdez. He scored two for Brazil and two for the Dominican Republic. There is already a candidate for the best player in the World Cup.