MONTERONI D'ARBIA (Siena) - Their first objective has been reached: the Inter Giovanissimi , led by Salvatore Cerrone (pictured), are now in the top four teams in Italy and will play the league championship semi-finals on Tuesday. The boys made steady progress in group 1: three matches, 3 wins, 9 goals for and 2 against (Juventus), a centre-forward who scores with ease - Federico Bonazzoli has already found the net four times – and a defence which was unbeaten in their first match against Roma and today against Reggina, who they beat 3-0.
These Inter Giovanissimi play well and have character (aged 15, with two 14 year olds) who respond well to responsibility and problems, even to the weather: hot and humid on pitches which aren't the really suited to attacking play and the sort of quality Cerrone likes. The first half finished nil all, but the Nerazzurri kept everything under control and narrowly missed going ahead on 16 minutes when Bonazzoli's well-taken shot flew just over the bar.
Four minutes into the second half, Inter took the lead with Bonazzoli, after an assist from Matteo Cassani: this was the centre-foward from Manerbio's fourth goal in three games. Everything was downhill now and Cerrone's Nerazzurri showed that all the they could maintain the high standard of play they had shown during the season and in the initial stages of the finals. They dominated with character. Then they scored again: a ball across the box in the 60th minute from Federico Dimarco. Four minutes into added time Justice Opoku, aged 14, left two opponents standing and went on to score.
