APIA Youths’ Six Hit-outs in Italy before Viareggio Cup Kicks off

Apia Youths’ first opponent is against Italian giants and one of the Cup favourites, Inter Milan, at Stadio ?Olindo Galli?, at Pistoia.
This will be Apia’s ninth consecutive Viareggio Cup challenge.
This year’s Apia squad is the youngest ever to make the crusade to Viareggio, a squad of 25, all under 20, which includes a 15 year old, four 16 year olds, and three 17 year olds.
Trial Match No 1
Apia’s A team on a muddy pitch played the very next day after arriving in Italy defeated a gallant and surprisingly resilient Apia B side 3-2.
Trial Match No 2
Apia’s second trial match the following day played on a synthetic pitch at Carrara against a Viareggio Regional Rep side, drew 1-1 largely thanks to the quality work of Sydney’s goalkeeper Stefano Giglio who made no less than two marvelous point-blank saves to deny the home team victory. Viareggio opened the score as early as in the 15th through a glancing header from a cross fired in from the right.
Fifteen minutes from time Apia’s substitute and left flanker Robbie Mellino, fired a lovely flat through-ball to release goal-bound skipper and right midfielder Andrew Vitucci into the Viareggio penalty area.
Despite Vitucci being chopped down and winning the clearly awarded penalty, Vitucci himself watched in horror witnessing his penalty drive being marvelous saved by the ‘keeper to deny Apia’s Youth side a leveler. However the Apia captain failed to disappoint his side and made solid retribution when five minutes from fulltime. Vitucci raced onto a cross whipped in from the left to slice into the box, ‘nutmeg’ the ‘keeper with a low rocketing drive that ricocheted off the far post and into the net.
Trial Match No 3.
Apia’s 3rd trail match was against a stronger opponent, Carrara X1, played at the San Marco Avenza Stadio, 45 minutes north of Viareggio for a 1-1 draw. Carrara employed a 4-2-2 system whilst Apia’s Youth stuck to their traditional 4-2-3-1 formation with Andrew Casali slotting in the unenviable sole striking role.
In the 25the minute, it was the home side that drew first blood through some poor Apia central-defending. At the break the home side hung onto their slender lead and the second session saw Apia, (desperately seeking a leveler), make no less than four substitutions. Sixteen minutes from the bell and much to the relief of the Apia coaching staff, rugged Victorian centre-back Mark Vangeli ‘balanced the books’ at 1-1.A well rehearsed corner slung in from the left by defensive Victorian guest- midfielder Josh Colosimo, found the bulldozing Vangeli crashing his way through a crowded box to send a bullet header into the target.
Trial Match No 4.
The fourth trail match in four days saw Apia’s B side take on an even stronger foe in U.S.D. Canaletto’s Reserve side at La Spenzia where the touring Sydney team lost 3-1 played on an old synthetic surface. As early as in the 8th minute Apia faced disaster through a justified penalty. Apia?s young goalkeeper Antony Cachia, left alone to face a one-on-one situation with the Canaletto striker bearing down on him, brought the striker down with an outstretched glove for the Man in Black to promptly point to the spot. However the penalty-taker watched in horror as his drive cannon off the left post and away from the target. The 35th minute saw Canaletto actually hit the front when their left pacey flanker skinned central defender Blake Brooker before unleashing a rising rocket into the far top corner for a fabulous hit.
Seconds from the break Apia scored through central midfielder Vicente Leto from close range to equalise following a quickly taken throw-in.
Despite some valuable work through Apia back-four of Matthew Severino, Brooker, Marco Capobianco and Brian Griffin Colls, Canaletto was determined to punish Apia scoring two more goals. Ten minutes after the break Canaletto regained the lead through an excellent flat through-ball that their striker brilliantly ran onto to easily beat the stranded Apia goalkeeper.
Apia in the 74th minute had a golden opportunity to equalise a second time but failed. Flanker Robbie Mellino slung in a glorious cross this time from the right deep to the back post but central midfielder and captain for this match, Josh Symmons, shaved the upright with his glancing header. Three minutes later the Canaletto side severely punished Apia for this let off. With the Sydney keeper well off his line and the Apia central defence in complete tatters, with sheer alertness and pace, the home side striker sliced through the lot to easily score Canaletto’s 3rd and final goal.
In the last eight minutes a desperate Apia furiously raided Canaletto’s goals seeking the equalising 3rd, first through substitute Harrison Feller’s header shaving the post then three consecutive hits from rebounds fired towards the target, all failing to yield dividends.
Trial Match No 5
On the same night at La Spenzia, Apia’s A team took on the 1st grade side of U.S.D Canaletto on the same synthetic pitch but by now there was drizzling rain. Despite the opposition understandably being much stronger than in the earlier match, Apia’s A side battled its way to a credible 1-2 win. Yet again, the opposition hit the lead very early, as early as in the 8th minute through a correctly awarded penalty.
Apia?s right midfielder Farris Aoun fouled his opponent inside the area from which Canaletto’s first grade scored. Ten minutes from the break Apia’s captain and right midfielder Andrew Vitucci came narrowly close to scoring when his well-taken free kick from 25 metres and on an angle, rocked the right upright Five minutes after the break Apia’s tough-as-teak heroic goal scoring centre-back, Mark Vangeli raced into the Canaletto box to meet a corner, again fired in from the right by Josh Colosimo, for the giant central defender to crash his header into the net and equalise the scoreboard. Sixty seconds later, yet again the powerful Vangeli dangerously threatened to score with another header that skimmed the frame. Despite the stronger opposition, Apia exploded into furious sustained action, with adrenalin on the boil. Fired by two substitutions coming on in left flanker Robbie Mellino and Aaron Caltabiano, Apia was not leaving the pitch without high reward.
It was easily the touring side’s best performance and sixty seconds from the bell, Apia hit their deserving winner. The big central defender, Mark Vangeli was again the Sydney team’s inspiration as he galloped into the box where he was fouled for a penalty, leaving his Victorian partner-in-crime Josh Colosimo to slam his flat spot-drive into the bottom left corner and grab all three points for the Sydney side at 1-2.After the match a proud Apia captain quietly reflected: “You could not pick one great individual. It was definitely a top team exhibitional effort”.
Trial Match No 6. 
Apia’s last trail match before last night’s(Monday) first Group stage Viareggio Cup clash with the mighty Inter Milan, was against the SEMI-PRO Serie D League leaders U.S.BORGO A  BUGGIANO played last Saturday. Despite a promising opening session, the Italian league leaders handed Apia’s Youth side a bitter spanking of 4-0 with ease. U.S. BORGO A BUGGIANO this season have played 27 games, crashing their way to the top of the league ladder with 26 wins and just one away- loss.
They’re coached by their former star defender, 34 year old Guido Pagliuca. Both sides used the 4-2-3-1 formation, but as expected, the Italians were elastic with this system, invariably coming at Apia with three front-runners when called for. The Italians suspiciously toyed with Apia in the first session, sounding the visitors’ armory to lead just 1-0 at the break through a header in the 18th minute following a corner. Ironically though Apia should have drawn first blood in just the 5th minute when captain Andrew Vitucci almost unmarked on the back post missed the frame from a free kick coming in from the left. Twenty minutes into the second session, the Italians fired in their second when their central midfielder was allowed to spin on the ball and blindly hit the target from just 10 metres. A minute later again the Italians scored, this time from a penalty for an unintentional ‘hand-ball’ by defender Mark Vangeli. Two minutes from time U.S. BORGO A BUGGIANO scored their 4th and final match to end the agony. Ironically, despite Apia’s convincing defeat, the Sydney team’s best performer was in fact goalkeeper, Stefano Giglio.
-By John Economos (From Viareggio, Italy.)