Saturday, July 13th, 2022 - Kickoff
The referee's whistle cut through the morning air, and Demien touched the ball back to Martinez, who played it square to Valenti. The center back looked up, scanned the field, then passed it wide to Esposito on the right wing-back position.
Como pressed immediately, with two forwards closing down Esposito and forcing him backward until he played it safe by returning the ball to Bellini in goal.
From the directors' box, Gasperini watched with detached interest as his eyes tracked number five—Moretti—receiving the ball from the keeper.
"Moretti's positioning is good," Belotti noted beside him, but Gasperini said nothing because he'd seen a thousand youth matches, and this one wouldn't be different.
********
Como's setup was exactly as Rossi had predicted—a compact 4-4-2 that sat deep in their own half, letting Atalanta have the ball in non-dangerous areas while their midfield collapsed inward whenever Atalanta pushed forward, clogging passing lanes and forcing lateral movement.
Demien received the ball near the halfway line, and immediately a Como midfielder closed him down with aggressive pressure. Balance kicked in as Demien's body stayed low, his center of gravity perfect while the defender tried to muscle him off the ball, but he absorbed the contact and rolled away smoothly with a simple drag-back that left the Como player stumbling slightly off-balance.
He looked up quickly—Costa was making a run on the right but two defenders tracked him, while Di Luca on the left had space though the passing lane was blocked by Como's holding midfielder—so he played it safe, passing back to Martinez.
"Again," Rossi shouted from the touchline, his voice carrying across the pitch. "Keep moving. Don't stand still."
The first ten minutes passed without clear chances as Atalanta controlled possession—65% according to the stats board—but Como's defensive shape held firm, with every attack ending in a blocked pass or a cleared cross.
In the directors' box, Gasperini checked his watch, thinking this was typical youth football with lots of possession but no penetration.
********
The clock read 12 minutes when Rinaldi intercepted a Como clearance near the left side of the pitch and played it inside to Demien, who was positioned between Como's two lines—not quite in the defense, not quite in the midfield—where the space existed for maybe two seconds.
Demien took one touch to control while already seeing the picture before the ball arrived, and Andrea Pirlo: Deep-Lying Playmaker activated as time slowed and he could see everything—Costa checking to the ball on the right, Parisi making a run centrally, Di Luca holding width on the left.
But it was Carlos he noticed, the left wing-back who had pushed high and was completely unmarked, exploiting Como's narrow defensive shape with his positioning.
Demien struck the ball with the outside of his right boot, sending it sixty yards with a slight curl to account for the run, and it sailed over Como's midfield, over their right-back who was caught too narrow, before dropping perfectly into Carlos's stride.
Carlos controlled it with his chest, took two touches, then whipped a cross into the box where Parisi met it with his head, but the keeper saved it though he only managed to parry it straight to Costa, who followed up by smashing the rebound into the roof of the net.
Atalanta 1-0. (12')
The small crowd erupted as parents, scouts, and the few fans who'd shown up jumped to their feet while Costa wheeled away with arms spread wide and his teammates swarmed him in celebration.
On the touchline, Rossi clapped twice—firm and controlled—before calling out, "Good. Now stay focused."
In the directors' box, Gasperini's pen had stopped moving as he stared at the pitch, then looked at Belotti with a question forming.
"Number eight. That's the trialist Rossi mentioned?"
Belotti checked his notes, flipping pages quickly before confirming, "Walter. Yes, Mister."
Gasperini's jaw tightened slightly as he realized that Rossi had told him to watch number eight, but he'd dismissed it and been wrong. "Get me his full file," he said, his attention no longer divided.
********
Como kicked off with renewed urgency as their forwards pressed high immediately, closing down Atalanta's back three before they could settle on the ball, and the intensity shift was instant—faster, more aggressive, with clear intent to equalize quickly.
Valenti received from Bellini and played it square to Rinaldi on the left side of the back three, who took a touch while scanning for options, but Como's striker read it early and sprinted toward him, closing the space in three quick strides.
Rinaldi tried to turn but his right boot planted awkwardly on a wet patch of turf, his ankle rolled slightly, and he slipped as the ball got away from him.
Como's striker was on it instantly with one touch to control and another to set himself from fifteen yards out at a tight angle on the left, then he struck it low and hard toward the near post.
Bellini reacted by throwing himself across the goal with arms stretched and fingers extended, and the ball grazed his fingertips before deflecting wide for a corner.
"Wake up!" Moretti's voice cut through the noise as he jogged over to Rinaldi and offered his hand, the captain's armband sitting tight on his bicep. "Stay focused. We're ahead. Don't give them hope."
Rinaldi took the hand and pulled himself up with a sharp nod of acknowledgment, while Como's corner came in with pace though Valenti met it cleanly and headed it clear toward the halfway line.
Como didn't ease off as their midfield pressed harder now, doubling up on Demien whenever the ball came near him because they'd identified him as the creator—cut him out and Atalanta's attacks would stall.
At 18 minutes, Demien received a pass from Martinez near the left touchline, and immediately two Como players converged with one coming from the front and another from behind, collapsing the space around him.
His first touch killed the ball and kept it close while the defender in front lunged to poke it away, but Curve Run Timing activated instinctively as Demien's body shaped left with his shoulders dropping as if committing to that direction, which made the defender behind him shift his weight to follow.
Then Demien exploded right as his right foot dragged the ball sharply across his body with the sole of his boot, and the sudden change of direction left one defender lunging at empty air while he played a quick pass to Martinez ten yards ahead before spinning away from the second defender, already moving into space for the return.
From the directors' box, Gasperini leaned forward as his pen moved across his notepad. "Number eight again. Good feet under pressure."
Belotti lowered his binoculars and observed, "Very composed for eighteen."
Gasperini's eyes stayed on Demien as he murmured, "Hmm."
********
Atalanta's rhythm returned gradually as the back three circulated the ball with patience through short passes between Moretti, Valenti, and Rinaldi while Como's press pushed forward again, trying to force a mistake.
But the gaps were there behind Como's aggressive midfield line, where space opened up like invitations waiting to be exploited.
At 28 minutes, Moretti received the ball in the center of the pitch and stood on it for a second with his head up, scanning as Como's two forwards pressed toward him.
Demien read it and dropped into the space between Moretti and Valenti, showing for the ball with body language that was clear: give it to me.
Moretti played it forward—crisp and weighted perfectly—as the ball reached Demien's feet just when Como's two holding midfielders realized the danger and closed in from both sides, trying to trap him in a pincer.
Demien's first touch was perfect as he opened up his body with the ball rolling across to his right foot while already facing forward, and the touch gave him half a second, which was enough.
Andrea Pirlo: Deep-Lying Playmaker activated as time slowed and the pitch transformed into a tactical map in his mind where he could see everything—Costa on the right marked tight by two defenders, Parisi making a run centrally though the passing lane was blocked by Como's center back, Martinez to his left but too deep to be effective.
Then he saw it: Di Luca drifting inside from the left wing and making a diagonal run from the touchline toward the edge of the penalty area while Como's right-back had pushed up too high chasing Carlos, which left a channel open that was maybe two yards wide and maybe two seconds before it closed.
Como's midfielders were on him now, just one step away, which meant no time for a second touch.
Demien struck it first-time with his right instep as the ball left his foot cleanly with a slight curl from outside spin, threading between three Como players—too high for the midfielder's attempted block and too precise for the center back's desperate lunge.
The ball rolled perfectly into the channel and right into Di Luca's path, who collected it with his left foot without breaking stride before taking one touch to control as the Como goalkeeper rushed out to narrow the angle.