Last day of the 1st Division Group A World Cup in Bolzano, the surprising Romania will face Japan at 12.30. It ends 4 to 2 for the Romanians who move to 9 points in the standings leaving Japan with 4 points who at this point must hope that Italy beats South Korea in order to avoid relegation. This result gives the first answer: Italy is mathematically safe and can, if it beats South Korea, hope for promotion (Hungary permitting). At 4.00 pm Italy will play against South Korea, another match of fundamental importance for the Azzurri. Clara again defending the cage.
We start and immediately after 21 seconds of play Italy is ahead thanks to Frigo who hits Ha from the blue. Korea reacts immediately and at 0.58 with a very confusing action in front of the Italian goal, Korea with Lee scores the equalizer, the Azzurra bench protests and after verification with video review the goal is not validated as it was scored by hand. Once the fear has passed, Pelino’s men manage the game with more possession of the puck and presence in the Korean third and a lot of pressure is rewarded at 6.27: Mantenuto, assisted by Frank, pierces the Korean goalie thus bringing Italy to 2 at 0. The boys continue to be present in the third opponent and at 9.54, in front of the Korean goal, Catenacci commits a foul, thus putting the Azzurri in inferiority. We also get through this penalty killing unscathed, without conceding anything to the Asians. It resumes and it’s still Italy who plays the game, reaching 12.32 and the Azzurri regain the superiority, Shin obstructs and goes to the bench. The power play is immediately set up and immediately at 13.21 we finally exploit it, Kostner’s goal Italy 3 Korea 0. The puck is in the center and Seed commits a foul at 14.43 and goes to the bench, putting the Italian national team still inferior. Koreans who set and are permanently in our third, however Italy is unbeatable in inferiority. We start again and the match is always one-sided, it’s Italy who creates a lot and by dint of persisting at 19.51 Frank hits Korea for the fourth time in front of goal. Italy 4 Korea 0. Korea totally non-existent in the first half, incapable of countering the Italians, they completely lack aggression, zero physical contact, incapable of trying to avoid the specter of last place, truly incomprehensible.
The second period begins and the Koreans immediately seem more enterprising and at 21.10 from the blue Shin pierces the uncertain Clara. The Azzurri reacted and resumed managing the game, even if Korea seemed to take to the ice less submissive than they saw in the first half and made themselves dangerous on several occasions. It goes without saying that the Koreans have to go all out and therefore press more on an Italy team that seems to want to manage rather than offend by playing throw-ins. Game that sees many reversals with opportunities on both sides, then at 32.16 Mantenuto, due to excessive harshness, takes two minutes and once again the Italian defense does not concede a goal thanks also to two excellent interventions by Clara. The pressure from Korea continues and at 35.01 Clara saves the cage with a phenomenal intervention. We continue with the Asians who have more possession of the puck, without creating particular problems for the Italian defense. The Koreans continue to offend and in the heat of the action at 39.45 the Korean number 16 Kim Sangyeob argues with Glira and hits him in the face with the stick and gets 2+5 plus a match penalty, Glira also gets two minutes and in turn gets it goes to the bench. It drags on until the end of the second half with Italy leading 4 to 1. The third half will resume with the Azzurri in superiority for 4.40 minutes. What to say? Korea obviously took to the ice with more intensity, trying to overturn the result, but a good Italy easily contained their opponents’ ambitions.
It resumes and immediately at 41.41 Catenacci deflects a shot from Larkin’s blue putting the Azzurri up 5 to 1. We continue with the power play and again at 43.05 Mantenuto scores 6 to 1, immediately at 43.31 Salinitri makes it 7 at 1. We continue on the power play and incredibly, again, at 44.00 Marchetti scores and brings the Azzurri to 8 at 1. Superiority exploited to the maximum, four goals in 2.50 minutes, and to think that the power play was the point weak than Italy. Korea collapsed under the Italian blows, they no longer seem able to react and continue to suffer the gusts of coach Pelino’s boys and at 47.04 Kostner scores the 9 to 1 which, however, after checking the video review the goal is canceled due to obstruction of the goalkeeper bringing the result back to 8 to 1. The match practically ends here even if at 56.18 Ivan De Luca takes two minutes for unsportsmanlike behavior putting Korea in superiority against an always insurmountable Azzurri defense (100% penalty killing ). Korea sadly, and despite the success of the debut match, is relegated to the 1st Division Group B. Italy must wait for the clash between Slovenia and Hungary and, if the Slovenians win, they will be able to celebrate the promotion, otherwise they will remain in the 1st Division Group A. In the meantime the best players of the tournament are rewarded and for Italy they are Mantenuto, Kostner and Frank.
(updating)
Italy – South Korea 8-1 (4-0; 0-1; 4-0)
Italy: Damian Clara (Andreas Bernard); Jason Seed – Alex Trivellato – Peter Spornberger – Thomas Larkin – Daniel Glira – Phil Pietroniro – Terrance Amorosa – Marco Insam; Diego Kostner – Michele Marchetti – Daniel Frank – Daniel Mantenuto – Tommaso De Luca – Luca Frigo – Daniel Catenacci – Anthony Salinitri – Dustin Gazley – Ivan Deluca – Matthias Mantinger – Tommy Purdeller. Coach: Michael Pelino
South Korea: Jung Ho Ha (Yeonseung Lee); Ingyo Oh – Don Ku Lee – Seungjae Lee – Heedoo Nam – Yuchan Kong – Hyoseok Jee – Minjae Lee; Sangwook Kim – Chong Min lee – Yoon Seok Kang – Young jun Lee – Sanghoon Shin – Jin Hui Ahn – Sangho Bae – Jungwoo Jeon – Geonwoo Kim – Juhyung Lee – Sangyeob Kim – Sihwan Kim – Jin Kyu Park. Coach: Woojae Kim
Referees: Uldis Buss (Latvia) and Peter Stano (Slovakia) Linesmen: Daniel Beresford (Great Britain) and Clement Goncalves (France)
Penalty: Italy 10 (4/4/2) – South Korea 29 (2/27/0)
Throws: Italy 43 (23/7/13) – South Korea 29 (9/16/4)
Markers: (1-0) 00.21 Luca Frigo (Daniel Frank – Alex Trivellato); (2-0) 06.27 Daniel Mantenuto (Daniel Frank – Luca Frigo); (3-0) 1.21pm Diego Kostner (Michele Marchetti – Phil Pietroniro) PP; (4-0) 19.51 Daniel Frank (Daniel Mantenuto – Thomas Larkin); (4-1) 9.10pm Sanghoon Shin (Heedoo Nam – Jin Hui Ahn); (5-1) 41.10 Daniel Catenacci (Thomas Larkin – Dustin Gazley) PP; (6-1) 43.05 Daniel Mantenuto PP; (7-1) 43.31 Anthony Salinitri (Thomas Larkin – Daniel Catenacci) PP; (8-1) 44.00 Michele Marchetti (Diego Kostner – Alex Trivellato) PP
Spectators: 4,225
MVP: Daniel Mantenuto (Italy) and Don Ku Lee (South Korea)
Other results: Romania – Japan 4-2 (2-1; 1-0; 1-1); Hungary – Slovenia
Classification: Slovenia points 9; Italy points 9; Romania points 9; Hungary points 8; Japan points 4; South Korea points 3
