Determined Royals Look on to Jubilant Season Finale

The first two games against Naples and Sigonella have already set a clear picture in the minds of those who have followed the DODDS tournament: the Royals Boys Soccer team is completely dominant in Italy. A 3-1 away win against perhaps the second strongest team, Naples, and an 8-0 annihilation of Sigonella are indicative of this. The team is perhaps the most united in the league, with each player giving 110% every time they take to the field and really playing for each other. The Royals are an example to be followed by all, in fact, even Italian Serie A giants AS Roma who are struggling and have been accused of being mercenaries who care for nothing but money. Rest assured that the Royals have something to play for each time they take the field, and justly rewarded the fans who flooded the stand to see them play Sigonella.

Shall we take a brief look at the technical aspects that have enabled them to win thus far? First of all, there is the coach, Roberto Rossi, to thank. He is a man with a winning mentality, who advocates for high intensity and commitment whenever the team takes to the field, and knows how to maintain a balance of hard work and enjoyment. Secondly there is the defense, with Andrea Pregoni proving to be a worthy replacement of his brother alongside Giovanni Acampora. Rest assured that trying to get past these two is like running through a brick wall. The cement of this wall can be seen as Giammaria Montella, the goalkeeper who guides the team from his position. Up front there has been no shortage of goals, created by the industrious midfield and finished by a clinical attack led by the man of the moment: Diego Piorico. 6 out of the 11 goals are his, and the Royals will look to him to provide for them in the crucial games. In short, this is a team who starts strong and finishes stronger, and most importantly plays as a team with each player helping the other.

The remaining matches in Italy seem straightforward for the Royals, with away trips to Florence and Aviano, but watch out for the long awaited “derby” with AOSR. It is a game the Royals will go into brimming with confidence and enthusiasm, eager to bring home a win after having been held to a 2-2 draw last year. After that comes the European Championship with the Royals hoping to retain their 3 consecutive titles in Kaiserslautern. As they say in Italy, in fact: “Non c’è due senza tre e il quattro vien’ da sé”. This is a proverb the Royals will hope to fulfill, and crown the final year of the seniors in the squad, some of the which will unfortunately be unavailable due to exams.