Italy’s ASD Crespellano, USA’s Capital Soccer Club do everyone proud

Hard as they tried, the Capital gang could do little to hold off the Italians from Crespellano (just outside of Bologna) in the second half, with most of the play in the American end. But the other two goals the Italians scored did not come easy, they had to be earned the hard way, with grit and skill because the Americans played their hearts out, battling for every ball and never giving an inch.

“We were playing a good team, a proud bunch of lads who were giving it all they had, and we had to fight hard to put the ball in the net,” said a relieved Dario Di Donato, head coach of the Italian team, shortly after his boys had hoisted the trophy as winners of the 2007 Laval World Cup of Soccer.

“We played well, and we probably could have won by a larger margin but the Americans were simply too good to let in any more than the three goals we scored,” observed Crespellano President Bruno Trevisi, the 76-year-old patriarch who founded the team in 1958 and is still its major force 49 years later.

Ecstatic with the treatment from tournament organizers, Signor Trevisi said he would be very happy to bring his team back next year to defend the title.

“We loved out visit to Laval and also very much enjoyed Quebec City, Ottawa, Montreal and Mont Tremblant,” said the veteran sportsman who was grinning from ear to ear following goals by Luigi Monaco and David Landolfi which put the score at 3-0 and out of reach for the Americans who nonetheless battled to the very last whistle.

Unlike last year’s controversial championship game which deteriorated into a crude contest between Spain (represented by the same Sevilla-Nervion was disqualified this year) and Italy’s Savuto Calcio, the 2007 final ended on a strong note of international friendship as Italians and Americans mingled in the picture that would mark the event for posterity. The festive atmosphere was made even more memorable when the Belgium team, in good spirits and in a sign of Fair Play cheered both teams at the end, adding a special touch by forming an honour guard as players and officials left the field.

In the women's all-Canadian final, U18 FC South Shore Selects beat the South Shore Senior Selects 4-1. (Please see next Sunday's Courrier Laval Weekly News for a full report.)