Corelli and Petrara Goals Defeat Juventus as Roma Finish Undefeated Season as Primavera Champs

It’s already a banner week for Roma. A few hours before the senior men’s team kicked off their 2020/21 season, the U-19 women’s team had some unfinished business from last season. The pandemic lockdown meant that the women’s Roma Primavera team saw their league campaign suspended, in the middle of a titanic 100% record where Roma had won all 17 league games played in their Group B.

The league and football federation eventually saw to it that Group A leaders Juventus would play off against Group B runaway leaders Roma in a one-off final, to decide who would be crowned champions. The final had everything you’d want in the backstory leading up to today’s victory.

Putting the Cup Loss Against Juventus to Bed

As if facing Juventus wasn’t enough motivation in itself, this was the same Juventus side that had defeated Roma in the Viareggio Cup final earlier in 2020. Roma were seen as the favourites on that day, but a couple of Juventus direct free-kicks meant the Biaconeri edged the final 3-2, and Roma were left wondering if this was yet another giallo e rosso side that would flatter to deceive yet fall short at the final hurdle.

All the more reason then, for Roma Primavera women’s coach Fabio Mellilo to not hold back with his starting lineup.

The senior team are currently away on international duty, leaving Mellilo free to unleash the big guns throughout the core of the team. In came star-talents Heden Corrado and Marika Massimino at the centre-back duo; star prospect Emma Severini slotted into midfield, and Roma’s frontline was boosted by the presence of Primavera topscorers Alice Corelli and Serena Landa.

Roma weren’t messing about. They wanted the title, and the title is what they conquered.

Final Score: Juventus 1-2 Roma (Roma Crowned League Champions)

The match got off to the best of starts, as the ball was hit back and forth down the right flank of Roma play before it broke kindly for Alice Corelli to run it all the way into Juventus’ box. Corelli didn’t wait for any Juventus defender to catch up or even try to beat any opponents with the ball, simply picking the near-post to unleash a shot that blasted past Juventus keeper Soggiu.

Only three minutes of play had gone before Roma were already 1-0 up on the scoreline. And the women in red and yellow would double their advantage before halftime.

In the 27th minute, a ball was played infield to Roma forward Petrara, who was in acres of space and tried a looping overhead shot that just dipped underneath Soggiu’s crossbar at the very last moment. The long-range effort left Soggiu with no chance of judging the true flight of the ball, and Roma went 2-0 up in spectacular fashion. That would be enough for the Eternal City side to hold out for the win and league title, despite a haunting free-kick effort from Juventus’ number 10 Letizio Musolino - who had opened the scoring in Juve’s Viareggio Cup win over Roma with another free-kick effort on that day - putting the scoreline back within a goal, for the final half hour of the game.

But it wouldn’t matter!

After losing the Scudetto final last season to Inter Milan, Roma have gone one step further this season and become reigning Primavera champions of Italy. Let’s hope this is another thread weaved into the oncoming success of the club.