Chapter 41: Chapter 40: Fiorentina U23 vs Atalanta U23 [VI]
The tunnel echoed with the sound of studs clicking against concrete as both teams emerged for the second half, and the afternoon sun had shifted slightly to cast longer shadows across the pitch while the crowd’s anticipation hummed through the air.
Demien walked beside Riccardo when a familiar voice called out from ahead, and he looked up to see Adriano standing near the center circle with a smirk playing across his face.
"Yo, Demien," Adriano said while his arms crossed casually, and he continued with mock surprise, "Can’t believe the guy who got kicked out of the academy is now a baller."
Demien’s jaw tightened as he stopped walking, and his response came flat and cold as he said, "Fuck you."
Adriano’s smirk widened as he stepped closer while his voice dropped to something more personal, and he added, "Elena asked about you the other day, said she misses—"
"I don’t care," Demien cut him off while his voice stayed level despite the anger building in his chest, and he walked past Adriano without another glance as David Drinkwater’s experience whispered that engaging was exactly what the wonderkid wanted.
Adriano called after him with another taunt, but Demien’s focus had already shifted to the pitch ahead where the referee stood with his whistle raised, and Riccardo clapped his shoulder once while saying quietly, "Don’t let him get to you."
"I won’t," Demien said, and he meant it.
The referee’s whistle pierced the air as both teams took their positions, and Atalanta would start the second half with possession as Parisi stood over the ball in the center circle.
Fweeeee!
Parisi tapped it back to Riccardo, and the game resumed.
*******
The next seven minutes unfolded with renewed intensity as both teams pressed forward with more urgency than the first half’s cautious probing, and Atalanta dominated possession while Fiorentina’s compact defensive shape absorbed pressure with disciplined organization.
Demien orchestrated from deep as his passes found Luca wide on the left and Costa cutting inside from the right, but Fiorentina’s midfielders tracked every movement while their defensive line held firm against penetrating runs.
At 50 minutes, Luca beat Signorini down the left flank with a sharp change of direction, and his cross bent toward the penalty spot where Parisi’s header flew just over the crossbar while Battistini watched it sail harmlessly away.
Coach Rossi clapped from the touchline and shouted, "Good movement! Keep it up!"
At 52 minutes, everything changed.
Atalanta’s attack broke down when Parisi’s touch was too heavy near Fiorentina’s box, and Bellotti collected the loose ball before playing it short to Gabbrielli, who turned and surveyed his options while Atalanta’s players pressed forward to win it back quickly.
Gabbrielli played it square to Marquez on the left, and the full-back took two touches before finding Cataldi who had dropped into the defensive third to provide an outlet, and the defensive midfielder controlled it cleanly despite Demien closing in to press.
Cataldi’s right foot swept the ball forward toward Fabbri who had peeled away into space near the halfway line, and Fabbri’s first touch pushed it forward before he turned and drove toward the center circle as Riccardo tracked his movement.
Fabbri spotted Venturi making a run down the left channel and played a diagonal pass that bypassed Esposito’s attempted interception, and the winger controlled it on his chest before it dropped to his feet while Ferrari rushed across to engage.
Venturi’s body shape suggested he would cut inside, but instead his left foot pushed the ball down the line toward the corner where space had opened, and he accelerated past Ferrari’s challenge as the center-back’s weight had already committed inward.
Now in dangerous territory, Venturi looked up and saw Adriano making a run from deep toward the edge of the box, and his cross wasn’t the typical whipped delivery but rather a driven ball along the ground that stayed low and fast.
The ball rolled across the six-yard line as Leone stayed rooted to his line with bodies blocking his view, and Moretti stretched to intercept but the pace was too much as it skipped past his outstretched boot.
Adriano had started his run from twenty yards out, and his timing was perfect as he arrived at the penalty spot exactly when the ball did, and Rinaldi tried to step across to block but was a fraction too slow.
Adriano’s right foot connected with the rolling ball, and instead of trying to generate power, he simply redirected it with the side of his foot toward the near post, and the placement was inch-perfect as the ball rolled inside the post while Leone dove desperately but couldn’t adjust quickly enough.
Fiorentina 2-1 Atalanta (52’)
Fiorentina’s bench exploded off their seats as coaches and substitutes celebrated with raised fists, and the home section of the crowd chanted "ADRIANO! ADRIANO! ADRIANO!" while the wonderkid jogged toward the corner with his arms spread wide.
Adriano’s teammates swarmed him as Franchi jumped on his back, and Cataldi grabbed his head while others piled on in celebration, and when they finally released him, Adriano turned and looked directly at Demien before pointing at him with both hands.
The message was clear: I’m still better.
Coach Rossi grimaced on the touchline as his hands went to his hips, and he paced the technical area while calling out, "Stay focused! It’s one goal! We’ve been here before!"
In the directors’ box, Gasperini watched the celebration with professional appreciation, and he murmured to his assistant, "That run from deep was perfectly timed."
His assistant nodded while writing, "Knows exactly when to arrive in the box."
******
Atalanta pressed forward with renewed desperation as the minutes ticked by, and Coach Rossi’s instructions from the touchline grew more animated while he urged his players to push higher and take more risks.
At 55 minutes, Demien collected the ball thirty yards from goal and immediately spotted Costa making a run down the right channel, and his right foot swung through as he delivered a diagonal pass that sailed over Fiorentina’s midfield line.
Costa controlled it beautifully with his first touch despite Marquez closing in quickly, and the winger cut inside with a sharp movement before his left foot struck the ball toward the near post with power.
Battistini dove full stretch and smothered the shot against his chest, and the ball rolled harmlessly to Gabbrielli who cleared it upfield while Atalanta’s supporters groaned in collective disappointment.
"Keep pressing!" Rossi shouted from the touchline as he clapped twice, and he called out encouragement while his assistant made notes about Costa’s positioning.
At 57 minutes, Demien drove forward with the ball as Fiorentina’s defense dropped deeper to protect their lead, and he accelerated past Fabbri with a burst of speed that left the midfielder reaching futilely, but as Demien approached the edge of the box, Cataldi timed his tackle perfectly.
The defensive midfielder’s leg swept across and won the ball cleanly without making contact with Demien’s legs, and Fiorentina’s supporters applauded the defensive work while their players quickly transitioned to counter-attack.
At 59 minutes, Fiorentina launched their own attack as Adriano found space between the lines again, and his pass released Vitale down the left channel where the striker drove at Atalanta’s defense with direct running.
Vitale cut inside Ferrari’s challenge and struck a shot toward the bottom corner with his right foot, and the ball flew low and hard as Leone dove desperately to his right.
The goalkeeper’s fingertips reached the ball just enough to push it wide of the post, and both benches jumped to their feet as the save registered, and Rossi pumped his fist while shouting, "Excellent, Marco! Excellent!"
The corner came to nothing as Moretti headed clear, but the warning was clear: Fiorentina remained dangerous.