The tournament in Dolcé was going to be a lactate-inducing, highly frustrating event. Yet the fleet of young scambisti who left Padova on an early Saturday morning to battle under the scorching sun was not to be deterred easily. At stake was nothing else but the first place in the Italian Touch Ranking and the automatic qualification to the quarterfinals of this year’s play-off. For that they had to reach the finals and snatch points from opponent teams. Thus, on the outskirts of Verona, in one of the most picturesque settings of the Valpolicella landscape, the Scambio warriors arrived in razor-sharp concentration.
Two regular-size pitches, separated by an imponent stand, awaited the proud scambisti. Were they about to secure first place and one of the two special berths in the Italian finals? Their group stage was to see them facing their archaic enemies, the seventh straight champions Brianza, but also the host team Dolcé, the ever-feisty Mezzi&Mezzi, and Parabiago.
And so, the team started its Saturday campaign. Three uncontested wins against the host team, Parabiago and Mezzi were only to be spoiled by a 3-5 loss against the holding champs. A poor start into the game saw Brianza take a 3-0 commanding lead within the first 5 minutes. However, the Scambisti fought back bravely and for a moment a tie was imminent, but Brianza fixed the score on 5-3 at the very end.
This was the moment captain Arianna had to pull in the reins to bring the crew together. After all, their hopes were not at all shattered. They were on track, they had reached the semi-finals, and they were to face the dazzling Orange team from Belluno, which had previously beaten the second-ranked team Verona in their group stage. Forbidden to lose, the Scambisti emerged confident and determined from the get-go, completely obliterating any chances the opponents created and easily scoring. Scambio could have amplified the final score, but at the end some energy was to be spared for the big final, hence they dispatched the Orange 5-2.
The other semi-final saw Brianza eliminating Verona: the final was set. Once more the naive Scambio team was to face the mighty Brianza. With their qualification and top position secured, their spirits were high. Both teams were now riding with injuries and fatigue accumulated in the previous games. The Scambisti adjusted their game plan, and they pumped up their spirits for a final fight. Winning against the champs would have been the cherry on top of the cake. At the end, the final was not so beautiful. “An intense, exhausting clash of mids” could easily sum it up. However, the final score is now in the books and, despite being down to 6 players, the Brianza endured and managed to escape with a 4-3 win, hence winning the tournament.
All in all, the Scambio warriors were proud of their participation and savoured their huge achievements as the sun set down on the beautiful surrounding vineyards: first place in the national raking at the end of the season for the first time in the team’s history, and the qualification to the play-off quarterfinals.







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