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Team Italy advances to IFAF EC Group A finals with easy win over Switzerland

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Team Italy defeated Switzerland 38-0 in Milan, Italy this past weekend to finish first Division B of IFAF 2020 European Championship Group A tournament and advance to the final four.

The Italians, without the services of starting quarterback Luke Zahradka who was injured,  jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead and cruised in the second half.

Italian quarterback Davide Rossi threw for 234 yards three touchdowns with running back Mike Gentili along with wide receivers Simone Alinovi  and Stefano Di Tunisi catching one touchdown pass each. Italy’s other quarterback Andrea Fimiani, who rotated in, also scored while linebacker Nikolas Suppa jumped on a loose ball in the end zone for a score. Matteo Felli  kicked all four extra points and a field gal.

Team Switzerland quarterback Richi Wartmann threw for 78 yards and as a team Switzerland rushed for a total of 58 yards. It was one of those days for the Swiss.

Fimiani opened the scoring for Italy late in the first quarter, scampering into the end zone untouched from six yards out and Felli kicked the extra point to give the Italians a 7-0 lead.

On the very next play from scrimmage, the snap sailed over the head of Wartmann and Suppa pounced on the ball in the end zone to boost the lead to 14-0 still in the first quarter.

With the Swiss offense unable to gain any momentum, Italy got the ball back and early in the second quarter Felli kicked a 44 yard field goal to extend the lead to 17-0. Another Swiss drive ended in a punt and Italy took over at their own 40 yard line. Six plays later, aided by a 31 yard screen pass to Jordan Bouah, Rossi hit Simone Alinovi in the end zone from 13 yards out and the Italians went into the locker room at halftime leading 24-0.

Italian defensive back Giuseppe Della Vecchia picked off Wartmann midway through the third quarter and three plays later, from the 33 yard line, Rossi dumped a pass over the middle to Gentili and he weaved his way into the end zone to add to the lead, 31-0.

Neither team could move the ball after that until late in the fourth quarter when Rossi, backed up on his own 30 yard line facing a third and 12, found Di Tunisi streaking down the sideline, for a 70 yard touchdown. Felli’s extra point gave the Italians a 38-0 lead.

With the win, Italy, who had also beaten Austria earlier in the tournament, has clinched first in Division B and now awaits the winners of the other three divisions in Group A.

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