Vecchi calls for calmer heads

SASSUOLO – Stefano Vecchi was preaching cautious optimism after the Primavera’s 2-1 win against Chievo Verona this afternoon, aware that his charges can reach a higher level.

"We knew it was going to be a difficult game and the dangers Chievo posed," the under-19 coach began. "They are an extremely organised outfit that press high and build play well. We tried to avoid any danger by playing long balls into Andrea Pinamonti up front. Well done the lads for doing what we had worked on.

"Rivas played well but he knows he can perform better. It was a typical goal from him. He has a great future because he always works hard. Today might not have been his best performance, but he did well nonetheless.

"Pinamonti was so important throughout the game because we knew Chievo were going to press high, so we couldn’t afford to play keep-ball on the edge of our area. He produced a team performance and the goals will come.

"We were lacking a bit of calmness in possession,” Vecchi concluded, "because we’ve been punished by our own errors in the past, so perhaps we were low on self-confidence. I don’t have any preference about who we play in the semi-final; the main thing is that we’re in the mix."