England youths crash OUT of the Under 20 World Cup in the last 16 leg after Chelsea star Cesare Casadei scored a controversial late penalty to seal 2-1 win and send Italians through
- England faced Italy in the last 16 after going through their group
- Tommaso Baldanzi put the Italians ahead before Alfie Devine leveled soon after
- Cesare Casadei scored the winner after a controversial handball decision
The England Under-20s were heartbroken after they controversially crashed out of the World Cup in the leg of the last 16 to Italy.
Ian Foster’s side had progressed through the group stage after wins over Uruguay and Tunisia, along with a draw against Iraq, but were up against a resilient and talented Italian side.
The side were boosted before kick-off by the arrival of Coventry loan stars Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Callum Doyle, along with Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka after the trio finished their pre-season club commitments.
England started well, but Italy went through after a fine pass from Guiseppe Ambrosino found Tommaso Baldanzi and poked the Empoli star past Brentford’s Matthew Cox in the Three Lions goal.
However, there was a reaction and Tottenham star Alfie Devine almost immediately leveled the score as he hit the crossbar with a powerful blow.
England were heartbroken after they controversially exited the Under-20 World Cup
Chelsea star Cesare Casadei scored Italy’s winner from the penalty spot close to death
It was elation for the Azzurri as they progressed to the quarter-finals where they face Colombia
He wasn’t stopped a second time though, as he linked up well with clubmate Dane Scarlett on the left to volley home.
Both sides continued to exchange attacks in a hotly fought clash before the Three Lions thought they had a penalty as Chukwuemeka went down, but nothing was given after a VAR check.
Controversy, on the other hand, struck when a powerful effort from Chelsea’s Cesare Casadei from range hit Jarell Quansah on the arm.
Empoli star Tommaso Baldanzi put the Italians ahead after just eight minutes with a great finish
Tottenham’s Alfie Devine shone everywhere and volleyed the equalizer in the first half
However, Casadei’s controversial late penalty meant the Three Lions would go home
The defender appeared to turn his body away from the ball and made no specific movement towards it, but after a visit to the field monitor, referee Ramon Abatti awarded a penalty.
Casadei scored the penalty and, despite 11 minutes of extra time, England were unable to find an equalizer and went down 2–1 to their opponents.
This meant they could not match their last appearance at an Under-20 World Cup, when a team including Dominic Solanke, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Fikayo Tomori won the tournament in 2017.
Italy will now play Colombia in the quarter-finals on June 3.