San Marino knocked out in Romania, but Giacopetti rewrites epic history
San Marino ends its adventure at the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with a sound defeat in Romania. However, the match is very reminiscent of one of the Titans’ most historic and best-remembered performances: that of 1993 against England. Like then, the final result is 7-1. But like then, above all, it is San Marino who scored the first goal, which came in the very early stages of the match. But if Davide Gualtieri took only 8 seconds back then, Nicolas Giacopetti needs 1 minute 51.
San Marino’s start was extraordinarily convincing, so much so that already in the first minute Giacopetti led a front-ball turnover by proposing in tow for Golinucci – who was anticipated at the finest in the center of the box. The next attempt moves from the side and brings as a dowry Giacopetti’s first international goal: good at inserting himself centrally, he chills Târnovanu after just 111″. Certainly not the fastest goal in Titans’ history, but of extraordinary importance. It is only the fourth time San Marino has netted at least 2 goals in the World Cup Qualifiers. To find another opponent hit both in the first leg and in the return leg, we have to go back to 2000-2001, when Selva punished Belgium in Serravalle and Brussels.
Romania immediately retaliated, calling Colombo into action with tries from Raţiu and Tănase. Later Bîrligea sends a header high from an enviable position. Close to the quarter-hour mark, the score situation returned to equilibrium due to Rossi’s fortuitous own goal: Romania recovered the ball at the gates of the San Marino penalty area, breaking through with Bîrligea. The latter’s grazing cross is deflected by Rossi, who slots his own net in an attempt to anticipate opponents lurking in the box. The heaviness of the playing surface, swollen with water, does not come to the rescue of the fluidity of the ball turn: so Romania comes back to try in the 26th minute with Man, whose right-footed shot inflates the outside of the net. It’s all good, however, three minutes later, when Baiaram shows off his athletic exuberance by scattering a couple of opponents before getting in front of Colombo – beaten with a close-range right-footer.
San Marino tried again in the 37th minute in tandem with Giacopetti and Mularoni: the latter’s conclusion was throttled. Instead, he had to perform a spectacular feat of the kidneys a minute later, Edoardo Colombo: Dragomir was already anticipating the 3-1 goal, with a powerful diving header neutralized by the San Marino extreme. Nothing to be done, however, in the 43rd minute: a low shot into the box was slowed down by the heavy playing surface, effectively rounding the ball onto Man’s left-footed shot that left the goalkeeper with no chance. Shortly thereafter, a further pinball in the box between Valentini and Colombo threatened to generate the second own goal of the evening – on which the first half closed.
At the exit from the locker room there was Giacomo Benvenuti for Rossi: following in the footsteps of his brother Tommaso, he made up the central pair with Valentini. Immediately work for Colombo on Bîrligea, then Man’s left-footed shot is held back by the very slow playing surface, which favors the guest goalkeeper’s save. Nothing compared to the intervention on the same striker also appreciated in a Parma jersey in the 55th minute: a back pass from Fabbri brakes on the soggy turf, allowing Romania to go for the shot, neutralized by a great intervention by Colombo. The Gzira United goalkeeper could not oppose, two minutes later, Valentini’s fortuitous deflection off a cross from the back. The second own goal of the evening brought Romania to 4-1.
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On 62 minutes Colombo has to invent another prodigy of elasticity to deny the goal to Tănase, on target from the edge. Less than 10 minutes later, San Marino came back to try: Pancotti converged on the left side to set up Riccardi, who was brave in releasing his right-footed shot from the edge – sending it high over the crossbar. On the opposite side, Colombo puts another patch on Munteanu’s venomous diagonal. In the 76th minute, Hagi joined the list of scorers by converting a moving penalty with a precise left-footer from the heart of the area. One minute earlier, Matteo Vitaioli’s entrance onto the field: for the captain and longtime San Marino national team player, it accrues presence number 100 at the international level. Never has anyone gone that far. In the final, Romania stretched again with Raţiu – who needed two attempts past Colombo from a very short distance – and Marin, scoring from the penalty spot after dubious contact between Riccardi and Petrila.
