Seven touchdown passes from Opitz power U19 Sweden past Italy, 50–21

For a quarter and a half, Italy had every reason to believe an upset was on the cards. Then Fabian Opitz and Sweden’s receivers took the afternoon away from them.

Sweden scored 37 unanswered points to turn a 21–13 deficit into a commanding 50–21 victory over Italy at Bergshamra IP in Solna on Saturday, September 19, in the IFAF U19 European Championship. Opitz threw seven touchdown passes, three to Zachary Stolpe, as the reigning European silver medalists punished Italian mistakes and shut out the visitors after halftime.

The final margin told only part of the story. Giorgio Longhi’s Italians landed the first punch, recovered from two spectacular Swedish replies and held an eight-point lead early in the second quarter. But two Swedish touchdowns inside the final two minutes before halftime changed the game.

Italy strikes first

Italy could hardly have scripted a better opening. After a false start, Sergio Marzullo connected with Simone Cavallo for a 77-yard touchdown, with Filippo Neri adding the extra point. Sweden’s response was immediate: Opitz found Stolpe for a 75-yard score on the hosts’ first offensive play.

Apparently, neither team had much interest in easing into proceedings.

After an Italian punt, Opitz and Stolpe struck again, this time from 73 yards. The blocked extra point left Sweden ahead 13–7, but Italy steadied itself. Alessandro Framarini contributed a sack during a Swedish possession that unravelled through penalties and a bad snap, and the ensuing punt gave Italy the ball at Sweden’s 33.

Marzullo needed only one play to find Pietro Vicenzi for the touchdown. Neri’s kick restored Italy’s lead at 14–13.

The visitors then put together another productive series, with Cavallo and Etile Jean Philippe Amon involved through the air before Marzullo carried the ball to the one-yard line. Riccardo Matthew Brancaleoni finished the job on the ground, and Italy led 21–13 early in the second quarter.

At that point, the visitors were doing considerably more than keeping Sweden company.

Sweden flips the game before halftime

The turning point came late in the half. Justin Boney’s long reception helped set up his own four-yard touchdown catch, bringing Sweden within one. Italy still had an opportunity to take its lead into the dressing room, but a Marzullo fumble handed Sweden possession at the Italian 43 with approximately 30 seconds remaining.

Opitz found Stolpe to move the ball to the 11, then went back to him for their third touchdown connection. A two-point pass to Boney made it 28–21 Sweden at halftime. In less than two minutes, Italy’s advantage had become a seven-point deficit.

Opitz keeps pouring it on

Sweden carried that momentum straight through the interval. An apparent Italian interception was wiped out by pass interference on the opening possession, and Opitz subsequently hit Boney for a 38-yard touchdown and a 35–21 lead.

Italy’s best opportunity to answer came on a drive featuring several completions to Cavallo and a pass to Amon that reached Sweden’s 15. Viktor Werselius ended the threat with an interception. Sweden promptly made that turnover hurt, with a big gain to Stolpe setting up an 18-yard touchdown pass to Ceasar Nguesseu. Simon Turzik then threw to Douglas Lundh for the two-point conversion.

What had been an eight-point Italian lead was now a 43–21 Swedish advantage.

Sweden finishes the job

Even a failed Swedish fake punt in the fourth quarter offered Italy no route back. The visitors took over at Sweden’s 25, only for a heavy sack to help drive them out of contention. After the ensuing punt pinned Sweden at its own one, the hosts marched the length of the field, aided by Italian personal fouls. Opitz completed his seven-touchdown afternoon with a 33-yard pass to Turzik.

For new Swedish head coach Andreas Ehrenreich, there was plenty to like about the response to an uncomfortable opening. His team combined an explosive passing attack with a defense that allowed nothing on the scoreboard over the final two quarters.

For Italy, the frustration will be how quickly a promising performance slipped away. The opening showed what this team could do. The turnovers, penalties and missed opportunities that followed showed how costly it becomes when you stop doing it.

Scoring summary

Sweden 50, Italy 21
Sweden: 13 – 15 – 15 – 7
Italy: 14 – 7 – 0 – 0

First quarter

ITA — Cavallo 77-yard pass from Marzullo (Neri kick), 7–0 ITA
SWE — Stolpe 75-yard pass from Opitz (Martinez Ekström kick), 7–7
SWE — Stolpe 73-yard pass from Opitz (kick blocked), 13–7 SWE
ITA — Vicenzi 33-yard pass from Marzullo (Neri kick), 14–13 ITA

Second quarter

ITA — Brancaleoni 1-yard run (Neri kick), 21–13 ITA
SWE — Boney 4-yard pass from Opitz (Martinez Ekström kick), 21–20 ITA
SWE — Stolpe 11-yard pass from Opitz (Boney pass from Opitz), 28–21 SWE

Third quarter

SWE — Boney 38-yard pass from Opitz (Martinez Ekström kick), 35–21 SWE
SWE — Nguesseu 18-yard pass from Opitz (Lundh pass from Turzik), 43–21 SWE

Fourth quarter

SWE — Turzik 33-yard pass from Opitz (Martinez Ekström kick), 50–21 SWE