An important performance provided at the Blancherie in Delémont allows Lugano U21 to collect three precious points in key-salvation. Absolute protagonists of the duel in Canton Jura, with a double each, are Yannis Ryter and David Piffero. With an overflowing 5-1 (2-0), the young bianconeri leave the "red zone" of the standings and hook the opponents of the day, overtaking them because of a better goal-difference.
SECOND CONVOCATION FOR BRYAN ZURMÜHLE
The week after tasting the third category of ball for the first time, subbing in for Piffero for the last quarter of an hour of the home derby drawn with Paradiso, Bryan Zurmühle was rewarded by coach Andrea Vitali with his second consecutive call-up (but not only). The 16-year-old, a nationally talented forward and product of regional soccer and Team Ticino, has been a member of the HCL family since last Feb. 11, the day he signed an agreement valid until Dec. 31, 2027.
LEADEN AFTERNOON AT THE BLANCHERIE
It is far from spring-like weather that greets the two teams as they enter the field, with rain falling from the Canton Jura sky. The episode that could change the course of the match is recorded after just six laps of the clock. Ryter is stopped at the moment of conclusion by Daoud Touré. For match director Hajrim Qovanaj, it was a regular action and play continued accordingly. A little later, and still inside the yellow-and-white sixteen meters, Piffero fails to find the optimal impact with the ball on the former Basel's cross.
LESS BALL POSSESSION, BUT A LOT OF CONCENTRATION
As could be expected, the men directed by Anthony Sirufo try to steer the duel through ball possession. However, the attention shown by the guests at every single moment allows Fotios Pseftis to spend a first part of the match all in all calm. Even when, on the thirty-fourth, Altin Shala finds himself on his left-hand side a chance to disturb the Greek extreme defender. The local outside midfielder took advantage of a corner kick to free himself from marking, not finding the sought-after luck. On the opposite flank, Gianluca Pizzagalli frames a Ryter assist with the right timing, but the sphere goes off over the crossbar.
ADVANTAGE FROM THE PENALTY SPOT AND DOUBLING IN RECOVERIES
Such attempts - at the double whistle there will be two for the hosts (none in the goal mirror) and seven (three of which frame the fish-net rectangle) for the Subcenerini - preview what happens in the 37th. The ubiquitous Ryter shows up on a lateral free kick, offering a trajectory that is blocked with his wide arm by Martin François. The penalty signal is immediate and for the Ticinese of presents an opportunity to open the scoring. Said and done. Because from the penalty spot, number 16 holds his nerve and, dispatching Steven Oberle, delivers the well-deserved lead with a flat right-footed shot into the crossbar of the posts. The seal gives wings to the Lugano team, adept at exploiting a recovery on the three-quarter line by the author of the first goal and bagging the double with Piffero's precise insertion.
RETURN FROM THE LOCKER ROOM WITH THE SAME ACTORS
The half-time break is welcomed with serenity by the HCL lineup, so much so that upon returning from the locker room, confidence in the starting eleven is confirmed. The same happens on the Romanian side, whose supporters - armed with flags and drums - relentlessly support their favorites. The latter struggle to approach the dangerous area of the ground due to an opponent constantly "on the ball" and unwilling to concede any chances.
TRIS AND POKER IN QUICK SUCCESSION AND MATCH "ON ICE"
It runs the 62nd minute and an absolute quality action - started by Yassin Sbai (later out due to a pain suffered in his shoulder) and continued on the Dion Dermaku-Damiano Plisko axis - allows Pizzagalli to kick "on the line." Oberle pushes back with his fists on his right, where he is lurking like a bird of prey Ryter, who drops the hat-trick with a header. Only another one hundred and twenty seconds elapsed and Piffero also got back on the scoreboard with his second center of the day. The center forward, who arrived at the end of November from the youth of Young Boys, encounters no difficulty in registering the fourth HCL goal in an unguarded goal after a post hit by Ryter.
LAST PART OF THE RACE WITH TWO MORE GOALS
The fourth goal effectively lowered the shutter on a match controlled from the first to the last minute by an applied and diligent HCL formation. The classic Giallonero "flag" point, sealed at the eighty-seventh minute by captain Matteo Cesca with a valuable backhand, coincides with the almost final closure of the contest. This is because in the ninety-sixth Zurmühle stubbornly conquers the ball in the midfield circle, "carving" it from the feet of Mohamed Boukaoui and "sending" it into the empty goal. An afternoon of quality thus officially goes to the archives immediately after the first seal with the U21 of the talented teenager.
THE RANKING IS (FINALLY) SMILING AGAIN
The full stakes added to the already accumulated meatpack raises the Ticinese to 33 points, bypassing the Baden Aargavians (stopped at 32 after a narrow defeat in Paradiso) and hooking Delémont themselves. The position changes from being 18th and last to 16th and third last. This is because of a better goal-difference (-8 vs. -11), boosted in Sunday's long away trip to Canton Jura.
NEXT COMMITMENT AT HOME
The third last fixture of the season will give Lugano U21 the opportunity to joust in front of their home crowd at Maglio di Canobbio. On Saturday, May 10, 2025 at 3:00 p.m., the young HCL players will host the Vevey-Sports Vaudois (coming off a 1-0 home narrow victory over Young Boys U21) as part of the 32nd day of the Hoval Promotion League.
COACH VITALI'S END-OF-GAME ANALYSIS: "THREE WELL-DESERVED POINTS"
"If I have to be honest, during the first half the team was a bit contracted. This was because the duel was very delicate for numerous reasons. Then, the penalty kick unblocked us and from that moment the boys played up to it, scoring the double in the first half recoveries and the trio with a splendid collective action. We deserved the victory and I am happy about that. So are I for the three scorers of the day. Yannis Ryter is the element with the most quality in our group and I am happy for his double and his performance. David Piffero is a fighter and deserved the double joy. Bryan Zurmühle's center was the icing on the cake. However, there is also a downside, namely the shoulder injury that occurred to Yassin Sbai. Let's hope it is nothing serious".
SR DELÉMONT-FC LUGANO U21 1-5 (0-2)
Stade de la Blancherie, 660 spectators.
Networks: 39′ Ryter 0-1 (penalty), 45′ +1′ Piffero 0-2, 62′ Ryter 0-3, 64′ Piffero 0-4, 87′ Cesca 1-4, 90′ +6′ Zurmühle 1-5.
Admonished: 20′ Pizzagalli, 37′ Wyder, 55′ Hushi, 72′ Jubin, 83′ Baume, 84′ Spinelli, 88′ Plisko.
SR Delémont: Oberle; Wyder (57′ Baume), Cesca, Touré, Behrami (70′ Gomis); Shala, Hushi, François (63′ Jubin), Türkes; Sylvestre (57′ Kury), Coulibaly (57′ Boukaoui). Coach: Sirufo.
FC Lugano U21: Pseftis; Dermaku, Gecaj, Molino; Plisko, Maccoppi (85′ Maslarov), Pizzagalli (73′ Okafor), Morandi, Sbai (68′ Spinelli), Ryter (73′ Ronchetti); Piffero (85′ Zurmühle). Coach: Vitali.
Referee: Qovanaj. Assistants: Da Cunha and Bajrami.
