19 years of hurt, never stopped them dreaming. Next month marks the 20-year anniversary of San Marino’s last victory. Andy Selva curled home a stunning free kick to seal a 1-0 win against Liechtenstein in Serravalle in front of a delirious Sammarinese crowd of 200 on 28th April 2004. FIFA currently rank them the lowest international football team in the world.
They started playing international football ‘officially’ for the first time in 1990, so it had only taken them 65 matches to secure that momentous first win. 137 games on, a span of 19 years and 18 months, and San Marino are still desperately seeking that second win.
Could it come this week? They face a friendly double-header at home against St Kitts and Nevis, with games on Wednesday and Sunday. It won’t quite send shockwaves around the footballing world if they do, but it will keep the endless dreamers of this world happy. Miracles do happen sometimes. Maybe!!
Embed from Getty ImagesMemorable Moments
San Marino had played a few friendly matches in 1986 and 1987, but they had to wait until 1988 to be granted affiliation to FIFA and UEFA. So, the first official match they took part in was a 1992 Euro Qualifier vs Switzerland at home in November 1990. They lost 4-0 in front of a crowd of 931, but the wheels had been set in motion and the Sammarinese were still smiling.
Valdes Pasolini netted their first ever goal during their third international (a 3-1 loss to Romania in Serravalle). They would eventually lose all eight of their 1992 Euro Qualifiers, scoring once and conceding 33. It didn’t deter them though; they were simply happy to be at the footballing party. They had come a long way since the San Marino Football Federation was first formed in 1931.
San Marino’s Losing Run Comes To An End
A Serravalle crowd of 957 would see San Marino finally stop the losing rot when they drew 0-0 with Turkey in a 1994 World Cup Qualifier on 10th March 1993. It was a small triumph that the Sammarinese would have to remember and nurture for some while.
They would go on a losing streak of 36 games following the Turkish draw, until a 1-1 stalemate with Latvia eight years later during their 2002 World Cup Qualifying campaign. That did mark their first ever unbeaten game in international football on the road though. Small steps, very small steps.
In August 2003, San Marino would draw 2-2 with Liechtenstein in a friendly in Vaduz. The first time they had scored two goals in a match. It would come two games prior to their famous and sole victory to date against the same opposition in Serravalle.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t use it as a springboard to further success. As following their first win, San Marino went on a 10-year losing run (61 games between Sept 2004 – October 2014). In fact, they’ve only drawn five games (vs Estonia, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar, Seychelles & Saint Lucia) in 136 games since that oh so special first victory.
Embed from Getty ImagesSelva Is San Marino’s Saviour
Andy Selva’s winning goal against Liechtenstein in 2004 was one of eight he would score during an 18-year, 73-cap, international career (1998-2016). It’s a record that’s unlikely to be beaten. No other player has scored more than two goals for San Marino. Although Filippo Berardi in the current squad, is only twenty-six, and has netted twice, so will be hoping to bag a few more before he hangs up his boots.
Berardi, a right winger who plays for an amateur club side in the country, SS Cosmos, netted his second during San Marino’s last game, a 2-1 Euro Qualifying defeat against Finland in November last year. Despite the loss, it meant that the footballing minnows had scored for three internationals in-a-row. A new record and one which they’d only broken three days earlier, when scoring against Kazakhstan, to make it two goals in two consecutive matches.
Andy Selva only lies third on the all-time most-capped list for San Marino. Defender Mirko Palazzi (74 caps) and Matteo Vitaioli (91 caps) proudly sit above him, and both remain in the current squad, playing in their mid-30s. Vitaioli, a graphic designer, who skippers the side, would dearly love to celebrate a victory before he bids a final farewell.
Embed from Getty ImagesSan Marino to Host St Kitts & Nevis
The Caribbean crew from St Kitts & Nevis are in town this week and on paper, the visitors should come out on top. They are currently ranked 147th in the FIFA world rankings, some 63 spots above San Marino. Every team on the globe are higher than San Marino though, as they currently sit in 210th and last spot on the list.
St Kitts & Nevis haven’t been in action since a six-game CONCACAF Nations League campaign (September – November 2023). They lost five of those six games, scoring 4 goals and conceding 12. San Marino will also take heart that ‘The Sugar Boyz’ have only tasted sweet success once in their previous 11 matches. Could this be the moment? Will the Sammarinese be dancing in the streets of Serravalle all night long?
Viaplay Sports are screening Wednesday and Saturday games live. Kick-off at 19:45 GMT.
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