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Thursday June 13th,
2002
Mexico
vs Italy
Oita -- (1-1)
The game attracted two bookings in the first five minutes
as both teams started off in earnest...... Christian Panucci was also added to the book,
for diving in search of penalty, with less than ten minutes played.
The thirteenth minute proved unlucky for Italy as they had
yet another goal ruled out for offside... no doubt the Italians will be looking closely at
the video again.
Totti should have done better in the 19th minute when he
received a great chance to put Italy in front, from Filippo Inzaghi.
-- GOAL -- 1-0
Mexico took the lead in the 34th minute when Jared Borgetti back-headed
Cuauthémoc Blanco's long ball around Paolo Maldini; leaving Gianluigi Buffon looking like
a buffoon.
Salvador Carmona could have made it 2-0, just before
half-time, and bring Italy perilously close to being the third favourites not to make the knockout stage.
Half-time: Mexico 1 -- Italy 0
Ecuador scored an early second-half goal, against Croatia,
to send Italy a lifeline.....
Oscar Pérez thwarted Filippo Inzaghi by diving at his feet
and palming the ball away.... shortly before the ineffective Italian was substituted.
Mexico continued to put Buffon under pressure.... Jesús
Arellano running through the Italian defence and having his shot cleared of the line;
after playing a quick one-two with Blanco.
Vincenzo Montella came on for Filippo Inzaghi in the 56th
minute and went into the referee's book before he even settled down.
A minute later, Ramón Morales coasted down the left and
fired just over the bar.
Twenty minutes from time, Totti released Vieri for what
looked like a certain goal.... until Oscar Pérez pushed the ball from his feet.
-- GOAL -- 1-1
Alessandro Del Piero, on for Totti, went wild and leapt over the
advertising boards; after bringing relief to the miserable-looking Italian fans. Vincenzo
Montella, the other substitute, crossed in from the right and Del Pierro powered forward
to head the ball on the bounce.
With this draw, Italy could qualify under their own
steam.... unless Croatia scored two against Ecuador in the final minutes.
Mexico ended the game by playing the ball around the back
and hold onto their place at the top of Group G. Italy
were also through and didn't even bother to chase the ball.
Final Score:
Mexico 1 -- Italy 1
Ecuador vs Croatia
Talkback
-- Add Your Comments
Player of the Match:
Cuauthémoc Blanco -- Orchestrated most of Mexico's best moves.
 Yellow Cards:
Jesús Arellano (2 mins)
Fabio Cannavaro (5 mins)
Christian Panucci (9 mins)
Francesco Totti (43 mins)
Gianluca Zambrotta (55 mins)
Vincenzo Montella (56 mins)
Oscar Pérez (84 mins)
The Teams:
Mexico:
1 Oscar Pérez; 16 Salvador Carmona, 7 Ramón Morales (3 Rafael García -- 76 mins1), 5
Manuel Vidrio, 11 Braulio Luna; 4 Rafael Márquez, 18 Johan Rodríguez (9 Gabriel
Caballero -- 76 mins), 6 Gerardo Torrado; 21 Jesús Arellano, 10 Cuauthémoc Blanco, 9
Jared Borgetti (17 Francisco Palencia -- 80 mins).
Italy:
1 Gianluigi Buffon; 5 Fabio Cannavaro, 3 Paolo Maldini, 13 Alessandro Nesta, 2 Christian
Panucci (4 Francesco Coco -- 63 mins); 17 Damiano Tommasi, 19 Gianluca Zambrotta, 6
Cristiano Zanetti; 9 Filippo Inzaghi (20 Vincenzo Montella -- 56 mins), 10 Francesco Totti
(7 Alessandro Del Piero -- 78 mins), 21 Christian Vieri.
Referee: Carlos Simon (Brazil)
|
Second Round |
The last 16 continue on the road to
Yokohama, with four games in South Korea and
four games in Japan.
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