Mexico v Italy?

[cucumberman]

I got Italy to win 2-0. Italy need to win to ensure qualification, a draw may not be good enough.

[Mark]

praying for a Mexico win

[Mark]

Mexico 1-0 Italy 38 mins gone :)

[Mark]

chance after chance goes for Italy...Inzaghi gets dispossesed by the keeper when through one on one with him :eek

[Mark]

what a game this is...Mexico just had a shot cleared 1 yard from the line...end to end stuff...SUPERB!!!!

[Mark]

another offside goal for Italy...that's 4 over their last 2 matches!!!

[Mark]

1-1 Del Piero having just come on as sub

[Mark]

Alessandro Del Piero came off the bench to grab a late equaliser for Italy in their Group G clash with Mexico, to secure their place in the last 16. Croatia's hopes of progressing were dashed by defeat to Ecuador.

A win would have secured Italy's passage, but Filippo Inzaghi had a goal ruled out for offside, Francesco Totti missed a sitter and Christian Vieri smacked a volley straight at Oscar Perez, as luck, as it had in the defeat to Croatia, deserted the Azzurri in the first half.

Mexico then stunned the Italians on 34 minutes, Jared Borghetti running onto a chipped pass from Cuahtemoc Blanco and twisting his head to flick a deft header over Gianluigi Buffon and into the corner.

Substitute Vincenzo Montella also had a goal ruled out for offside 18 minutes into the second half, and Vieri was denied by another fine save from Perez, but it seemed as though the equaliser would never arrive.

Five minutes from time, though, Del Piero, seven minutes after replacing Francesco Totti, stole in at the back-post to nod Montella's cross past Perez.

As it turned out, defeat by a goal would have been enough for Italy to progress as Ecuador beat Croatia.

Alen Boksic hit the outside of the post after a smart turn and shot, and then saw Augusto Porozo head his effort wide after he had lobbed Ecuador keeper Jose Cevallos as the Croats bossed the first half, but they were undone three minutes after half-time.

Edison Mendez latched onto Agustin Delgado's header and crashed a powerful half-volley into the bottom corner to end Croatia's qualification dream.

[Jere Markus]

thank you del Piero!!!

Forza Italia. Italy is going all the way now, cause they face a team from the sorry USA/Portugal/Korea group - that group is the weakest EVER :)

aaahhhh... great game by Italy, but Mexico has a great team too.

[Mark]

Mexico looked the better side I'd say but Italy were piling on the pressure and it was only a matter of time before they scored

[Mark]

An 85th-minute goal from substitute Alessandro del Piero rescued Italy as they secured a 1-1 draw with Mexico to move in to the second round of the World Cup.

Trailing 1-0 to Jared Borgetti's first-half goal for an impressive Mexican side, the Azzurri looked like they would never score after a series of missed chances.

But del Piero's close-range header from a Vincenzo Montella cross ended any danger of the Italians going the way of France and Argentina, even if Croatia's defeat against Ecuador meant they would have sneaked through anyway.

Italy, aiming to avoid an early exit from the World Cup for the first time since 1974, started with a changed line-up, coach Giovanni Trapattoni opting to play Francesco Totti in a free role in a 3-4-1-2 formation.

It was from a Totti through-ball that Filippo Inzaghi turned the ball into the net on 13 minutes but his effort was ruled out for offside.

Inzaghi turned provider after 20 minutes when he skipped past a defender's challenge and set up a glorious chance for Totti. With just goalkeeper Oscar Perez to beat, however, the Azzurri playmaker could only steer the ball wide of the far post.

Italy were getting closer. From a Totti flick-on Vieri unleashed a 15-yard volley straight at Perez. Then Totti fired a low free-kick just wide of the far post.

Having survived those scares, Mexico went down the other end and scored. Cuauhtemoc Blanco chipped the ball into the box and Borgetti outjumped Alessandro Nesta to glance the ball past Gianluigi Buffon and into the far corner for his second goal of the tournament.

It could have got worse for the Italians as Salvador Carmona flashed a volley just wide of Buffon's left-hand post and then Borgetti had a shot blocked by Nesta, who was playing despite a painful foot injury.

Inzaghi should have equalised five minutes into the second half when Totti's angled pass sent him clean through on goal but Perez stuck out a hand to push the ball to safety.

At the other end, Nesta had to clear off the line after Jesus Arellano slipped the ball under Buffon following a lovely one-two with Borgetti.

Now the Mexicans, cheered on by their noisy supporters, looked the more likely and Ramon Morales and Joahan Rodriguez were both inches wide with efforts.

After 63 minutes Italy had a second goal disallowed - to follow the two they had ruled out against Croatia - when substitute Montella lifted the ball over Perez but he was adjudged offside.

Vieri should have scored after 72 minutes but he lost control of the ball after being played in by a Totti pass and Montella was even more wasteful when he blasted over.

But all that was forgotten when del Piero nodded the equaliser to end any fears of elimination for the Italians.

[Mark]

OITA, Japan (Reuters) - Mexico striker Cuauhtemoc Blanco branded Italy 'lucky' and insisted his own side could rewrite the record books after the group G rivals both progressed to the World Cup second round with a 1-1 draw.


'We had Italy in our hands and were showing what a great team we have become,' Blanco told reporters.

'Italy were lucky to get a point and lucky to go through...I think we were all disappointed that we did not finish them off and win the game.

'But we are confident of getting to the semi-finals ourselves and making history for Mexico.'

The Latin American team's previous best World Cup performances were quarter-final appearances in 1970 and 1986 -- the years they hosted the tournament.

Blanco's strike partner Jared Borgetti gave Mexico a 1-0 lead in Oita on Thursday, before Italy rescued a draw through Alessandro Del Piero's 85th minute equaliser.

With group G rivals Croatia losing to Ecuador, it meant Mexico progressed as group winners and Italy joined them in the last 16 as runners-up.

[Mark]

OITA, Japan (Reuters) - Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni was a relieved man after his team sneaked into the World Cup second round with a 1-1 draw against Mexico.

'Yes we trembled but we are happy,' he said.

'There was a lot of pressure on us, also from our fans. We finished a good first half hour. We had a goal ruled out that was maybe valid. We had two other opportunities.

'We deserved a draw, we created far more chances.'

'There was a good reaction from the whole team after Mexico scored.'

Italy striker Alessandro Del Piero was delighted after his late goal earned the draw and runners-up spot in World Cup group G.

'It's fantastic, something really wonderful,' he said after scoring seven minutes after coming on as substitute.

'If we'd won I would be comfortable, but we've reached our objective of qualifying,' he added.

Del Piero, who replaced Francesco Totti after 78 minutes, said he was not thinking about the two efforts Italy had ruled out for off-side.

'Those are the credits we will have in the future, one can only hope,' he said.

Italy, outplayed by the Mexicans for much of the match, will meet the winners of group D in the second round, who could be South Korea, Portugal or the United States.

[Chazza Muffin]

And people ask how Mark has managed to make that many posts... :wink

Jut posting to say well played Mexico. They looked excellent and in Marquez at the back, Torrardo in the middle and the goalscorer whose name escapes me they have a very good, and strong backbone to their team. Pleasently surprised at how good they were.

[Mark]

see I'm a legend, noone else will post any world cup news so I've gotta do it ain't I!!!!

Shame Mexico didn't win tho...even though it wouldn't have made a difference

[Mark]

Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni claimed divine justice had played a part after his side scraped through to the World Cup second round by drawing with Mexico.

"That match proves there is a God," said Trapattoni, who is carrying a bottle of holy water in his suit-pocket throughout the tournament. "All I could say during the game was 'He cannot forsake us now'. We created five or six chances and deserved the result."

The Azzurri were outplayed for much of the match by Mexico, who passed the ball exquisitely, but Alessandro del Piero came off the bench to level with five minutes left.

"I spoke to Del Piero on the eve of the game and he has repaid me with this vital goal," added Trapattoni.

"We came out with a lot of determination after half-time. I have never seen my squad play so aggressively. They really wanted this result. Now we wait to see who we play next - Korea, Portugal or the USA are on a par. I have no preferance."

Trapattoni was nonetheless angry at yet another disallowed goal, this time for Filippo Inzaghi, who was onside when he scored, despite the raised flag. "I've always said that Italian officials are the best," he snapped.

Del Piero, who replaced Francesco Totti with 15 minutes left, was ecstatic after making the vital contribution.

"It's what I dreamed of last night," said the Juventus forward, who pointed to the sky as he celebrated, dedicating the goal to his late father.

"This goal takes us on to the next round and, after how the match was going for us, it's a miracle that we're there. It's great, I can hardly speak as my mind is so confused.

"The goal disallowed? I think in football there are credits waiting for us. We'll get out dues one day."

Inzaghi claimed Italy put in a peerless performance. "I think we had a great first half," he said. "Unfortunately we didn't score and that drove us crazy.

"I didn't know the result of Ecuador-Croatia, but our qualification is completely deserved. I'm happy with my game and that of the squad generally."