Monday,
June 26,
The
ANNOTICO Report
WITH 12 SECONDS LEFT in injury time in the second
half, Francesco Totti scored on a penalty kick,
giving
Italy
was facing two possible 15 minute overtime periods, a man short, after already
being exhausted by very effectively playing it's "turtle" defense,
and mounting several very impressive attacks that do not produce a goal,
UNTIL the last second Totti heroics.
Totti had not come into the game until the 75th minute, because
of his not having fully recovered from
an early season broken leg.
By
Robert Millard
(AP
Soccer Writer)
From
Associated Press
June
26, 2006
KAISERSLAUTERN,
Germany - Francesco Totti scored from the penalty
spot in injury time Monday to lead Italy over Australia 1-0 and into the
quarterfinals of the World Cup.
Totti, who came off the bench
in the 75th minute, took the penalty after Lucas Neill brought down
The AS Roma
playmaker, still not fully fit after 2 1/2 months out following a broken left
leg, then scored to send the three-time World Cup
champions into the last eight.
In the 89th,
In the first
half,
"I was never
worried because there was still extra time to play and penalties," Lippi
said. "This was a game that really had everything.
"In the
first half, we didn't allow even one shot on goal - not even from long range.
In the second, we struggled but we gave away very little and then there was
this great play by Grosso."
The game appeared
to be headed for extra time when Grosso cut in from the left, beat one defender
and then went down under a challenge from Neill.
Spanish referee
Luis Medina pointed to the spot.
"I saw only
one replay and I couldn't really tell if it was a penalty or not,"
Although the
Australians put pressure on the Italians from the start, the European team
created the better chances with Toni going close four times in the first half.
He headed
narrowly wide from eight meters (yards) in the third minute from Alessandro Del
Piero's left wing cross, forced Schwarzer
to save with his legs, had another shot blocked by defender Craig Moore and
sent another header past the post.
Alberto Gilardino also had a shot pushed over the bar by Schwarzer, and Chipperfield
blocked a goalbound drive by Simone Perrotta.
At the other end,
Mark Viduka's powerful header went straight Buffon.
Lippi sent on
Vincenzo Iaquinta for Gilardino
in the second half and Toni shot too high after another promising buildup.
But Lippi watched
in dismay when Materazzi, who was having a standout
game at the heart of his defense, was sent off for hauling down Bresciano.
Lippi was forced
to reshuffle his lineup and take Toni off, replacing the Fiorentina
striker with inexperienced
Now the Socceroos scented an upset and Chipperfield
forced Buffon into a blocking save with a clever turn and shot inside the area.
Totti went on for Del Piero and immediately set up a shooting chance for Perrotta, whose powerful 20-meter (yard) drive was blocked
by a defender.
---
Lineups:
Italy: Gianluigi Buffon, Gianluca Zambrotta,
Australia: Mark Schwarzer, Lucas Neill, Craig Moore,
Tim Cahill, Jason Culina, Mark
Viduka, Vince Grella, Scott Chipperfield, Luke Wilkshire, Mile Sterjovski (John Aloisi, 81st), Marco Bresciano.
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