Monday June 14, 2010 Group Stage: Group F Finished Green Point Stadium

Italy 1 - 1 Paraguay

  • De Rossi 63’
  • Alcaraz 39’

No comments yet | Write your comment

  1. Italy held by Paraguay

    Italy held by Paraguay

    Reigning champions Italy were forced to come from behind to draw 1-1 against Paraguay in the opening Group F match in Cape Town. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Italy
    • Paraguay
    • 90+3 Understandably Paraguay play the free-kick short to kill some time but Italy break... Iaquinta's low cross is cleared and it finishes 1-1!
    • 90+2 Chiellini harshly called for a slide tackle on Vera.
    • 90+1 Santana can hardly moved. He's barely worth having on the pitch right now.
    • 90' Three minutes added time being played.
    • 89' Paraguay look knackered, but so do Italy as a wayward cross spins out.
    • 88' Pepe picks up a loose ball on the left after Bonet let him go. Poor defending but he blocks the cross. Santana is a right mess stranded upfield.
    • 87' Italy could be in here, they have men over but the cross from Di Natale is over Iaquinta's head and the Paraguayans clear.
    • 87' Pepe's near-post corner is headed clear for another corner. Da Silva I think. Santana back on but he is not well, they've made all three subs so he'll have to hang on!
    • 86' Italy free-kick on the left which Pepe swings in, Caceres clears though.
    • 85' There's a Paraguay player down... Santana... he gets up eventually to trudge off.
    • 84' Paraguay clear the corner but Camoranesi is on it and can cross, cleared by Da Silva, the Italy man slides in and gives away a free-kick.
    • 83' Montolivo has a crack from range, low for the bottom left and tipped behind by Villar! Corner.
    • 82' Stu: "Seriously the way Italy are playing right now, England could score 3 past them! ITALY need to change tactics and just ATTACK!"
    • 81' A corner then on the Paraguay left. Morel takes but Cannavaro gets a head on it and shows a rare burst of pace to prevent another corner. Throw in on the right.
    • 80' Well played Santa Cruz. A deep, deep cross was going out but he stretched to keep it in and the ball came off Criscito for a corner.
    • 79' Pepe on the run cuts in from the left but his low drive is easy for the keeper Villar.
    • 78' Pepe with the corner to test the keeper who, under pressure from Iaquinta, does well to hold.
    • 77' Bonet plays the ball forward but Cardozo is offside.
    • 76' PARAGUAY SUB: Big Benfica striker Oscar Cardozo is on for the Albirroja. Barrios makes way.
    • 75' Camoranesi seems to be a bit late on Torres but no, it was an honest attempt to block.
    • 74' FACT: Eight of Italy's last 13 goals at the World Cup have arrived following a set-piece (OptaJoe).
    • 73' FACT: Paraguay lost only one of six WC matches leading at half time: (4–1–1). Only loss: vs Spain in 2002: 3-1 after 0-1 HT score. (Infostrada)
    • 72' ITALY SUB: Gilardino is off for Di Natale as they go big-man-little-man.
    • 71' Camoranesi with what looked a deliberate stamp on Santana's foot.
    • 70' Santa Cruz immediately gets involved by winning a header but Italy clear and can counter. Pepe has it and plays it into Gilardino, Da Silva slips as the Italy man controls but a super recovery to block the shot!
    • 69' PARAGUAY SUB: Santa Cruz is on for Valdez. Big change for the Albirroja.
    • 68' Barrios is down in a heap so play stops... he collided with Zambrotta.
    • 67' Criscito on the left tries to feed Montolivo but Paraguay are back in numbers to clear.
    • 66' Barrios gets it on the left and is in real space, he cuts it back AND SANTANA but he mis-hits it from 12 yards! It bounces wide! You have GOT to get that on target!
    • 65' Montolivo hits the deck in the box but the challenge from Da Silva was fair. No appeal either.
    • - Oh dear. So comfy for Paraugay and honestly it wasn't a great corner, Villar came out one-handed and under no pressure missed his punch and De Rossi gobbled it up like a hungry little monster.
    • 63' ITALY SCORE! DE ROSSI! Villar flaps at a corner and De Rossi pokes home!
    • 62' Paraguay clear the free-kick and the forwards put pressure on Chiellini, who passes back to Villar.
    • 61' Caceres slides into Montolivo and earns the first booking of the night.
    • 60' PARAGUAY SUB: Santana on for Torres.
    • 59' Camoranesi's first act it to launch a dangerous outswinging cross for Gilardino but Villar plucks it out of the air.
    • 58' ITALY SUB: Camoranesi on for the Azzurri, Marchisio making way. More of a 4-4-2 then.
    • 57' Iaquinta could be in here but he gets a touch too wide and his cross is easy for Villar.
    • 56' Camoranesi is getting ready to come on. He won the World Cup, don't you know.
    • 55' Montolivo puts a shot in from distance which Villar claims low into his chest, no Green-style howler from him.
    • 54' INCHES WIDE BY VERA! A bad clearance by Criscito falls to Vera who thrashes it wide from close range! He wants a corner but that was a miss!
    • 53' Good cross in from Zambrotta on the right AND PEPE FLIES IN but he misses the bicycle kick!
    • 52' Valdez thinks Chiellini hit him. Chiellini gives him a hug. It's a corner, by the way, it trickled out past the goal line. Corner comes to nothing, landing to Vera who blasts it.
    • 51' Morel puts in a cross which is blocked for a throw. Valdez goes down off the ball...
    • 50' Italy are not really chasing and pressing and upping the tempo which they need to do.
    • 49' Marchetti gets his first touch in a World Cup, hoofing a backpass clear.
    • 48' Zambrotta covering for Cannavaro, off a Paraguay shirt for an Italy throw.
    • 47' Marchisio on the left tries a cross but Alcaraz clears. Barrios has it now but Chiellini and De Rossi combine to clear.
    • 46' The second half begins and Pepe and Iaquinta have swapped wings, Pepe on the left now.
    • - ITALY HALF-TIME SUB: This is NOT good for the Azzuri. Gianluigi Buffon is off, we assume injured, and Federico Marchetti the Cagliari man is on.
    • - Jordan just has one word on this: "Blimey :O" - how seventies!
    • - Fan comment: Stu says "Well that was too slow and too negative from Italy! Paraguay deserves to be leading and if Italy doesn't start a lot better in the 2nd half then Paraguay will score again!"
    • - Today's Venn answer is that the four venues pictured are the only ones to have attracted crowds of over 94,000 for a World Cup match, with the biggest attendances ever at each one coming in the final: 1994 (Rose Bowl - 94,000 people), 1966 (Wembley - 96,924 people), 1986 (Azteca - 114,590 people) and 1950 (Maracana - 199,854 people). Another Venn tomorrow
    • - International Press Review - check out the headlines and stories from around the globe + World Cup Gallery - all the best pictures from the tournament + World Cup Venn - can you work out what links the men in the pictures. Every morning in the
    • - The ticker is the definitive one-stop shop for everything that is going on in South Africa. Don't miss anything with links to more than 100 stories from 7am to 11pm every day.
    • - During half-time, a little reminder of all our special content we are running during the World Cup. Arsene Wenger, Robbie Earle, Paul Parker, Jim White, the Armchair Pundit and Early Boers - direct from South Africa - will be blogging throughout the tournament. Plus regular opinion from Eurosport's Soccer Live panel - Roger Milla, Giovane Elber, Patrick Kluivert and more.
    • 45+1 Half-time, Paraguay lead and Cannavaro storms off in a strop.
    • 45+1 Valdez slows it down in the corner to let the ball run out for a throw. How very Italian.
    • 45' Cannavaro fouls Barrios. Not having the best game.
    • 44' Cannavaro is getting frustrated as he rants at his team-mates.
    • 43' Tweet from OptaJoe: "Number of 2006 World Champions in Marcello Lippi's starting eleven. Experience."
    • 42' Barrios skins Chiellini but then commits a foul.
    • 41' Valdez wins another free-kick while rising to take it on his chest. Good play. Another one from the same position on the left. Torres's ball wreaks havoc again but this time Chiellini gets a toe on it and Caceres's shot is well wide.
    • - Brilliant delivery by Torres, super ball, dipping and swerving but horrible defending from the now desperate Cannavaro, making no attempt to challenge the Wigan man who powered it inside the right-hand post. De Rossi was hanging around doing nowt as well. Very un-Italian but, in his Indian summer, very Cannavaro alas.
    • 39' GOAL PARAGUAY! ALCARAZ WITH THE HEADER!!
    • 38' Chiellini harshly penalised for a non-foul on Valdez. Paraguay have a free-kick 30 yards out, right centre...
    • 37' Valdez holds the ball up and finds Torres, who takes a touch inside but cannot match the pace of Pepe, who sweeps up. Good defending from the winger, tracking back and working hard.
    • 36' Throw Italy on the right... De Rossi has it but Criscito gives the ball away. A touch scrappy now.
    • 35' A ball in from the left almost finds Gila but Morel is there first to clear.
    • 34' The fizz of Italy's early form has gone a touch flat and Paraguay will feel they have a chance. The Azzurri need a boost.
    • 33' Marchisio with a foul in midfield. Paraguay keep it short and simple.
    • - FACT: All 23 Italian squad members play in the Serie A.
    • 31' Deep cross finds Pepe unmarked to head across goal from the right but he is offside.
    • 30' A breather for the South Americans as they have a throw on the left. Pepe is bullying Morel on the right again. The linesman and ref disagree over an Italy throw.
    • 29' Caceres again with a good clearance as Paraguay feel the pressure of the champions!
    • 29' The corner is swung in near post by Marchisio and De Rossi attacks it but off Alcaraz and wide for a corner again!
    • 28' Marchisio over the free-kick, which is three yards from the edge of the box on the left but Vera heads away easy at the near post.
    • 27' Iaquinta releases Criscito on the left but his cross is straight at Bonet. Criscito gets it back and Bonet takes him out. Free-kick on the left...
    • 25' An Italy fan looks tense before the match kicks off.
    • 24' This has been a compelling match so far - Paraguay very cautious while Italy are asking the questions.
    • 23' Italy have a free-kick on the right which Pepe is over, in the absence of Pirlo. Good ball far post and Iaquinta flies in but Alcaraz gets there first! It drops to Marchisio, who shoots, but well wide.
    • 22' Italy clear the corner easily and Montolivo is in, he runs clear and can score here but he snatches at a shot from the edge of the box that is straight at the keeper! Paraguay break and Torres is in on Valdez's flick but he hits it into the ground and wide!
    • 21' Torres to take... short to Barrios, who gives it back, superb cross which Cannavaro heads away, Caceres has a shot which takes two deflections and bounces wide for another corner.
    • 20' Valdez on the run wins a corner on the right off Criscito - Paraguay's first.
    • - FACT: Paraguay make their eighth World Cup appearance and their fourth in a row.
    • - FACT: Paraguay are led by a foreign coach in their fourth successive World Cup campaign. Argentina’s Gerardo Martino follows in the footsteps of Aníbal Ruiz (URU, 2006), Cesare Maldini (ITA, 2002) and Paulo César Carpegiani (BRA, 1998).
    • 18' Italy back in their groove as they pass it around well again. De Rossi follows Zambrotta forward and the Milan man crosses for Gilardino but over his head and away for a goal kick.
    • 17' Iaquinta strays offside as a rebound then plays him in. Good thing the flag was up as Da Silva I think gave him a royal old whack as he raced in.
    • 16' Cannavaro makes a mess of clearing a ball dropping in behind but Zambrotta is there to hoof away. Valdez goes down but a touch theatrical.
    • 15' It breathes! Valdez gets a touch and wins a throw off Zambrotta on the Paraguay left.
    • 14' It is raining cats and dogs in Cape Town, as befits a South African winter. Italy still bossing possession but Zambrotta's ageing legs can't keep the through-ball in.
    • 13' Ooooh from Pepe! Lovely touch and backheel but the return from Montolivo is heavy. Clear why Pepe is in here - a touch of much-needed flair this functional Italy team lack.
    • 12' Criscito swings over another teasing cross and Pepe is in there with a knock-down but he fouled Morel.
    • 11' Lovely ball wide right from De Rossi to Pepe, who cuts it back but De Rossi goes down in a heap! Nothing given! Did Caceres tread on his heel? He seems to think so, but with the benefit of the replay we see De Rossi fell over nothing. Get up!
    • 10' Paraguay are sitting very deep. They have two strikers on but are not getting the ball anywhere near them. Montolivo, who looks like Zlatan Ibrahimovic's younger Italian cousin, has a shot: straight into Da Silva.
    • 9' Paraguay have not left their half yet, Italy pinning them right in. Cannavaro is hanging around on the edge of the centre circle, untroubled so far by Valdes y Barrios. Que pena! Poor touch by Marchisio after a good ball in from Zambrotta. Goal kick.
    • 8' The Vuvuzela is in force but less pronounced than previously at these finals. Maybe they've run out of puff?
    • 7' In attempting a volley a raised boot from Zambrotta takes Alcaraz out. He gets up eventually. No free-kick.
    • 7' Criscito on the left swings a nasty cross in that Morel gets a toe on to put out for a throw.
    • 6' Gila handles. He looks perplexed. 15 Serie A goals for him this season.
    • 5' Montolivo tries a shot, weak and low, cleared. Italy retain possession but Caceres slides in on De Rossi, knocking that ball against the Roma man for an Albirroja throw.
    • 4' Not so good a corner as Cannavaro struggles to reach the second ball in after the first was blocked. Throw to Paraguay.
    • 3' Italy knock it about nicely as Zambrotta combines with Pepe to win the first corner of the night, on the right. Good start for the Azzurri.
    • 2' Italy keep possession as Gilardino tries to wriggle inside: Wigan's Alcaraz clears.
    • 1' Oh dear. Looking at the replay that was a shocking challenge from Sunderland's Riveros. Over the top and right into his shin. The ref, unbelievably, tells Montolivo to get up. Tears for Tim Cahill.
    • 1' The champions' defence begins! Italy kick off, in blue, as they keep the ball or the first half minute until Montolivo goes down so they put it out.
    • 19:25 And, finally, a word for Salvador Cabanas, the Paraguay striker who was shot in the head in Mexico earlier this season: he is almost fully recovered but, sadly for him, not in time to play at the World Cup.
    • 19:25 A word on the ref: Benito Archundia is a lawyer from Mexico.
    • 19:25 The average age of the Paraguay and Italy squads are virtually the same. At 28 years and 270 days the Paraguay squad is on average two days older than Italy (28 years - 268 days). Only three World Cup 2010 squads are older than Paraguay’s: Brazil (29-60), Australia (28-362) and England (28-351).
    • 19:20 Denis Caniza can become the first Paraguayan to make his fourth World Cup appearance. He can also become the first player from his country to have featured in 12 World Cup matches. He is on the bench tonight and if he comes on it will be cap number 99.
    • 19:20 In 2006, Paraguay won their most recent World Cup match, a 2-0 triumph over Trinidad and Tobago. They have never won back-to-back WC matches and can produce a first if they beat Italy.
    • 19:20 Paraguay make their eighth World Cup appearance and their fourth in a row. Paraguay have won one match at each of their previous five WC participations, but still reached the 2nd round in 1986, 1998, 2002.
    • 19:20 But Italy have always won the World title after drawing Switzerland 1-1 in a World Cup warm-up match (in May 1982 and May 2006).
    • 19:20 But Italy are not in the greatest form - they have not won a match in 2010. Switzerland and Greece were also winless in 2010 coming into the 2010 World Cup. Italy have failed to win their last three warm-up matches: 0-0 vs Cameroon in March, 1-2 vs Mexico and 1-1 vs Switzerland in June.
    • 19:15 Italy are one of seven WC 2010 participants that were unbeaten in WC 2010 qualifying. In 10 World Cup qualifiers Italy recorded 7 wins and 3 draws. Alberto Gilardino was Italy’s top scorer in qualifying with 4 goals.
    • 19:10 Italy make their 17th World Cup appearance and their 13th in a row. Only Brazil have made more World Cup appearances (19). Italy is one of only two nations (Brazil being the other) to successfully defend their World Cup title. Italy did this in 1938 after winning the trophy in 1934.
    • 19:05 PREMWATCH: Wigan have signed a Paraguayan; his name is Antolin Alcaraz and he is a centre-half. He has impressed at Beira Mar in Portugal and, most recently, Bruges in Belgium. Sunderland have two: you will know defender Paulo Da Silva from last season but Christian Riveros arrives after the finals. He plays in midfield.
    • 19:00 In Italy's midfield Riccardo Montolivo starts in place of the injuried Andrea Pirlo who sits on the bench, as does Milan pal Gennaro Gattuso. Antonio Di Natale is on the sidelines too - you'd have expected him or Fabio Quagliarella to get the nod for this game ahead of Pepe perhaps...
    • 18:55 Coming into the 2010 World Cup Fabio Cannavaro (1440 minutes) was the player with most World Cup minutes played of all players present. He leads Germany’s Miroslav Klose (1154 minutes) and France’s Thierry Henry (1117 minutes).
    • 18:50 Three Premier League players start this match and all play for the South Americans: Defender Paulo da Silva is a Sunderland player as will be Christian Riveros after the finals, while stopper Antolin Alcaraz joins Wigan after the World Cup.
    • 18:45 For Paraguay Manchester City striker and national hero Roque Santa Cruz pays the price for a nonexistent domestic season by starting on the bench; Nelson Valdez leads the line with Oscar Cardozo, Benfica's star player this season, also benched as he nurses an injury.
    • 18:40 A couple of surprises sprung by both sides, first off Italy who give a start to Juventus-bound winger Simone Pepe. A good season with Udinese has seen him earmarked as the Bianconeri's next star and he plays on the right side of a front three including Vincenzo Iaquinta andmain man Alberto Gilardino.
    • 18:40 Italy and Paraguay have met twice before with Italy winning on both occasions.
    • 18:35 Teams - Italy: 1-Gianluigi Buffon; 19-Gianluca Zambrotta, 5-Fabio Cannavaro, 4-Giorgio Chiellini, 3-Domenico Criscito; 22-Riccardo Montolivo, 6-Daniele De Rossi, 15-Claudio Marchisio; 9-Vincenzo Iaquinta, 11-Alberto Gilardino, 7-Simone Pepe /// Paraguay: 1-Justo Villar; 6-Carlos Bonet, 14-Paulo Da Silva, 3-Claudio Morel, 13-Enrique Vera, 15-Victor Caceres, 16-Cristian Riveros, 17-Aureliano Torres, 18-Nelson Valdez, 19-Lucas Barrios, 21-Antolin Alcaraz.
    • 18:30 Reigning champions Italy open their World Cup defence against Paraguay at the Cape Town Stadium.

  • Summary

    • 83' Montolivo has a crack from range, low for the bottom left and tipped behind by Villar! Corner.
    • 66' Barrios gets it on the left and is in real space, he cuts it back AND SANTANA but he mis-hits it from 12 yards! It bounces wide! You have GOT to get that on target!
    • - Oh dear. So comfy for Paraugay and honestly it wasn't a great corner, Villar came out one-handed and under no pressure missed his punch and De Rossi gobbled it up like a hungry little monster.
    • 63' ITALY SCORE! DE ROSSI! Villar flaps at a corner and De Rossi pokes home!
    • 54' INCHES WIDE BY VERA! A bad clearance by Criscito falls to Vera who thrashes it wide from close range! He wants a corner but that was a miss!
    • 53' Good cross in from Zambrotta on the right AND PEPE FLIES IN but he misses the bicycle kick!
    • - Brilliant delivery by Torres, super ball, dipping and swerving but horrible defending from the now desperate Cannavaro, making no attempt to challenge the Wigan man who powered it inside the right-hand post. De Rossi was hanging around doing nowt as well. Very un-Italian but, in his Indian summer, very Cannavaro alas.
    • 39' GOAL PARAGUAY! ALCARAZ WITH THE HEADER!!
    • 29' The corner is swung in near post by Marchisio and De Rossi attacks it but off Alcaraz and wide for a corner again!
    • 22' Italy clear the corner easily and Montolivo is in, he runs clear and can score here but he snatches at a shot from the edge of the box that is straight at the keeper! Paraguay break and Torres is in on Valdez's flick but he hits it into the ground and wide!
    • 18:35 Teams - Italy: 1-Gianluigi Buffon; 19-Gianluca Zambrotta, 5-Fabio Cannavaro, 4-Giorgio Chiellini, 3-Domenico Criscito; 22-Riccardo Montolivo, 6-Daniele De Rossi, 15-Claudio Marchisio; 9-Vincenzo Iaquinta, 11-Alberto Gilardino, 7-Simone Pepe /// Paraguay: 1-Justo Villar; 6-Carlos Bonet, 14-Paulo Da Silva, 3-Claudio Morel, 13-Enrique Vera, 15-Victor Caceres, 16-Cristian Riveros, 17-Aureliano Torres, 18-Nelson Valdez, 19-Lucas Barrios, 21-Antolin Alcaraz.

Team Line-up & Ratings

  • Line-up

    Live Team Line-Up

    • Starting line-up

      • G. Buffon Substitution Out (45′)
      • G. Zambrotta
      • F. Cannavaro
      • G. Chiellini
      • D. Criscito
      • D. De Rossi Goal
      • R. Montolivo
      • S. Pepe
      • C. Marchisio Substitution Out (59′)
      • V. Iaquinta
      • A. Gilardino Substitution Out (72′)

      Subs

      • A. Pirlo
      • M. De Sanctis
      • A. Di Natale Substitution In72′
      • C. Maggio
      • A. Palombo
      • F. Quagliarella
      • F. Marchetti Substitution In45′
      • L. Bonucci
      • S. Bocchetti
      • G. Gattuso
      • M. Camoranesi Substitution In59′ Yellow Card
      • G. Pazzini

    • Starting line-up

      • J. Villar
      • C. Bonet
      • P. da Silva
      • A. Alcaraz Goal
      • C. Morel
      • V. Caceres Yellow Card
      • E. Vera
      • A. Torres Substitution Out (60′)
      • C. Riveros
      • N. Valdez Substitution Out (68′)
      • L. Barrios Substitution Out (76′)

      Subs

      • R. Santa Cruz Substitution In68′
      • D. Caniza
      • J. Cáceres
      • A. Bobadilla
      • E. Barreto
      • J. Santana Substitution In60′
      • D. Verón
      • O. Cardozo Substitution In76′
      • D. Barreto
      • E. Benitez
      • N. Ortigoza
      • R. Gamarra

  • Rate Players

    Rate Players

    Please to rate the players.

    Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account.

    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      Substitution Out45′ - -
      Defenders
      - -
      - -
      - -
      - -
      Midfielders
      Goal - -
      - -
      - -
      Substitution Out59′ - -
      - -
      Strikers
      Substitution Out72′ - -
      Subs
      Substitution In72′ - -
      Substitution In45′ - -
      Substitution In59′ Yellow Card - -
    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      - -
      Defenders
      - -
      - -
      Goal - -
      - -
      Midfielders
      Yellow Card - -
      - -
      Substitution Out60′ - -
      - -
      Strikers
      Substitution Out68′ - -
      Substitution Out76′ - -
      Subs
      Substitution In68′ - -
      Substitution In60′ - -
      Substitution In76′ - -

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account