2002 FIFA World Cup (tm) Finals - Results & Fixtures - Mexico vs Italy

13 Jun 2002


Mexico	1 - 1	Italy
	(HT: 1 - 0)

Game Details
Venue Oita Stadium Big Eye	Attendance 39291
Referee Carlos Simon (BRA) Assistant Referees Jorge Oliveira (BRA) Mat Lazim Awang Hamat (MAS)

Game Events
#	Date	Player	Event	Period	Mins	H/A
1	13 Jun 2002	Jesus Arellano	Yellow Card	First Half	2	H
2	13 Jun 2002	Fabio Cannavaro	Yellow Card	First Half	5	A
3	13 Jun 2002	Christian Panucci	Yellow Card	First Half	10	A
4	13 Jun 2002	Jared Borgetti	Goal	First Half	38	H
5	13 Jun 2002	Francesco Totti	Yellow Card	First Half	43	A
6	13 Jun 2002	Filippo Inzaghi	Player Out	Second Half	10	A
7	13 Jun 2002	Vincenzo Montella	Substitute In	Second Half	10	A
8	13 Jun 2002	Gianluca Zambrotta	Yellow Card	Second Half	10	A
9	13 Jun 2002	Vincenzo Montella	Yellow Card	Second Half	12	A
10	13 Jun 2002	Christian Panucci	Player Out	Second Half	18	A
11	13 Jun 2002	Francesco Coco	Substitute In	Second Half	18	A
12	13 Jun 2002	Johan Rodriguez	Player Out	Second Half	31	H
13	13 Jun 2002	Rafael Garcia	Substitute In	Second Half	31	H
14	13 Jun 2002	Ramon Morales	Player Out	Second Half	31	H
15	13 Jun 2002	Gabriel Caballero	Substitute In	Second Half	31	H
16	13 Jun 2002	Francesco Totti	Player Out	Second Half	33	A
17	13 Jun 2002	Alessandro Del Piero	Substitute In	Second Half	33	A
18	13 Jun 2002	Jared Borgetti	Player Out	Second Half	35	H
19	13 Jun 2002	Francisco Palencia	Substitute In	Second Half	35	H
20	13 Jun 2002	Oscar Perez	Yellow Card	Second Half	39	H
21	13 Jun 2002	Alessandro Del Piero	Goal	Second Half	40	A

Match report

Substitute Alessandro Del Piero saved Italy's blushes as he netted a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Mexico which kept the three-time world champions in the World Cup. Italy had been facing elimination in the opening phase for the first time since 1974 until another substitute, Vincenzo Montella, whipped over a right-wing cross which bounced up for Del Piero to nod past Mexican keeper Oscar Perez in the 85th minute. Mexico also qualified after Croatia lost 1-0 to Ecuador in the other Group G match, in Yokohama. After their earlier 2-1 loss to Croatia the Italians had to go for a win rather than rely on Croatia failing to beat Ecuador - and even Mexico were not certain to go through despite winning their opening two matches.
In the event the one point saw Mexico win the group with seven points while Italy took second place with four.
"It's our destiny to be in the second round. And now we can look to our future," said Del Piero.
"There were a lot of things we didn't do well - but in the end everything turned out fine," he said.
Against Croatia the Azzurri had two goals disallowed in controversial circumstances and amazingly, the same thing happened again with two more chalked off for offside, albeit correctly. But there was more controversy in the final minutes here as both sides stood off one another in the knowledge they were headed for the last 16.
That didn't bother Mexican coach Javier Aguirre, who, despite failing to hang on for the victory, was happy to be through.
"That was the main thing for us. We're through and it doesn't matter who we face next," he said.
The Mexicans can look forward to playing whichever side emerges top of Group D out of South Korea, Portugal or the United States while Italy will face the country from that trio which places second.
Mexico soaked up huge amounts of typically patient Italian pressure before stunning their rivals by going into the lead with a Jared Borgetti goal on 34 minutes, the gangling striker flicking a header past Gianluigi Buffon from Cuauhtemoc Blanco's centre for his second goal of the tournament. But the goal was only part of the drama as Italy, just as in the loss to Croatia, had their two offside efforts ruled out as when Filippo Inzaghi had the ball in the net after 13 minutes. Italy coach Giovanni Trapattoni withdrew Inzaghi ten minutes after the break and sent on Vincenzo Montella and also swiftly hauled off Christian Panucci for Francesco Coco. Montella promptly got himself booked - but then lobbed the ball into the back of the net on 64 minutes but to Italian consternation a linesman's flag again denied the Azzurri. But Trapattoni then threw on his last card in Juventus golden boy Del Piero for Francesco Totti with 13 minutes remaining and he saved the day with his late contribution.
Trapattoni had earlier gambled on defender Alessandro Nesta at the Big Eye Stadium. Nesta, who suffered a badly bruised foot against the Croatians, was passed fit to play less than an hour before kick-off. Francesco Totti missed a virtual open goal in the first half Mexican keeper Oscar Perez raced out before the latter was in action again, fielding a Vieri volley. But gradually Mexico began to settle down, stringing intricate passes together by the half dozen and Borgetti's goal left Italy with much work to do after the break. And they finally rescued a point.

(courtesy of dailysoccer)




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Page created by Christakis Ioannou on 13 June 2002 17:36:07.