June 30, 2006
AGONY, BUT ECSTASY
Despite scandal, Italy rolls past Ukraine, 3-0

By Michael Lewis
BigAppleSoccer.com Editor

Hamburg, Germany -- No team in the World Cup thrives on adversity like Italy.

In 1982, the Italians overcame a match-fixing scandal and a horrendous first-round to win its third world championship.

In 1994, they overcame a horde of injuries and suspensions just to reach the final before losing to Brazil.

With another match-rigging scandal hovering over their heads, Italians produced their finest performance of this competition, a 3-0 triumph over the Ukraine Friday night.

"It was a tricky match but we put in an extraordinary performance," said defender Gianluca Zambrotta, who put on an exceptional show of his own, scoring the first goal, setting up the third and saving another off the goal line.

Italian scoring champion Luca Toni finally found the back of the net, striking twice for the Italians, who booked a semifinal showdown with Germany in Dortmund Tuesday. These sides haven't met in the World Cup since Italy defeated Germany for the title 24 years ago.

"It will be difficult, but it will be difficult for Germany, too," coach Marcello Lippi said.

It will be the third consecutive tournament that Italy will take on the host team, having been eliminated by France in 1998 and Korea in 2002.

Zambrotta and four of his Juventus World Cup teammates endured an emotional week.

The match-fixing trial, of which of the Italian Serie A side is a primary target, opened on Thursday.

Earlier in the week, Zambrotta flew home to visit former Juve teammate Gianluca Pessotto, who is fighting for his life after an apparent suicide, falling from a window at the club's Turin headquarters. Pessotto was named team manager after most of the front office resigned due to the scandal.

"Tonight our strength came from Gianluca, who we hope is able to come back from what he's gone through," said Zambrotta, whose teammates unfurled a banner that said: “Pessotto we are with you.”

"We're standing by Gianluca and his family and we want him to return and celebrate with us soon," he added.

Zambrotta ignited the Italians with a sixth-minute goal firing home 22-yard bullet that goalkeeper Oleksandr Shovkovskyi barely got a hand on for only his second goal in 56 international matches.

The match turned during a 73-second span in the second half. With Italy clinging to a 1-0 lead thanks to Zambrotta's sixth minute goal from the right side, Ukraine twice was denied from point-blank range in the 58th minute. First, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon stuffed Oleg Gusev. The rebound came to Maksym Kalinichenko, whose shot was cleared off the line by Zambrotta.

A minute later, Toni connected for his first goal, knocking home a left-wing feed from Francesco Toni.

Toni didn't take long to score his second, tapping home a left-wing cross by Zambrotta, in the 69th minute.

"It was strange he didn't score before tonight," said Lippi, whose team hasn't allowed its foes to score in five goals, surrendering only an own goal in the 1-1 tie with the U.S.