Italy and Czechs do the business

The Czech Republic and Italy have started their World Cup campaigns with a bang as they put the United States and Ghana to the sword 3-0 and 2-0 respectively.

At Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen, it was obvious from the first whistle to the last that the Czech side was superior with the likes of Pavel Nedved and Tomas Rosicky pulling the strings in the middle of the park.

It took just five minutes for the Czech Republic to get their noses in front, Zdenek Grygera burst down the USA’s left flank with American Eddie Lewis caught out of position. Grygera’s cross found the giant figure of Czech captain Jan Koller who rose high to divert the spearing cross past keeper Kasey Keller for the first goal.

The Americans failed to get to come to grips with the Czech midfield as the link-up play was too slick the while the United States more often than not laboured to get the ball into attacking positions.

On 23 minutes Nedved showed again why he is one of the best in the world as he powered his way past defender Steve Cheremdolo, his elegant cross finding the head of Grygera who fired over.

The Americans did carve out one chance as Brian McBride found US captain Claudio Reyna, who struck a hard shot low past Petr Cech, only to be denied by the upright.

Seven minutes later the Czech side re-awoke to score one of the goals of the tournament: Nedved again beat Cheremdolo on the right hand side, and moved the ball to Rosicky on the edge of the area who hit a delicately guided strike which left Keller diving in despair.

But the first half ended in pain for the Czech Republic as Koller pulled up with a hamstring problem on 42 minutes. He was stretched off and replaced by Vratislav Lokvenc, and the Monaco-bound striker is in doubt for the Czech Republic’s remaining group games, but the injury isn’t as bad as first thought.

The Czechs stayed in total control of the USA, who hardly got the ball outside their own half. On the hour mark a trio of chances only consolidated the Czech Republic’s hold on the game, as the Americans looking ragged.

First, Lokvenc was put through by Karel Poborsky only to have his shot saved comfortably by Keller, then Plasil found Poborsky with a well whipped cross, but the veteran could only fire wide.

Rosicky almost had his second goal of the game after he smashed a long-range rocked into the overhead, but he ended American hopes with 15 minutes to go when he struck again after latching on to a Lokvenc through ball. He broke away from the American back line and coolly slotted the ball into the top corner past Keller with the outside of his right foot to round out the 3-0 victory.

Italy destroyed Ghana’s World Cup debut with a comfortable 2-0 victory over the African outfit at the AWD-Arena in Hannover thanks to strikes from Andrea Pirlo and Vincenzo Iaquinta.

While the youthful Ghana side proved no pushovers, Italy’s class and experience prevailed to give their hopes of progression to the second round a major boost.

The first bona fide chance of the game fell to AC Milan striker Alberto Gilardino, who had his effort diverted round the post by Ghanaian goalkeeper Richard Kingston. Kingston scampered across his goal to make the save and was looking very uncomfortable, especially from corners as he was quite literally all over the place.

Italian striker Luca Toni gave Ghana an almighty scare by beating John Mensah then volleying it past Kingston only to be denied by the underside of the crossbar.

But Ghana came back and showed that their pace could cause some teams problems in Germany. Asamoah Gyan whipped a cross on the half hour mark that found Emmanuel Pappoe unmarked at the back stick, but the Italian defence quickly managed to close him down as the Ghanaian winger dallied too long on the ball and could only fire over.

The Italians tested the uncertainty of Kingston as Francesco Totti rammed a long-range free kick, which saw the Ghanaian keeper turn it over the bar. But it brought on a prolonged spell of pressure by the European giants that again exposed the frailties of the Ghanaians back line.

The pressure soon paid off as six minutes before half-time, AC Milan’s Pirlo latched onto Totti’s short corner and rifled his effort through a crowd of Ghanaian defenders and and into the bottom right corner of the goal, leaving Kingston with little chance.

The second half saw more of the same from the Italians as they continuously pressed in to the Ghana defence. A change by the African side saw Illiasu Shilla coming on for Emmanuel Pappoe. Shilla’s first contribution was to be dispossessed by Toni who nearly added a second, but Kingston denied him with a superb save with his feet.

Chelsea star Michael Essien forced a superb save by the Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon as he beat the ball away at the last minute, but a bigger worry for the Italians was Totti’s forced exit from the game after a challenge from John Paintsil left the Roma starlet, who won a battle against fitness to make the World Cup, with a sore right leg and he was replaced by Mauro Camoranesi.

Ghana still showed life as Essien looked lively and came close with a mid-range effort that Buffon watched fly wide of the goal.

Italy had a chance to kill the game off with 24 minutes remaining as Daniele De Rossi put Simone Perrotta through on goal, but despite striking the ball well Kingston parried it out for a corner.

With 20 minutes to go Ghana had an appeal for a penalty turned down when Gyan was bundled to the deck by De Rossi, the referee uninterested waved play on and Italy went straight down the other end where substitute Ianquinta was brought down from behind by last man Samuel Kuffour.

Expecting no mercy and an instant red card, the assistant referee came to Kuffour’s rescue by flagging for offside and the Roma defender escaped punishment.

Italy soon exacted revenge when Kuffour sold his keeper short with a poor pass back, and Ianquinta ran onto it and rounded Kingston to roll the ball into the open net and give Italy a two-goal lead with just seven minutes remaining in normal time.

The Czech Republic tops the group on goal difference, and if the two favoured sides (the Czechs and Italians) can both claim victory in their respective fixtures next Sunday morning, they will both progress.

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