FIFA- world cup.Defending Champions Italy Draw 1-1 With Paraguay.

m.today

South Africa, June 15: Italy got their title defence off to a stuttering start on Monday in Cape Town when they needed to come from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Paraguay in their World Cup opener. The four-time champions came into the match at Green Point Stadium under pressure after a underwhelming build-up and they had to dig deep to salvage a point.

 

 

On a cold and wet night, the South Americans stunned Marcello Lippi’s men by taking the lead on 39 minutes when Antolin Alcaraz outjumped ageing Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro and Daniele De Rossi to head home a cross.  De Rossi redeemed himself by grabbing the equaliser eight minutes into the second half, making the most of goalkeeper Justo Villar’s failure to clear a corner to put the Italians back into the game.

 Italy, who are often slow to start at big tournaments, turned up the heat after their
goal and they could have had more, but Paraguay clung on to share the Group F spoils.  Italy had the first sniff of goal after five minutes when the ball bounced kindly
for Riccardo Montolivo who shot on the half-volley but it was charged down by Paraguayan defenders.

Lippi’s team were in charge early on, making all the running and looking dangerous on the break as the rain poured down. Vincenzo Iaquinta sent in a teasing cross but Alberto Gilardino couldn’t get his head on the end of it as they ramped up the
pressure.

Paraguay only started to come alive on 20 minutes, and some good build-up saw Torres have a punt from distance only to see the ball squirm well wide. At the other end Montolivo, playing in place of injured AC Milan playmaker Andrea Pirlo, broke free down the middle but could only deliver a weak shot that went straight at the Paraguay keeper.

Iaquinta was in the action again soon after and should have done better from inside the six yard box but was hounded off the ball before Alcaraz got the breakthrough by
getting on the end of a Aureliano Torres cross.

Italy came out for the second-half without veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who
apparently had a lower back problem.  Federico Marchetti replaced him and he was
busy early on with Enrique Vera going close on 53 minutes. Italy though started to take charge and Montolivo got a shot on target before they won the corner that led to the goal.  Simone Pepe curled the ball into the box and Villar failed to connect with his
punch, leaving the unmarked Di Rossi to bury it in the back of the net. The goal proved a tonic and they went close as they pressed for the winner, with Pepe having the best chance, only to see his powerful long range drive kept out by Villar.

Netherlands defeat Denmark 2-0

Strong contenders the Netherlands launched their FIFA World Cup campaign with a scrappy 2-0 victory over a fighting Denmark in their Group E opener.

 

While the Dutch were gifted a self-goal in the 46th minute to forge ahead, striker Dirk Kuyt produced a goal just five minutes before the final whistle to give his team full points at the majestic Soccer City stadium.

The Dutch, boasting of a star-studded line up, were hardly convincing in their win in a match which seldom rose to great heights.

The Netherlands rode on a huge slice of luck to go into the lead barely a minute after the interval, courtesy a self goal from Denmark’s Jakob Poulsen.

It turned out to be a bizarre goal which was the result of a move initiated by Robin van Persie who managed to dribble past a few defenders and cross the ball from the left wing.

Poulsen got his head to the ball, which hit the back of his teammate Daniel Agger before going into the goal.

The goal came as a big let down for the Danes who put up a spirited display to keep their much superior opponents, ranked fourth in the current FIFA rankings, on a leash for most part of the opening half.

The Dutch sealed the fate of their opponents in the 85th minute, capitalising on a defensive lapse.

The goal-bound move was initiated by Eljero Elia whose 10-yard shot was tipped to the post by the Denmark custodian Thomas Sorensen. Off the rebound, Kuyt tapped in from close, much to the delight of his teammates.

Both the teams appeared a trifle tentative in the early stages of the proceedings as they gauged each other’s defence with a few exploratory raids.

But after 10 minutes of so, both the teams accelerated the pace of the game and the barren opening session was more or less evenly contested with brisk attacks and counter attacks.