With Luck on Their Side, Italy Advance to Quarterfinals
June 26, 2006
Italian striker Francesco Totti, seated on the bench at the start of the knockout game against Australia by coach Marcello Lippi after three mediocre group matches, is Italy’s hero after he converted a game-winning penalty kick in stoppage time. With that lone goal, Italy advanced to the quarterfinals, beating Australia 1-0.
The opportunity to win the match was one that Totti, the Rome midfielder who has been heavily criticized by the press at home during the Cup, would not let get away from him.
"So far the critics have really laid into me, but I’ve always said I’d prove myself on the pitch," Totti told reporters after coolly sinking the game winner.
He should feel happy coach Lippi gave him that chance to prove himself because the match probably should not have come that far.
Materazzi sent off
Totti entered the round-of-16 match in Kaiserslautern in the 75th minute, 25 minutes after his teammate Marco Marco Materazzi took down Australia's striker Marco Bresciano just outside the Italian penalty box and was shown the red card by referee Luis Medina Cantalejo. It seemed a harsh call after watching the replays.
What is usually a blessing for many teams seemed to paralyze the Aussies who didn’t quite know what to do with a one-man advantage. Italy were forced to rally in their own half and did that what they have been famous for decades now -- play solid defense. The Aussies were hard-pressed to crack it much of the time.
"I think we dominated the match for many parts and with an extra player it made it easier for us, but it’s a really bad way to go out," said Australian captain Mark Viduka.
The Socceroos certainly had the upper hand in the second half, but it was not until the 89th minute that the breakthrough came. A corner kick reached an open Tim Cahill but the Everton midfielder headed the ball far over the crossbar in what would be Australia’s last chance.
Grosso drew the foul
Just seconds away from the end of regulation time, the Squadra Azzurra took their chances one more time. Defender Fabio Grosso beat one Australian on the edge of the penalty area and advanced on goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer before being clumsily taken down by defender Lucas Neill.
It was a fatal move for the Australians.
Totti converted the penalty, sending the ball into the net's upper-left corner above the diving Schwarzer. Italy move on and will face the winner of the match between Switzerland and Ukraine in the quarter-finals.