Live Ticker: Italy 1 : 1 USA

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In-form Italy take on the United States in the Fritz-Walter-Stadion in Kaiserslautern in the next Group E game. The group has been thrown wide open by Ghana's 2-0 win over the Czech Republic in Cologne earlier in the day. With the Czechs, Ghanians and the Italians all on three points with one win each, a USA win tonight will leave the group in the balance going into the final game on Thursday June 22.

The teams:
Italy (4-3-1-2):

1-Gianluigi Buffon; 2-Cristian Zaccardo, 13-Alessandro Nesta, 5-Fabio Cannavaro, 19-Gianluca Zambrotta; 4-Daniele De Rossi, 21-Andrea Pirlo, 20-Simone Perrotta; 10-Francesco Totti; 9-Luca Toni, 11-Alberto Gilardino.

United States (4-4-2):

18-Kasey Keller; 6-Steve Cherundolo, 22-Oguchi Onyewu, 23-Eddie Pope, 3-Carlos Bocanegra; 8-Clint Dempsey,10-Claudio Reyna, 4-Pablo Mastroeni, 15-Bobby Convey ; 21-Landon Donovan, 20-Brian McBride.
Coaches make changes for this crucial game
Italy coach Marcello Lippi has brought in fit-again defender Gianluca Zambrotta in place of Fabio Grosso. Zambrotta missed the 2-0 win over Ghana on Monday with a thigh injury. USA coach Bruce Arena has made two changes from the side which lost 3-0 to the Czech Republic with Carlos Bocanegra replacing Eddie Lewis at left back and Clint Dempsey slotting in for DaMarcus Beasley on the right side of midfield.

USA looking to harness power of "home" crowd
It's a home game of sorts for the United States as a huge number of service personnel from the nearby US Air Base at Rammstein and their families swell the 52,000 increased capacity at the Fritz-Walter-Stadion in Kaiserslautern. The initimate cauldron-like stadium generates a rousing atmosphere and the two teams will feel that the crowd are right on them as the game progresses. It is unlikely that the experienced Italians will be intimidated, however.

The teams come out onto the pitch
Italy and the USA enter the stadium on what is a balmy summer evening in Kaiserslautern. Recent scorching temperatures have dropped marginally but both teams will certainly feel the heat as the game gets underway. Both teams and sets of supporters conduct themselves well during the anthems; although what the mother of one fan will make of her son singing the Italian anthem in only his lycra boxer shorts is anyone's guess...

No place for the fit Gennarro Gattuso
Italian coach Lippi keeps the combative midfielder from AC Milan on the bench for the start although what a weapon to have in your arsenal. We can expect to see Gattuso later if things get tight for the Azzurri.

1. min.
Kick-off: USA gets the game started
The USA gets this crucial Group E game underway.

1. min.
Bocanegra makes the first clearance but it's a nervous one which gives Italy a throw. The long throw comes in and Luca Toni gets a glance on the ball but it goes wide.

3. min.
Fabio Cannavaro prowls ahead of his back four as Italy look to build patiently. The Azzurri will look to break the USA down with their passing game.

4. min.
Francesco Totti gets the first card


4. min.
The Italy striker slides in on Clint Dempsey and gets the yellow card for the late challenge with barely five minutes on the clock.

6. min.
The USA are giving as hard as they get and the game's physical nature has come to the fore early as players litter the pitch after a number of fierce challenges.

7. min.
Landon Donovan goes down in the box as he tries to get on the end of a long cross. The US crowd want a penalty but Donovan appears to have slipped.

9. min.
The USA are growing in confidence as they increase their possession, passing their way intelligently to the edge of the Italy box as they look for an opening.

11. min.
If Italy are looking to hit the USA on the break they are doing everything right apart from actually getting the ball and breaking! The whole team except Toni is in the Italian half waiting to break up the US attacks.

13. min.
The newly returned Zambrotta shows the US what danger can come of committed too many men into attack. He breaks dangerously but is fouled on the elft flank by Steve Cherundolo. Free-kick.

13. min.
The free-kick is floated in but there is a foul in the box and the ref gives the advantage to the US.

14. min.
The USA breaks and gets a dangerous free-kick right on the edge of the Italian box.

15. min.
Bobby Convey takes the kick but it comes off the wall. Corner-kick. The ball comes over and is hit back into the box. Convey hovers on the left and picks up the loose ball before hitting a rising shot well over the bar. A good chance for the US.

18. min.
A great move from the USA carves open the Italian defense. Eight passes end in Clint Dempsey fooling Fabio Cannavaro and hitting a shot on the turn. The ball skims just wide of Buffon's goal.

20. min.
Eddie Pope gets the next card
The US defender is the last man as the long ball out of defense comes over. He has no other choice but to haul down Gilardino and is lucky just to get a yellow.

21. min.
GOAL ITALY


22. min.
Gilardino dives in at the near post to head in
Italy filled the box waiting for the free-kick but the ball came in early and the Milan striker Gilardino dived in front of everyone to arrow an unstoppable low header past Kasey Keller. You'd have to say the goal comes against the run of play.

24. min.
The USA will have to show character now. When they went behind to the Czech Republic, they had no reply and were taken apart at will. The Italians will be just as ruthless given the chance.

26. min.
GOAL USA


27. min.
Cristian Zaccardo scores a bizzare own goal!
The Italian defender goes to sweep away the deep cross from Convey but he misses the ball completely and diverts the ball past Buffon with his standing leg.

28. min.
De Rossi gets a straight red!!
Daniele De Rossi sees red for a blatant and vicious elbow which leaves Brian McBride with a face covered in blood.

31. min.
With the blood levels up and the pace incessant, Luca Toni breaks on the left and whips a cross-shot past Kasey Keller but also past the far post.

32. min.
The USA break and Brian McBride, patched up and back on, is outjumped as the cross comes in. Corner USA. The ball comes in and Dempsey connects well but his header is way over.

35. min.
Gattuso comes on for Totti
Gennarro Gattuso comes on to shore up the Italian midfield. Totti makes way for the Milan enforcer.

36. min.
Disallowed goal for Italy
Gattuso makes an immediate impression by putting the ball in the net with an exquisite chip but Luca Toni, not interfering with play and returning from an offside position, is deemed to be offside. The goal, which looks good in the replays, doesn't stand.

40. min.
Italy look to soak up pressure and hit Gilardino with long balls over the already cautioned Eddie Pope. The US look to exploit the sending off of De Rossi by piling forward in numbers, swamping the retreating defense.

42. min.
Bocanegra shoots!
A great long distance effort from Carlos Bocanegra dips just over the bar and ends up in the top netting. It would have been a peach of a goal to take the lead with just before half-time.

43. min.
Claudio Reyna is the next US player to go close but his shot is deflected behind for a corner.

45. min.
Pablo Mastroeni gets a straight red!
The US defender is the next one heading for an early bath after a late challenge which completely missed the ball but took Andrea Pirlo's ankle. It's now ten versus ten.

45+3. min.
Half-time: A goal apiece; a red card apiece
The US and Italy come off the pitch after an incident packed first-half.

45. min.
Second-half: The match restarts
Italy kick-off the second-half.

46. min.
Eddie Pope gets his second yellow!
The second-half starts in the worst possible way as Eddie Pope gets his second yellow for a tackle from behind on Gilardino.

48. min.
It looks as though both teams failed to cool down at half-time. The tackles are wild, the atmosphere malevolent and the game is on the brink of boiling over completely.

50. min.
Bobby Convey comes off; Jimmy Conrad on
The US make a substitution and directly after Carlos Bocanegra slams a header against the Italian bar!

53. min.
Zaccardo comes off for Alessandro Del Piero
The own-goal scorer comes off for the golden boy of Italian soccer. Can Del Piero win the day for ten-man Italy over nine-man USA?

57. min.
Claudio Reyna advances with menace towards the Italy goal with dfeneders backing off. The US captain has time to get closer but chooses to stab a weak shot at goal from distance which barely makes it to the touchline.

60. min.
Dempsey claims Zambrotta handles in the area but the claims for a penalty are half-hearted and the ref waves play on.

61. min.
Luca Toni comes off for Iaquinta
Marcello Lippi tries to inject some life into his attack by taking off the ineffective Toni.

62. min.
Damarcus Beasley comes on for Clint Dempsey


63. min.
McBride goes close!
Brian McBride steams through onto a great ball from Landon Donovon but rifles his shot wide of the post with Buffon beaten.

64. min.
Disallowed goal for United States
The referee calls the USA's second goal offside and Kaiserslautern erupts into whistles! The replays show that McBride is offside when he back heels the ball past Buffon.

67. min.
Zambrotta goes close with a wicked curling shot from the edge of the area. The midfielder drifts past Onyewu and curls a fast shot past Kasey Keller but just past the post as well.

70. min.
Zambrotta is the next in the ref's book
The Italian forgets that you change shirts at the end of the game as he tustles with Landon Donovan. He ends the tugging of the US star's shirt with a fine shove in the back which earns him a booking.

73. min.
Del Piero gets on the end of a perfectly weighted chip pass from Pirlo to volley goalwards but Keller is acrobatic in the save and USA survive a real scare.

78. min.
Steve Cherundolo beats his man on the right flank with skill and pace before getting a great cross in but Brian McBride is too late in the take-off and heads wide.

79. min.
Kasey Keller again makes a flying save, this time from Andrea Pirlo. The US keeper is earning his corn tonight.

83. min.
The US have people queuing up to take a shot at Buffon's goal but they seem content with the draw. What other reason could there be for the lack of incisive passes and running when the goal is at their mercy?

84. min.
Pirlo threads the most precise of passes through the US defense to Iaquinta who doesn't realize he has so much time. He is alone but pokes a tame shot straight at Keller.

87. min.
A great team move involving Del Piero, Pirlo and Iaquinta carves open the US defense but when the ball is whipped into the crowded box there isn't an adequate Italian boot to apply the finishing touch.

89. min.
Gilardino gets on the end of a deep cross but his header flies well wide, much to his frustration.

90+2. min.
Full-time: a pulsating but bad tempered 1-1 draw
The US and Italy are deadlocked at the end but this has been no boring drawn match. Both sides gave everything and sacrificed men in the pursuit of the win. Group E remains an interesting prospect: Italy have four points, Ghana and the Czech Republic three and the US have one. No-one is guaranteed a place in the last 16 just yet.