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VIEW MATCH REPORT

Wednesday 5 Jul 2006
Germany 0 Italy 2
The Germans go out in extra-time

Italy has some tremendous soccer players, the sort who never give up, never stop running, never stop seeking ways to win.

All of that was evident Tuesday night when Italy overcame Germany and almost 65,000 German fans at the caldron of noise that is Westfalen Stadium, in a World Cup semifinal that crackled with tension and was not decided until overtime itself had all but expired.

A goal by Fabio Grosso in the 119th minute and another by Alessandro Del Piero in the 121st were the twin stilettos that ended Germany's dream and lifted Coach Marcello Lippi's Italian team to a 2-0 victory and a place in the championship match.

In Sunday's final in Berlin, Italy will play the winner of tonight's semifinal between France and Portugal.

No matter how vociferously German fans might argue the point, the fact is that Italy deserved its victory Tuesday.

Italy dominated every statistical category. It took 15 shots to 13 for Germany. It put 10 of those shots on target, compared to only two for Germany. It had a 12-4 edge in corner kicks.

It even hit the woodwork twice in overtime-first when Gilardino beat German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann only to see his shot rebound back off the foot of the left post, and then when Gianluca Zambrotta slammed a shot off the crossbar.

This game was about passion and commitment and everything else one would expect from a clash between two European powers- thrust and counter-thrust for 120 pulsating minutes.

And just when it seemed as if it would take penalty kicks to separate the two, Italy made two lightning forays and came away with two excellent goals.

An angled left-foot shot from Grosso, nominally a defender but frequently involved in the attack, beat Lehman and found the net at the far post. A minute or so later, Del Piero broke free and curled in another shot, this one into the upper right corner.