Sweet relief

Del Piero breaks year-long scoring drought, leads Italy over Moldova

CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) -- A goal from Juventus striker Alessandro Del Piero in the first half gave favorites Italy a 1-0 win against Moldova in their World Cup qualifying match Wednesday. (Scores and match reports)

The Italians went on the attack early in the Group 5 match and generally dominated, slowing down in the second half, with the tactical aim of hanging onto their lead.

Underdogs Moldova had just a couple of chances to score and played with only 10 men for the last 13 minutes after one of its players was sent off, having been given two yellow cards.

Italy's goal came in the 32nd minute when Del Piero shot a powerful ground-level kick which skimmed into the left side of goal past 'keeper Evghenii Hmaruc.

Italy was playing again without Francesco Totti, who injured his right ankle in a pre-season game for AS Roma.

But, after a sour first-round elimination from Euro 2004, a new youthful squad beat Norway 2-1 in its opening match.

Moldova's best chance of a goal in the first half came in the 29th minute from midfielder Serghei Covalciuc, whose header tested Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

In the 52nd minute, Serghei Rogaciov's shot from 25 meters was saved by Buffon.

Moldovan forward Sergiu Dadu, who played just 16 minutes, managed to get yellow cards for two fouls in the 65th and 77th minutes before being forced to leave the pitch.

Italy's Gennaro Gattuso was also awarded a yellow card in the 40th minute for a foul.

The match, played in front of 7,500 spectators at Chisinau's Republican Stadium, began with a minute's silence for the victims of the Beslan school siege in neighboring Russia.

Authorities changed the venue for the match for security reasons. It was scheduled to be played in Tiraspol, the capital of a separatist enclave in the former Soviet Republic. But simmering tensions in the region prompted a venue change.

Lineups:

Moldova: Evghenii Hmaruc, Valeriu Catansus, Serghei Lascencov, Ghenadie Olexici, Iurie Priganiuc, Iulian Bursuc, Serghei Covalciuc, Stanislav Ivanov, Vladislav Lungu (Alexandru Covalenco 84) Iurie Miterev (Sergiu Dadu, 61), Serghei Rogaciov (Boris Cebotari 81)

Italy: Gianluigi Buffon, Marco Materazzi, Alessandro Nesta, Gianluca Zambrotta, Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso, Alessandro Del Piero, Alberto Gilardino, Daniele Bonera (Manuele Blasi, 84), Massimo Ambrosini (Massimo Oddo 74), Aimo Diana.

Copyright 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.