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Italy knocks off 10-man Cameroon team
Baggio comeback continues to roll in 3-0 win
Posted: Thursday September 17, 1998 04:29 PM
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Christian Vieri (left) was one of three Italians to find the back of the net Laurence Griffiths/Allsport |
MONTPELLIER, France (CNN/SI)
-- Forgotten by his country after his failure four years ago, Roberto
Baggio may just be the driving force behind Italy's push
towards a berth in the second round of France '98. Baggio scored one of
Italy's three goals on Wednesday, as the Italians dispatched Cameroon 3-0,
and for all intensive purposes qualified for the next round of play.
Midfielder Luigi Di Biagio also scored on an eighth-minute header and
drew a red card against Cameroon's Raymond Kalla Nkongo just before the
half. Striker Christian Vieri threatened all night and was rewarded with
two late goals to give him, at least temporarily, the tournament scoring
lead with three.
The victory gave Italy four points in Group B, two more than Chile and Austria, who
played to a 1-1 draw earlier, and three more than the Indomitable Lions
with one match left. A win or a draw against Austria next week assures the
Italians' advance, and more importantly, means they probably don't face
defending champion Brazil in the
second round.
"Everything went well, and we showed we have top strikers," Italian coach
Cesare Maldini said. "It was a win for the whole team."
Baggio, the 1994 Cup star who played only one game for Italy since 1995
before France '98, lifted a perfect cross to Di Biagio, who headed the ball
home from 10 yards past goalkeeper Jacques Sango'o.
It was Di Biagio's first World Cup start in only his fourth international
and he played a key role, tackling Kalla in the 43rd minute on the play
that got the Cameroon defender ejected. Kalla, who was on a full run,
couldn't stop and went feet first into Di Biagio, and Australian referee
Edward Lennie immediately pulled out the red card.
Di Biagio, taken off on a stretcher, returned before the half was over to
the jeers of fans at Stade de la Mosson. As the players walked off the
field at halftime, Di Biagio lifted his right shorts leg to show his injury
to Songo'o and Cameroon coach Claude Leroy -- as if trying to vindicate the
referee's decision.
Despite having only 10 men in the second half, the Africans attacked and
eventually gave up too many chances.
"I took advantage of the opportunities I had," said Vieri, 24, who also
scored in Italy's opening 2-2 tie with Chile.
He took a pass from Francesco Moriero and chipped the ball over Songo'o
for a 2-0 lead in the 75th minute, then scored easily when defender Pierre
Wome misplayed the ball in front of Songo'o in the 89th minute.
Before that, Cameroon caused some problems despite being a man down, with
Italian goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca forced to make a brilliant one-handed
save on substitute Joseph-Desire Job's blast for the top left corner in the
59th minute.
"We had a very bad start tonight," Leroy said. "We tried to play well,
but we didn't have many opportunities, having only 10 players on the
pitch."
While refraining from directly criticizing Lennie's decision, Leroy said
most of the calls favored Italy.
Baggio, playing his 49th international at age 31, had a second straight
superb game after scoring on a penalty kick and setting up Vieri's goal
against Chile. He only started last week because Alessandro Del Piero had a
thigh strain.
Del Piero replaced Baggio in the 65th minute and nearly scored in the
81st minute when Songo'o batted his 20-yard shot over the crossbar.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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