Italians ousted from Euro 2004 despite win over Bulgaria
GUIMARAES: Italy scored an injury time winner through Antonio Cassano for a 2-1 victory over Bulgaria but still went out of Euro 2004 yesterday.
Martin Petrov converted a penalty kick in the final minute of the half to put Bulgaria ahead in the teams' Group C finale and midfielder Simone Perrotta equalised for Italy in the 48th.
The game was into the third minute of injury time when Cassano scored the winner with a close range shot but the Italians heard that Denmark and Sweden had tied 2-2 which put the Italians out.
The victory, coupled with 0-0 and 1-1 ties against Denmark and Sweden in their opening matches, made Italy the first team to be eliminated from the Euros without a loss since group play was introduced in 1980.
Cassano's delight in scoring the winner was soon ended when the Italians heard the result from Porto and he burst into tears. Because the two Scandinavian neighbours tied 2-2, the Italians went out on goal difference through they all finished with five points.
“We are leaving the championship with our heads up,'' said coach Giovanni Trapattoni.
“We deserved victory against the Swedes. I don't want to judge the referee but there were several bad foul on (Alessandro) Del Piero.''
Trapattoni was asked afterward if he had suspicions about the result.
"I have none,'' he said.
Asked if he would protest to UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, he replied: "Absolutely not.''
Defender Marco Materazzi, who gave away the penalty that led to Bulgaria's goal, said he didn't believe it had been a foul.
“I cannot understand the penalty,'' he said. “He was pulling my jersey, when the referee whistled I thought it was in our favour. There was a penalty on Cassano.
“To leave the championship with five points it's bitter.
“The result of Denmark-Sweden was expected with Denmark going ahead and Sweden coming back each time.''
A light, persistent rain made for a slick field at Dom Henriques stadium and both teams had trouble staying on their feet.
Inter Milan defender Marco Materazzi, playing in place of suspended captain Fabio Cannavaro, was called for tripping Bulgaria's star striker Dimitar Berbatov inside the area to set up the penalty.
Petrov, who plays for Wolfsburg in Germany, then slipped a low shot to the right of Gianluigi Buffon as the Italy goalkeeper went the wrong way to the delight of the lively Bulgarian fans sitting directly behind the goal.
Perrotta's score was his first national team goal.
After Cassano's shot struck the crossbar, Perrotta used an acrobatic flick of his leg to knock in the bouncing rebound.
In the 53rd, centre forward Christian Vieri replaced Bernardo Corradi in Italy's attack. Vieri, who started the match on the bench due to a left knee injury, had a chance to put Italy ahead in the 61st when he came flying in to the area, but his header went high.
Vieri sent another header high from a perfect position – five metres out – in the 73rd.
In the 80th, Cassano's powerful, twisting attempt from an angle went wide.
Bulgaria nearly regained the lead with a free kick by Berbatov six minutes from the end but Buffon made an excellent, diving save before Cassano scored the winner.
Italy played without several key starters.
Star playmaker Francesco Totti served the second of a three-match ban for spitting at a Danish opponent in the team's opener and Cannavaro and Gennaro Gattuso were disqualified for picking up two yellow cards in the team's first two matches.
Bulgaria, who lost 5-0 and 2-0 to Sweden and Denmark in their first two matches, was already mathematically eliminated entering yesterday's game.
Meanwhile, Italian soccer federation president Franco Carraro said he believed Denmark and Sweden had aimed to draw 2-2 in their final Euro 2004 group game, a result that guaranteed Italy went out of the tourament.
"There is no doubt that the way the Denmark-Sweden game developed shows that the two teams were aiming for a draw.
“ Of course, proof of that is hard to find," Carraro told Italian television.
Before the match Carraro had dismissed talk of a "fix", saying both teams were "serious".
Denmark coach Morten Olsen refused to discuss talk of collusion between the teams which he called "ridiculous".
"Anyone who saw the game knows that no one tried to go for that result," Olsen told reporters. – AP
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