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ITALY WINS; CZECHS STUNNED BY ARMENIA IN GROUP B
Fresno Bee, CA
sept 6 2013
Published: September 6, 2013
The Associated Press
PALERMO, Sicily - Alberto Gilardino filled in well for the suspended
Mario Balotelli as Italy beat Bulgaria 1-0 Friday to move within one
win of qualifying for the World Cup with two matches to spare.
Gilardino put Italy ahead in the 38th minute with a header from close
range following a delicately lifted cross from Antonio Candreva.
The Azzurri's position in Group B was also strengthened when Armenia
stunned the Czech Republic 2-1 in Prague with a goal from Gevorg
Ghazaryan in added time - handing the Czechs a major blow to their
qualifying chances.
Also, Denmark won 2-1 at Malta with an own goal ending up being
the decider.
Italy leads the group with 17 points and Bulgaria is next with 10.
Armenia, the Czech Republic and Denmark have nine points each while
Malta is last with three.
Italy can seal its ticket to next year's tournament in Brazil with
a win over the Czechs on Tuesday in Turin.
"We're nearly there but it's still complicated because our physical
condition isn't great," Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said. "We'll
try to recuperate as quickly as possible but it won't be easy, also
because it's (the Czechs') last chance."
The Azzurri have never qualified with two matches to spare, having
left it to the final match seven times.
The Czechs, by contrast, are in danger of failure after Ghazaryan
concluded a swift counterattack while the hosts were pressing for
a winner.
Karlen Lazarian had put Armenia ahead in the 31st against the run
of play with an unstoppable left-foot drive from 25 meters to the
top corner of Petr Cech's goal.
Czech captain Tomas Rosicky equalized in the 70th when his shot from
outside the area was slightly deflected into the net by Varazdat
Haroyan.
"We're in a complicated situation," Czech coach Michal Bilek said. "We
have three more games to play and have a theoretical chance (to
qualify)."
In Malta, Leon Andreasen put Denmark ahead two minutes in, Clayton
Failla equalized in the 38th and Ryan Camilleri's own goal handed
the lead back to Denmark in the 53rd.
In nearby Sicily, Italy rarely threatened until Gilardino's goal
and Aleksandar Tonev gave Azzurri goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon some
trouble with a long shot in the 20th.
It took a well-executed counter attack to break the match open and
Gilardino's goal tied him with former Juventus great Roberto Bettega
for 13th place on Italy's all-time scoring list with 19 goals each.
Luigi Riva leads with 35.
The 31-year-old Gilardino celebrated by acting as if he were playing
a violin, a display he puts on only for big goals.
Buffon preserved the lead with an improbable save on Ivelin Popov
in the 48th, swiping away a close-range effort with his glove while
airborne just as the ball was going to cross the line.
Buffon, who can match Fabio Cannavaro's record 136 caps Tuesday,
produced another reflex save in the 62nd as Bulgaria began to assault
Italy's goal, and Thiago Motta put himself in the way of the rebound.
"Gigi really saved us," Prandelli said.
Gilardino had a chance to make it 2-0 in the 73rd with Bulgaria
goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov out of position but he couldn't get his
shot off in time.
Still, Bulgaria pressed forward until the end and nearly equalized
in added time when Veselin Minev headed just wide.
It was Bulgaria's first loss in qualifying, having drawn 2-2 with
Italy in Sofia a year ago.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/09/06/3482550/italy-wins-czechs-stunned-by-armenia.html
Fresno Bee, CA
sept 6 2013
Published: September 6, 2013
The Associated Press
PALERMO, Sicily - Alberto Gilardino filled in well for the suspended
Mario Balotelli as Italy beat Bulgaria 1-0 Friday to move within one
win of qualifying for the World Cup with two matches to spare.
Gilardino put Italy ahead in the 38th minute with a header from close
range following a delicately lifted cross from Antonio Candreva.
The Azzurri's position in Group B was also strengthened when Armenia
stunned the Czech Republic 2-1 in Prague with a goal from Gevorg
Ghazaryan in added time - handing the Czechs a major blow to their
qualifying chances.
Also, Denmark won 2-1 at Malta with an own goal ending up being
the decider.
Italy leads the group with 17 points and Bulgaria is next with 10.
Armenia, the Czech Republic and Denmark have nine points each while
Malta is last with three.
Italy can seal its ticket to next year's tournament in Brazil with
a win over the Czechs on Tuesday in Turin.
"We're nearly there but it's still complicated because our physical
condition isn't great," Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said. "We'll
try to recuperate as quickly as possible but it won't be easy, also
because it's (the Czechs') last chance."
The Azzurri have never qualified with two matches to spare, having
left it to the final match seven times.
The Czechs, by contrast, are in danger of failure after Ghazaryan
concluded a swift counterattack while the hosts were pressing for
a winner.
Karlen Lazarian had put Armenia ahead in the 31st against the run
of play with an unstoppable left-foot drive from 25 meters to the
top corner of Petr Cech's goal.
Czech captain Tomas Rosicky equalized in the 70th when his shot from
outside the area was slightly deflected into the net by Varazdat
Haroyan.
"We're in a complicated situation," Czech coach Michal Bilek said. "We
have three more games to play and have a theoretical chance (to
qualify)."
In Malta, Leon Andreasen put Denmark ahead two minutes in, Clayton
Failla equalized in the 38th and Ryan Camilleri's own goal handed
the lead back to Denmark in the 53rd.
In nearby Sicily, Italy rarely threatened until Gilardino's goal
and Aleksandar Tonev gave Azzurri goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon some
trouble with a long shot in the 20th.
It took a well-executed counter attack to break the match open and
Gilardino's goal tied him with former Juventus great Roberto Bettega
for 13th place on Italy's all-time scoring list with 19 goals each.
Luigi Riva leads with 35.
The 31-year-old Gilardino celebrated by acting as if he were playing
a violin, a display he puts on only for big goals.
Buffon preserved the lead with an improbable save on Ivelin Popov
in the 48th, swiping away a close-range effort with his glove while
airborne just as the ball was going to cross the line.
Buffon, who can match Fabio Cannavaro's record 136 caps Tuesday,
produced another reflex save in the 62nd as Bulgaria began to assault
Italy's goal, and Thiago Motta put himself in the way of the rebound.
"Gigi really saved us," Prandelli said.
Gilardino had a chance to make it 2-0 in the 73rd with Bulgaria
goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov out of position but he couldn't get his
shot off in time.
Still, Bulgaria pressed forward until the end and nearly equalized
in added time when Veselin Minev headed just wide.
It was Bulgaria's first loss in qualifying, having drawn 2-2 with
Italy in Sofia a year ago.
http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/09/06/3482550/italy-wins-czechs-stunned-by-armenia.html