By MSN’s Lee Harvey
Last updated: June 22 2006
Day 14: Italy and Ghana survive the group of death
Ghana’s excellent win over the Czechs and the USA’s bloody draw with Italy meant that all 4 teams went into the final group matches with a chance to qualify for the knockout stages. The story of these games, as Sid Waddell would tell you, had more twists and turns than a rattlesnake with a hernia.
Czech Republic 0 – 2 Italy
Ghana 2 – 1 USA
5 mins: Czechs start brightly
Two strikes from Pavel Nedved force smart stops from Gianluigi Buffon.
22 mins: Goal for Ghana!
Dramani dispossesses a dawdling Claudio Reyna and slides the ball past Kasey Keller.
26 mins: Italy in front!
Substitute and Everton reject Marco Materazzi, having replaced the injured Nesta minutes earlier, heads in a Totti corner. Czech fans go very quiet.
43 mins: USA equalise!
A glorious Demarcus Beazley pass gives Clint Dempsey an easy finish giving the Americans – and the Czechs – a lifeline.
45 mins: Red card!
Totti poleaxed by Polak. Czechs down to 10 men.
45 mins: Czech mate?
An outrageous Pimpong dive earns Ghana a soft penalty. Captain Appiah puts Ghana back in front. USA coach Bruce Arena vents his spleen at the referee.
64 mins: Going…
A half fit Baros is substituted and looks totally exhausted. He’s not replaced by Jan Koller, a sign that the big striker is another victim of the Czech injury curse.
70 mins: Going…
Italian stopper Buffon makes another great save from Nedved. Over in Nuremberg, Brian McBride hammers a shot against Ghana’s post and sees the ball bounce away.
87 mins: Gone!
Sub Fillippo Inzaghi runs clear from the half way line, rounds Petr Cech and scores his first ever World Cup goal to send the Czechs home.
Full time
It’s all over for the Czech Republic. The USA’s occupation of Germany is uncharacteristically short lasting only 13 days. Italy march into the knockout phase and Ghana, having used every time wasting trick in the book throughout the second half, move on to face Brazil.
Useful links
Group E final table
