Italy vs Romania

Good morning everyone, and TGIF! We wrap up this work week with Group C action. We'll get started off with Italy squaring off against Romania. Romania has a very solid team that could give the Italians trouble, but they may be facing them at the wrong time. Coming off a 3-0 loss to the Netherlands, expect some changes in the Italy starting 11, as well as a team playing for their lives. I like Italy 2-0 here. Share your thoughs, are you an Italian worried about elimination on Friday the 13th?

Running Commentary:

Final: The game ends 1:1 and everyone remains alive. Italy will have to defeat France in order to advance. I must say there has been a great display of sportsmanship between these two teams after the final whistle.

90th: Free kick for Romania, about 40 yards from goal.

90th: Ick, seems Italian players are going down in the box looking for a call at a rate of one per minute. They don't need to resort to that, no place for it. As I type I see the worst dive yet.

88th: Can either team find a moment of magic here to take the 3 points?

81st: BUFFON SAVES!!! Not the best penalty, up the middle.

80th: PENALTY!!! Nicoli held a bit by Panucci, kind of light penalty here. Mutu steps up, surely he'll score...

79th: Romania barely holding on here with some intense pressure from Italy.

77th: Del Piero off, Quagliarella on.

75th: Toni chests over to De Rossi who is denied by a wonderful save!

73rd: Italy free kick as Goian holds up Toni, and earns a yellow for throwing the ball away. Nothing comes of the set piece.

69th: Just when I thought Italy looked good having tied the game, I spotted an Italian fan with a pom-pom...

61st: Yellow card to Pirlo, he just took Nicoli down with a lazy challenge to save him from having to run back.

60th: Nicoli on for Petre for Romania.

59th: Italy under some pressure again, but they avoid trouble. Cassano is on for Perrotta.

58th: Yellow card to Chivu for a late challenge.

56th: GOAL: Italy scores to tie the game 1-1. The ball gets through to Panucci for the tap in at the back post, and as I was typing "how will Italy respond", they respond in the perfect way, drawing even immediately!

55th: GOAL: Romania takes the lead 1-0. Wow, Friday the 13th indeed. I think a few Italian hearts just sped up. Mutu pounces on a mistake and gets a half-volley past Buffon. Buffon had no chance, great finish by Mutu.

52nd: Foul on Italy and there is a Rat down on the field. Yes, there is a Romanian player named Rat, and I'll guess the pronunciation is nowhere near what I am thinking of. If he ever paired with Neuville of Germany it'd be too good to be true. One named Rat, one that looks like a rat.

51st: Some good ideas from the Italians, Pirlo goes long to Toni who heads back to Del Piero, but Contra gets the touch away. I think Contra has played well today, helping out there and looking good with the ball on the wing.

46th: And the home stretch has begun, hard to imagine 1 goal in this half could eliminate Italy.

Halftime: After a wild an crazy first half we remain at 0-0. While both teams have come close, neither has been able to break the deadlock. It's hard to imagine a scoreless game here, so expect something in the second half.

45th: Toni finds the back of the net, but the flag is up and the goal will not count.

39th: Corner to Italy after Toni heads to Perrotta, but he couldn't quite get it off in time or it would have been a goal for sure. Toni's header off the corner is saved well, and as I type Italy comes close again!

33rd: Great position for a free kick, but Del Piero fires well over the bar.

28th: Another long range strike for Romania goes inches wide.

25th: Dika on for the injured Radoi.

24th: A great cross for Romania, but no targets on the other end of the cross.

21st: This is too bad, Radoi is coming off early due to a collision with a teammate.

20th: Another dangerous free kick coming for Romania. How quickly things change, Panucci's touch on the free kick goes off the inside of the post. Oh so close to 1-0 Romania just when I had thought Italy looked the better of the two sides.

18th: Long range free kick produces another good save from Buffon, diving to his left.
16th: Buffon with a nice save!

13th: Luca Toni was an inch too short for Camoranesi's ball, otherwise it'd be 1-0. Italy is starting to take control here.
12th: Grosso with some nifty stuff, beats two defenders, sliding it through the legs of one. He earns a free kick near the endline.

9th: Del Piero with a great settle in the box, the ball is knocked wide and sent back to Del Piero where he headed wide by the smallest of margins. That was close!

7th: Mutu gets a piece of a long ball and sends it on goal, but Buffon has no trouble.

5th: Corner for Italy but Romania clears.

1st: We're off!

Pre-game: We're nearing first kick, and the Italian fans are going NUTS!!! It also appears I was wrong, Del Piero is being withdrawn a bit, not played in next to Toni.

Pre-game: As expected, the Italians have made changes. Gattuso and Ambrosini are out and Perrotta and Daniele De Rossi are in. Additionally Del Piero will start up top next to Luca Toni, and Marco Materazzi is unable to go. Without Materazzi and Cannavaro it will be interesting to see how the defense performs. Mutu has the abilities to create havoc if given half a chance.