Italy Takes Care of U.S.

Rossi's Second Half Brace Earns Victory in Confederations Cup

June 16, 2009

The U.S. Men’s National Team fell 3-1 Monday to defending world champion Italy to open the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

After going down a man when Ricardo Clark was shown a 33rd minute red card, the U.S. bounced back to take a 1-0 lead before halftime on a Landon Donovan penalty kick. In the second half, though, Italy took advantage of the additional space, scoring on two long-range efforts in the 58th and 72nd minutes before adding an insurance goal in stoppage time.

Clint Dempsey

It doesn't get any easier for Clint Dempsey and the U.S., who will take on Brazil Thursday at 9:55 a.m.

“It’s disappointing,” U.S. head coach Bob Bradley said. “To play against a team like Italy and be down a man takes extra strong efforts on a lot of parts, and I thought that part was good. After their (first) goal, I thought we did a very good job for a period of time of still being organized and finding some opportunities going forward.”

(Click here to read SNE's running diary of Monday's match.)

After one day of group play, the U.S. sits in last place in Group B on goal differential following Brazil’s 4-3 victory against Egypt. Up next the U.S. faces group-leader Brazil on Thursday, June 18, at 9:55 a.m. ET.

In the game’s first 15 minutes, the teams traded shots as Clint Dempsey blasted a free kick high from 30 yards out after Jozy Altidore drew a foul and later Alberto Gilardino hit a shot right down the middle into the arms of Tim Howard.

In the 20th minute, Italy had an early chance to score. After Jonathan Bornstein earned a yellow card for pulling down Mauro Camoranesi, Andrea Pirlo curved the free kick to the top of the six yard box where Nicola Legrottaglie beat Jonathan Spector but hit a diving header wide right.

Minutes later, the U.S. had a dangerous chance after Michael Bradley won a tackle and played the ball to Donovan to start a U.S. breakout. With Altidore drawing defenders, Donovan slotted a pass into the 18-yard box for Bradley, but he stumbled and couldn’t hit a clean shot with his left. Likewise, Donovan was the catalyst again in the 30th minute as he dribbled straight at the Italian defense drawing four defenders. He played Altidore through in nearly the same spot that Bradley was, but Altidore’s misguided return pass was easily intercepted.

In the 33rd minute, the match reached an early turning point similar to the last meeting between these teams at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, when a first-half red card on midfielder Pablo Mastroeni left the U.S. shorthanded against the Azzurri. This time, it was Clark who was sent off with a straight red for a studs-up challenge on Gennaro Gattuso.

Six minutes later, however, the U.S. luck would change for the better. Benny Feilhaber, who moved from right midfield to occupy Clark’s space in the middle, played a long diagonal ball to Altidore who got position inside on Giorgio Chiellini dribbling into the right side of the penalty area. As Altidore cut back, he was cut down by the Italian central defender, setting up a penalty.

Donovan, wearing the captain’s armband with Carlos Bocanegra out with a hamstring strain, stepped up and hit a low shot inside Gianluigi Buffon’s left post as the Italian goalkeeper dove right. The goal by Donovan was the 40th of his career, and he has now scored from the penalty spot in three consecutive matches.

A blast from outside the area by Michael Bradley was saved by Buffon in the 42nd minute, and the U.S. went into halftime holding a 1-0 lead.

Following a relatively stagnant start to the second half, Italy head coach Marcello Lippi went to his bench with two changes in the 58th minute, with Giuseppe Rossi and Riccardo Montolivo coming on in favor of Gattuso and Camoranesi.

Italy equalized in the 59th minute, as Rossi stripped Feilhaber on the edge of the center circle, dribbled straight toward goal and with this final touch blasted a laser that beat Howard inside the left post.

As the game wen on, Italy increasingly began playing downhill as the U.S. tired. In the 68th minute, Pirlo hit a knuckling shot from outside the area that Howard punched out only to see Vincenzo Iaquinta hammer the rebound just wide from 12 yards out in traffic.

Four minutes later, the game-winner would come as Daniele de Rossi, best known by U.S. fans for his gruesome red-card elbow on Brian McBride at the World Cup, hit a low drive that beat a screened Howard to the right post from 25 yards

With 10 minutes to go and down a goal, the U.S. found the energy to push forward, starting with a Dempsey shot from distance that forced Buffon to make a save. One minute later, Donovan was toppled by Legrottaglie fighting for a ball in the air but Chilean referee Pablo Pozo was reluctant to award the U.S. a second penalty kick.

In stoppage time, Italy took advantage of tired U.S. legs to build a two-goal advantage that put them ahead of Brazil on goal difference. Pirlo kept the ball in bounds and rounded Jay DeMerit with a great move on the left wing. With several options to pass in the penalty area, Pirlo waited as Rossi made a curving run toward the penalty spot, where he crushed a perfectly weighted cross into the back of the net uncontested.

For the U.S., 11 players made their Confederations Cup debut including nine of the 11 starters. Only Howard, Donovan and Beasley had previous experience, playing in the 2003 edition of the event.

Up next is Brazil, who the U.S. has only beaten once in 13 all-time meetings with a 1-12 record, that includes two losses to the five-time World Champions in the FIFA Confederations Cup.