Italy bound for Brazil after Czech turnaround
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E-mail Xinhua, September 11, 2013
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Italian players celebrate after scoring against Czech republic during a qualifying match for the Brazil's World Cup 2014, at Juventus Stadium in Torin, Italy, on Sept. 10, 2013. Italy won the game 2-1 and qualified to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. (Xinhua/Xu Nizhi) |
Italy rallied from one goal down to beat the 10-man Czech Republic 2-1 and qualify for next summer's World Cup finals on Tuesday.
Former Lazio striker Libor Kozak scored on a fast counter-attack in the first half before Giorgio Chiellini and Mario Balotelli found the net shortly after the re-start. The Czech side was reduced to 10 players after substitute Daniel Kolaf got his marching order for foul on Balotelli in the 89th minute.
With two Group B rounds remained, Italy are now seven points clear of nearest rivals Bulgaria, and have secured the top spot of their group as well as a birth for the World Cup finals.
Italy head coach Cesare Prandelli praised his team "great" after the crucial win.
"I saw a great Italy. We conceded on one counter-attack, which was what they wanted, but we created four scoring opportunities in the first half and I said we had to keep believing," he said.
"This is a special team because in my view we know our limits and try to emphasise our qualities. We achieved that over the years and want to increase our belief that we can do even better," he said.
Italy went into the break 1-0 down after Balotelli hit the bar and missed several sitters, and Prandelli revealed that he just tried to calm the striker down during the interval.
"I didn't think anything, as in those moments a striker can miss. It's a split second. I told him to stay calm, as he was doing very well," he said.
Prandelli started with Balotelli in attack, with the player having missed last week's qualifier against Bulgaria through suspension.
Kozak silenced the home crowd in the 19th minute when he got behind Petr Jiracez's cross and his acrobatic effort beat Buffon.
Balotelli missed a good chance to equalise for Italy in the 24th minute when his bullet strike from six yards hit the crossbar.
The AC Milan striker squandered another chance one minute later when he struck the ball over the bar from close range after Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech failed to hold onto Antonio Candreva's effort.
Balotelli admitted he made mistakes never experienced in the past.
"It's never happened to me before. I was unlucky, but I kept trying to the end," he said.
He said after Cech denied his low shot in the 12th minute, he tried to shoot in another way.
"When Cech parried that shot I thought he would get it if I fired low, so I tried to raise the finish, but I lifted it too much," he said.
Italy came back after the break in a more powerful way, and were rewarded in the 51st minute when Chiellini got past his marker and powerfully headed home from Andrea Pirlo's corner to beat Cech.
The hosts went in front three minutes later when the referee pointed to the spot after Czech defender Gebre Selassie pulled down Balotelli in the area.
Balotelli coolly converted the penalty to put the Azzurri in front. The hosts then managed to hold on to their lead for the remaining time.
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