Alive and kicking

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany -- A surreal feeling developed soon after Italy took the lead over the United States in last night's World Cup game. First, Cristian Zaccardo bizarrely sent the ball into his own goal to tie the game, then three players were ejected, there was a near own goal off the crossbar, and two goals disallowed for offside as the score remained tied.

But the reality of the situation soon hit home, as well.

With the 1-1 result, the US remains in contention in the World Cup and even has a chance of finishing in first place in Group E with a victory over Ghana in Nuremberg Thursday. Italy, which defeated Ghana, 2-0, in the opener, leads the group with 4 points and can clinch first place with a win over the Czech Republic.

``We played with a lot of heart and certainly redeemed ourselves from Day 1," US coach Bruce Arena said, ``and we are where we want to be. We wanted to be alive. Who knows what will happen? But we will give it our best effort."

This was a match of blood, sweat, and desperate cheers from a crowd split evenly between Italian and US supporters.

There was an eerie atmosphere in the Fritz Walter Stadion, near the greatest concentration of US citizens outside the country at Ramstein Air Force Base, as the past seemed to be repeating itself. In the 1990 World Cup in Italy, the US was soundly defeated by the Czechs, then fell behind to an early Italian goal and was virtually eliminated from contention. This time, the US was able to recover after Alberto Gilardino's 22d-minute header off a free kick.

By the 28th minute, the US was even on the scoreboard after Bobby Convey's free kick went for an own goal. And it also was in position to play most of the last 62 minutes with a man advantage as Daniele De Rossi was sent off after elbowing Brian McBride, Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda red-carding De Rossi as blood streamed from McBride's face.

But the US squandered its numerical advantage as Pablo Mastroeni (45th minute) and Eddie Pope (46th) were ejected.

``I am not sure I have ever had two players red-carded in my life," Arena said. ``We train 11 v. 10 but never 10 v. 9 and I don't plan on doing it. The way team held together was incredible."

Arena's lineup changes revitalized the US, which had been soundly defeated by the Czechs and appeared on the way out of the tournament.

``I don't know if we lost respect; we lost to the No. 2 team in world [the Czech Republic]," Arena said. ``It's not the end of the world. We lost a soccer game, we did not lose our dignity, our honor, our respect. But we wanted to give a better showing regardless of the result."

And the US did just that, though it did not appear that would be enough after Andrea Pirlo and Gilardino combined to score on a free kick. Italy, masters at protecting one-goal advantages, needed to do just that to virtually clinch first place in the group and avoid a probable second-round matchup with Brazil.

The change in strategy included sending Steve Cherundolo forward from his right back position, working in tandem with Revolution midfielder Clint Dempsey. Carlos Bocanegra solidified the left side defensively, though his ill-fated advance in the 21st minute led to the Italian possession that resulted in the opening goal. Dempsey brought some of the qualities expected of DaMarcus Beasley, who was benched after a mediocre performance against the Czechs but returned in this match to spark the team in the second half.

Dempsey went at defenders with stepover moves and also crossed effectively. Dempsey had one of the best early attempts, turning from 20 yards and slanting a shot through Fabio Cannavaro wide of the left post in the 18th minute.

But in the 21st minute, Pope was cautioned after shoving down Gilardino, who had been released by Pirlo after a Bocanegra turnover in the penalty area. A minute later, Gilardino scored following a Mastroeni foul, heading Pirlo's low free kick at the near post. Gilardino appeared to slip past Pope, who raised his arm for offside.

Six minutes later, though, Reyna earned a free kick near the right corner flag, Convey curving the ball to the back post, where Zaccardo sent the ball into the Italian goal off his left ankle, tying the score. Seconds after the kickoff, De Rossi was ejected after lashing his right elbow into McBride, who left the field with his face bloodied, changing his jersey before returning.

The quick succession of Italian errors noticeably boosted the US. But Italy had the next good chance, Luca Toni released off the left side of the penalty area by Pirlo, but scuffing his shot through the goal area in the 31st minute. Three minutes later, Bocanegra headed over the net on a corner. Another Mastroeni foul on Toni led to an Italian goal off a free kick, nullified by a close offside call, just after Gennaro Gattuso replaced Totti, who had been ineffective.

Gattuso quickly got into the spirit of the match, absorbing a foul from Mastroeni, then slapping hands with Reyna after another hard tackle. Mastroeni dipped a 30-yard blast on top of the net in the 42d minute. Then, three minutes later, Mastroeni was red-carded for a straight-leg tackle on Pirlo.

The US continued to play aggressively, but paid the price.

In the opening minute of the second half, Onyewu fouled Gilardino, then Pope departed after his second caution as he took down Gilardino from behind, Pirlo's free kick then going barely wide. Cannavaro injured his right leg on Keller's goal kick, but soon returned to the game.

Italy nearly broke the deadlock as Bocanegra headed a corner off his own crossbar in the 53d minute. A minute later, Dempsey took on three Italians on the right wing and earned a free kick from a Cannavaro foul; that relieved some of the pressure for the US, and four minutes, later, Reyna broke through to shoot wide from 25 yards.

By now, the game was wide open. And strange things continued to occur.

Onyewu, a stay-at-home defender, advanced into the penalty area and crossed off Alessandro Nesta, the ball bouncing off Nesta's arm, Larrionda ruling the use of hands unintentional in the 60th minute. Beasley, who had replaced Dempsey in the 62d minute, capitalized on a Bocanegra win in a rough clash with Simone Perrotta, slotting a hard shot past Gianluigi Buffon; but the goal was correctly disallowed because McBride was in an offside position, screening Buffon.

``I hoped I would be wrong, but the situation was different than the first game," Italy coach Marcello Lippi said. ``We missed the ball, we missed passes, there was tension, and we committed errors and that's what happened with De Rossi. It gets you in trouble.

``America had the advantage at 1-1 and anything could have happened."