It’s been a painful sight to see Fabio Cannavaro, the 2006 World Cup player of the year, slide into ordinariness.
He was beaten in the air by Stephen Eliott, the ball glancing off his hand into the path of Shane Smeltz for the first goal. Then in the 84th minute he gets turned around by Chris Wood coming on as a substitute in the second half, and the young striker almost gets the All Whites a second goal.
Vincenzo Iaquinta puts Italy on level terms when Daniele De Rossi gets his jersey pulled by Tommy Smith and goes down very easily. Referee Carlos Batres buys it and awards Italy a spot kick. The rest of the match was some doughty and breathless defending by the All Whites and Mark Paston’s outstanding day in goal.