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Group E review Real Group of Death Italy eventually cruised into the second round after a few hiccups and they were surprisingly joined by Ghana. Richard Godden reports on the topsy-turvy events in Group E



All the pre-tournament talk centred on the so-called Group of Death that Argentina and Holland found themselves in. Little did we know that while Group C would eventually pan out nicely for the two giants of world football, Group E turned out to be one of the most wide open in World Cup history. Italy eventually found their way into the knock-out stage and Ghana caused one of the shocks of the tournament, but there was heartbreak for Pavel Nedved and the Czech Republic. Few would have predicted the downfall of the Eastern Europeans after their stunning opening performance against the USA. Jan Koller was causing all sorts of problems to the Stars and Stripes, but his injury before half-time would ultimately contribute to his nation’s failure. Their 3-0 triumph covered over the cracks and left the pressure on Marcello Lippi’s side against debutants Ghana. It was a test that they passed, but the performance of the Black Stars suggested that there was still more to come. “Ghana were physical and skilful, but we put in a fine performance,” ‘keeper Gigi Buffon stated. The frustration at their result against the Azzurri was unleashed on the Czech Republic in a blistering display of power and pace. “This is our first World Cup so it’s a historic moment for Ghana,” said goal hero Asamoah Gyan. “We did our homework and I think we did very well. The win was also very important for African football.” But while they battered the opposition in a footballing sense, Italy found themselves involved in a bad-tempered clash with the USA. Daniele De Rossi was one of three men sent off after he elbowed Brian McBride, while there was also Cristian Zaccardo’s bizarre own goal to infuriate the tifosi in a 1-1 draw. “We made mistakes and didn’t keep the ball,” moaned Lippi. That meant that there was still all to play for in the final games, with everyone in with a chance of qualification. Ghana ensured their place in the second round at the first attempt with a narrow win over the USA, courtesy of a disputed penalty, while Italy strolled to victory over the 10-man Czech Republic. It meant that Nedved’s first, and probably only, World Cup ended in tears. “We lost our chance against Ghana, as it was always going to be tough to beat Italy,” said the Juventus star. “Is it my last international match? It could be my last in football.” His Juventus teammate Gianluca Zambrotta offered some sympathetic words after a vintage performance from the Czech ace. “Pavel played well and has always given his all in every game, so he deserves praise for this performance,” he said. But their former Bianconeri boss didn’t seem to mind sending the 33-year-old home early. “This was an important objective for many reasons, as we knew it was crucial to avoid Brazil,” the tactician insisted. STAR MAN – FABIO CANNAVARO (ITALY) Italy’s passage owed much to their defensive solidity, and there was nobody more unyielding than the Juventus stopper. While others lost their cool against the USA, Cannavaro superbly marshalled his troops throughout. He replicated that to keep out clubmate Pavel Nedved in the Group-clinching game against the Czech Republic. The only man to beat them was Cristian Zaccardo with a freak own goal – not even the skipper could prevent that. KEY MOMENT The Czech Republic were expected to give Italy a run for their money at the top of the Group, but the moment they lost Jan Koller to injury their campaign lost direction. The newly-signed Monaco hitman headed them into an early lead in their opener against USA, but he went down before half-time with a hamstring strain. With Milan Baros only able to play an hour against Italy and Vratislav Lokvenc suspended, the Czechs simply looked toothless.