Substitute Alessandro del Piero scored a dramatic late equaliser as Italy earned a 1-1 draw with Mexico, ensuring both teams qualify for the last 16 of the 2002 World Cup.

Jared Borgetti had scored a brilliant first-half header for Mexico - adequate reward for a slick passing display by the Central American team. But Italy - who had previously had two goals ruled out for off-side - finally got their equaliser shortly before time.

Giovanni Trapattoni's team created more than enough chances to score, but at one stage faced joining France and Argentina on the early plane home. With Italy trailing at half-time and Croatia drawing with Ecuador in the other Group G match, Trapattoni's team faced an early exit. But Ecuador eventually beat Croatia meaning that ultimately Italy could have lost to Mexico and still gone through on the goals scored rule.

Italy knowing they had to win to absolutely guarantee qualification to the last 16 started the game with playmaker Francesco Totti playing just behind strike duo Christian Vieri and Filippo Inzaghi.

Totti's sumptuous sliding ball was slotted home by Inzaghi but the goal was incorrectly ruled out for off-side. Italy continued to press and created chances. Vieri shot over and then forced a save from Oscar Perez with an awesome volley, while Totti clean through after neat work from Inzaghi missed the target.

But Mexico had played neat, precise football through the opening stages rarely squandering possession and were rewarded with a goal after 34 minutes.
Blanco's intelligent floated cross was met by Borgetti, whose exquisitely directed back header eluded Gianluigi Buffon.

Stunned, the Italians pressed forward in search of an equaliser, but mustered little before the break apart from a poor Gianluca Zambrotta shot, while Totti joined Christian Panucci in the referee's notebook for diving. Mexico, on the other hand, almost scored a second goal minutes before half-time but Borgetti's shot was superbly blocked by Fabio Cannavaro.

Borgetti scored a brilliant header for Mexico, Inzaghi should have equalised four minutes into the second half but his poor first touch allowed Perez to dive at his feet and clear the danger. Jesus Arrelano's mazy run, cutting inside from the right, almost culminated in a goal but a heavy touch allowed Cannavaro to hook the ball clear.

Substitute Vincenzo Montella put the ball in the net again for Italy but as with Inzaghi's first-half effort the goal was ruled out for off-side. The usually prolific Vieri was put through but Perez was quickly off his line and knocked the ball around the post for corner.

Montella blazed over when well positioned after 83 minutes but eventually Italy got their goal. Del Piero who replaced Totti headed home Montella's cross to send the Italian supporters into a state of rapture and keep his team's World Cup dream alive.

 

Italian striker Roberto Baggio's future is hanging in the balance after he underwent a knee operation on Monday.

The 34-year-old Brescia player was pushing for a place in the Italian squad for the World Cup 2002 finals but now has almost no chance of being fit in time for the tournament which kicks off on May 31.

Baggio, capped 55 times by Italy, had previously said that he intended to retire after the World Cup and on a Monday night television show his agent Vittorio Petrone said the player was now ready to quit the game.

'We were hoping for a different outcome right from the beginning of the medical tests but now Roberto wants to quit football. He wants to change his lifestyle,' Petrone said.

'We will try to change his mind. Personally, I have one more dream - to see him return to the football field. 'Even if he has missed his chance with the World Cup, he deserves to return to playing.' But Petrone later played down the suggestion that Baggio aimed to retire and told Italian newspapers he had been misunderstood.

Brescia team manager Edoardo Piovani told Reuters that Baggio had not yet taken a decision on his future. 'No decision has been made. It is far too early. He only had the operation on Monday, we all need to have patience,' said Piovani.

Baggio was stretchered off with an injured left knee after coming on as a substitute during Brescia's Italian Cup semifinal match at Parma on Thursday. It was only his second game back after three months out with an injury to the same knee.

Baggio played in the last three World Cups, making his mark on the 1990 tournament in Italy with a fine individual strike against Czechoslovakia before leading the Azzurri to third place. In 1994 he missed the crucial penalty in the shoot-out in the final against Brazil and was a surprise inclusion in the 1998 World Cup squad but did not feature at Euro 2000.

Italy began their World Cup campaign in stylish, confident mood with a comfortable win over World Cup 2002 newcomers Ecuador.

Inter Milan striker Christian Vieri opened the scoring after just six minutes - and struck again after 27 minutes as the Italians took the game beyond their South American opposition.

Ecuador - playing their first ever World Cup fixture - seemed relatively at ease on the ball. But they lacked the confidence to take the game to the Italians and rarely threatened Gianluigi Buffon's goal.

Italy, on the other hand, moved forward with ruthless precision and forwards Vieri and Francesco Totti caused numerous problems with their guile and vision.

The match at times had the feel of a training game rather than a World Cup fixture.
And the appreciative but quiet Japanese spectators added to a slightly surreal atmosphere inside the Sapporo Dome.

The game began at a frenetic pace, with Ecuador making some strong challenges as they tried to impose themselves on the match.

After six minutes Totti played Vieri through with an exquisite pass and Ecuador goalkeeper Jose Cevallos did well to come off his line and smother the Italian's shot. A minute later Italy pushed forward again and Vieri comprehensively smashed Totti's cut-back into the net from 14 yards.

Totti almost doubled his team's lead with a dipping angled shot from 20 yards after 11 minutes that Cevallos pushed around the post for a corner.

Ecuador, though, surrendered possession far too easily and were soon punished again. The South American team gave the ball away in their own half and were cruelly exposed by a long ball up-field from Luigi di Biagio to Vieri, who shrugged off Ivan Hurtado's challenge before slipping the ball under Cevallos.

The Ecuador goalkeeper made a partial save but Vieri reacted quickly and was able to tap the ball into an empty net.

Ecuador did manage a shot on target after 40 minutes - but Edwin Tenorio's tame shot was easily saved by Gianluigi Buffon.

The struggling Ecuadorians improved in the second half, at least moving forward with intent and a semblance of self-belief. But Italy still continued to create chances.

Damiano Tommasi shot just over, Cristiano Doni hit the crossbar and Vieri in search of his hat-trick forced a good save from Cevallos.

But the Italians did not play with the same intensity as during the early stages of the match when they were trying to seize the initiative. And Angelo di Livio, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro del Piero were all given run-outs as the Italians fined-tuned their match fitness ahead of the tougher challenges ahead.

Right at the end a fortunate deflection presented Agustin Delgardo with a great opportunity to score for Ecuador - but he was denied by an excellent save from Buffon.

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Italy
Buffon, Panucci, Nesta, Cannavaro, Maldini, Zambrotta, Doni (Di Livio 64), Di Biagio (Gattuso 69), Tommasi, Totti (Del Piero 73), Vieri.

Goal: Vieri (7), (27)

Ecuador
Cevallos, De la Cruz, Hurtado, Guerron, Poroso, Obregon, Mendez, Edwin Tenorio (Marlon Ayovi 59), Chala (Ascensio 85), Aguinaga (Carlos Tenorio 45), Delgado.

Attendance: 31,081

Referee: B Hall (USA).