Italy 1 – 1 Paraguay86 mins
Italy are going for it, they are rushing. Simone Pepe’s fizzing free-kick is brilliantly headed away by Victor Caceres – the Paraguayans have shown they know how to defend tonight too.
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76 mins SUBSTITUTION
Oscar Cardozo comes on for Paraguay.
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70 mins YELLOW CARD
Mauro Camoranesi is booked for a late challenge on Paraguay’s Enrique Vera.
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69 mins
Paraguay bring on £18m striker Roque Santa Cruz for Nelson Valdez.
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63 mins
GOAL Italy 1-1 Paraguay (De Rossi)
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62 mins
First yellow of the game – after the hour mark – is for Paraguay’s Victor Caceres after his late challenge on Riccardo Montolivo.
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56 mins
Italy are being restricted to shots from range as Riccard Montolivo fires one in from 25 yards, but it’s a routine save for Justo Villar. Mauro Camoranesi is being readied by the Italians.
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55 mins
Oooof, that would’ve made life even more interesting. Paraguay are causing Italy problems when they go forward and the holders are not convincing at the back by any means. The ball falls for Enrique Vera on the right and he fizzes a drive just past the angle of post and crossbar.
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53 mins
Will someone please learn how to shoot from outside the box? A Paraguay corner is half-cleared to the edge of the Italy box and Enrique Vera lazily swings his left foot at the ball, sending it miles off target. At the other end, Simone Pepe tries an ambitious overhead kick from Gianluca Zambrotta’s cross but fails to make contact.
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48 mins
Here’s what’s going to happen in the next 45-odd minutes: Italy are going to have most of the ball, and Paraguay are going to get everyone behind the ball to keep them out. It’s intriguing.
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45 mins INJURY TIME
We’re into one added minute at the end of the first half. Fabio Cannavaro is not a happy man.
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41 mins
That really is a magnificent header. Are we about to see a major, major upset at the 2010 World Cup finals?
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39 mins
GOAL Italy 0-1 Paraguay (Alcaraz)
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35 mins
It’d be entirely fair to suggest that this game in Cape Town has become bogged down into an all-too-familar midfield stalemate, with both teams really struggling for creativity. I, however, am loving it, because it’s the World Cup.
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33 mins
Hey Katie in Lancashire at about 18:44, you still awake? Have you lost the will to live? Clever clogs.
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28 mins
Domenico Criscito is doing well for Italy at left-back, trying to get up and support the attack at every opportunity. Looks a good prospect, the 23-year-old from Genoa.
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23 mins
More danger from the Paraguayans, perhaps incensed by my comment after 18 minutes. A cross from the right bounces outside the box to Aureliano Torres, but he cannot get hold of a left-foot shot and it’s well wide in the end.
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21 mins
Paraguay make a rare foray into the Italy box and an inswinging corner causes a moment of panic before the super-cool Fabio Cannavaro clears. Up the other end and Italy break, but Riccardo Montolivo’s low shot dribbles into the arms of Justo Villar.
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20 mins
Haha, well done to David Pleat for making me chuckle. Is he’s reading this (unlikely, I know), David, could you make sure Forest sign Nicky Shorey this summer please? Thanks. What? Oh there’s nothing going on in Cape Town right now, don’t you worry.
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18 mins
This game, and our evening, is in Italy’s hands. Paraguay would snatch your hand off if you offered them a draw right now, so it’s up to the holders to make a proper match of it. In the Azzurri we trust.
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15 mins
It’s absolutely hammering it down in Cape Town. We’ve had nothing but sunshine all day in Johannesburg. I thought it was supposed to be the other way round? Happy days.
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13 mins
Paraguay beat Argentina and Brazil in South American qualifying for the World Cup, but they’ve shown us absolutely nothing so far in Cape Town.
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11 mins
Paraguay are content to defend so far, they aren’t making life easy for themselves by giving the ball away so easily. But (see 19:22), the toys stay in the pram, remember? Daniele di Rossi is tripped by Victor Caceres, but nothing given.
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6 mins
Some of the players are slipping over, it’s so wet. Italy have made a decent start, showing plenty of will to get forward and get the ball in the Paraguay box.
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1 min
Cristian Riveros goes in hard on Riccardo Montolivo, but catches the Italian just above his ankle. Bit naughty, that – he’s probably lucky it happened so early on.
