Italy 2 Ecuador 0
Vieri 7, 27

The Sapporo Dome again. It's awful. Apparently, they use it as a flea-market most of the time because the club that it *belongs* to can't afford to pay the security people more than twice a month. (Rather evident why, when, at the end of the game, thousands upon thousands of security persons circled the pitch; watching walls).

Ecuador were a bit of an unknown quantity (coming second in their qualifying group, ahead of Brazil, but playing their home games in a stadium miles above sea-level). Like Senegal, this is their first appearance at a World Cup and they were apparently as excited as can be and visited the dome yesterday, like tourists, with cameras around their necks. What's the betting they all went to the Italy dressing room after and asked for autographs?

Anyway, the Italians had sent spies to the Ecuador training sessions, but they needn't have worried overmuch. They tried very hard, bless 'em - but were never really a match for the Italians (still sporting the Kappa nipple scrapers). 27 minutes and it was all over, virtually. The Ecuadorians weren't averse to putting it about a bit though and clumping people (Fabio got a right-hook to the face!). Italy strolled. They looked so easy that I almost forgot that they had Del Piero, Montella and Pips on the bench. They have to be high on the list of favourites.

Teams

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

Booked: Cannavaro.

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

Booked: Poroso, De la Cruz, Chala.

Attendance: 31,081

Referee: B Hall (USA).

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