The evening match, held in Japan, ended with a 2-0 score. Both of the Italian goals came from Vieri, who was in excellent form, showcasing his strong style of play. His first goal came in the seventh minute after an assist from teammate Francesco Totti. The two players evinced a chemistry that could lead to numerous goals. Vieri's second goal came in the 27th minute and put a smile on every Vieri and Italy supporter as he casually shook off an Ecuadorian defender to pass the ball past Ecuador's goal keeper.
Partway through the second half, coach Trapattoni replaced Totti with Alessandro Del Piero. As in the 1998 World Cup, Del Piero failed to make a positive addition to the game. One would hope that the combination of Vieri and Totti will remain standard during the upcoming matches, although it would be good to see how Vieri matches with some of the other forwards on Italy's deep bench.
It is a thrill to see this Italian team playing so well, and we can only hope that they continue to impress.
For Italy's game on Saturday against Croatia, Trapattoni has said that he will pair Vieri and Filippo Inzaghi, with Francesco Totti coming up behind them to assist and create goal-scoring opportunities. Hopefully, the friendship that Vieri and Inzaghi have off the field will serve them well on the pitch. Forza Italia!
