JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — The stunned looks and the tears told the story - for both teams.
For defending champion Italy, the ignominy of being sent out of the World Cup in the first round sank in immediately.
“Tonight,” midf ielder Gennaro Gattuso said, “we touched rock bottom.”
For Slovakia, which beat the Azzurri 3-2 on Thursday to advance, well, the celebrating might not stop before Monday’s second-round game.
“We’ve shown that we’re not here for a holiday,” Slovakia forward Erik Jendrisek said.
The party ended in stunning fashion for four-time champion Italy, which finished last in an opening-round group for the first time.
“I take full responsibility,” said Coach Marcello Lippi, who led the Azzurri to the 2006 championship. “If the squad went out with fear in their legs and hearts, it means the coach didn’t prepare the match well tactically or psychologically.”
For the third consecutive game, the Azzurri allowed an early goal, and this time they never recovered.
Robert Vittek put Slovakia ahead in the 25th minute, taking advantage of an errant pass from midfielder Daniele De Rossi. Vittek doubled the lead from close range in the 73rd following a corner kick.
Antonio Di Natale scored for Italy in the 81st, but Kamil Kopunek ended Italy’s chances eight minutes later, even though Fabio Quagliarella scored in injury time for Italy.
“We didn’t win a game and it’s everyone’s fault,” playmaker Andrea Pirlo said. “We’re a team, and we’ve got to assume responsibility all together.”
It was Italy’s first loss at the World Cup since falling to South Korea in the second round in 2002. It also marked the end of an era for Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro and Gattuso, who already announced their retirement from the national team after the tournament. Lippi is also moving on, with Cesare Prandelli already chosen as his successor.
“We were a disappointment and everyone saw it,” regular goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said. “The difference between 2006 and 2010 is that there are no longer enough players like [Francesco] Totti and Alessandro [Del Piero]. He [Prandelli] will have to start a new cycle, and I hope he’s got his ideas in order, because the current situation of Italian football isn’t great.”
Italy’s squad featured nineplayers 30 or older, and Prandelli will be charged with a major overhaul. Italy hasn’t won since beating Sweden 1-0 in a friendly in November, drawing five times and losing twice.
“It’s not a very good moment for Italian football, but the level of the Italian game isn’t what you saw tonight,” Lippi said.
Never have the previous World Cup finalists both failed to advance in the next tournament when both qualified. France, which lost to Italy on penalty kicks for the 2006 title, went out earlier this week in Group A.
Slovakia plays next in Durban against the Netherlands, which won Group E. Many of the Slovak players were in tears at the end of the match, and the reserves gathered in a circle, jumping up and down in celebration. It is the first World Cup for Slovakia as an independent nation.
Slovakia finished with a victory, a draw and a loss for four points. Italy had two draws and Thursday’s bitter defeat.
NETHERLANDS 2, CAMEROON 1
CAPE TOWN, South Africa - The Netherlands beat Cameroon and set up a second-round match with Slovakia.
Robin Van Persie finished off an endto-end move in the 36th minute, and substitute Arjen Robben sent a shot against the post in the 83rd that Klaas Jan Huntelaar only had to slide in for the winner.
In between, Samuel Eto’o scored on penalty kick for Cameroon.
The Dutch won Group E with three victories. They play Slovakia on Monday in Durban.
Cameroon lost all three of its matches.
JAPAN 3, DENMARK 1
RUSTENBERG, South Africa - Firsthalf goals by Keisuke Honda and Yusuhito Endo helped lift Japan to a victory over Denmark, sending the Japanese into the round of 16 at the World Cup.
The Danes, who replied in the 81st minute when Jon Dahl Tomasson tapped in the rebound from his penalty kick, failed to advance from the group stage for the first time in four World Cup appearances.
Shinji Okazaki scored a goal in the 87th for the Japanese.
Japan’s first two goals came from free kicks less than 15 minutes apart, as it collected its second victory in Group E. The Japanese finished with six points compared to three for thirdplace Denmark. Cameroon was last in the group.
The Japanese have now reached the knockout round for the second time. They also advanced in 2002, when they were tournament co-hosts with South Korea.
Japan will face Paraguay in Pretoria on Tuesday in the second round.
PARAGUAY 0, NEW ZEALAND 0
POLOKWANE, South Africa - Paraguay was held to a draw by New Zealand, but still won its World Cup group and moved into the round of 16.
Neither team created much in the way of scoring chances, despite displaying more urgency in the final minutes than in a turgid first half.
Paraguay finished with five points in Group F. Slovakia, which upset defending champion Italy on Thursday, also advanced with four points. New Zealand finished third in the group with three points off as many draws, while the Italians finished last.
Sports, Pages 21 on 06/25/2010