Reigning champions Italy needed a goalkeeping blunder to come back for a 1-1 draw with Paraguay despite dominating Monday’s opening Group F match in Cape Town’s Green Point stadium.
Paraguay defender Antolin Alcaraz opened the scoring with a header in the 39th minute, but midfielder Daniele De Rossi slid home in the 63rd minute after Paraguay keeper Justo Villar misjudged the flight of the ball from a corner.
Alcaraz’s goal was Paraguay’s only effort on target, compared to five from Italy, and Italian coach Marcello Lippi lamented his team’s inability to overcome the defensive South Americans.
Four-time world champions Italy came into South Africa 2010 struggling to find form and against the Latin Americans were without creative force Andrea Pirlo, the AC Milan midfielder dealing with a calf injury.
The teams played out a cagey first 20 minutes in heavy rain that left many players losing their footing, with the ball rarely entering either penalty box.
Both Lippi and Paraguay boss Gerardo Martino lamented the underfoot conditions, saying it made it hard to control the ball.
For all of Italy’s sharp passing, they could not deliver a telling final ball, and they were made to pay for it six minutes before the break when Paraguay scored with their first and only effort on target.
Giorgio Chiellini was penalised for a foul on Nelson Valdez on the right. From the resulting free kick, Torres fired in a ball for Alcaraz, who stole between Fabio Cannavaro and Daniele De Rossi to power home a header.
There was more drama in the Italian camp when keeper Gianluigi Buffon was unable to start the second half with a back problem. Federico Marchetti took his place.
Italy were going at Paraguay with gusto, but they still needed a blunder from Villar to tie the game in the 63rd minute.
The ’keeper came to punch Pepe’s corner from the left but missed completely, allowing De Rossi to slam home with a sliding finish from three yards.
— DPA