Euro 2008 Liveblog: Italy v. Romania

Welcome to the liveblog for the Italy - Romania match. As always, the model comparison:

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy: Even in an Italy-Romania match, I manage to work in a French connection.

Catrinel Menghia: She wins the Internets.

Once again, join me after the jump for line-ups and live-bloggisms.

Italy starting XI:

GK - Buffon
DEF - Grosso; Chiellini; Panucci; Zambrotta
MID - Camoranesi; DeRossi; Pirlo; Del Piero (C); Perrotta
ST - Toni

Note: This means that Donadoni has made some significant changes to the line-up that started the match against the Netherlands. Most importantly, the Anti-Christ (Materazzi) is on the bench.

Romania starting XI:

GK - Lobont
DEF - Contra; Tamas; Goian; Rat
MID - Radoi; Petre; Codrea; Chivu (C)
ST - Niculae; Mutu

Note: Coach Victor Piturca has replaced Cocis (MID) and Nicolita (ST) with Petre (MID) and Codrea (MID), indicating that Romania may be happy with a tie in this situation, which could be dangerous for them.

Centre official - Tom Henning Ovrebo (Norway)
Assistant referees - Geir Age Holen (Norway); Jan Petter Randen (Norway)
4th official - Ivan Bebek (Croatia)

Stadium - Letzigrund; Zurich, Switzerland

00:00 - I'm here early. Are you?

00:00 - Julie Foudy with the brilliant comment that it is "unusual" for the Italians to change 5 players from last game to this game. God kills a kitten.

00:00 - Mike establishes his bonafides as a heterosexual male by requesting less skin in future liveblogs. To be fair to me, there are no naughty bits showing, so maybe Mike needs a new job.

00:00 - Boy, Sugar Ray is singing the Romanian national anthem with some gusto. I farted just as it began - bad sign for the Romanians.

00:00 - The Fan's Attic has joined the 21st century and is now viewing the footy in HD. Good news for all of us later as he liveblogs France - Netherlands match (I recused myself from that match, as a heart attack suffered during the game would interfere with a liveblog).

00:01 - And we're off!

00:33 - Quick start for the Romanians as a cross into the box is headed wide by Mutu.

02:11 - Nice brief run from Camoranesi, but he ends up dispossessed by Tamas.

02:58 - Rat turns the ball over after a run to the midfield, but the Italian counter-attack is stopped by Goian.

03:20 - On the other end the quick Romanian counter results in an offsides call on Mutu.

04:20 - The game's first corner results from a nice run by Del Piero, but the Romanians play it out safely.

Derek Rae informs us that Italy have never lost 2 matches "on the trot", as opposed to Tottenham, who lost 4th place in the EPL because they "had the trots." HI-OH!

06:18 - A long ball over the top from Tamas is slightly too long for Mutu to reach, and Buffon eats it up.

07:50 - Free kick for Italy is struck by Pirlo directly at Chivu, and the ball ends up over the touchline for a throw. The Italians waste the opportunity.

08:58 - The Italians get the best chance yet. The ball is dropped onto Del Piero's foot, and comes out to Perrotta, who plays it back inside, only for Del Piero to head it wide.

10:48 - First appearance of the Magic Spray for Tamas.

11:35 - Free kick to the Italians as Petre blows on Luca Toni. The ball is played in too close to the Romanians, and Mutu clears the ball.

12:20 - On a quick turn-around, Camoranesi plays the ball into Toni, who is slightly too short.

13:21 - Yet another corner for Italy, but it floats across the box all the way to the opposite touchline.

14:40 - Brilliant through ball for Mutu, but Buffon absolutely stones him.

15:57 - Pirlo to Zambrotta to Gross to Toni, who heads it over the bar yet again. The Italians are passing beautifully and have had 4 legitimate chances on goal to no avail.

17:08 - Free kick for Romania, and it's a rocket taken by Tamas, forcing a good save in the corner from Buffon.

19:00 - Another free kick for Romania, and it's taken by Chivu, who hits the post (after a deflection of Panucci). The Italians clear.

19:51 - Radoi and Rat clashed while they were both going for a header, and are still down on the pitch.

21:10 - Radoi has to come off after the collision, and is replaced by Cocis (who started Romania's last match).

22:30 - Clever run Contra, with a back-heel pass returned from Petre. The ball is served in to Niculae, but the ball is cleared. The resulting corner is cleared again by Camoranesi.

22:40 - The second corner goes right to Buffon, who plays it long to Zambrotta. He is dispossessed by the Romanians, who immediately turn it over to De Rossi.

25:00 - CORRECTION. Radoi had not been replaced yet. His substitute now comes on, and it's Dica.

25:50 - Grosso plays the ball through to Del Piero, who almost gets a boot in the face for his trouble. The ball continues through and is over the endline.

26:30 - Camoranesi plays the ball into Toni in the 6-yard box, but it is headed wide yet again.

28:00 - The ball is played through the midfield for Romania, and Rat gets off an absolute cracker which goes wide of a diving Buffon. Unfortunately, it also goes just wide of the post for a goal kick.

29:01 - Mutu is offsides by 25 yards.

29:38 - The Italians turn the ball over, but Chiellini deals with the Romanian counter-attack. The ball comes out to Del Piero, who is fouled by Petre for a free kick.

30:19 - The Italian free kick is taken by Pirlo, who does shite.

31:07 - Zambrotta plays in an excellent ball to Toni, who is fronted by Tamas, and the ball is headed wide again.

31:35 - The Romanians turn over the ball and Contra fouls Del Piero at 20 yards for a dangerous free kick.

32:00 - The free kick is taken by Del Piero but is well wide and high.

33:22 - Turnover at midfield, but the Romanians fail to take advantage, playing a ball through directly to Buffon.

35:10 - Ball played through by Rat, but it goes well wide of Buffon and the goal.

37:22 - Nice ball movement by the Italians goes nowhere as Chivu steals the ball and plays it out for an Italian throw-in in their own half.

38:40 - A clusterfuck in front of goal after a cross from Zambrotta is knocked down by Toni to Perrotta's feet. The resulting corner forces a save from Lobont. The second corner is headed goal-bound by Toni but Lobont makes a brilliant save.

40:00 - The third corner for Italy is also headed goal-bound and Lobont makes a beautiful diving save which is then played out by Tamas.

41:10 - DeRossi plays a long ball too close to Lobont, who makes an easy save.

42:20 - Pirlo is fouled by Mutu, who is shown the yellow card. Sugar Ray sales dip precipitously.

43:34 - Camoranesi plays a great ball through to Del Piero, but he's offsides.

45:00(+00:15) - Nice ball movement by the Romanians results in a botched shot from Contra. The ball comes out to Chivu, who has his shot blocked. In the ensuing chaos, Del Piero fouls Mutu.

45:00 (+02:00) - NO GOAL! An Italian corner resulted from Rat playing the ball out. The corner comes in to Toni (who looked onside as the ball was played), who heads it in. Goal disallowed.

HALF-TIME - Lingering Bursitis' pick for Lobont as the MotM is looking prescient (look it up). It's so astounding, even people in Mike's office are talking about him.

45:00 - And the second half is underway!

47:00 - Italy quickly on the attack for a corner, but it results in nothing because Toni was naughty.

48:00 - Ball in from Dica to Mutu, but Buffon gets there first.

50:05 - Throw-in for the Romanians is cleared by Pirlo, but it goes right back to the Romanians.

50:31 - The Italians counter-attack, but Contra touches the ball away from Del Piero as he was readying to shoot.

51:43 - Camoranesi fouls Rat by looking at him wrong, but the resulting free kick is played to an offsides Niculae.

53:09 - Mutu gets off a nice shot but Buffon smothers it.

54:10 - GOAL! Romania 1 - Italy 0. Petre is fouled, and off the ensuing free kick the ball is played through, and Zambrotta attempts to head it to Buffon. Mutu is there, and he blasts it past Buffon.

55:50 - GOAL! Romania 1 - Italy 1. The Italians play the ball to the far post off a corner kick, and Chiellini heads it back across for Panucci to finish.

57:30 - Chivu receives a yellow card for coming through from behind.

58:21 - The Romanians press again, but the Italians clear.

58:49 - Nicolita on for Petre for Romania. UF favorite Cassano on for Perrotta for Italy.

59:30 - Yellow card for Pirlo, for knocking Nicolita off his feet.

62:46 - The ball is poked through to Toni, but he is unable to get on the end and it crosses the endline.

63:54 - DeRossi blasts a shot towards goal, but it hits Del Piero, who was offsides.

64:42 - Another ball through for Toni, but Lobont makes an excellent save. Toni was offsides anyway.

66:25 - Romania with a very long ball for Niculae, but it is too far and Buffon picks it up. The ball comes back and Toni heads the ball directly to Lobont.

69:19 - More solid midfield play from the Romanians results in a ball to Dica, which is deflected to Niculae, but the Grosso plays it out. No corner given.

70:10 - The Romanians get good pressure from Mutu to Chivu to Nicolita, but the ball is played back into the midfield. The Italians counter and win a corner off a Tamas header. The corner is played to the midfield, and a long range shot is held by Lobont right on the goal line. The Italians claim that it was over.

72:16 -Goian picks up a stupid yellow for kicking the ball away, which means that he will miss the next match as it is his 2nd yellow for this round.

72:50 - Free kick for Italy is taken by Pirlo, and it is immediately headed back out to him. The Romanians clear.

74:20 - Cassano to Toni to DeRossi but Lobont makes yet another incredible diving save.

75:11 - Mutu with a shot that is deflected out for a corner. The resulting kick is cleared but only out to Rat, who puts in a weak shot.

76:05 - Del Piero is out, Quagliarella in for Italy. Captain's armband to Buffon.

77:32 - A clever back-heel by Cassano is played back into the middle, but is chested down by Lobont. The Italians are immediately back in and Zambrotta plays the ball across the box to be cleared. The resulting corner is take well by Lobont.

79:12 - Dica receives the ball in the box, but DeRossi plays it away before he gets off a good shot. Mutu takes the corner and Niculae is taken down in the box for a PK.

80:27 - Brilliant save on Mutu from Buffon on the PK! Abso-fucking-lutely brilliant save!

82:00 - After an Italian free kick skies over the bar, we get a close-up of Mutu looking like he's about to cry.

83:27 - DeRossi with a nice challenge on Nicolita to dispossess him, and the ball comes into the 6-yard box from Grosso. The Romanians clear.

84:20 - Ambrosini on for Camoranesi for Italy.

85:10 - Cassano plays a ball into the box and Toni goes down, appealing for a PK. None given, and the ball rolls over the endline.

86:31 - Ball played forward to Cassano (who was offsides, but not called). Toni goes down in the box and grabs the ball, screaming for a PK. None given.

87:44 - Cocis on for Mutu for Romania.

88:51 - Long ball over the top for Cassano, who serves in a miserable pass (or takes a shitty shot).

89:30 - Long ball over the top flicked on to Quagliarella, who is offsides. He goes down anyway, and appeals for a PK.

90:00 (+00:59) - Gross dribbles into the box and goes down in a ridiculous flop. The ball comes out to the other hand and DeRossi is awarded a yellow for a foul on Contra. Free kick for Romania from 35 yards, but Tamas puts it wide.

FULL TIME - Romania 1 - Italy 1.

This was actually the best possible result for France - take care of business and you're in, boys!