June 11th

No Winners nor Losers through Tough Showdowns

As the rain coming on and off at Parc Lescure in Bordeaux, the opening battle of Group B, between Italy and Chile, saw no winner nor loser in the end. Meanwhile, since the other showdown of the same group, Cameroon vs Austria, at Municipal in Toulouse also ended as a draw, the four countries have to face again to each other a week time later without priority and advantage.

Leading with 10 minute goal through Christian Vieri assisted superbly by the returned hero Robert Baggio, Italy looked fading away gradually meeting the harsh counterblow of Chile's eleven. Eventually Chile succeeded to get the reversed situation, thanks to their proud twin-head, Ivan Zamorano and Marcelo Salas, the latter had the chance to score two spectacular goals.

However, Azzuori found again their very saviour in Robert Baggio, who managed to seize cunningly a penalty hitting the ball at the right hand of Chile's Ronald Fuentes, then finished neatly to equalize in 83 minute.

At Toulouse, Comeroon's Pierre Njanga showed his breathtaking talent to score the goal on his own, before Anton Polster hit the equalizer in the very last minute of the game.

Scorers

[I] Vieri:10min., R.Baggio:83min.(PK)

[C] Salas:47min.(1st half), 49min.

Costacurta

Di Livio(Chiesa:60min.)

Nesta

Cannavaro

Maldini(Capt.)

Margas(M.Ramirez:63min.)

Fuentes

Rojas

Villaroel

Reyes

D.Baggio

Albertini

Di Matteo(Di Biagio:56min.)

Acuna(Cornejo:81min.)

Estay(Sierra:82min.)

Parraguez

Vieri(Inzaghi:70min.)

R.Baggio

Zamorano(Capt.)

Salas

Scorers

[C] Njanga: 79min.

[A] Polster: 90min.

Ndo

Njanga

Song

Wome

Cerny(Haas:84min.)

Schoettel

Feiersinger

Pfeffer

Wetl

Simo(Olembe:67min.)

Kalla

Angibeaud

Mboma

Maehlich

Pfeifenberger(Vastic:84min.)

Kuehbauer

Herzog(Stoeger:84min.)

Ipua(Job:67min.)

Omam Biyik(Capt.)(Tchami:86min.)

Polster(Capt.)