'I can't describe it'
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ByEurosport
Published 04/07/2006 at 21:53 GMT
Alessandro del Piero was left speechless after helping Italy reach the final at Germany's expense on Tuesday. The Juventus striker sealed a 2-0 semi-final win with a stunning finish in the closing seconds of extra time to crush the host nation's hopes.
FOOTBALL 2006 World Cup Italy Del Piero
Image credit: Reuters
"It was fantastic to be part of a match like that," said Del Piero, who had seen Fabio Grosso open the scoring just a minute before his own strike.
"To win in their own backyard - there aren't any words that describe what I'm feeling right now...I've had some criticism recently, but today I demonstrated that my desire is as great as anyone else's."
Italy dominated the game in Dortmund for long periods, and coach Marcello Lippi insisted he had never lost faith.
"This is the realisation of a dream that has lasted a long time. If there was a team that was going to win this game, it was going to be us," said Lippi.*
"We dominated the territory and we were tired at the end and risked a bit, but not too much. This morning I had a chat with the boys and I said a few things."
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