QUARTER FINAL

ITALY v ROMANIA

Italy 2 Romania 0

First off, I was annoyed that the commentators seemed to keep harping on about "if England had been here instead of the Romanians". The ground would've been full then, for starters, they bemoaned. Well, I was delighted that England weren't there. Imagine how embarrassing *that* might've been.

Zoff left Del Piero on the bench again. On one of the thousands of Euro 2000 sites around, there's a kinda "Top10" and at number 6 is, "Oops I missed again - Inzaghi". Well, have these people nothing better to do than to make up stupid things like that?!!? And he was being hounded again. "Ha, ha, Inzaghi - off-side again - he has the record you know" etc etc. Well, I like Pips - I really do. He's a little frail and is prone to, perhaps, missing when he perhaps shouldn't, but I'd have him in my team any day. He works and works - he's as fit as can be - and when he does miss (and he knows the criticism that everybody lays into him) - he doesn't sulk or weep or go out of the game - but darned well keeps on going and trying and trying. He pulls defenders all over the place too - and he's not selfish and he, apparently, was the only Italian at the training ground the other day to go over to the fans; collect their pressies; have pictures taken and sign autographs. I LIKE Pips - which is more than I can say for Totti.

I don't like him. I don't get him. What's he supposed to be doing?? And what's with his hair?? All the Italians have fabulous hair. Tousled like DP's, tousled and flowing, like Maldini's (does he *usually* wear a band; can't say I'd noticed before) - slicked back and oily (but fetching) like Fiore's - even all those with short hair have it well managed and it kinda suits them (we'll forget about Di Biagio!). But what is Totti's? It's just kind of planted and stupid-looking. The bandage swathed around it does nothing to make it look less so either. He should at least cut a fringe into it so that the bandage is unnecessary. Anyway, even if he had splendid hair - I wouldn't like him. (Except when he gets sent off and then I smile a great deal!)

Totti scored.

Pips scored too though!!!!! Good old Pips! Seems the commentators all think he's a darned good player now!

The Romanians had an unfortunate evening. They hit posts and divots in equal quantities. They worked like trojans. Zilch. Mind you, I say that - but I wonder how much work the Italians were actually putting in. They never seemed to break sweat - whereas the Romanians, well, glowed profusely from all their gadding around!! They had Hagi sent off though. His last international game (they were 2-0 down) and this little Hitler of a Portugeezer saw fit to give him a second yellow for what he considered a dive in the box. He did have his shirt tugged a little - but perhaps he did over emphasise his fall - but, really the referee could've been a little bit more lenient. It was really sad to see such a great player bow out like that. He had previously produced what could've been the goal of the tournament, had it not hit the bar. One of his special curlers from the side - like one that actually did go in during the US world cup. I hate that he shaved his head though.

Well, Italians roll onwards. They've done nothing really. But they've been in control of all four games they've played, without really trying too hard. Could be their year.

(Another note to JCR: See Portugal v Turkey. Sorry! :) But look how much of this one I've changed - hardly recognisable!)

For a great insight and a fan's eye view of what it was like to be there, click HERE

Teams and things

Italy: Toldo, Maldini (Pessotto 46), Albertini, Cannavaro, Conte (Di Biagio 55), Inzaghi, Nesta, Iuliano, Zambrotta, Fiore, Totti (Del Piero 75). Subs Not Used: Abbiati, Antonioli, Ferrara, Negro, Di Livio, Ambrosini, Delvecchio, Montella. Booked: Albertini.

Romania: Stelea, Ciobotariu, Filipescu, Galca (Lupescu 68), Mutu, Munteanu, Moldovan (Ganea 54), Hagi, Chivu, Petre, Belodedici. Subs Not Used: Lobont, Prunea, Rosu, Lincar, Hildan. Sent Off: Hagi (60). Booked: Hagi.

Att: 42,500
Ref: M Pereira (Portugal).

Match report from the Sunday Times

Italians cruise to easy victory
By Joe Lovejoy in Brusells: Italy 2 Romania 0

Rise and fall: Romania's Dorinel Munteanu beats Antonio Conte to the ball but his side were defeated 2-0 by Italy. Photograph: Michele Limina

AS England's unlamented underachievers sought refuge in the Caribbean or California, or in some cases the bar, Euro 2000 went on without them yesterday when Portugal and Italy booked their places in the semi-finals.

Shortly after the Portuguese had overcome Turkey 2-0 in Amsterdam, Italy beat Romania by the same margin. The Italians will meet the winners of today's Holland-Yugoslavia quarter-final in the Dutch capital on Thursday.

Romania have never reached the last four of the European Championship and never looked like doing so here, leaving themselves with the impossible task of trying to retrieve a two-goal deficit against one of the most parsimonious defences in world football without their captain and inspiration Gheorghe Hagi, who was sent off in controversial circumstances on the hour.

The Italians, leading through first-half goals by Francesco Totti and Filippo Inzaghi, were home and hosed when Hagi was banished for a second booking, having dived in the penalty area when Gianluca Zambrotta tugged his shirt.

As they had done when they put out England, the Romanians passed the ball around with pleasing symmetry and contributed in full measure to a game of high technical merit.

Italy, however, were better organised, and certainly less obliging, than Kevin Keegan's shambolic dunces.

The King Baudouin stadium has been handsomely refurbished since the days when, as the Heysel, its name was written into the dictionary of disaster, and is now entirely suitable not just for the quarter-final, but for the semi-final it is to stage on Wednesday.

The Italian fans were in good voice last night, giving Figaro a rousing rendition. England's hordes would have filled their end, which the Romanians couldn't, but "'Ere we go" and "No surrender" were not missed.

Not everything had gone the Romanians' way against England. Last night they were without Gheorghe Popescu, injured in that match, and Cosmin Contra, Dan Petrescu and Adrian Ilie, all suspended after collecting their second yellow cards. In such circumstances, it was with considerable relief that they welcomed back Hagi to orchestrate their efforts from midfield.

Italy's coach, Dino Zoff, resisted calls for the promotion of Alessandro Del Piero, of Juventus, in place of his club teammate Inzaghi, who has not exactly set the tournament alight.

For half an hour it was cagey rather than captivating, neither goalkeeper having to make a save. Then Totti scored to shift things into top gear. By that stage Inzaghi had wasted a clear-cut chance, shooting wide when well-placed after good approach work by Totti and Stefano Fiore, and Viorel Moldovan had miscued a header close in.

The first goal arrived after 33 minutes, when Fiore's forward pass enabled Totti to drive the ball home from seven yards.

Game on. Almost immediately Florentin Petre hit the far post from the right extreme of the penalty area with Francesco Toldo, who had rushed out to meet the danger, hopelessly stranded, and Totti was close to getting a second. When the Italians did score again, two minutes before half-time, it was celebration time at last for Inzaghi.

Demetrio Albertini embarrassed Romania's offside trap with a bisecting through ball and the centre-forward many Italian fans would have had replaced ran on to score with aplomb from 12 yards.

Hagi demanded a useful save from Toldo with a shot from the edge of the penalty area, but at 2-0 it seemed to be all over at the halfway stage. The Italians are not given to surrendering two-goal leads.

Romania brought on Ioan Ganea, scorer of the decisive penalty against England, and within a couple of minutes of his introduction he would have put the match back in the balance but for a vital block by the Italian substitute, Gianluca Pessotto.

Instead of being back in contention, Romania were fatally undermined when Hagi, previously booked for a foul on Antonio Conte, was sent off when he fell theatrically under challenge from Zambrotta. It was a dive, but there was also a strong suspicion of a tug from behind by the Juventus man.

Alan Shearer, then, is not the only celebrated international to bow out of these championships in distressing circumstances.

The feeling that it was not to be Romania's night became irresistible when Liviu Ciobotariu had a goalbound drive blocked close in. Then Inzaghi, who was looking suspiciously offside, shivered a post from the 18-yard line.

The force was with Italy, and they went on to win with plenty to spare.