The Azzurri scratched out a 2-1 win over Bulgaria on a rain-soaked field in the northern Portuguese city of Guimarães, but were eliminated from the tournament when Sweden and Denmark simultaneously battled to a 2-2 draw in Porto.
That pair of results meant all three teams ended up tied in Group C with five points, but the Italians finished third in the group. Both Denmark and Sweden scored two goals in their games involving the three teams, while Italy only managed one goal in their two games against the Swedes and the Danes.
Martin Petrov of Bulgaria, right, outruns Simone Perrotta of Italy in their Group C game on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)
With the score tied 1-1, Antonio Cassano scored four minutes into injury time for Italy, but the Italians went from instant joy to instant horror when they learned that the Swedes scored a late goal to tie the Danes 2-2.
Italy is the first team to be eliminated from the European Championship without a loss since group play was introduced in 1980.
"We are leaving the championship with our heads up," said coach Giovanni Trapattoni. "We deserved victory against the Swedes. I don't want to judge the referee but there were several bad foul on [Alessandro] Del Piero."
Playing without several key players due to suspension – star playmaker Francesco Totti, captain Fabio Cannavaro and midfield battler Gennaro Gattuso – Italy looked a timid side in the opening half, failing to sustain offensive pressure for any length of time.
Marco Materazzi came in for Cannavaro in the centre of defence and Stefano Fiore filled in for Gattuso, and striker Bernardo Corradi started in place of an unfit Christian Vieri.
A constant, driving drizzle turned the field into a slick marsh, making it difficult for both teams to pass accurately and make driving runs up the middle. Bulgaria attacked from the flanks with confidence, while Italy lacked inventiveness, relying on long balls from the midfield played up to the strikers.
Though Bulgaria carried the action for the opening 15 minutes, it was Italy that created the first scoring chance of the game.
Bulgarian goalkeeper Zdravko Zdravkov thwarted the Italians in the 12th minute, stopping Gianluca Zambrotta's wicked shot with a brilliant diving, reaction save.
The teams exchanged a series of half-chances, but Bulgaria stunned the Italians by taking a 1-0 lead before the first-half whistle.
Materazzi was adjudged to have tugged down Dimitar Berbatov in the Italian area and Martin Petrov converted on the penalty shot to give Bulgaria a shocking lead.
"I cannot understand the penalty," said Materazzi. "He was pulling my jersey, when the referee whistled I thought it was in our favour."
It looked bleak for an Italian team that failed to impress in the opening 45 minutes, but they came out of the half-time break with new attacking verve.
Three minutes after the re-start, Zdravkov failed to clear a rebound off the crossbar and in the mad goalmouth scramble that ensued Simone Perrotta poked the ball past the goal line to give Italy new life.
Andrea Pirlo nearly made it 2-1 when he curled in a free kick that just whispered over the crossbar. Vieri came on as a substitute for Corradi in the 53rd minute, but the Inter Milan striker failed to connect with any of his scoring opportunities.
Then in the 77th minute, Italy had a penalty appeal denied. Defender Kiril Kotev brought down Cassano just inside the box, but the referee waved play on.
Reeking of pure desperation, Italy pressed in the final ten minutes, pouring players forward looking for the tying goal.
Cassano scored deep into injury time, but he and his teammates sulked off the field when they realized Sweden scored in the 89th minute to tie the Danes and send the Italians home.
"To leave the championship with five points it's bitter," said Materazzi. "The result of Denmark-Sweden was expected with Denmark going ahead and Sweden coming back each time."
Trapattoni was asked if he had suspicions about the result of the Sweden-Denmark game.
"I have none," he said.
Asked if he would protest to UEFA, the governing body of European soccer, he replied: "Absolutely not."
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