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![]() Toni scores two in an emphatic win
![]() Toni celebrates his first goal from a 59th minute header. HAMBURG, Germany -- Luca Toni scored twice as Italy brushed aside Ukraine 3-0 in Hamburg to cruise into the World Cup semifinals. Defender Gianluca Zambrotta opened the scoring in the sixth minute from 20 meters after exchanging passes with Francesco Totti. In the 58th minute Zambrotta cleared the ball off his own goal line to foil Ukraine's best chance. A minute later, Toni scored his first goal with a header and the striker added a second when he slid in Zambrotta's pass in the 69th minute. Italy will now face hosts Germany in the semifinals in Dortmund on Tuesday. Zambrotta put Italy on their way when he set up a one-two with Totti and finished it off with a left foot drive which goalkeeper Oleksandr Shovkosvskyi got a hand to but could not keep out. It was only his second goal in 56 games for Italy. It put the Azzurri in the situation they have perfected over decades of World Cup success -- defending a slender lead. They slightly released their grip on the game early in the second half but ironically killed the game off just when a generally weak Ukraine were enjoying their best phase. In the 57th minute Zambrotta cleared off the line soon after goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon had pulled off a brave save. ![]() Zambrotta scored one, created one and cleared off his line. Italy swept upfield and won their first corner of the match which led to Toni punishing lax marking with a close range header to make it 2-0. The luckless Ukrainians then saw Andriy Gusin's powerful shot rebound from the Italian crossbar in the 62nd minute and seven minutes later a superb run by the industrious Zambrotta led to Toni prodding in his second from close range. After seven seasons in Serie A, Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko no longer held any secrets for Italy's expert defense and could not give his president Victor Yushchenko any reason to cheer in the stands. In the end, Ukraine were as a team which had too little to offer beyond a robust defense but they will be content that their first World Cup finals appearance did not end until the quarterfinals. And even when the Italian defense fumbled on a rare occasion, there was Gianluigi Buffon slapping a header from Andriy Gusin onto the post in the 49th minute. World Cups are not only won on talent and Italy was lucky when a header from Andriy Gusin crashed onto the bar in the 62nd.
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