by Francesca Di Meglio

I watched these first games with family and friends - and it was beautiful. Smiles all around and tables full of food welcomed us each time. The one rule that I found difficult to digest was that we couldn't eat before or during the game for fear of getting an upset stomach because of our nerves. We had to wait to have dinner until after the matches, which usually started late in the evening and ended around 11 p.m. My stomach would growl at the players as much as I did.

Italy got off to a great start beating Ghana, two to nil, despite the fact that the African team was fast and strong. But the Italian players were worn out and, perhaps, underestimated the Americans in their second match on June 17. In the end, Italy came back to win a goal and tie the United States, one to one, after Italian defender Cristian Zaccardo scored an own goal.

In the final game of the first round versus the Czech Republic, the Italians had to tie or win to advance. If they tied, they would likely finish second and have to face Brazil in the second round. If they won, they would finish first and would play against Australia instead. The Italians played much more confidently than they did versus the United States, and they won two to nil with goals from Marco Matterazzi and Filippo Inzaghi, both substitutes.

For Americans, historically, advancing to the second round was cause for great celebration. But Italians expect a lot more from their team. Therefore, there weren't many folks in the street after these first victories. A few people would honk their horn as they passed to signal Italy had won but that was about it. Most everyone, however, already had Italian flags hanging from their balconies.

It was considered natural for Italy to perform well and make it to the next level of competition. I found this strange because Italy, especially in recent World Cup tournaments, has had a difficult time passing the initial stages. I thought people would be much happier - and wilder - but they reserved their happiness for later.

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