Dortmund: Italy threw off their tradition of cautious football to earn a place in the World Cup final after a 2-0 extra-time victory over hosts Germany in an enthralling semi-final on Tuesday.
For decades castigated for their conservatism, the Italians gambled by playing the bulk of extra-time with four strikers and they hit the woodwork twice before beautifully taken late goals from Fabio Grosso and Alessandro Del Piero saw off a determined German side.
Clearly Italy coach Marcello Lippi did not relish the prospect of a penalty shoot-out which history indicated would end in tears for the Azzurri.
The Italians have gone out of three of the last four World Cups on penalties, including the 1994 final which they lost to Brazil, while Germany have won all four of theirs in the competition.
Refreshingly neither side played for extra-time or penalties and had it ended goalless, as seemed likely, then the match would have been a perfect example of how the game does not always need a goal to be compelling.
Germany coach Juergen Klinsmann had played his part in a positive end to the game, throwing on wingers Bastian Schweinsteiger and David Odonkor in the second half of normal time as he sought to stretch a tiring Italian side.
Lippi's only change in normal time was to replace like with like -- Luca Toni going off for fellow striker Alberto Gilardino -- but once the game went into extra-time, the silver-haired tactician made his move.
Off came Argentine-born midfielder Mauro Camoranesi to allow an extra forward in the shape of Vincenzo Iaquinta.
The Azzurri went straight for the Germans with Gilardino hitting the post and then attacking full-back Gianluca Zambrotta crashing a shot against the cross-bar.
Positive Switch
Lippi then made his second positive switch by removing midfielder Simone Perrotta for forward Alessandro Del Piero and despite leaving plenty of space in midfield, Italy never let the Germans get a grip on the game again.
A big part of the credit for the success of Lippi's gamble must go the two men who carried the responsibility in midfield -- the masterful Andrea Pirlo and the tireless Gennaro Gattuso.
The pair held Italy together during extra-time having spent the bulk of the game making up for a lethargic Francesco Totti.
Italy, now unbeaten in 24 games, go into the final with a defence that has conceded a single goal in the entire tournament -- an own goal -- and once again captain Fabio Cannavaro was rock solid at the back.
This was the first time in the competition that Lippi's side had come up against a team of equal stature and they proved that despite their easy path to the last four they fully deserve their place in the final.
Germany's run to the semi-finals had raised the hopes of a nation that they could triumph on home soil, just as West Germany had done in 1974, but in the end the enthusiasm, supreme fitness and solidity of Klinsmann's young side was not enough.
The lively German striker Lukas Podolski worked so hard throughout the 120 minutes against the tight-marking of Cannavaro and could have been the match-winner in the second period of extra-time when he unleashed a fine shot which was brilliantly saved by Italy keeper Gianluigi Buffon.
Tight games such as this one turn on such moments but few would deny Italy deserve the chance to aim for their fourth World Cup win in Sunday's final against either France or Portugal.
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