Italy's struggling forwards still can't find the goal and it's becoming a serious problem for the defending champions at the World Cup.
For the second consecutive game, Italy controlled play from start to finish but no forward hit the target - save for Vincenzo Iaquinta's penalty shot - in a shocking 1-1 draw with 78th-ranked New Zealand on Sunday.
The Italians have scored only five goals in their last seven matches and only one forward has scored in open play: Fabio Quagliarella in a 1-1 draw with Switzerland in a pre-World Cup friendly.
``We're lacking quality in the scoring area,'' midfielder Daniele De Rossi said. ``We played the entire match in their half but we don't have enough to show for it.''
De Rossi scored a second-half equalizer in the Azzurri's opening 1-1 draw with Paraguay and was voted player of the match against New Zealand.
``We've got to improve right away or we won't even advance,'' said De Rossi, looking ahead to the last Group F game against Slovakia on Thursday. ``If we can't win a game we deserve to be eliminated.''
Paraguay leads the group with four points, two clear of Italy and New Zealand and three ahead of Slovakia.
Coach Marcello Lippi reverted from a 4-2-3-1 to a more traditional 4-4-2 against New Zealand, with Alberto Gilardino and Iaquinta up front. As was the case against Paraguay, Gilardino hardly made an impact and was replaced at halftime by Antonio Di Natale, who led the Serie A with 29 goals for Udinese this past season.
Lippi had midfielders Simone Pepe and Claudio Marchisio swap sides midway through the first half, then switched Pepe for Mauro Camoranesi to start the second half.
So, could all the tactical changes be confusing the Azzurri?
``I don't know,'' captain Fabio Cannavaro said. ``Lippi often changes tactics during the middle of a game, so it doesn't surprise me. Sometimes it works well and sometimes it doesn't.''
Italy had 23 shots to New Zealand's three and led 7-1 in shots on goal. The Italians struggled in the air, though, against the physical and tall All Whites.
``All of our shots were from long range. We should have kept the ball on the ground more,'' left back Domenico Criscito said.
Lippi left 1.93-meter (6-foot-4) striker Luca Toni at home, and never really considered calling up controversial but talented scorers Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli.
``I didn't leave home any phenomenal players that would have altered the course of the game. It would have gone the same way with them,'' Lippi said. ``You can't blame one area. It's not a question of attack, defense or midfield. I made those changes because I wanted to get a different look. I wanted to test all the weapons available to me.''
Italy finished the game against New Zealand with three forwards, with Giampaolo Pazzini joining Di Natale and Iaquinta - but the most dangerous scoring attempts came from midfield. New Zealand goalkeeper Mark Paston was forced to make a leaping save on a long, powerful shot from Riccardo Montolivo that could have won the game in the 70th minute.
Montolivo also hit the post in the first half.
The only forward who hasn't played yet is Quagliarella, while Gilardino seems a candidate to be benched against Slovakia.
``Often I play with my back facing the goal and that penalizes me,'' Gilardino said. ``I've got to try and get deeper. We've got to finish better.''
Italy can console itself with the fact that it also drew its opening two games in 1982, when it went on to win its third World Cup title.
However, the problems with this team don't lie purely in attack.
At 36, Cannavaro appears to have lost his touch. He made a horrendous error to hand New Zealand the lead in the seventh minute following a free kick, and was also beaten to a header following a set piece against Paraguay.
``What can I say? These things happen,'' Cannavaro said. ``But we don't like to put the blame on a single player.''
