powered by Google  
CBSSports.com Toni turns ineffective for Italy as scoreless streak reaches seven games - Soccer Sports News   Track your favorite teams and players.
Free membership, Register Now
Already a member, Log In
 


Community
Newsletters | Help
  Home   Fantasy     NFL  |  MLB  |  NBA  |  NHL  |  College FB  |  College BK  |  Golf  |  More CBS College | High School | Mobile | Shop  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Horses Home
 Live Racing
 Youbet Update
 Carryovers
 Free Selections
 Contests
 U. of BET
 Message Board
 
 
 
 
 Cycling Home
 Results
 Standings
 Stages
 Teams
 Riders
 Message Board
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Arena Football
 Auto Racing
 Boxing
 CBS College Sports
 CBS Sports TV
 College Baseball
 College Hockey
 Collegiate Nationals
 Contests
 Fantasy FB Today
 Fantasy News
 Horse Racing
 Message Board
 MMA
 Olympics
 Poker
 Soccer
 SPiN
 Tennis
 Tour de France
 Video
 WNBA
 Women's Coll BK
 World Sports
 
 Site Index
 
 
 CBS College Sports
 Coll Sports Tonight
 Get CBS Coll Sports
 XXL - Watch Now
 Talent Bios
 Schedules
 School Sites
 
 
 Find your School
 Football Scoreboard
 Football Rankings
 Football Passing Leaders
Football Rushing Leaders
Football Highlights
Volleyball Rankings
MaxPreps High School Sports
MaxPreps TV Schedule
 
 
 Featured Application
 Mobile Web
 Alerts
 Applications
 Video
 
 
 Home
 NFL
 NCAA
 MLB
 NBA
 NHL
 Fantasy
 
Soccer Home | Scoreboard | Standings | Schedules | Stats | Teams | Video
 

Toni turns ineffective for Italy as scoreless streak reaches seven games

 

VIENNA, Austria (AP) -At this rate, Luca Toni's mustache will turn into a full beard by the time he returns to Bayern Munich. Maybe he'll get his scoring touch back then, too.

The 1.92-meter (6-foot-4) striker extended his goal-less streak with Italy to seven games after Sunday's 4-2 penalty shootout loss to Spain in the European Championship quarterfinals after a 0-0 draw.

Toni hasn't scored for Italy since a friendly against Portugal in February, a stretch of 535 minutes.

Perhaps seeking some superstitious help, Toni decided to let his mustache grow after the group stage, when his biggest contribution was drawing a penalty that saw Eric Abidal sent off in the 2-0 win over France.

"Sometimes it's tougher for forwards to maintain their form after a long season," Italy coach Roberto Donadoni said. "But like I've already said, that penalty and expulsion he earned against France was worth two goals."

Toni scored 39 goals to help Bayern win the Bundesliga this season, and his scoring was also crucial for Bayern in the UEFA Cup and German Cup.

Toni scored twice in the last five minutes of extra time against Getafe to put Bayern through to the UEFA Cup semifinals in April, then added two more - including another in extra time - to lead his team to a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup final a week later.

At this tournament, even though it seemed he was the only reference point in Italy's attack, Toni turned ineffective.

The situation wasn't much different from two years ago, when Toni scored in only one game of Italy's victorious World Cup run, notching two goals in a quarterfinal victory over Ukraine after a season when he led all scorers in Europe with 31 goals for Fiorentina.

Toni wasn't Italy's only unproductive forward.

The Azzurri's seven attacking players all went scoreless. Defender Christian Panucci scored in the 1-1 draw with Romania, while Andrea Pirlo and fellow midfielder Daniele De Rossi scored against France.

"There's no sense in talking in those terms," Italy coach Roberto Donadoni said. "The forwards did their jobs, even though they didn't score goals, they did some positive things."

To Toni's credit, he had a goal annulled against Romania for an offside call that replays showed should have counted.

Copyright 2008 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
 
 
 
 
 
Headlines
 
 
 
CBS Sports Store
David Beckham Galaxy Jersey
Support your favorite MLS Team
Get the gear Shop today!