Soccer: Best is yet to come says Vieri

SAPPORO - Italian striker Christian Vieri says the best is still to come from his team after they began their cup campaign with a 2-0 win over Ecuador yesterday.

Vieri scored in the seventh and 27th minutes to set up a comfortable win in Italy's opening group G match, continuing the prolific form that saw him claim five goals in five games at the last World Cup in France four years ago.

"To score two goals in the first half of the first game obviously feels great," Vieri said.

"The boys tried hard to get me a third goal but it doesn't matter, I am satisfied with two. We will improve and I'm sure there are more goals on the way.

"Italy was in good shape and the medical team have worked well for me to improve my fitness which is going to continue to improve.

"I am sure that Italy will be better in the next games," added Vieri, whose team face Croatia and Mexico in their remaining group matches.

Vieri linked up well with Francesco Totti in attack but said the whole side deserved praise for a performance which confirmed Italy's status as one of the favourites for the title.

"It was not only Totti but the whole team who played well. The team worked fine. But it went well with Totti and we have to be content with a start like this," the strapping striker said.

Vieri's first goal was provided by Totti, who screwed the ball back from the byline into the path of his strike partner, who made no error with a left-foot finish from 10m out.

If that was a classic poacher's goal, Vieri showed his other qualities for the second. He charged on to a long ball forward from Luigi Di Biagio and held off Ulises De la Cruz' challenge before thumping a shot that spun off goalkeeper Jose Cevallos' legs and left him with a simple tap-in.

Vieri's showing will make opponents sit up and take notice. Midfielder Di Biagio, a calm force in midfield who typified Italy's composed performance, believes that his team have an unmatchable strike force.

"We have a great attack. You just need to think that we had Vincenzo Montella, Alessandro Del Piero and Filippo Inzaghi on the bench today," Di Biagio said.

"We have the best attack in the world when you take into account those subs."

- REUTERS

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