DUISBURG:

Italy has been in this position before. The Azzurri opened with a 2-0 win over Ghana and their confidence is high entering Saturday’s Group E match against the United States.

In the last World Cup, Italy also started off with a 2-0 win — over Ecuador — and followed it with a 2-1 loss to Croatia. Two games later, the Azzurri were on their way home after a

golden goal by South Korea’s Ahn Jung-hwan.

There’s a difference this time, though. Italy say the corruption scandal at home has brought this team together. “We didn’t have this feeling at past World Cups and European Championships,” goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said. “There’s a strong bond between

us. When we were overrrated, I didn’t have the modesty to admit it.”

The United States is coming off a 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic and will be playing for survival. “We definitely need to create more chances against Italy than we did against the Czechs,” midfielder Bobby Convey said. “It’s going to be difficult. Obviously they’re a hard team to break down. We have to take our one, two, three chances. When we get a chance, we have to score.”

While Fabio Cannavaro and Alessandro Nesta still will hold down the centre of defence, Italy could alter its flanks from the Ghana match. Gianluca Zambrotta has returned from a left

thigh injury and will almost certainly start. The only question for coach Marcello Lippi is whether to use him at left or right back. Fabio Grosso played on the left against Ghana and Palermo teammate Cristian Zaccardo was on the right. One of them seems destined for the bench.

Francesco Totti, still recovering from left leg surgery, likely will play more than the 55 minutes he got against Ghana. In attack, Vincenzo Iaquinta is threatening Alberto Gilardino’s spot in the starting lineup. Mauro Camoranesi was a fixture in Italy’s midfield until Lippi replaced him with Simone Perrotta for the Ghana game.

Czech vs Ghana

WUERZBURG: With the Czech Republic missing two key strikers, Ghana hopes it has gained an advantage for its match on Saturday. However, advantages come in all sizes, and even without Jan Koller and Milan Baros, Black Stars coach Ratomir Dujkovic acknowledges the Czechs have plenty in reserve. “The Czechs have quality, they like to win and they always have a strategy to beat any team,” Dujkovic said. Koller scored in the Czechs’ stylish 3-0 victory against the United States, while midfielder Tomas Rosicky added the other two.

Ghana is trying to invigorate its offence, after losing 2-0 to Italy and producing few chances. The Black Stars are likely to again rely heavily on the midfield skills of captain Stephen Appiah, Michael Essien of Chelsea, and Udinese’s Suli Muntari, but lack the depth to consider major changes. Instead, Dujkovic hinted at tactical changes, requiring midfielders to provide greater attacking support to Ghana’s striking duo — likely to remain Matthew Amoah and Asamoah Gyan.

Midfielders also are important for Czech coach Karel Bruckner. They include Arsenal’s new signing Rosicky, Juventus’ Pavel Nedved, fellow-veteran Karel Poborsky and captain Tomas Galasek of Ajax Amsterdam.