Ten-man Belgium came back from one goal down to beat Italy 3-2 and reached the semifinals of the men's soccer tournament at the Beijing Olympics Games on Saturday.
Italy was also reduced to 10 players when their goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano was expelled just after Moussa Dembele scored his second goal, Belgium's winner, at the 80th minute.
Viviano, whose right eye was bleeding after Belgium's forward Kevin Mirallas threw the ball at his face, got enraged and pulled down the striker from behind violently. He then grabbed Belgium's forward To de Mul, who tried to stop the brawl, by the neck, referee Hector Baldassi of Argentina raced up and showed him the red card.
With only 17 minutes into play, Belgium found themselves in trouble after defender Thomas Vermaelen received the marching order for pulling down Italian forward Robert Acquafresca inside the area. Thanks to his foul Italy was awarded a penalty which was converted by Giuseppe Rossi.
With one player less, the underdog Belgium went all out to equalise the score, and they did it in the 24th minute when striker Moussa Dembele headed in a controversial goal off a corner at the 24th minute. Baldassi ruled the goal stood after an Italian defender kicked the ball out near the goal-line.
Mirallas put Belgium ahead just before the interval when he shrugged off Italian defender Salvatore Bocchetti and put the ball into the net.
Italy made it 2-2 at the 73rd minute from another penalty after Belgium defender Sepp de Roover tripped Italy's defender Paolo de Ceglie before the goal. Rossi made it from the spot again.
But the tenacious Belgians race ahead for the second time with ten minutes to go through Dembele whose ferocious long-range attempt left Viviano with no chance.
Belgium will play the winner between Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire in the semifinal.
(Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2008)