Rossi ends US dream of first Italy victory

The United States looked on course for a first ever victory over Italy on Monday when a young striker from Teaneck, New Jersey stole it from them.Giuseppe Rossi, born near New York to Italian immigrants and now wearing the colors of Italy, scored a 59th minute equalizer with a thumping shot from 26 meters (yards) less than two minutes after coming on as a substitute. He made his first appearance for Italy last October.After Daniele De Rossi added a second with another long range strike, Rossi, sold to Spain's Villareal by Manchester United two years ago, collected a pass from Andrea Pirlo with a powerful first time strike to complete Italy's 3-1 victory at the Confederations Cup.Landon Donovan had given the Americans a deserved 41st minute lead from the penalty spot with his 40th international goal even though Bob Bradley's team was down to 10 men after a harsh red card given to Ricardo Clark a few minutes earlier for a foul on Gennaro Gattuso.With the Italians looking uninspired even against 10 men, coach Marcello Lippi sent on Rossi and the game turned.The 22-year-old striker's arrival gave the Italians a far more potent threat in attack alongside Alberto Gilardino and Vincenzo Iaquinta and the American defense, which had given barely a chance, came under strong presser in the last 30 minutes.They succumbed to the two long range shots and an inspired move and now the US has lost four times to Italy alongside three ties.Bradley's team didn't look like a side down to 10 men as they continued to hold the Italians in midfield. But the emergence of Rossi changed everything.The striker with joint Italian-US citizenship took the ball from Benny Feilhaber on halfway and ran 15 meters before firing a powerful left footer that flew past his former Manchester United teammate Tim Howard inside the post.De Rossi's second matched Rossi's goal, a 30-meter drive which flew past two defenders and inside Howard's far post.And in the fourth minute of injury time, Pirlo danced round a defender on the left and floated a ball back to Rossi who drove it powerfully past Howard for the third.