It wasn't 1980 USA-USSR hockey but it was pretty close. In the biggest World Cup shocker so far, defending champion Italy was held to a 1-1 draw Sunday by New Zealand, the most lightly-regarded team in the field.

Incredibly, the mighty Azzurri are now on equal footing with the All Whites, each having scored two goals in two draws, for advancing to the last 16.

"They shan't want to pick up a copy of La Gazzetta Dello Sport (an Italian national sports daily) tomorrow. It will make for horrible reading," said ESPN announcer Ian Darke over shots of the dejected Italians on the sidelines.

Italy's media had a field day with the Kiwis in pre-match reports, claiming in so many words that the side from down under was a football joke. I don't know if NZ coach Ricki Herbert hired someone to translate those reports and stick them on the locker room bulletin board but for whatever reason, his team played an inspired match.

Shane Smeltz converted a free kick from Simon Elliot in the seventh minute, eliciting gasps from Milan to Palermo as New Zealand took a 1-0 lead. The Italians equalized on a penalty kick by Vincenzo Iaquinta in the 28th minute after Daniele de Rossi fell in the area.

Replays showed the call was harsh as defender Tommy Smith pulled very lightly on de Rossi's shirt. Italy had the lion's share of possessions and chances after that but could never get in front. Darke claimed that people in New Zealand watching the match at 4 a.m. local time, were now waking their neighbors to tell them to tune in.

"The final whistle will sound like a concerto when it's blown," Darke said, as the underdogs held off late attacks in extra time.

Goalkeeper Mark Paston made several remarkable saves to keep his team level.

"The All Whites are all right tonight!" exclaimed Darke at the finish.

It is an amazing story that New Zealand, a nation with only one professional soccer club (The Wellington Phoenix which competes in Australia's A-League) playing a sport that stands a distant third in interest its country (behind rugby and cricket) could get a result against the reigning world champions.

Brazil had no such upset worries against Ivory Coast, dispatching the African side, 3-1, and clinching a spot in the knockout round.

Luis Fabiano scored in the 25th and 50th minutes to give the South Americans a 2-0 lead. Fabiano should have been whistled for either of two handballs on his second tally, a fact he freely admitted after the match.

Brazil's poster boy Kaka, a handsome mega star who has been curiously absent from almost all of the high-priced TV commercials airing during the tournament, set up Elano for a tap-in in the 62nd minute to seal the outcome.

Kaka was later sent off for two yellow cards in the 85th and 88th minutes. He can't play in the next match but as it turns out, won't be needed. Chelsea's Didier Drogba scored a late goal for the Elephants but by then Ivory Coast was toast.

The coach of the African side is the well-traveled Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Larry Brown of soccer managers. There were high hopes for his squad which features Drogba and his Chelsea teammate Salamon Kalou, the Toure brothers Kolo, who plays for Manchester City and Yaya, a standout at Barcelona and Emmanuel Eboue, an Arsenal veteran.

But the Ivorians have just a single point after two matches and could be in major trouble if Portugal defeats North Korea tomorrow in the other Group G match.

The Portuguese would then have four points, trailing group leader Brazil by two.

MONDAY SCHEDULE
(all times Central)

Group G -- Portugal vs. North Korea, 6:30 a.m. (ESPN)
Group H -- Chile vs. Switzerland, 9 a.m. (ESPN)
Group H -- Spain vs. Honduras, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN)