Sunday, June 18 2006 12:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kaiserslautern (Germany): The United States held Italy to a 1-1 draw in an explosive World Cup Group E match in Kaiserslautern on Saturday.

With three players sent off, the US was reduced to a nine-man team as it faced 10-man Italy in the match.

AC Milan striker Alberto Gilardino headed a 22nd minute opener for Italy then Cristian Zaccardo knocked a Bobby Convey free-kick into his own net in the 27th minute.

A minute later Daniele De Rossi was sent off for a vicious elbow into the face of Brian McBride but the Americans went a man down in the 44th minute when Argentine-born Pablo Maestroni was given a red card for a bad tackle on Andrea Pirlo.

Then Uruguayan referee Jorge Larriondo sent off Eddie Pope when he caught Gilardino for a second yellow card in the 47th minute.

Goalkeeper Kasey Keller saved the US with two great saves in the last 10 minutes from substitute Alessandro Del Piero.

"I think we could have won with 10 men but not with nine," Keller said afterwards.

"Of course, it's not three points, but to get just one point from this situation is tremendous," he said.

And he refused to accept that the Americans could make no further progress in the tournament with the Italians on four points, the Czech Republic and Ghana on three each and the US on one.

"This group is alive now. We have every chance of qualifying," he said.

After Ghana's shock 2-0 win over the Czech Republic earlier on Saturday, Group E was wide open.

The Italians top the group on four points ahead of the Czechs and Ghana on three points each but could yet fail to qualify for the next round if they lose to the Czechs and Ghana beat the United States next Thursday.

It was only the fourth time in World Cup history that three players had been sent off in one match. The other occasions were Brazil-Italy in 1938, Brazil-Hungary in 1954 and Denmark-South Africa in 1998.

American defender Carlos Bocanegra headed Pirlo's free-kick on to his own crossbar in the closing stages and Italy effectively finished with nine men as Simone Perrotta was hobbling with all three substitutes having been used.

"I'm disappointed and angry," said Italy coach Marcello Lippi afterwards.

"We didn't go into this match in the right frame of mind and we paid for it with the nervous way we played and the mistakes we made," he said.

US coach Bruce Arena praised his side's refusal to surrender.

"Two red cards in the space of five minutes is pretty harsh and I respect the team for the way they dealt with it," he said.