ITALY HAS VIERI, VIERI EASY TIME OF IT; FORGOTTEN FORWARD'S TWO GOALS LEAD ROUT OF CAMEROON : ITALY 3, CAMEROON 0.

Byline: Mike Jensen Philadelphia Inquirer 

Italy interrupted its national sports debate last night to play a soccer game. The country had to be pleased with the result, a 3-0 victory over Cameroon sparked by Christian Vieri's two goals that pushed Italy to the verge of qualifying for the second round.

Now the talk can begin again. For the past six days, all of Italy - all of Europe, really - has endlessly discussed whether the divine Roberto Baggio or the brilliant Alessandro Del Piero should start at one forward spot. Or, more popularly, whether they should start together.

Pele was asked to give his opinion. The prime minister of Italy volunteered his own thoughts (``Play them both,'' said the politician.) ``La Gazzetta dello Sport'', the leading Italian sports daily, could have run a special section on the subject. On Tuesday, the paper had six separate stories concerning Baggio and Del Piero.

Only Italian coach Cesar Maldini seemed to take it all in stride.

``I understand that Prime Minister Romano Prodi is a great admirer of cycling,'' Maldini said with a smile after hearing his leader weigh in.

Maldini did shake up his lineup a bit Wednesday at Stade de la Mosson, but it had nothing to do with his stars. Baggio, his international career now fully resurrected, again got the start and set up Italy's first goal. Del Piero, recovered from a thigh-muscle strain, made his World Cup debut, replacing Baggio in the second half, and he looked dangerous.

But it was Italy's forgotten forward, Vieri, who scored two late goals, giving him three for the World Cup.

This game won't quell fears, however, that Italy isn't up to challenging for the title this time. After Luigi Di Biagio headed in a cross from Baggio in the seventh minute, Italy challenged for a while then went back on its heels. Its defense looked vulnerable.

Cameroon, the youngest team in the World Cup and one of its most physically aggressive, played with just 10 men in the second half after Raymond Kalla Nkongo received a questionable red card in the 43rd minute. Yet the Indomitable Lions took it to Italy repeatedly in the first 20 minutes after halftime.

Pierre Wome rifled a free kick from just outside the box. Twenty-year-old Joseph-Desire Job rocketed a shot that was headed inside the near post if Italian keeper Gianluca Pagliuca didn't just get to it and push it away.

``After the first goal, we suffered a little bit and had a little fright,'' said Maldini, who admitted concern that the match was going to be a carbon copy of its initial tie with Chile. ``We had a kind of hesitation, a continuation of the first game we played.''

Cameroon's goalkeeper, veteran Jacques Songo'o, who plays professionally for RC Deportivo in Spain, was a star of the match, diving all over the box to keep Italy away until Vieri scored on a breakaway in the 75th minute.

Italy's last goal shouldn't have made it to the scoreboard. Vieri pushed Wome out of his way to get a clear shot in the 89th minute.

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color) Chile goalie Nelson Tapia lays on the ground after Austria's Ivica Vastic scored in the last minute to tie the score at 1-1.

Michel Euler/Associated Press

(2) Italy's Alessandro Nesta, right, and Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o jump for the ball as Italy's Paolo Maldini arrives late. Italy won 3-0.

Michael Probst/Associated Press