Italy, Sweden Advance; World Cup Finals Set

0:00It's March 27th. This is Canada News Today, your AI-powered local news. Italy picked up a vital win in the World Cup playoff semi-finals, beating Northern Ireland two goals to nothing at home in Bergamo. Sandra Tanali broke the deadlock with a sharp half-folly early in the second half, then set a moisey keen for the second with a precise crossfield. Pass. The four-time champions now need just one more victory to qualify and end their streak of missing out. Other nations punch their tickets to Tuesday's finals too. Bosnia and Herzegovina edged Wales, while the Czech Republic beat Ireland in a penalty shootout. Sweden, Poland, Turkey, Kosovo, and Denmark also advanced at for strong showings in their semis. Italy's coach, Genero Gatuso, called it a solid performance that should build confidence for the big trip to Bosnia. The Azeri have struggled lately, failing to qualify for the last two World Cups and exiting group stages in the 2010's tournaments.

1:00Their last deep run was winning it all in 2006. Meanwhile, Sweden's Viktor Giocharis, notched a hat trick in a three-to-one win over Ukraine, played in Spain due to the ongoing conflict. Poland relied on Robert Lewandowski's header in a comeback against Albania, and Kosovo stazed a wild four-to-three upset over Slovakia. Turkey's great pass Romania wanted nothing thanks to a slick assist from young star Art Agouler. These finals on Tuesday will decide the final European spots for the North American World Cup. Italy faces Bosnia with the winner kicking off against Canada in Toronto on June 12th, while the other clashes pit Sweden against Poland, Turkey, versus Kosovo and Denmark against the Czech Republic.