DUISBURG, Germany (AP) _ Vincenzo Iaquinta was the last striker to make Italy's squad and the first to score at the World Cup.

The forward came on in the second half and sealed Italy's 2-0 win over Ghana on Monday with an 83rd-minute goal after midfielder Andrea Pirlo opened the scoring.

A month ago, Iaquinta was battling with Livorno's Cristiano Lucarelli to make Italy's roster following a rough season at Udinese.

He began the season strongly with a hat trick against Panathinaikos in the Champions League, but was then held out of several games when he refused to extend his contract.

After he signed an extension through 2010, Iaquinta's return was delayed by a foot injury that kept him out for three months.

"It was an up and down season. I'm happy to be back in form now," Iaquinta said Thursday.

Iaquinta scored only nine goals for Udinese in Serie A this past season, including four penalties. Lucarelli notched 19 goals.

"There were some people who said I shouldn't be on the team," Iaquinta said. "But (coach Marcello) Lippi always kept me in consideration, and I'm happy I was able to repay him."

Iaquinta's goal against Ghana was his first for Italy, in his 12th match, and it came in his World Cup debut.

At 26, Iaquinta is a big, physical forward that took some time to develop into a dependable scorer, much like fellow Azzurri striker Luca Toni.

At 1.91-meters (6-foot-4), Iaquinta struggled to break through in Italy's lower divisions with Reggiolo, Padova and Castel di Sangro. He scored only two goals in each of his first two seasons at Udinese before producing 40 tallies over the past four seasons.

Iaquinta has been linked to an illegal betting probe that is part of the ongoing corruption scandal in Italian soccer.

He called his and the team's performance "a liberation."

Iaquinta now looks set to liberate himself from Udinese.

"I'm happy about the six seasons I've had at Udinese. Everyone wants to play for a big club, though," he said. "After the season we'll see."