Tor! Tor! Tor! Tor!!!!! The World of Soccer

[Giancarlo]

WELL DONE ITALY

Even though the French team didn't exactly lose the match 

But OMG! Whatever happened to Zidane? Did any of you in your country get the explanation? Because we didn't. We can take a defeat, as after all they went all the way to the final - which not many people expected - but we are just so puzzled at the way Zidane hit the Italian player! My German partner says there's an awful lot of racism among the Italian football/soccer players, and that that Italian player must've been extremely offensive in a racist manner for Zidane to behave this way. Any hint anyone ?

France did lose the match in the penalty kicks. The penalty kicking is part of the game whether you want to admit it or not.

Zidane has temper issues. He has done this before. The italian player taunted him a little, but he should of just cooled off. He has a history of kicking players and such. He did it in 1998 and wasn't playing against Togo. The Italian players are not racist. Great, now you are spewing off some unfounded rumors.

[isabelle]

What an awful awful foul by Zidane.   It’s a shame for a person that showed a lot of heart in the game up till that foul.  Sometime you just wonder what was going through that person’s mind at that critical moment.  Particular for him at the end of this professional careers, that a disgraceful way to end otherwise a great career.

Agreed Jenny, but you've got to realize Zidane certainly didn't do this without a good reason, even if it remains inexcusable.

[Giancarlo]

We owe this to the best goalie in the world, Buffon:

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news;_ylt=AgfAVe7ihW5gDXbkKFJep3Qmw7YF?slug=ap-wcup-italy&prov=ap&type=lgns

ERLIN (AP) -- Italy never lost a game this World Cup in large part because goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was himself unbeatable.

Buffon allowed just two goals in seven games, but neither was scored by an opponent from the run of play.

One score was an own-goal by an Italian defender, the second was a penalty kick that put France up 1-0 before Italy tied it 1-1 and went on to win Sunday's final 5-3 on penalty kicks. Italy's other five games were shutout wins.

"It's never crossed my mind that I would be scored on," Buffon said.

[Giancarlo]

Agreed Jenny, but you've got to realize Zidane certainly didn't do this without a good reason, even if it remains inexcusable.

If someone calls me a racist slur, I'm not going to head butt them. I'm going to shrug it off.

[isabelle]

So, no hint anyone about what happened?

[JennyC]

Agreed Jenny, but you've got to realize Zidane certainly didn't do this without a good reason, even if it remains inexcusable.

So, no hint anyone about what happened?

Isabelle,

I feel really sorry for him as people will always mention that foul when they talk about him from now on.  I don't think he deserves such an ending (well he did deserve the red card.)

No word on the nature of their verbal exchange here in US.  I too wondered what tipped him off.  But anyway that was, as you said, inexcusable. He let his emotion get the better of him and forgot the big picture here. [sigh] 

[henrypie]

No idea but kinda curious.  Maybe Materazzi whispered that he humped Zidane's sister during the halftime show.

[Pipedream]

Herzlichen Glückwunsch Italien!
Congratulazioni cordiali Italia!  

































I really feel bad for the French nation. Their team clearly dominated the second half of the game, and nobody could foresee Zidane's fatal blackout. How could something like this happen to a routinier like him?? Darn it. I so hoped for a worthy farewell of that great player. Kahn and Figo had a better one on Saturday.

Anyways, am I bitter? Not really. It wasn't the great encounter everybody had hoped for in the final, of course, and neither the Italian nor the French team gave continual convincing performances throughout the tournament.
But then, that's the game. Somebody has to win in the end.

One thing is for sure: I love both countries, and I'll be spending my summer vacations in Italy this year as usual (no offence meant to the French, but Bavaria and Italy are just so close...) My little daughter even has an Italian name: Franca...   

Well, Italy is World Champion and that calls for some appropriate music, doesn't it? 

Azzurro!!! (Not the Adriano Celentano version, but still... ) 
↓ (play me!)

[Giancarlo]

I really don't think France dominated the game at all. They did for part of the 2nd half but it wasn't enough. I told many of my friends that Buffon would prevent France from winning. It came down to Gianluigi Buffon is going to be treated as a national hero. I think France and Italy played very well. I'm sorry that Zidane could not brush something off like that, but he has a history of losing his temper. The sad thing is his career has now ended on a very sad note.

That first penalty kick too was a joke... the one in the first half. The Italians didn't even touch the player. As far as I'm concerned, the referee made a bad call.

[Pipedream]

Tragic figure: Zinedine Zidane!