Italy have won the world cup!
After 120 minutes and five perfect penalties, Italy have become champions of the world for the fourth time.
If you didn't see the game, it was tight, especially after the first two goals were scored, and the Italians, who at several times in the last month thrilled us with attacking football, crawled back into their defensive shell and did what Italians did best - play cattenaccio football. While it wasn't pretty, it was certainly an absorbing final - never really reaching the excitement of the semi-final with the host, but the contest was always on. For the largest part of the 120 minutes, France was the aggressor, and by far the side that looked like they wanted it more. Ultimately, though, their many attacks were blunted by the dogged Italian defence, and whatever went past Cannavaro and Matterazzi didn't go past goalkeeper hero Gigi Buffon, whose save against a Zidane free header in extra time will not just go down as one of the best saves of the tournament, but certainly the most important.
The game will forever be marred, however, by a senseless headbutt by Zidane into Matterazzi's chest in the 110th minute. Ten minutes from retirement, Zidane displayed his badass charm and was duly thrown off the pitch - a shameful end to an otherwise legendary career.
The penalties were all of a high quality. So high that the only miss would have been a textbook unsavable penalty had it been two, three, maybe four inches lower. The Italians, who had been knocked out of the world cup three times on penalties - and once in the final - were extremely calm. Pirlo, Matterazzi, del Piero, de Rossi and - of course - Grosso, all converted excellent penalties, three of which were top corner kicks.
After that, it was a sea of blue and white as Camoranesi had his ponytail chopped off and Gattuso had his shorts stripped in what must have been "if we win the world cup, i will..." bets. The Italians were playful and childlike in their celebration, and the ceremony was capped off with Fabio Cannavaro hoisting up the world cup - a fitting end for the Italian centreback, whose majestic performances all month now lifts him into that pantheon of world cup winning captains: Maradonna, Pele, Beckenbauer, Dino Zoff.
Italy are the new world champions. They will go home to a stockpile of domestic football troubles, armed now with perhaps the best evidence for grace. But that is for another day. Today, Italy win the world cup - they deserve to paint Berlin blue.
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1 comments:
I wouldn't say buffon was any good during the penalties.
He didn't once jump towards the ball. atleast barthez jump the same side as the ball but because of his short arms, he couldn't grab it. ARGGH!!!
But buffon did a few saves during the game. :)
I think both teams were playing very well. Too bad it ended ina penalty!
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