Zidane still got the Golden Ball as best player in the tournament.
Zidane scored the first goal of the game early on a penalty kick, that hit the cross bar and came straight down, right behind the goal line.
Italy tied it up a few minutes later and the two teams didn't score for another 100 minutes or so.
The game got very boring at the end as neither team had enough stamina or onions to try to make something happen and risk losing the World Cup.
We had a wedding to go to so I watched the second OT and the penalty kicks in a hotel lobby while an annoyed Kate waited for me. Luckily, I made it before the ceremony started.
Italy made all five of its penalties, and France only missed one, when it hit the crossbar and bounced almost straight down, but unlike Zidane's it came down in front of the goal line.
I really enjoyed watching World Cup but I won't get into the EPL (English Premier League) but I will look forward to 2010 in South Africa when expectations will be high and the U.S. will flame out early again.
It's a real shame that Zidane went out the way he did. The story of the whole World Cup was that he is retiring from international and club play. I must have heard Dave O'Brien say that 1000 times. He just completely lost his cool.
I think the Italian guy flopped a little bit, even an Andre the Giant headbutt to the chest shouldn't send a grown man sprawling. It'll be interesting to see if Zidane is still remembered as one of the best players ever, or if this incident mars his whole legacy.
1 comment:
That was freakin cool in my book. Maybe not 'classy', but good for entertainment value. But I agree, the Italian guy probably pulled a little bit of a Reggie Miller.
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