Use this thread for an unbiased discussion about today’s game. For example, list all the reasons why Zinadine Zidane should rightfully lead France to its second trophy in three tournaments. You could also discuss what happens when the world’s best striker meets the world’s best goalkeeper (striker wins).
OK, I should mention that my wife is French. But you know I would never be influenced by that sort of thing…
***Update***
Gah. Italy very nearly owned the first half. My feeling is that when team scores on a penalty and the other scores in a fair play, the second team has the advantage. We will see if I am right.
***Update 2***
Ugh, I was right. People will be talking about what the hell happened to Zinadine Zidane for decades to come. COngratulations for making the corruption-plagued Italian squad look good. Ech.
***Update 3***
Sadly, everybody will remember this year’s World Cup championship match for this (via Rilkeblog):
* I should add that this YouTube embedding function might be the coolest thing since disco. Possibly cooler since you can watch disco on YouTube.
Punchy
So…you’re saying you have a lot of white towels and white flags in your house?
The Frogs will win if Italy actually plays the game on two feet instead on their ass half the game. I’ve seen fewer Italian dives at the 3-meter Springboard Nationals in Rome. I understand it’s “European soccer” to fall down a lot, but I’m guessing half the Italian team could double as landscape experts with the amount of time they spend wildly gyrating on the pitch every time they get touched.
Mary
I live in a Italian/Portuguese/South American Toronto neighbourhood and have seen all the usual celebrations after a win (and the glum silence after a loss). When France advanced to the finals and Portugal didn’t, our streets were compeltely clear of honking cars and waving flags — until the three cars of French fans showed up making as much noise as possible. I yelled at them that they obviously had a death wish, but they probably didn’t hear me.
I’m originally from Québec, so I’ll root for France too. Plus, some of those French boys were cute and I wouldn’t mind having them back in our neighbourhood.
Andrew
Italian Soccer Training
Punchy
God I wish I could watch this match. Damn lab work. I’d like to see the stats on how often the team that scores FIRST–penalty kick be dammed–wins.
I’m guessing it’s probably around 75%. Italy has absolutely no one that can handle Zidane.
capelza
Congratulations Italy!!!!!
Ancient Purple
Great game. Right down to the wire.
Punchy
Looks like Tim’s not getting any tonite.
Andrew
Unfortunately, last nights UFC wasn’t nearly as good as Zidane’s MMA.
Jim Allen
What in the wide world of sports was Zidane thinking?
Paul Wartenberg
Zidane’s thoughts:
“Damn, I missed that whole running of the bulls thing in Spain! Ah well, let’s hold a reinactment right now!”
Par R
By the way, not one member of the Italian soccer squad is involved in the swirling “corruption-plagued” charges that Tim makes mention of in passing. About a dozen of the teams managements are the ones under investigation.
rilkefan
The headbutt video: mais pourquoi?
Bob In Pacifica
Did Bonds get a home run today?
Punchy
wow…I’d heard Zidane head-butted, and I figgered it was on a header (i.e., incidental contact). I had no idea he laid the guy out like that. Damn, that puts the word “selfish” in a whole new catagory.
rilkefan
One imagines Zidane was grievously provoked, not that that excuses him.
Nutcutter
Looked to me like the guy provoked the head butt, then faked taking a hard hit by laying down so fast it looked like he was on a rope.
Oh well, that’s sports.
And …. why “sadly?” Is the World Cup sacrosanct in some way? It’s just a game played by large kids.
Steve
How do you provoke a head butt?
Seriously, what do you do? “Hey, faggot, I bet you don’t have the balls to head-butt me?”
Of course the guy did SOMETHING to Zidane. But I can’t imagine what it could possibly be, to inspire such a bizarre overreaction. But at least there seems to be one person in the world today who thinks Zidane got a raw deal on the red card.
Jim Allen
A tie game after nearly two overtime periods, with only 8 minutes to go. It’s your last time on the stage, and there is no stage bigger than this. The entire tournament is going to come down to a penalty kick contest. You are one of the best penalty kickers in the game. And you get yourself thrown out.
You weren’t provoked — you were played like a fiddle.
Bob In Pacifica
They say that Saddam provoked a butthead.
Jason
Mondieu! Mais pouqoui!
Zut alors!
Jim Allen
C’mon, Jason, if you want to make fun of the French, at least spell it correctly. “Mon dieu” is two words, and the phrase is “Mais, pourquoi?” (it’s a question).
Otherwise, yeah, what you said.
demimondian
My best translation of what the commentator in the clip Tim posted said is “Mastriozzi has [unclear: “bear-hugged”, perhaps?] Zidane…Zidane said something back to him…Why? Why? Why?”
There are no “mon Dieu” or “Zut alors” stupid fake-French utterances.
Birkel
Yeah, I’m sure the Italian was just calling him a terrorist — his parents are Algerian — out of good sport.
Sure Zidane overreacted in the way the Italian wanted. And that was foolish.
But that sort of provocation will get a response. Don’t believe me?
Go call some black guy a funny name like “n!gg@r” or some Arab “sand n!gg@r” or a Mexican “w@tb&ck” and see whether one head butt is the extent of the retort. Try it at least thirty times so ‘n’ will be larger to test the hypothesis that Zidane acted like an average person tends to react in similar circumstances.
But first pay up your medical insurance.
P.S.
And also note that this comes on the heels of the Spanish coach’s comments about Thierry Henry’s race.
Birkel
larger –> large enough
darn it
chefrad
It pains me to say that Jim Rome is right. I love Soccer but the rules need changing.
A team should be allowed to either replace a red-carded player, or maybe play short-handed for a period of time (like Hockey).
The shoot-outs are inane, like deciding a World Series with a post-game home run contest. Actually, it is worse than that… a FOUR-YEAR championship is decided by a sideshow ruled pretty much by luck.
Zidane is an idiot. Imagine A-Rod spitting in Schilling’s face in the 9th inning of the World Series. Then getting the MVP.