ITALIA
My call of the game going down to penalties was right, but it was Italy breaking tradition and finally coming through in a PK situation. (And my prediction ability fails me at the very end of the WC... oh well. I did say that I'd be utterly shocked if more than 2 goals were scored - there wasn't.)
I hate PKs. It is a shame it ended that way. One would think that Buffon, as the best keeper in the Cup, would have the advantage, but I actually had some confidence in Barthez in the PKs. He's a bit goofy, but he is still a very good shot stopper, which is all that is required. Here was my impression of the PKs:
Pirlo: right down the middle! Mind games.
Wiltord: Outguessing Buffon.
Materazzi: A bit hisitant, but beautiful placement.
Trez: Just different than ZZ's - crossbar & OUT!
DeRossi: Nice. Upper corner - doesn't even look.
Abidal: Faked out Buffon.
Del Piero: Faked out Barthez.
Sagnol: Outguessing Buffon.
Grosso: Yup. Nice.
Unlike the other games that went down to PKs, the keepers really didn't have a chance on ANY of these PKs. So it just didn't have anything to do with whether Buffon was better than Barthez. The difference was the one that just bounced out. In the end, France had two PKs off the crossbar - one went in, and the other didn't. The one that didn't - it lost them the cup (and reversed Trezuguet's karma from when he beat the Italians in Euro '00). I was shocked that they took off Henry prior to the PKs - shouldn't he have been on to take the PKs? Don't you want you best striker taking them? And wasn't it predictable that it would go to PKs? I couldn't figure out that substitution.
The big question will be, of course, WHAT HAPPENED WITH ZIDANE??? It's going to be fascinating to find out what happened with the guy. Who ever would have thought he would head butt a guy in the middle of OT!? And it wasn't even something that Materazzi did - something he said, one assumes. Is it possible that he said something racist??? That was my initial reaction - the only thing I could think of that could provoke such a reaction. (I believe he got suspended in '98 for a similar reaction to a racist statement.) If so, there's going to be a huge, HUGE outcry - given all the emphasis against racism in this Cup. But what else could it be that caused Zidane to utterly ruin his reputation??? After everything he did this WC, it's so disappoitning that he ends like this.
Just a strange, strange game. The France PK in the first half wasn't deserved, but later they had a guy taken down in the box that SHOULD have been a PK but that wasn't called. France dominated for most of the game - other than for the time after the France goal and prior to the Italy goal. Italy looked tired for most of the 2nd half and the OTs - Toni did nothing and I was shocked he wasn't subbed out. I think this was the reverse of the Italy - Germany game; in that game, Germany tired out because they had played a longer (OT) match the prior round while the Italians had an easier match. Here, the reverse; the Italians played an incredibly difficult match in the semis, while the French didn't have to put out as much effort in the Semis.
Did anyone else think that the Italian goal that was called back in the 2nd half should have been allowed? I thought so. The player who scored was NOT offside - the offside player was next to him. But, you know what, that was no different than the goal that Henry scored against Brazil - where Henry wasn't offside, but a couple of other players whom the ball flew over WERE offside.
I don't know that the best team won. But in the end, Italy held on, and reversed their PK fortune (as well as their fortunes against France). Good for them.
I hate PKs. It is a shame it ended that way. One would think that Buffon, as the best keeper in the Cup, would have the advantage, but I actually had some confidence in Barthez in the PKs. He's a bit goofy, but he is still a very good shot stopper, which is all that is required. Here was my impression of the PKs:
Pirlo: right down the middle! Mind games.
Wiltord: Outguessing Buffon.
Materazzi: A bit hisitant, but beautiful placement.
Trez: Just different than ZZ's - crossbar & OUT!
DeRossi: Nice. Upper corner - doesn't even look.
Abidal: Faked out Buffon.
Del Piero: Faked out Barthez.
Sagnol: Outguessing Buffon.
Grosso: Yup. Nice.
Unlike the other games that went down to PKs, the keepers really didn't have a chance on ANY of these PKs. So it just didn't have anything to do with whether Buffon was better than Barthez. The difference was the one that just bounced out. In the end, France had two PKs off the crossbar - one went in, and the other didn't. The one that didn't - it lost them the cup (and reversed Trezuguet's karma from when he beat the Italians in Euro '00). I was shocked that they took off Henry prior to the PKs - shouldn't he have been on to take the PKs? Don't you want you best striker taking them? And wasn't it predictable that it would go to PKs? I couldn't figure out that substitution.
The big question will be, of course, WHAT HAPPENED WITH ZIDANE??? It's going to be fascinating to find out what happened with the guy. Who ever would have thought he would head butt a guy in the middle of OT!? And it wasn't even something that Materazzi did - something he said, one assumes. Is it possible that he said something racist??? That was my initial reaction - the only thing I could think of that could provoke such a reaction. (I believe he got suspended in '98 for a similar reaction to a racist statement.) If so, there's going to be a huge, HUGE outcry - given all the emphasis against racism in this Cup. But what else could it be that caused Zidane to utterly ruin his reputation??? After everything he did this WC, it's so disappoitning that he ends like this.
Just a strange, strange game. The France PK in the first half wasn't deserved, but later they had a guy taken down in the box that SHOULD have been a PK but that wasn't called. France dominated for most of the game - other than for the time after the France goal and prior to the Italy goal. Italy looked tired for most of the 2nd half and the OTs - Toni did nothing and I was shocked he wasn't subbed out. I think this was the reverse of the Italy - Germany game; in that game, Germany tired out because they had played a longer (OT) match the prior round while the Italians had an easier match. Here, the reverse; the Italians played an incredibly difficult match in the semis, while the French didn't have to put out as much effort in the Semis.
Did anyone else think that the Italian goal that was called back in the 2nd half should have been allowed? I thought so. The player who scored was NOT offside - the offside player was next to him. But, you know what, that was no different than the goal that Henry scored against Brazil - where Henry wasn't offside, but a couple of other players whom the ball flew over WERE offside.
I don't know that the best team won. But in the end, Italy held on, and reversed their PK fortune (as well as their fortunes against France). Good for them.
posted by Al at 4:38 PM
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