Episode Two: The World Cup Final

I don't really know what to say about the World Cup final. I changed allegiances throughout the tournament. Primarily because my favorite teams kept getting eliminated. Specifically Ghana, Trinidad/Tobago, Ivory Coast, and Australia. (I'm big on rooting for the underdogs.) But when it came to the final 4, I was decided. Anyone but Italy. Preferably Germany, because it's great when the home team wins, but I was okay with anyone but Italy winning.

So of course, Germany got knocked out by stupid Italy. I probably should have changed my strategy to rooting for the team I didn't like and see if that helped. And then it became Portugal vs. France to see who would go to the final against Italy. And as much as I wanted France to win...because I wanted Zinedine Zidane to win the last World Cup of his career, I rooted for Portugal. Because I thought they would have what it took to beat Italy. And that's all I wanted. Beat Italy. Italy has been plagued with scandal for the past several months because some of the players in their league have been accused of match-fixing. A lot of the accused are on their national team that was competing. Also, the Italians play dirty. Constantly fouling people...diving...things of this nature. I don't like them. Not one bit. And I thought that Portugal would be able to take them. Mainly because they play just as dirty (if not more so) as the Italians.

In the end, it was not to be. France beat Portugal, and the final came to France v. Italy. Which I was pretty happy about. Zidane could make his final game the World Cup Final. Exciting stuff. Zidane scored the first goal of the match for France in the 4th minute on a penalty kick. Later in the game, stupid Italy came back and tied it. I'll spare you the details, but the match went into overtime. And during the second overtime, the unthinkable happened. Zidane had words with an Italian defender. And then Zidane fouled him. And by "fouled him" what I mean is, knocked the living crap out of him..soccer style. Hands-free. Really, if you're going to foul someone, I guess this is one of the more entertaining ways to do it. He reared back and head-butted the guy in the sternum. Who even thinks to do that?? Zidane. That's who. It was brutal.


And in the end, he was red-carded and sent out of his final match. It was a well-earned red card, but the manner in which it was given was unprecedented. Referees reviewed a tape on the sideline. In American sports, this is done all the time. But in soccer, it's a huge tradition that video is not used. They don't go back and review tapes...calls are not taken back after watching a playback. And yet, Zidane was red-carded for something that only the photographers saw him do. I'm worried about what this will do to soccer. But we'll see.

Italy won on penalty kicks, and Zidane won the Golden Ball Award for the best player in the World Cup despite his send-off. I think he probably won it because people who don't even care about soccer were watching the final just to see Zidane go out a winner. Instead, he went out as one of the oldest players in the tournament, sent off for acting like a 2 year old. Oh well. The next World Cup is going to be held in Africa in 2010. I am stoked. :)