Monday, July 10, 2006

Italy's 2006 World Cup Victory had all the Drama and Plot lines of an Opera

The Annotico Report

 

Italy's 2006 World Cup Victory came with a number of sub plot background:

1. The Italian League Soccer Scandal, like the US Baseball/Football Steroid Scandal, the US Boxing Fix

        Scandals, and the French Tour d'France Doping Scandals, and those occurring at the Olympics.

2. The attempt by FIFA to make Soccer more Technique, and less Physical, which has resulted in a great number of

         Penalties, with a high degree of inconsistencies.

3. The disappearance of the top rated 6 teams before the Semi Finals.

4. The Slurs of Der Spiegel of Italians, and a Very Satisfying Retaliating win by Italy over Germany

5.  The absence of Italy's Nesta because of Injury

6.   The Somewhat Controversially judged foul by Materazzi on Malouda, that prompted a Penalty Kick by Zidane that

            hit the Crossbar bounced down and then into Goal.

7.  The Questionable No Goal of Italy, in the Final because of a "Offside" shown NOT to be Offside

8.  The Unfathomable Head Butt by Zidane on Italy's Materazzi, ignited by some apparent off hand "trash talk", that

        resulted in Zidane being ejected with 12  minutes left in regular time.

9. The decision by Italy Not to Attack with a One man advantage, for 12 minutes of regular time, and 30 minutes of

        overtime even though Italy's past disappointing record in  games decided by Penalty Kicks. 0-4, and the absence

        of Zidane who is France's biggest offensive threat.

10.  The Unpredictable Missed Penalty Kick by David Trezeguet.

11. The Perfection of 5 Penalty Kicks of 5 Tries.

 

FORZA ITALIA !!!!!

 

Footnote on Zidane:

Zidane's red card was anything but unusual. He was sent off 14 times in his career at the club and international level.

At the 1998 World Cup, he stomped on a Saudi Arabian opponent. Sitting out a two-match ban, he came back to score two goals against Brazil in the final.

Five years ago with Juventus, he head-butted an opponent in a Champions League match against Hamburger SV after being tackled from behind.

The reaction to Sunday's outburst was mixed in France. President Jacques Chirac called Zidane "a genius of world football," and former Sports Minister Marie-George Buffet said Zidane's aggressive act was unforgivable for its effect on children watching the game.

"This morning, Zidane, what do we tell our children, and all those for whom you were the living role model for all times?" French sports daily L'Equipe wrote.

"You can take the man out of the rough neighbourhood, but you can't take the rough neighbourhood out of the man," striker Thierry Henry said Sunday.

 

 

WORLD CUP '06

ALL ROADS LEAD TO ITALY

Italians finish the job and become champions again by beating France on penalty kicks, 5-3.

 

Los Angeles Times

By Grahame L. Jones
Times Staff Writer
July 10, 2006

BERLIN  Italy, embroiled in a domestic soccer scandal that could sink some of its most famous clubs and throw its league into turmoil, won the World Cup here Sunday amid extraordinary scenes at the historic Olympic Stadium.

The dramatic conclusion of the monthlong tournament saw Coach Marcello Lippi's Azzurri defeat France, 5-3, on penalty kicks, after the teams had played to a 1-1 tie in two hours of regulation and overtime.

It was the Italians' fourth world championship, but their first since 1982, and the victory sparked massive celebrations throughout Italy. "This is the most satisfying moment of my life," said Lippi, who thanked his players for providing it. "They gave absolutely everything they had. It is just a fantastic feeling."

Elsewhere, however, the result took second place to a moment of madness during overtime when France captain ! Zinedine Zidane, one of the sport's most accomplished players, was ejected for a blatant and bizarre foul.

The 34-year-old midfielder, a World Cup winner in 1998, was playing in the final match of his illustrious career, which could have ended on a high note with a second world title.

Instead, it ended in shame.

Just before the 110th minute, Zidane and Italian defender Marco Materazzi appeared to exchange a few words when both were walking back toward the midfield. Suddenly, Zidane turned, lowered his head and butted Materazzi very forcefully in the chest.

It was one of the most astonishing and unusual fouls in World Cup history.

The Italian player was left writhing on the ground while goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon rushed over to one of the referees and demanded to know whether he had seen the incident.

After consulting his assistants, referee Horacio Elizondo of Argentina had no option but to red-card Zidane, thus bringing a sad conclus! ion to one of soccer's most glittering careers.

The game began dramatically, with two goals inside the first 20 minutes promising the crowd of 69,000 a night of unusual entertainment in what had been a low-scoring World Cup.

France took the lead on a penalty kick in the seventh minute after Elizondo, somewhat controversially, judged that Materazzi had fouled French midfielder Florent Malouda as he tried to control the ball in the penalty area.

Zidane stepped up to take the kick and, just as Buffon dived to his right, the French icon chipped the ball and saw it strike the underside of the crossbar and bounce down just behind the line.

It was the first goal Italy had allowed an opponent to score during the tournament. The U.S. goal in Italy's 1-1 tie with the Americans was an own goal.

Unperturbed by the setback, Italy leveled the score 12 minutes later, on a set piece.

Argentine-born midfielder Mauro Camoranesi won a corner kick off Fre! nch defender Eric Abidal, and Andrea Pirlo sent an outswinger into the throng of players in front of the French net.

Materazzi climbed high above France's Patrick Vieira, pushing down on the Frenchman's shoulder, and headed the ball sharply past French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez and the defenders guarding each post.

Lippi, who had been biting his nails on the sideline until then, pumped his fists in the air in relief. It was 1-1.

For the next hour and a half, it was a back-and-forth affair, with each team failing to penetrate the other's defense. Lilian Thuram was superb for France. Fabio Cannavaro was exceptional for Italy.

The closest anyone came to scoring was when Zidane  who else?  sent a pass out to Willy Sagnol on the right flank in overtime, then sprinted into the area and powered a goal-bound header off Sagnol's return cross.

Goalkeeper Buffon, in a purely instinctive move, threw up an arm and barely managed to deflect the ball over! the crossbar. It was the save of the match.

Shortly thereafter, Zidane was ejected and France played the last 12 minutes down a man.

Still Les Bleus held on and the match went to penalty kicks  only the second time that has happened in a World Cup final, the first being at the Rose Bowl in 1994 when Brazil edged Italy on penalties.

This time, the Italians were flawless. One after another, they scored, first Pirlo, then Materazzi, Daniele De Rossi, Alessandro Del Piero and finally, with the winner, Fabio Grosso.

For France, Sylvain Wiltord scored, but David Trezeguet, whose overtime goal had beaten Italy in the 2000 European Championship final, slammed his shot against the crossbar. The ball bounced down and out. No goal. "Penalties are part of the game, and I was prepared to take the responsibility," Trezeguet said.

Abidal and Sagnol made their kicks, but Trezeguet's miss opened the door and Italy danced through to the World Cup.

"On! ly victory is pretty," France Coach Raymond Domenech said. "There will always be something missing. You can say what we did wasn't bad, but it is Italy who are the champions."

Delirious scenes followed. Camoranesi was plonked into a chair at midfield and had his ponytail cut off by a teammate. Materazzi put on a goofy hat and wore an Italian flag as a cape, accepting his medal that way.

The World Cup was presented to Cannavaro, who hoisted it on high amid the usual deluge of confetti. Music blared, fireworks exploded, Italian fans cheered. It was just another night in Berlin.

"Italy has wanted this for a long time," Cannavaro said, "and, coming after everything that has happened in the past few months, it was really needed."

Italy has the World Cup.

 

 

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