Monday, July 10, 2006

Campioni del mondo!

Yes, read that title. Read it again. Then read it once more. Then go, make the coffee, put your feet up and read it again. Then phone up all your friends and tell them. It is true, Italy are world champions.

It was a rollercoaster, especially last night. A goal down so soon, back on terms through big Marco, then a few good chances before falling a bit onto the backfoot. A goal disallowed, more penalty shouts and then THAT headbutt. And finally, victory ... on penalties! Five great penalties. That Trez missed his only made it sweeter but our boys kept their cool marvellously well.

I will blog some more about this in due course, no doubt. Indeed, I may blog about nothing else for the next four years. Savour it, tifosi, all the heartache has been worthwhile...

11 comments:

a.c.t. said...

I still can't believe we're Campioni del Mondo. I was celebrating in Soho last night until the early hours, it was amazing.

* (asterisk) said...

Il mio titolo e' lo stesso, naturalmente. Pero', it was difficult to watch at times. Bravi!

(ACT: So I guess you've answered the question I left at your blog...)

Red said...

Bravi azzurri! Bravi, bravi, bravi! So well deserved.

Cannavaro is a genius. He was so cool when his boys were taking the penalties, not allowing himself to cheer until the very last minute, when victory was in the bag.

He might be from Naples, but he was as clinical as a German in those last ten minutes!

a.c.t. said...

Hehe yes I have.

martinobhoy said...

As I texted last night, that's 1994 dead and buried. Never again should we fear a penalty shoot out.

I'll get down to see you after you get back from Italy and we can raise a grappa or two to the magnificent Azzurri.

ginkers said...

ACT: Anybody who has suffered like we have from the spot deserves to party after a win like that.

*: It was certainly hard to watch but worth it in the end.

red: It's a joke that Zidane got man of the tournament ahead of Cannavaro, even before the red card. Fabio was head and shoulders above everyone. I think they just don't like giving it to a defender.

Martino: No grappa will ever have tasted so sweet as the one drunk as world champions!

Red said...

Zidane being given that award is a bleeding travesty. So what if the vote was cast before the last match? (And anyway... why is that?!) It sends out a message that that kind of behaviour on the pitch is acceptable... even rewarded.

And now this talk of "terrorista" is making me feel sick. If Zidane heard something, he should have the balls to come out and repeat it, instead of letting the world and his dog speculate on what poor Materazzi might have said. (And if Materazzi did say something, then he can bank on a future career as a ventriloquist. I have watched that footage over and over again, and there are no words being spoken that I can ascertain.)

* (asterisk) said...

Gottiglia di ghirra, anyone?

Spangly Princess said...

wooooooooo

got it at about 5. about to go out again now to go back down to the circo massimo for the official parade & that.

still dizzy with excitement, hoarse from shouting and footsore from jumping up & down

ginkers said...

Nobody would deny Zidane's quality but, equally, he does have a history of doing this kind of thing. I think anybody who watches Italian football knows that Materazzi is not whiter than white but I still don't think it justifies a headbutt.

I would stand by Cannavaro as man of the tournament he performed at a consistently high level while Zidane only really had three outstanding matches and was even suspended for a game if I'm not mistaken.

Still, who cares, Campioni del Mondo! Campioni del Mondo! Campioni del Mondo!

* (asterisk) said...

I think video evidence should be used in making decisions, if it can be done quickly. And these days there's no excuse for it to be done anything other than quickly. If someone on the bench has seen something that none of the officials have seen, something as grave as ZZ's headbutt, and they alert the officials, said officials should be obliged to check the footage there and then. The key thing is how to do this without impacting (too much) on the game's running time. A tricky balancing act.

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