Quote:
Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
The Guardian said it involved unwanted contact with Zidane's nipple.
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Materazzi is scum, but that doesn't excuse what Zizou did. I'm distraught right now. France should have won--we were the more imaginative side and dominated from the beginning of the second half on.
Game notes:
Ragged start with both sides tight, particularly Italy.
Penalty kick: unjustified. Malouda dived in the box.
France lost initiative after scoring; Italy dominated the flow over the next fifteen minutes. Pirlo is the best player on the pitch for the Italians. The Italians dive once or twice for effect but are ignored by Elizondo (the ref).
Materazzi's goal: he was heavily marked by Vieira near the back post. Vieira fronted him but Materazzi just jumped higher (barely) and timed it perfectly. Beautiful corner from Pirlo. It looked to me, though, like Barthez was late sliding over. The kick was high and he should have seen where he needed to be earlier. Moreover, the header came from high enough in the box--and wasn't really a laser strike--to where Barthez could have had a shot at it if he'd had better position. I can't help thinking that Buffon would have saved it (see below)...but maybe I'm being unfair.
France come out of their shell a little bit after the goal. Ragged back-and-forth play with the clear advantage to Italy. Italy look better organized than France in the back and midfield. Camoranesi is causing a lot of trouble up front. Toni almost scores Italy's second off a corner kick but it hits the bar. Barthez's eyes are like dinner plates. (I'm watching Univision and the announcers are going nuts. Meanwhile, the English-language telecast on ABC is alternately pedestrian and pathetic. I watched it for five minutes with my wife during the first half, then we switched over to Univision even though she doesn't speak Spanish.) Univision shows a stat claiming that Italy has controlled the ball 62% of the time. Subjectively, it seems like more.
Halftime: I have to believe that Elizondo (the ref) somehow looked at video in his dressing room or talked to someone who saw it. He realizes he made an error on the first PK, as he probably already suspected. This will affect the rest of the match.
France come out of the dressing room on a mission. Henry and Ribery are running wild. The French suddenly look much better organized in midfield than the Italians, and are pressing brutally hard up front. Cannavaro and Gattuso are impressive--Cannavaro is everywhere and plays the angles superbly to get to people with a minimum of effort. Bastard. The Italian defence has moments of shakiness but somehow holds together.
Materazzi takes Malouda down in the box. Clear foul but no call. Payback for the first (unjustified) penalty, I guess. A blatant make-up call.
France runs out of gas a little bit after 20 minutes have gone by...Italy is playing on the counterattack and pushing long balls up over the top to two or three attackers. Pirlo wins a free kick and Toni beats a defenseless Barthez...but he's offside. Barthez does make a good low save later on, diving to his left. Abidala and Sagnol are having inconsistent outings for France. Sagnol badly mishits two passes from the right side of the pitch in the Italian half, killing a pair of well-orchestrated, building attacks. But Sagnol will redeem himself with a beautiful cross (see below), and Abidala will score from the spot at the end.
The referee is generally doing a good job. Less diving is happening as the players realize he isn't calling "fouls," and both sides (particularly France) are pressing play if opposing players let up a little and look for a whistle. France is able to develop at least one dangerous sequence when the Italians pay more attention to the ref than the ball.
Both France and Italy look tired towards the end of the second half. France has started kicking long balls over the top to one or two men up front...both sides are beginning to look like England on the attack (ugh.) France is controlling the flow and getting occasional pressure deep up the left side, but no one is coming up for the crosses. Ribery is frustrated, as is Vieira (before he hurts his leg and comes off). France is playing too many men behind the ball; midfield organization is breaking down. Three or four men (Ribery, Henry, Zidane, Vieira) have been pushing up but everyone else is hanging back too far. France can't get a sustained push into the box. Henry has a good shot saved by Buffon.
Extra time: France control the first period with few counter-attacking runs from Italy. Same problem with midfield support in Italy's third of the pitch. Ribery shoots low and just wide after a good run and spin at the top of the box...had that been on goal, I don't think Buffon would have saved it.
Best play of the match: just before the end of the first extra period, a spectacular high header/deflection from Zidane off a Sagnol cross. Twice as much pace on it as Materazzi's header goal in the first half. Buffon is perfectly positioned and manages to tip it over the crossbar (it was just under the bar). Spectacular save--one of the saves of the tournament. At the other end, Barthez realizes he cannot carry Buffon's jockstrap even if he offers to do Buffon's laundry after the game.
This is where I begin to fear that France will lose.
Daniele de Rossi comes on and immediately proves that he is still a puss. He goes down on an aerial play and clutches the side of his head as if someone knifed him. He mimes looking for blood (palming the side of his head and looking at his hand), then furtively looks around to see if the referee is watching. What hit him, you ask? The ball. Which he saw coming, and intentionally tried to get his head in front of.
Second extra period: France is still controlling the flow of play but nothing's left in the tank--they're not really getting a strong push into the box. Zidane is sent off. The replay is clear--an intentional, premeditated headbutt with a two- or three-step walk up. Why?????????? Materazzi is down. He may be staying down on purpose but I don't think he dove. A headbutt in the sternum by Zidane is nothing to joke about. People have cracked ribs using less force while giving CPR. Then again, was it really that hard? And did Materazzi try to kick him on the way down? I don't know. To tell the truth, it doesn't matter.
France pushes the action to the end even though they only have ten men. Italy has circled the wagons. I don't like where this is headed....
Penalties. Fuck. You GOTTA put it on goal, David. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I hate Italy. Lose to Spain, or Argentina, or Brazil? OK. But I can't stand Italy. They play sound football but have no character. Strength of personality, strength of will, cynicism, and the will to cheat? Yes. Football talent? Yes. But no character.
And Zizou...no matter how much Materazzi deserves to have jumper cables hooked up to his 'nads, that was not the way to go out. Too sad.
CDF
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