World Cup Soccer Qualifying Match

[amandagmu]

P.S. I was in Antibes (near Italy on the cote d'azur) the day Italy won. I was in Lille (on the border with Belgium) after Tuesday night's defeat on L'Espagne (Spain) and it was noisy, honking cars and flags out the window until 3 am or so. I guess I never realized Le Foot was so serious...! And yet, now I'm hooked.

[bhchao]

France vs. Italy. Cast your bets.

I really wanted Germany to reach the finals, but oh well.

Frankly speaking, I am not too inspired by the Italian team. They can be beat. In the Italy vs. Australia game, Australia was clearly the better team. And in the first round, Italy cannot even defeat the American team.

[skylee]

There is a chinese saying that goes 成王敗寇, so there is not much good in saying a team that failed in a game was in fact the better team ...

I think the Germany/Italy match on 4 July was much more exciting than the France/Portugal match the next day. I would like to see Italy win.

[bhchao]

I disagree with that saying as it relates to the World Cup. A team can win a game by luck, or by questionable means; instead of its own merits.

But I agree that the Germany-Italy game was fantastic. Both sides looked determined. Hopefully we can see the same in France-Italy.

[gougou]

So it is Italy.

I am half French, half German, so I had every cause to root against Italy yesterday. In addition, I always felt that the Italian team was one of most unfair teams, always good for some dirty tricks.

But after that senseless headbutt by Zidane, I had a lot of trouble respecting the French team and was almost relieved they didn't win it. More surprisingly (to me, at least), the Italians proved great sportsmen by not letting themselves getting carried away by Zidane's action, but being remarkably friendly to their French opponents, patting shoulders and exchanging smiles wherever possible.

I was impressed by what appeared (I had trouble keeping my eyes open...) to be Buffon comforting Zidane after his red card. Not a thing many players would do after their teammate got headbutted in the chest.

If not by skill, at least by sportsmanship Italy deserved to win this year's world cup finals.

[bhchao]

I had trouble respecting Italy after the 'method acting' they performed in previous games, especially in the game with Australia. ex. increasing your diving speed in front of the referee.

But they gradually (albeit reluctantly) and partially regained my respect in the game with Germany (which they played fair) and in the final game with France.

This final game was truly exciting to watch. One was because France and Italy are neighbors who have a lot in common culturally, much like China and Korea.

And in the end, it came down to the penalty kicks. I wonder if France would have prevailed in the penalty kicks had Zidane not been sent off.

[skylee]

that senseless headbutt by Zidane

It was senseless. But why? People here say that he must have been verbally provoked or something. It was such a strange move. And he used his head, not his fists (maybe his head was more powerful than his fists?).

[HashiriKata]

And he used his head, not his fists (maybe his head was more powerful than his fists?).

You're allowed to use your head, and not fists, in football. This is perhaps the reason !??

[bhchao]

Zidane and Matterazi had a verbal exchange prior to the head butt. It is possible Matterazi may have provoked Zidane, who is known for his temper. Of course we will never know what happened in the verbal exchange.

It is strange that Zidane would do this knowing that it was his farewell game.

[bhchao]

It looks like Matterazi did insult Zidane. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060711/ap_on_sp_so_ne/soc_wcup_materazzi_zidane_3;_ylt=AmgH4Wi4PHoro2F6gdsPkSpLtKcv;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

[skylee]

I wonder what language(s) was/were used in the exchange. Italian? French? English? Esperanto?

[skylee]

Some people see a romantic side of the Zidane incident ->

施丹從亞歷山大百戰百勝的英雄昇華到希臘神話Achilles' heel的史詩式境界。悲劇最動人，有弱點才流芳，施丹的Achilles' head 掩蓋了簡拿華路的風采。回想一切，先是在外圍賽「英雄復出」單手拯救法國、然後分組賽無甚表現、接著的八強戰光芒四射，再於在世界盃的決賽膽敢射這樣的十二碼，再由冷靜的勝利者於感情決堤後以悲劇告終，施丹完成了一幕史詩。

[horas]

skylee:

I wonder what language(s) was/were used in the exchange. Italian? French? English? Esperanto?

*

I suppose Italian, Zidane has played a couple of years at Iuventus Torino.

Zidane said in a radio interview (French Canal 5, Wednesday) that Materazzi said some 'personal things' about his sister and his mother.

According to English and Brazilian 'lip readers', Materazzi said that Zidane's sister Laila is a whore and that Zidane is the son of a terrorist whore. (Zidane is an Algerian Berber native, I believe he is a Muslim).

Furthermore I read in a German newspaper today that Zidane's mother said: If Materazzi truly said those things, I want his balls served on a platter. (sh)

-

[skylee]

I think this article is interesting.

施丹與蕭峰

06年世界盃已經曲終人散，低入球率、悶蛋足球抬頭的一屆， 本是乏善足陳， 但大家仍然議論紛紛， 全世界談論的不是冠軍意大利，而是施丹的頭槌。

「悲劇英雄」， 這是前陣子一份香港報章的頭版標題，特寫法國球王施丹披著汗水疲乏的眼神，世盃決賽是他退役前最後一仗， 如果成功奪標便是完美的結局， 不料他因為以頭撞向敵衛，被紅牌驅逐出埸，令到法國失去錦標，使他光輝的職業生涯比賽留下永不磨滅的污點，可說是悲劇收場， 也令我不期然想到另一位悲劇英雄。

蕭峰：契丹血脈，中土成長學藝，被視為漢人，精通中原武藝，舞動太祖長拳之威又有那個漢人可比?

施丹：本是非洲阿爾及利亞人，因緣際會入籍法國練成一身絕頂球技，瀟灑優美的動作， 比任何法國球星更能表現法國藝術美學。

喬峰天生武學奇材，遇強愈強，戰鬥力深不可測，堪稱不敗戰神，施丹亦是全能球星，每每在重要發揮實力殲殺強敵，98年世盃決賽，法國被一致看淡，他卻以兩記頭搥擊退巨人巴西，寫下世盃最驚人紀錄。

喬峰憑著真才實幹，歷經多次艱巨挑戰才能接掌乞幫，君臨武林，萬人敬仰，施丹經過98世盃、00歐盃及意甲西甲歐聯等重要考驗，一代球王之譽絕非倖致。

他在意大利及西班牙都是球迷的寵兒，，比當地土生球星更受歡迎，地位有如神明亦親如骨肉，然而今年夏天，來到德國世界盃，各自代表自己的國家，壁壘分明是。他狠狠一腳把西班牙舉國人民的心無情擊碎，再來到總決賽，兩隊過半數都是昔日意大利並肩作戰的隊友，今日各為其主，拼個你死我活，為求取勝無所不用其技， 那邊廂法國使詐騙得十二碼，由施丹操刀射入，這邊便有大批老朋友在貼身「招呼」球王，34歲老將連拼多仗，體力已消耗殆盡，不消數回便重創了肩膊，倒在地上，乏力望向遠處的教練，那傲慢固執的教練卻居然視若無睹，若無其事，在球埸上賣命的可不是他!

命運引領你來到柏林，便是要你打這埸仗，英雄絕對不能退下去，退無死所，聚賢莊裏人人都要宰殺的那頭「契丹狗」蕭峰，縱不願大開殺戒，難道便低頭任人宰割?殺便殺吧，小時候便一刀子解決那無恥的大夫，血液中暴力的因子要發作是誰也擋不了!英雄不是聖人，施丹之前領的12面紅牌已經證明他不是好惹的。被罵為「意大利人養出的忘恩負羲法國狗」，病母親姊被侮辱，身心都到了極限，再忍下還有甚麼意思？乾脆一頭撞向這傢伙，來個「玉石俱焚」痛痛快快吧!

奮英雄怒，教單于折箭，六軍辟易，一代球王最後一場比賽選擇轟轟烈烈自我了斷，使到這屆沉悶的世界盃，能讓我們還感受到一點點激情，還有一絲絲感慨。看著頹然的10號背影在大力神盃旁邊擦過，走入更衣室，從此球埸再也不會看到這位巨人的身影，憑誰憶，意無限，別萬山，不再返，數十年後有誰還會記得06年的冠軍是誰， 但大家都不會忘記那一記頭槌，悲劇，始終是最刻骨銘心的 。