Zidane Heads World Cup Crown into Italy's Hands

Could you believe it? With roughly 5 minutes remaining in the 1st OT (Extra Time) period, the last twenty minutes of a tie game that would have to be decided on penalty kicks if the tie wasn't broken, Zinedine Zidane, the famous French striker known for his beautiful footwork and deliciously alliterative name, pulled perhaps the worst move I've ever seen a team captain pull in any sport at any time. Ever. With the most important title in all of sports (back down, sports fans. No sport is watched more or cared about around the WORLD than soccer) on the line and France dominating the play against the exhausted and conservative Italians, Zidane decided that it would be prudent to use his head as a spear with which to rock the solar plexus of Italian defender Marco Materazzi in one of the cheapest and most vicious attacks I've ever seen on the pitch. Materazzi had been defending Zidane all game, and was quite physical with the bald Frenchman, frustrating him often. Zidane DID also get robbed on a header that was struck true but cast aside at the last second by Italian goalie Gianluigi Buffon just a few minutes earlier, keeping the score tied and leaving the Italians with a chance, which they would take by the balls and make good on a short time later. The frustration of the game-saving effort from Buffon and the continued shadow of Materazzi obviously got to Zidane, and he simply lost it at the worst possible time.

However, this is not the first time that the captain of Les Bleus has lost his temper. Five years ago while playing in Italy's Serie A league for perennial powerhouse Juventus (they of the horrific gambling scandal which will leave a black mark on Italy's wonderful victory), Zidane was red-carded for a similar cranial attack on a member of Hamburg SV during Champions league play. Early in his career, he was red-carded for a vicious stomp on a prone opponent while playing in Saudi Arabia. He was yellow-carded twice in France's early Group matches during this World Cup, and finally suspended for the third Group match against Togo. Zidane's skill and passion are unquestioned: in fact, he's widely regarded as the most complete and talented player of our generation. But his head should be under the same conditioning as his body for a match as important as this. It's not to say that if the headbutt didn't occur, France would've been guaranteed victory. But it is saying something that France carried extra time play even AFTER Zidane had been sent off and they were playing a man short. Zidane is deadly on penalties. He certainly would've helped Les Bleus in their efforts to win the 2nd of the last 3 Cups. As it is, the closet Zidane got to the golden trophy this year was passing by it on his walk of shame from the pitch to the locker room. He didn't even see the Cup as he passed by, as his head was slung down in embarassment and remorse from the instant he saw the red card until he entered the locker room walkway. Zidane has stated that he would retire from International play after this World Cup. It's a shame that such a talented and innovative player would dash the hopes of a country, a team, and a French fan-base around the world for a moment of instant personal gratification and an inability to manage his temper. The man is a soccer marvel, but he will now and forever be marked by using his head in the most ill-advised manner possible. He has nobody to blame but himself.

Of course I have to say congratulations to Italy, the winners of the 2006 World Cup 5-3 in a penalty shoot-out. They finally got off the penatly schneid this year, and brought the Cup back to the Boot for the fourth time. Admist controversy tearing apart their beloved league champion Juventus, the Azzuri played smart and played well, if conservative at times (go figure, Italy conservative on the pitch. Yeah, NOBODY could've seen that coming) and deserve to be called World Champions. I was cheering for Spain, as my wife is Spanish (I'm a Smith and don't know my biological lineage. It's a long story, but I'm too much of a mix of everything to cheer for one Nation), but Italy was my second choice. VIVA ITALIA!

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