and the world cup ends with penalty kicks
(what now?)


blah.

i think that kind of sums up my immediate reaction to the championship match of world cup 2006. i was rooting for france, so, in short and of course, they lost. any committed viewer had been subject to ad naseum reminders that "this could be/would be the final game for zinedine zidane." the best player of the last 20 years? a generation? i don't know. i think that's up for debate, but he is certainly in the discussion. and the last three matches for france, he has been a joy to watch. but what happens as time is winding down and the game is headed towards the anti-climactic but ultra-dramatic penalty kick finale? he freakin' head-butts a guy in the chest and gets tossed!!! why? who knows, but unless the cameras didn't catch the italian defender groping his man region, there was no excuse. he hurt his team and left everyone (all billion of us) watching the match scratching our heads as to what the hell just happened.

and so the game goes to pk's. so many people hate penalty kicks ending a soccer match, and i certainly don't love it. "would you end a football game with a field goal kicking contest?" "would you end a world series game with a home run derby?" "would you end a basketball game with a free-throw shooting contest?" these rhetorical questions are idiotic to begin with, but you know what i hate more? watching world class soccer players walk around the field two hours into a game because they are too exausted to play soccer anymore. the match must end sometime. a winner must be determined. it's imperfect, but i do like the drama of penalty kicks. and as evidenced throughout the entire knockout round of this tournament, a tension filled penalty kick is no given, even for international class players. so the game goes to pk's and one guy misses. one guy from france. and italy wins. they didn't deserve to win. france played the more attractive game. the more aggressive game. more scoring chances. but sometimes, a lot of times, that doesn't matter. italy survived, and then they won. so congratulations, italy.

on a scale of 1-10, i would rate this world cup an 8. very enjoyable for the most part. tainted to some degree by overzealous officiating. but fun and interesting and full of good memories. even for a us soccer fan.

my player of the tournament? i'll give it to zidane. outside of the incredibly stupid headbutt, he was the most dangerous and influential player on the field the entire knockout round. and that's when the games really count. so long, and thanks for the memories.

most exciting team? tie: argentina & spain

most exciting players? fernando torres - spain, lionel messi - argentina, cristiano ronaldo - portugal, zinedine zidane - france, michael ballack - germany

best hair? fernando torres - spain

early favorite for 2010? spain...and the united states of course.

what now?