Azzuri vs. Les Bleus for the World Cup Final

France 1 - Portugal 0

Finally, I can thank a team for upending this tournament's unlikely Cinderella heroes. For Team France, today's win will not only set up their meeting with Italy in the World Cup final, but also knock out the giant-killers of Team Portugal.

For me, the Portuguese squad has spelled doom for more than one of my potential favorites. In the round of 16, the Portuguese took out my boys in Orange, readily defeating the Netherlands in a game stained with blood and dirty play.

A round later, the boys from Lisbon sidestepped England, with a dramatic penalty shootout deciding the winner of the 0-0 draw. After predicting their defeat in round after round, I was beginning to think that the Portuguese might just go ALL the way.

Thanks be to Zinedine Zidane and the French National Soccer Team, for proving my fears to be nothing more than tepid paranoia.

I will admit that I missed the entire first half, and can therefore not comment directly on the ref's decision to award France a penalty kick in the 33rd minute. BUT, I can explain that when I saw that the game's only goal had been prompted by a ref's whistle I was a bit skeptical.

This past weekend, I was talking with an English supporter who lives down the street from me. His regret about England's loss to Portugal strikes a chord with today's game. Games won on penalty kicks are hardly a "proper result." Instead, true football fans must hope that games are decided by clean, fair, powerful goals, that have only poor defending and excellent markmanship to blame.

Nevertheless my hat goes off, again, to Zinedine Zidane and his heroics in the 33rd minute. Hitting home the penalty kick turned out to be the deciding goal, and only further cements the legend status the Zidane will endure indefinitely. France has had their share of soccer heroes, but NONE, not Platini, not Barthez, not Henry will ever rival the work of Zinedine Zidane. As he rides into the sunset of the World Cup final and prepares to retire from soccer forever, I can only tip my hat and bow down before the maestro. The French captain from Algeria has become one of the most important World Cup figures of all time.

Italy 2 - Germany

I hated to see the hometeam go down, but as the saying goes, "all good things must come to an end."

Watching almost all of this game, I was teased but seemingly hundreds of opportunities to score for both sides. The Germans certainly had their chances to put one away. Then again, the Italians were on constantly on the verge of sinking a goal, and had it not been for Jens Lehmann in net, the Germans might not have made it to extra time.

Unlike the other German matches of this tournament, Miroslav Klose seemed almost invisible. His touches were poor, his passing was weak, and his signature, dangerous assaults on net were held down to a uncharacteristically low number. Klose was off, and with his trouble came trouble for Team Germany.

Rising out of realitive International obscurity, German midfielder Odonkor had a fantastic game for the Germans. His tremendous energy in the game's closing minutes and in extra time revealed him to be a powerful offensive force for the German attack. But Odonkor was unable to put the ball in the net for the Germans and with his failure came Germany's exit from the World Cup.

When the game went into Extra Time, I began to fear that we might be seeing a repeat of the Germany - Argentina match-up from a week ago. I desperately hoped that the GERMANS would put a winner away, and allow the game to end in proper fashion.

I would never have expected the Italians to put TWO goals passed Jens Lehmann and the German defense in the final minutes of the second period of Extra Time.

The Italian Goals What can you say about such beautiful and precise game-winning goals. For the Azzuri, Del Piero became an essential substitute, and forward Pirlo provided the game-winning touch. The German defense has admitted the brillance of the Italian goals in interviews for the international media. After the Italians penetrated the German box in the 13th minute, the German defense expected the Italian assault to shoot directly on net. Instead, the Italians found Pirlo open on the right, and with a beautiful curving left, the Italian all-star put the game away. A few minutes later, in the 16th minute, Del Piero put away a second goal off his right, to completely end the game and Germany's impressive march through the competition.

I look forward to the French - Italian match- up.