Updated with video
France loses World Cup on penalty kicks. Did French team Captain cost them the game in OT by being ejected?
The 2006 World Cup final game was being played in Berlin as I first posted this entry. France and Italy were tied at 1 at the end of regulation. France's goal was scored by team captain Zinedine Zidane.
Then Zidane was ejected from the game for this foul in the closing minutes of overtime:
mondial 2006 coup de boule de Zidane
A really dumb move. The center (head) referee displayed the red card after consulting with the other two officials:
The red card means not only is that player permanently ejected from the game, no substitute may be sent into the game.
The OT period ended with no more scoring. Then each team will got five penalty kicks at goal. Zidane is the best such kicker on France's team, but he was gone.
Italy won the Cup, hitting all five penalty kicks while France missed one. For shot-by-shot grabs, click here:
Much more at my own site, including a frame by frame of the penalty kicks and trophy ceremony. Click here.
So dissapointing to see Zizou go out like that. Wanting to see him play in the finals was the main reason I was rooting for France against Portugal last week.
But no matter....Viva L'Italia!
This was some sort of sporting event?
Besides Zidane's stupidity, I find it ridiculous that after several years of qualifying games and then a couple of weeks of play-offs, that the quadrennial World Cup champsionship is decided on penalty kicks.
That has to be one of the worst rules in sports.
They should continue to play overtimes, until there is a winner. Abolish penalty kicks.
And that´s all? I expected more fron WoC. What about the demonized french inmigration paying dividends? (Eight out of ten field players of France where first or second generation inmmigrants as they were ALL of the three reserves that ended up playing).
What about an - Africa vs Old Europe - rant?
PS: Mike, go back to your baseball. Those americanized "Suddend Death", "Golden Goal" and the like have been tried before for the benefefit of TV , and proven EVEN more aganist the spirit of the game than the penalties. The penalty kics are at least a punsiment for them all for not having been able to win in due time.
Seems pretty clear from the video that 1) Materazzi had been holding Zidane, and that 2) as Zidane jogged past Materazzi, the latter said something to Zidane that Zidane felt couldn't be ignored.
Sad. And stupid. And in front of the world, no less. What a way to retire....
But it's too easy for us to judge. On the other hand, with that stunt, Materazzi may well have won the game for Italy.
On the third hand, with that shot to the chest, Zidane's lucky he didn't kill the guy.
In France, the final was seen as much more than a sport. It was regarded as something very patriotic: France leading the world (and, of course, Europe).
Actually, if you want to look for "what if" reasons why the French may have lost, then the substitution of Henry with Trezeguet would have to be it, not Zidane's embarrasing departure.
Trezeguet is the one who missed the penalty kick that cost France the match.
Regardless of what Materazzi said to Zidane, his response was clearly inappropriate and unforgivable.
The Italian's were great in the penalty round, and they deserve to hoist the World Cup trophy proudly. No action by Zidane or anyone else on the French side should take away from that.
Italy won for the 4th time and is now second only to Brazil as the world's greatest soccer nation.
Once a Muslim, always a Muslim.....
Toog,
That's the sort of commentary I expect at this place.
Walter's Ridge,
Unforgiveable? Please, I just can't stand the way people hype sporting controversies.
Toogie,
What zidane did was in the closing minutes of overtime. His shoulder was injured. He was of little value to the team at that point in the game.
After trying to undress Zidane's shirt, the Italian called his mother and sister a whore. Some British newspapers have said he called him a dirty terrorist. Earlier, he had made comments about Zidane's first coach suffering from illness. This is the man that had rescued Zidane from the ghetto.
Homeboy dropped a sledgehammer in his chest. I find this swift retribution to be quite honourable. If a justified retribution to a blatant racist provocation means "once a muslim always a muslim", then so be it..... But this is for sure... once a toogie always a dumb ass toogie....
Go Zidane...