What a bizarre night for one of football's greatest figures. Zinedine Zidane started the World Cup final on a high, scoring on a cheeky penalty kick that was chipped right down the middle as Italy keeper Buffon dived the wrong way. It was the stuff of legends. It was Zidane's last international game for France and he had just put them into the lead. If France could have held onto the lead, Zidane would surely walk away with the Golden Ball award for the tournament's MVP, and would cap his glorious career with a second World Cup.

 

But it didn't work out that way. Italy's Marco Materazzi quickly tied the game with a header, and the score remained 1-1 at the 90 minute mark. In extra time, Zidane played a nice pass out to Sagnol on the wing, who crossed the ball back into the box. Would this be the signature moment for Zidane? He jumped up to meet the ball in the box, and unleashed a powerful header toward the goal. Unfortunately, it was right down the middle, and Buffon was able to leap up and tip the shot over the bar.

 

Zidane was once again nearly the hero, but he quickly turned villain. After exchaning words with Materazzi, Zidane began running up the field, well behing the play. Suddenly, and inexplicably, he turned, lowered his head, and rammed Materazzi in the chest, knocking the towering defender on his back. The referee did not see the head butt, nor did most of the fans in the Olympiastadion. But the linesman or the fourth official did. After consulting with his colleagues, the referee showed Zidane a red card, ending his international career in the most diappointing way. Zidane slowly walked off the pitch, past the World Cup trophy on the sidelines and into the tunnel.

 

Click on the link below for video of the infamous head-butt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1i_l0OeeMc

 

Zidane's evening had gone from triumph to tragedy. But Marco Materazzi's night was just the opposite. Early on, he was whistled for the foul on Malouda in the box that set up Zidane's penalty kick goal. He attoned for that when he scored the equalizing goal moments later. And ironically, it was Materazzi who was fouled by Zidane.

 

When the match finally made it to penalty kicks, France were without Zidane, the exhausted Henry, and the injured Vieira. Still, France made four out of five kicks. Only David Trezeguet, who had scored the winner against Italy in Euro 2000, missed his kick, slamming the ball off the cross bar. Italy made all five of their kicks. And Marco Materazzi completed his journey from goat to hero by making his kick. What could he have said to provoke Zidane's head butt? Evidently, Materazzi insulted Zidane's sister. But Zidane should know better than to react the way he did. Materazzi's remarks may have been a calculated ploy to elicit a reaction from Zidane, but it worked. Zidane was sent off, and Italy won the cup.

Soccerword's World Cup Team
GK: Gianluigi Buffon, Italy
D: Fabio Cannavaro, Italy
D: Fabio Grosso, Italy
D: Lilian Thuram, France
D: John Terry, England
M: Andrea Pirlo, Italy
M: Zinedine Zidane, France
M: Riquelme, Argentina
M: Gennaro Gattuso, Italy
F: Miroslav Klose, Germany
F: Maxi Rodriguez, Argentina

 

Honorable Mention
GK: Ricardo, Portugal
D: Gianluca Zambrotta, Italy
D: Marco Materazzi, Italy
D: Philipp Lahm, Germany
M: Michael Ballack, Germany
M: Luis Figo, Portugal
M: Owen Hargreaves, England
F: Hernan Crespo, Argentina

France 1 - 1 (3-5 PKs) Italy

Fabio Grosso was the hero of Italy's semi-final win over Germany, and Grosso scored the penalty kick that won the World Cup final for Italy. All five Italians made their spot kicks, while David Trezeguet's kick hit the cross bar for France. It was a classic cup final, marred by the sending off of France legend Zinedine Zidane for inexplicably head-butting Materazzi in extra time.

 

Zidane loses his head and uses his head to knock Materazzi to the ground.

 

All credit to Italy's defense, led by captain Fabio Cannavaro, for shutting down France after an early penalty kick. And their penalty takers deserve full credit too. England showed how hard penalty kicks can be, but the Italians stepped up and did the job, firing their shots into the back of the net: Andrea Pirlo, Marco Materazzi, Danielle De Rossi, Alessandro Del Piero, and Fabio Grosso.

 

Fabio Grosso's Penalty Kick wins the World Cup for Italy.

 

Penalty Kicks
1. Italy: Pirlo - goal
1. France: Wiltord - goal
2. Italy: Materazzi - goal
2. France: Trezeguet - missed, off cross bar
3. Italy: De Rossi - goal
3. France: Abidal - goal
4. Italy: Del Piero - goal
4. France: Sagnol - goal
5. Italy: Grosso - goal

 

Italy wins the World Cup 5-3 on penalty kicks.

 

Goal keepers: Fabian Barthez (France), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy)

 

World Cup Final: Minute by Minute

120:00 France 1 - 1 Italy
Zinedine Zidane was sent off for head-butting Materazzi in the chest. Neither team could find a goal in extra time, so we go to penalty kicks.

 

119:00 Wiltord runs onto a long ball, but his sliding shot is high and wide. Penalty kicks loom.

 

117:00 Everyone looks exhausted. The Italians are getting sloppy with their passing, but France is too tired to press them.

 

114:00 The crowd continues to jeer the sending off of Zidane as Diarra is called for a foul.

 

110:00 RED CARD: Zinedine Zidane. Amazingly, Zidane drills Meterazzi with a head butt to the chest. The Italian is knocked to the ground, and Zidane is sent off in his final international appearance. The replays showed that Materazzi may have said something to Zidane to precipitate the incident, but it is a shocker that Zidane would lose his cool and react in that manner with a fierce head butt. What a bizarre moment! The referee didn't see the foul, but after consulting with the linesmen, he pulled out the red card. Perhaps Zidane was frustrated at not putting his header past Buffon.

 

109:00 Del Piero is tripped up. He grabs the ball as he hits the ground, expecting a free kick, but he is whistled for a hand ball.

 

107:00 France Substitution: Sylvain Wiltord enters the match in place of an exhausted Henry.

 

106:00 De Rossi gets hit in the face by the elbow or hand of Malouda as they contest a high ball.

 

105:00 France 1 - 1 Italy; 15 more minutes of extra time to come
Fatigue is really setting in now. Thierry Henry sits down in the middle of the pitch after the whistle.

 

104:00 Zidane plays the ball to Sagnol on the right wing. Sagnol curls a pass back into the box, and Zidane heads a powerful shot on goal only for Buffon to make a spectacular save, tipping the ball over the bar. If the header had been a few inches to either side of Buffon, it would have been 2-1 to France.

 

102:00 Zidane chips the ball into the box, but Buffon comes off his line to catch the ball.

 

100:00 France substitution: David Trezequet enters the match as a substitute for Ribery.

 

99:00 Ribery gets a back-heel pass from Malouda, side steps a defender, and shoots just wide from the edge of the box.

 

98:00 Zambrotta runs down the right wing to support the attack, but France wins the ball and counter attacks. Once again, the Italian defense clamps down to regain possession.

 

97:00 Henry fakes out Gattuso, but his pass forward is intercepted by Cannavaro.

 

95:00 Malouda goes down near the edge of the box, but the referee waves play on. It looked like Malouda initiated the contact with Gattuso.

 

93:00 Malouda dribbles the ball down the left wing, challenges two defenders, and wins a corner kick. Zidane's kick is cleared at the near post.

 

91:00 France maintains possession to start extra time until Malouda loses it out of bounds.

 

90:00 France 1 - 1 Italy; Extra Time to Follow
Italy looked like they had the winning goal, when Toni headed the ball into the net just past the hour mark, but the goal was waved off. Although another player looked off-side, it could be argued that it was a passive off-side, and Toni's goal should have counted as he was level with the final defender. In any event, the goal did not count, and the match continues.

 

89:00 It's back and forth action. Makelele plays Zidane into the Italian half, but his is dispossessed by Gattuso. Iaquinta takes the ball down the right wing for Italy, but he too has the ball taken away.

 

88:00 Iaquinta breaks into the box along with two French defenders, but the ball is played back to Barthez before the Italian striker can tee up a shot.

 

87:00 Zidane's shot is headed away by Pirlo. Makelele follows up with a rare shot, but it sails high over the bar.

 

86:00 Cheers from the Italian fans as Alessandro Del Piero enters the match. Camoranesi makes way for the striker.

 

85:00 Toni plays the ball to De Rossi on the left wing, but De Rossi lobs a tame shot toward goal that is easily handled by Barthez.

 

83:00 France strings together several nice passes before Sagnol sends a cross into the box that is chested out for a corner kick by Zambrotta.

 

81:00 Zidane goes down after landing awkwardly on his shoulder. Italy plays the ball out of bounds as the stretcher comes onto the pitch. Zidane walks off the pitch, testing his shoulder. Is it a serious injury or just fatigue? Probably the latter as Zidane runs back onto the pitch.

 

77:00 Italy finally enjoy a few moments of possession in the second half.

 

76:00 Diarra picks up a yellow card for dissent after a challenge on Luca Toni. Pirlo's free kick from the center of the pitch curls just wide of the left post.

 

74:00 Cannavaro shows off a bicycle kick to clear the ball away, but France earn a free kick on the left wing. Zidane's kick sails harmlessly wide of the far post and out for a goal kick.

 

73:00 Luca Toni collects the ball in the box, turns and fires a shot on goal, but he is whistled for a hand ball. On his follow through, Toni's shin collides with Thuram's leg. The players use the stoppage in play as a water break.

 

72:00 On television, Bill Clinton is shown watching the match from the stands. He watches Abidal fire a speculative, long-range attempt well over the goal.

 

70:00 Ribery dribbled in and out of the box, and eventually draws a foul from Cannavaro on the left wing. Zidane's free kick goes off the hands of Buffon and out for a throw in.

 

69:00 Ribery fires high and wide from long range.

 

68:00 De Rossi gets pinned in at the right touch line, and fires a long pass back to Buffon.

 

65:00 Cannavaro tries to play the ball forward from the back, but Malouda regains possession and fires a shot over the bar.

 

63:00 Henry's shot is saved by Buffon, and then at the other end of the pitch, Toni's shot is blocked by a defender.

 

62:00 Following the substitution, Italy immediately put the ball into the back of the net. Luca Toni heads Pirlo's free kick into the goal, but the play is ruled off-side. I think it was another player, rather than Toni who was off-side. No goal.

 

61:00 A double substitution for Italy. Iaquinta and De Rossi enter the match in place of Perrotta and Totti.

 

58:00 Malouda plays the ball into the box again, but Zidane's shot is blocked by a defender. Camoranesi slips allowing France to retain possession. It's one way traffic for France.

 

56:00 Patrick Vieira cannot continue for France. He is replaced by substitute Diarra.

 

54:00 France continues to attack. Malouda caused problems again, dribbling in from the right wing and sending a pass across goal, but Ribery cannot get a touch to the ball.

 

53:00 Ribery attack down the right wing, centers the ball to Zidane who quickly passes it on to Malouda running into the box from the left. Malouda is taken down by Zambrotta, but no penalty is called. This one looked more like a penalty than the one that was awarded early in the match.

 

52:00 Malouda flies down the right side and picks out Henry in the box. Henry waits a moment too long, and Cannavaro is able to clear. The French are piling on the pressure.

 

50:00 Henry dribbles into the box, spins around, and tries to center the ball, but it is cleared over the line for a corner kick. Nothing comes from the corner.

 

49:00 Grosso works on Sagnol in the corner and wins a corner for Italy. The short corner is played into the box, headed forward by Gallas, and pin balls around and over the line for a goal kick.

 

47:00 Malouda is whistled for a foul, elbowing Zambrotta to the pitch.

 

46:00 With Malouda down on the ground, Henry continues the play, dribbling past several defenders and directing a weak shot on goal that is easily saved by Buffon.

 

HALF TIME: France 1 - 1 Italy
France took the early lead on a dubious penalty kick decision, and an equally dubious decision from Zidane to chip his spot kick down the middle. Fortunately for Zidane, his shot clipped the underside of the cross bar and fell just over the line to give France the lead. But Italy responded quickly as defender Marco Materazzi jumped over Patrick Vieira to head the ball into the net from a Pirlo corner kick. It's shaping up to be a classic final.

 

45:00 +2 Camoranesi breaks free of the French defense, but he is whistled off-side.

 

45:00 Totti takes a free kick from the left wing, but it is headed out of the box by France.

 

42:00 Luca Toni drops deeper to get involved in the play; Totti has been nearly invisible so far.

 

41:00 With play stalling in midfield, the crowd begins the wave.

 

38:00 A loose back pass from Sagnol almost plays Luca Toni through on goal for Italy, but Barthez comes out of goal to blast the ball away.

 

36:00 On the other end of the pitch, Cannavaro's slilding tackle prevents a shot from Henry. Nothing comes from the resulting corner kick.

 

35:00 A sliding tackle from Thuram blocks a shot from Luca Toni, but Italy win a corner kick. Toni almost makes it 2-1 for Italy, but his header bounced off and over the bar.

 

33:00 Perrotta is lying on the ground with an apparent foot or ankle injury after being stepped on by Ribery. France plays the ball out of bounds. Perrotta trots back onto the pitch after receiving the cold water treatment to his foot.

 

30:00 Gattuso is not strictly man-marking Henry, but he is nearby whenever the French striker gets the ball.

 

29:00 Makelele is whistled for a trip. Italy wins a free kick in France's half of the pitch, but Totti's long-range attempt is blocked.

 

27:00 Italy wins another corner kick as Vieira plays the ball over the line. Materazzi wins another header and sends the ball down on goal. The ball is cleared off the line, but Meterazzi was called for a foul anyway.

 

25:00 France is beginning to control possession in midfield, but Italy's defense is preventing any real scoring chances, winning the ball before France can get off a shot.

 

23:00 Makelele displays fine dribbling to set up Henry in the middle of the pitch, but Gattuso tackled the ball away from the French striker.

 

19:00 GOAL: Materazzi for Italy; France 1 - 1 Italy. Redemption for Materazzi. The Italian defender out-jumps Patrick Viera to head the ball home from a Pirlo corner kick.

 

11:00 Willy Sagnol is booked for a foul on Fabio Grosso.

 

7:00 GOAL: Zidane for France; France 1 - 0 Italy. Zinedine Zidane attempts a cheeky chipped penalty kick that hits off the under side of the cross bar and drops down just over the line to give France the lead. Similar to Hurst's goal for England in the 1966 final, except this one was clearly over the line.

 

6:00 The diving continues for France as Florent Malouda draws a penalty kick. There was minimal, if any, contact from Materazzi, but referee Horacio Marcelo Elizondo awards a spot kick to France as Malouda flings himself to the ground.

 

5:00 Zambrotta is booked for a foul on Lilian Thuram near the French penalty area.

 

2:00 With his head turned away, Thierry Henry runs into the shoulder of Fabio Cannavaro. He has to leave the pitch, but returns after a minute of treatment.

Germany 3 - 1 Portugal

It was the Bastian Schweinsteiger show in Stuttgart as Germany claimed third place in the 2006 World Cup with a convincing 3-1 win over Portugal. Schweinsteiger scored twice, and saw his free kick deflected in the net for another goal.

 

After losing to France in the semi-final, Portugal coach Luiz Scolari admitted it was hard to motivate his squad for the 3rd place match. That lack of motivation was evident in today’s match as the Germans looked far more determined to claim 3rd place in the tournament. Oliver Kahn started in goal and was cheered by the Stuttgart crowd, a fitting tribute to one of Germany’s footballing legends.

 

The match remained scoreless until the 56th minute when Bastian Schweinsteiger fired home a curling blast from just outside the penalty box. Seven minutes later, Schweinsteiger’s free kick from the left wing was turned into his own goal by Petit. In the 78th minute, Schweinsteiger scored again. As he dribbled toward the area, Petit backed away, providing him with more than enough space to unleash another swerving shot that eluded Ricardo and went into the net just inside the right post.

 

Moments later, Schweinsteiger was given a deserved ovation as he left the pitch, to be replaced by Thomas Hitzlsperger, who plays for Stuttgart in the Bundesliga. The move ensured that Klinsmann gave each of his players at least one appearance in the World Cup.

 

Luis Figo started the game on the bench, but he came on as a substitute and contributed to a late goal for Portugal in what was likely his last international appearance for Portugal. In the 88th minute, Figo’s cross was headed into the net by a diving Nuno Gomes.

 

Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann and the players seemed genuinely pleased to capture the bronze medals. The tournament began with low expectations and criticism of Klinsmann, but it ended on a high note for the Germans. Although Germany didn’t make it to the final, Klinsmann was vindicated, Lukas Podolski was named young player of the tournament, and the future of German football looks bright. The Stuttgart crowd even chanted the name “Jurgen Klinsmann” in praise.

 

Prediction: Italy 1 - 0 France
As great as Zindedine Zidane has been this world cup, I'm afraid his remarkable run of games will come to an end against Italy. France has relied on some questionable free kicks and penalty kicks to advance this far, and I think their luck will run out against the defensive wall that is Italy.

 

The Italians have only allowed one goal so far, and that was an own goal against the United States. The back four of Fabio Cannavaro, Marco Meterazzi, Gianluca Zambrotta, and Fabio Grosso has been absolutely unbeatable since. And Grosso and Zambrotta have pitched in with crucial goals as well.

 

With Andrea Pirlo controlling the midfield, and Gennaro Gattuso providing a fierce, defensive presence and running all over the pitch, the Italians defensvie efforts begin ahead of the back four. Breaking them down will be quite a challenge for France.

 

Aside from pretending to be elbowed in the face and earning a penalty kick from minimal contact, Thierry Henry has not had a great tournament. Italy, however, have several attacking options up front. Luca Toni and Francesco Totti will probably start the final, but coach Marcello Lippi has Alessandro Del Piero and Vincenzo Iaquinta available on the bench. When they came on in extra time against Germany, it made all the difference.

 

France certainly have quality players too. William Gallas and Lilian Thuram have been solid in defense, but Fabien Barthez is always a question mark. He wasn't tested very much against Portugal, but suffered through a couple nervous moments, barely managing to punch the ball away. And France also have quality in midfield. Claude Makelele is the best in the business at the holding midfielder role, and Patrick Viera is capable of holding his own with Pirlo. That should be an excellent matchup to keep your eye on. And Ribery has provided excellent pace on the wing.

 

For France, I think it will all come down to Henry. He needs to have a great match, along with Zidane, for France to have a chance. But I think Italy will be too much for them. I suspect they will be in better shape as the match progresses, especially if extra time is required. Fabio Cannavaro has been the player of the tournament so far, and another clean sheet for Italy should clinch that title for him. Look for Italy to lock down Zidane and Henry to claim a 1-0 victory in the final with Luca Toni scoring the lone goal.

 

On a side note, Italian club Juventus, currently embroiled in the match fixing scandal in Italy, has eight players in the final. Italy's Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluca Zambrotta, Mauro Camoranesi and Alessandro Del Piero and France's Liliam Thuram, Patrick Vieira and David Trezeguet. If Juventus are found guilty and relegated, all of these players may be looking for new clubs.

France 1 – 0 Portugal

A penalty earned by Thierry Henry and converted by Zinedine Zidane was enough to send France to the World Cup final. After France’s win against Spain, I recalled the saying, “old age and treachery will always prevail over youth and skill.” Well, the same could be said about today’s match. On the penalty, there was minimal contact as Ricardo Carvalho’s left boot touched Henry’s leg. But Henry made the most of it, tripping to the ground. And it worked as the referee gave France the decisive penalty kick.

 

Portugal got off to a fast start, and in the 9th minute, Maniche had the first good shot on goal. But his powerful blast sailed just over the bar. Ono the flip side, Cristiano Ronaldo was booed and jeered every time he touched the ball. As the first half progressed, however, France gradually slowed the game down and established their passing game. Zinedine Zidane and Claude Makelele began to take control of the midfield, while Ribery provided quickness on the wing.

 

In the 32nd minute, Thierry Henry won a penalty kick after minimal contact from Ricardo Carvalho. As Henry attempted to play the ball back across his body, Carvalho kicked at and ball but failed to make contact. Off balance as he was falling to the ground, Carvalho’s left foot came up and made contact with Henry’s shin. It wasn’t a deliberate or hard kick, but Henry made the most of it, tripping and falling to the ground. Zinedine Zidane then stepped up to take the spot kick. Ricardo once again guessed the right way, diving to his right, but Zidane’s low shot had enough pace to beat the Portugal keeper.

 

Moments later, Portugal appealed for a penalty when Cristiano Ronaldo fell dramatically to the ground as he attempted to head home a cross. Perhaps Ronaldo’s reputation for diving influenced the referee’s no-call. In any event, it didn’t look like a foul on the replay. After only a minute of injury time, the half time whistle blew with France holding a 1-0 lead.

 

Shortly after half time, Henry fired a low shot on goal. The ball deflected off Ricardo, but it dribbled just wide of the left post. Moments later, Ricardo was forced to make another save on Ribery’s blast. Ricardo’s one-handed punch went way up in the air, and he was able to collect it

 

In the 53rd minute, some Portugese fans cheered for what they thought was a tying goal, but Pauleta’s strike only hit the side netting. Miguel went down after an attempted one-two move with Pauleta, and had to leave the match near the hour mark. After a couple of minutes playing with ten men, Portugal finally sent on a substitute, and it was Chelsea’s Paulo Ferreira. That made it two Chelsea players for each side: Carvalho and Ferreira for Portugal, and Gallas and Makelele for France.

 

In the 68th minute, Scolari sent on Simao to help spark Portugal’s attack. And surprisingly, it was Pauleta that was substituted. In response, French coach Raymond Domenech sent on Sylvain Wiltord as a substitute for Malouda. (On a side note, Domenech was the coach of France’s 1996 Olympic team. It was the Atlanta Olympics, but the football matches were played in Athens, Georgia – home of soccerword.com)

 

More substitutions followed. For France, Govou came on for Ribery, and for Portugal, Costinha was replaced by the more attack minded Helder Postiga. Within minutes of entering the game, Govou beat his marker down the right wing and fired a low pass across the box, but no one was there to receive it. Meanwhile, Portugal resorted to long balls and diving in an attempt to draw a penalty kick.

 

In the 77th minute, Ronaldo fired in a swerving free kick that fooled Bartez, bouncing off his chest and arms and up into the air. Figo was first on the scene, but his header landed on top of the net. It was almost a howler for Barthez. With just over five minutes to go, Thierry Henry was replaced by Luis Saha, a somewhat odd substitution given that a penalty shootout was still a possibility. And Saha quickly picked up a red card, ruling him out of the final. Portugal’s Carvalho will also miss the next match, Saturday’s third place game, after picking up a booking. It hasn't been a great tournament for Carvalho. First, Rooney stomped on his crotch, and now he gave up the penalty kick that knocked Portugal out of the World Cup.

 

In injury time, Portugal poured men into the box, including keeper Ricardo, looking for the tying goal. But the French defense held firm. France will play Italy in the World Cup final on Sunday.

 

World Cup Semi-final: Italy 2 - 0 Germany
Move over Marco Tardelli. Fabio Grosso becomes the latest Italian to score a memorable goal against Germany. Only minutes away from a penalty kick shootout, Italy came up with two late goals to advance to the World Cup final. In front of a pro-German crowd in Dortmund, Fabio Grosso and Alessandro Del Piero stepped up with two brilliant strikes in the final two minutes of extra time to break the German's hearts and set off wild celebrations back in Italy. After Grosso curled a brilliant, left-footed shot past German keeper Jens Lehman, he raced down the pitch in celebration, shaking his head back and forth. It was reminiscent of Marco Tardelli's celebration after scoring against Germany in the 1982 final.

 

Grosso (right) celebrates his winning goal.

 

Dortmund's own Sebastian Kehl started for Germany in place of suspended defensive midfielder Torsten Frings. Surprisingly, Tim Borowski also started in place of Schweinsteiger. The match was allowed to flow by referee Benito Archundia Tellez of Mexico, and it was much more compelling than earlier matches with card-happy refs. Despite the free-flowing play, there were relatively few goal scoring chances in regulation. Italy controlled possession, but could not translate that advantage into a goal.

 

Both clubs made second half changes in an attempt to jump start the offese. Jurgen Klinsmann sent on Scweinsteiger in the 72nd minute for Borowski, and later substituted Bern Schneider with Odonkor. Likewise, Italy replaced Luca Toni with Alberto Gilardino in the 74th minute. But none of the subsitutes would help their countries score in regulation.

 

Italy had two great chances to win the match early in extra time. Substitute Gilardino dribbled into the box and hit the right post from a close range shot. Moments later, Gianluca Zambrotta collected the ball after a corner kick and slammed the ball off the crossbar. Two posts in two minutes, but the game was still without a goal.

 

In extra time, Italy coach Lippi brought on two strikers - Del Piero and Iaquinta - in place of midfielders, perhaps anticipating penalty kicks. With ten minutes remaining, Lukas Podolski forced a fine save from Gianluigi Buffon as the Italian keeper tipped the blast over the bar.

 

It was back and forth action over the final five minutes, and Italy finally broke through with only minutes to go. Once again, Fabio Grosso was the hero for Italy. It started from a corner kick. The headed clearance fell to Andrea Pirlo at the edge of the box, and he played a nice pass through to Grosso in the box. From the right of the area, Grosso curled a perfect left-footed strike just inside the left post to stun the Dortmund crowd. After the goal, Grosso ran across the pitch, shaking his head in celebration reprising Tardelli's famous celebration in the 1982 World Cup final.

 

And moments later, Del Piero added a second goal to seal the victory. Cannavaro started the move from the Italian side of midfield, and Gilardino set up the goal as he dribbled into the box, drawing the defender towards him. Gilardino then played the ball back to Del Piero cutting in completely unmarked from the left. And Del Piero curled a perfect, right-footed shot just inside the right post. It was almost a mirror image of Grosso's goal.

 

As a result, Germany lose for the first time ever in Dortmund. But more importantly, Italy remain unbeaten against Germany in the World Cup, and advance to the final.

 

Tardelli (right) celebrates his winning goal in the 1982 final.

France 1 - 0 Brazil
It was 1998 all over again in Frankfurt as an aging France side defied the odds to defeat Brazil and advance to the semi-finals. Zinedine Zidane recaptured the form of eight years ago, displaying brilliant control on the ball, remarkable vision, and inch-perfect passes to lead France to victory. And the French defense kept the potent Brazillian attack force at bay to record an historic victory. The only goal of the match came from a free kick in the 57th minute, and it was the familiar combination of Zidane to Henry. Zidane sent a brilliant cross from the left wing across goal, and remarkably, Henry was unmarked as he volleyed home at the far post. Ronaldinho had a chance to tie the match in the 88th minute, but his free kick from just outside the box curled just over the cross bar. Zidane, who will retire from international football after the tournament, will play at least one more World Cup match, against Portugal in the semi-finals. But this may be the end of the road for the all-time World Cup goal scorer Ronaldo. After losing to France in the 1998 final, Brazil had been unbeaten in World Cup play. Until now.

Portugal 0 - 0 (3-1 PKs) England
It was a bad day for England. David Beckham left the match with an injury, Wayne Rooney was shown a red card for stamping on Carvalho's crotch, and Portugal keeper Ricardo made three penalty kick saves to end England's dream. After going a man down in the second half, England bravely held on throughout 120 minutes to force penalty kicks. And it all went wrong there. Frank Lampard's nightmare of a world cup continued when he missed England's first penalty kick. Owen Hargreaves made England's only penalty kick, before Gerrard and Carragher had their shots saved by Ricardo. Two Portugal players missed the goal completely, but England could not take advantage of it as Ricardo came up big in goal for Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo, who urged the referee to send off Rooney, made the final kick to win the match for Portugal.

 

The first half was more of a stalemate, with both teams defending well and allowing few chances. The match did have a back and forth flow as the referee allowed the game to proceed with few whistles. The only poor decision was the yellow card on John Terry after he collided with former Chelsea teammate Tiago near the center circle. It looked like a 50-50 challenge, but Terry was booked and would have missed the semi-final if England had advanced.

 

Cristiano Ronaldo was a threat down the left wing, and Neville struggled to keep up with his pace. Portugal’s best scoring chance of the first half was created by Ronaldo, cutting in from the left, but his left-footed shot was high at the near post. For England, Rooney and Lampard both had low, mid-range shots saved by Ricardo.

 

Steven Gerrard impressed with his work rate, running all over the pitch to support the attack, and to defend on of Ronaldo’s surging runs. David Beckham made little impact in the first half, uncharacteristically sending in a poor corner kick, and hitting the wall with a free kick from just outside the box. England looked better than previous matches, but still could not find the net in the first half.

 

In the 52nd minute, Eriksson did what many thought he didn’t have the courage to do. He took off David Beckham with Aaron Lennon coming on as a substitute. Moments later, England has a great scoring chance from a Gerrard corner kick, but Lampard mishit his volley and it didn’t force a save from Ricardo.

 

It didn’t take long for Aaron Lennon to make an impact on the game. He dribbled through the Portugal defense at laid the ball back. Rooney couldn’t get a foot to the ball, but Cole came sliding in for a shot that sailed over the bar.

 

And then it went all wrong for Rooney. After battling for the ball with two Portugal players, Rooney was struggling to stay on his feet, and he stepped down on Ricardo Carvalho’s crotch. It looked accidental, but the referee showed Rooney a straight red card, with Rooney’s Manchester United teammate Ronaldo lobbying for the red card. Ironically, it was another Chelsea defender, Paulo Ferreira, that injured Rooney’s foot in a league match, almost ruling him out of the World Cup. And now, Chelsea’s Carvalho was the player that Rooney fouled to get sent off.

 

With England’s lone striker sent off, Eriksson sent on Peter Crouch as a substitute for Joe Cole. For much of the remaining second half, England played with nine men behind the ball, with only Crouch up front. England did have a few chances on goal. Lampard’s low free kick troubled Ricardo, who could only block the shot, but Lennon’s follow up shot was easily saved. In the final minutes of regulation time, England managed two corner kicks, and came very close to scoring. After one of the corners, the ball fell to John Terry in the box, but his close range shot was deflected up and over the cross bar.

 

In extra time, England were content to defend with nine men behind the ball, and hope to hit Crouch on the counter attack. And Crouch did well to hold the ball up as best he could with two and three Portugal defenders marking him. At one point, Crouch released Aaron Lennon into the box, but Lennon was tackled before he could get a shot on target. England appealed for a penalty, but the referee ruled that it was a clean challenge. Near the end of the 30 minutes of extra time, Eriksson surprisingly took off substitute Lennon, replacing him with Jamie Carragher. And after Lampard and Gerrard had their spot kicks saved, it was Carragher who left to take England’s fourth PK. After drilling the ball into the top right corner before the referee blew his whistle, Carragher was forced to retake the kick. And once again, Ricardo made a diving save to deny England and send Portugal through to the semi-finals.

 

Penalty Kicks: Portugal wins 4-2

 

1. Portugal: Simao - goal
1. England: Lampard – saved by Ricardo
2. Portugal: Viana - missed off the left post
2. England: Hargreaves – goal, off Ricardo’s hand into the corner
3. Portugal: Petit – missed wide left
3. England: Gerrard – saved by Ricardo
4. Portugal: Postiga - goal
4. England: Carragher – saved by Ricardo
5. Portugal: Ronaldo - goal

 

Goal keepers: Paul Robinson (England), Ricardo (Portugal)