Italy wins Cup

[Rand]

BERLIN (Reuters) - Italy beat France 5-3 on penalties in the World Cup final after the two teams finished level at 1-1 after extra time in a dramatic encounter in which French playmaker Zinedine Zidane was sent off.

David Trezeguet hit the bar with his spot kick and the decisive penalty was scored by Fabio Grosso.

Zidane had given France the lead from the penalty spot as early as the seventh minute but Italian defender Marco Materazzi equalized with a header just 12 minutes later.

Zidane was shown the red card in the 111th minute after he head-butted Materazzi in the chest in an off-the-ball incident not seen by the referee. After fierce protests by the Italians, the referee consulted his linesman and sent Zidane off.

It was only the second shootout at a World Cup final. Brazil beat Italy on penalties after a 0-0 draw in 1994.

 

[dvdmallett]

Did you see how bad Italy was cheating within the first 5 minutes of the game?

 

[davy]

a heart wrenching game!!

 

[Kuja]

I am extremely happy for them! They played well as far as I saw...I was switching between the World Cup and a Project Runway re-run. That also caused me to miss Zidane's head-butting incident. I was pretty shocked when they replayed it. Great game!! Makes me proud to be a quarter Italian, damn it!!

 

[twinbrotherb652]

Gatusso was in his undies lol

 

[unclaimedblessing]

Oh to be in Italy right now.

 

[DiaryOfAMadman]

It was nice to finally see the team I root for win the WORLD CUP. I'll never forget how I felt so crushed when they lost to Brazil in penality kicks, and those bad memoreis were ravaging my mind again today as the second overtime period ended.

Now I'm not greed so in 4 years I'd love to see Ukraine win their first, someitng aside from the same old teams every year, now that I finally experienced Italy winning one.

 

[D-Base]

ITALIA

CHAMPIONS​

 

[Pyramus11]

Makes me proud to be a quarter Italian, damn it!!

Ditto. Vive l'Italia!

 

[Ben1]

Congratulations from Germany. Zidane - his last game and he made that bullshit. Idiot.
And now - You will make it South Africa. Good luck.

 

[cynicus]

Great way for Zinedine Zidane to end his career in his final match. As for the Italians cheating in the first five minutes, that isn't cheating--it is strategy. If they want to put a stop to various "illegalities," then let them put 5 or 6 more referees on the field. I think Zinedine Zidane did nothing the French should boast about, and I love Italians! And I don't have a drop of Italian blood in my veins. But then again--America is the great melting pot (despite what people like Peto assert--a Canadian inferiority complex about his great neighbor to the South?), so who knows what any of us have flowing through our veins?

 

[kotosal]

Thanks, thanks to all of you supporting my team.
i just got home from partying on the street with totally strangers, but all happy for the winning.
We really deserved to win this cup.
France couldn't have won a cup on non existant PK, as they did with Portugal.
And Zidane is a totally idiot..........

 

[french 23 boy]

I am french and i congratulate Italy but 2 things = Zidane was insulted by the Italian player about her mother that is very sick at this time + France dominated 3/4 of the match.
So Ok i give my congratulations to Italy, but I am also very proud of the French team

 

[torontoguy22]

FORZA AZZURRI! Siamo campione del mondo!

 

[3nipples]

"Deserving" to win (or not) is the typical loser's argument and has nothing to do with anything.

ITALIA ITALIA ITALIA

 

[3nipples]

And this argument promotes mediocrity. Let's keep cheering Italy and being mediocre. Who cares?

And here I thought my arguments would lift all readers instantly to a higher plain of consciousness... maybe I just got the punctuation wrong

 

[3nipples]

I came here only to read as I'm French. What French or Italian people can say is not realy interesting.
It is said that Zidane is an idiot... is that all you have to say?

Have you been stewing over this since July?