Tuesday, July 04, 2006

IS MR. SCRUFFINS RIGHT?

Old comrade and frequent commenter Mr. Scruffins predicts an Italy/France final, with Italy winning on the back of some sort of cosmic redemption mojo. So far, so good!

That was a great match: nervy, cagey, physical Euroball for 100 minutes, explosive end-to-end daring all through the last gasps. Germany can hold their heads high after that display and after a tournament where they showcased some good, crisp, clinical soccer. (Not to mention Sexy Jurgen's supernaturally white shirts—can I get the name of his tailor?) The German fans have been fantastic, from the partisans in Dortmund to the kids at Portland's Thirsty Lion Pub handing out free tri-color face paint. The Italians seem determined to shelve their most craven instincts in favor of actual calcio. Could you tell that the entire domestic game in that country is blowing apart? No.

Tomorrow looks more and more delicious: can Dirty Portugal stall the Zizou Express? Or are we due an epic final encounter between The Blues and The Blues? This World Cup has had its ups and downs, but looks set for a freakout finish.

1 comment:

Dan said...

And if Italy wins the cup, that means that Bruce's boys, having tied them one-one (a man down even!) have something to smile about, don't they?