World Cup Finale

Italy beat France for the World Cup. After two hours of intense soccer (ninety minutes of regulation play and thirty minutes of overtime), the score remained tied at a goal apiece. A penalty kick shootout resulted and a botched kick by France's David Trezeguet gave Italy the championship.

By the time the showdown came, the Italians were competing against a handicapped French squad missing its best players. Their exciting striker, Thierry Henry, was out with an injury. The coach had already substituted Frank Ribery, the explosive player with a distinguishing scar on his face. And Zinedine Zidane, their retiring soccer legend, was out with a red card for reeling and ramming Marco Materazzi.

Zidane's actions still befuddle me. I don't know what provoked him, but the more I think about it, the less relevant the cause seems. In the end, it doesn't matter what the opposing player said or did, Zidane should have kept walking. Instead of the world remembering his brilliantly tapped penalty kick off the top bar in the ninth minute, the world will remember the infamous head butt that led to his exit late in the match.

Honestly, I don't know if France would have won if Henry, Ribery and Zidane had stayed in the game, but I know their absence strips some of the splendor from Italy's victory.