Australia can have the satisfaction that it was knocked out by the eventual winners of the World Cup. Italy and France played out a 1-1 draw in the final, so it was decided by penalties. Italy, for once, managed to keep their nerve during the shoot out. Trezeguet was the only player to miss his penalty, with the ball striking the underside of the crossbar and coming back into the field of play. Amazingly, Zidane had scored from a very cheeky penalty in normal time, also striking the underside of the crossbar, but the ball crossed the goal line before bouncing back into the field of play.
Italy had the better of the first half, but France completely dominated the second half and extra time with some brilliant moments provided by Malouda, Ribbery, Henry and Zidane. Italy had a goal disallowed for offside in one of their rare attacking moments of the second period. Zidane could have sealed victory in extra time with an unopposed header, but Buffon kept Italy in the game with an excellent save.
Zidane was sent off in extra time for a blatant head-butt to Materazzi’s chest. Why, oh why oh why did you have to end your career like that Zizou? Nobody wants to remember Zinedine Zidane, surely one of the greatest players ever to have graced a football field, for that one moment of sheer stupidity.
