World Cup winners ??

[paolov]

sportsmanship of this caliber is hard to FIND!

Words of Wisdom and Truth !


.

 

[pakman]

Ha... knowing the Italians I'm sure the defender was trash talking Zidane... But you know, Zizzou has a history of bad temper... I believe he head butted someone before and also been red carded for stomping on someone. But yeah a shame he had to go out for a "header" like that... Ohhh how I wished he had scored that one header that the Italian goalie just barely deflected with a finger...

You gotta think that the Italians were looking to get Zidane out. With Viera, Henry, and Ribery out, I'm sure they were just hoping to go into PK's.

 

[Diver Dennis]

I agree about the trash talk Pak but he is a pro and has to be able to ignore it, especially in a game like that. He let then get to him.

 

[ScubaTexan]

Two observations...

1) I would really like to know what Marco Materazzi said to Zidane to provoke a reaction like that. Zidane has been prone to outbursts in the past (sent off v Saudi Arabia in the 1998 World Cup), but he's not stupid. It had to have been something well over the top for Zidane to lose his cool like that in the last game of his career.

2) Did anyone else happen to notice that NEITHER linesman raised his flag when the headbutt actually occurred? The only reason they saw it at all is because THEY LOOKED AT THE REPLAY ON THE THREE VIDEOSCREENS! Don't get me wrong -- I don't condone what Zidane did by any stretch of the imagination -- but to be sent off because of something NONE of the officials saw first hand and could only judge from a video replay is outrageous.

 

[pakman]

scubatexan, exactly. Actually it was the Italian goalie doing all the dramatic complaining that got them to review the video. Actually, I don't think they showed the headbutt on the big screen.

Anyways, PK shoot outs are sooo anticlimatic... just not a way to win the World Cup... I say make them play until the last man collapses from exaustion...!

 

[Freds@Aquanauts]

Its not the same as American Football, there is no showing of replays on the big screens in the stadiums. They are there only to show the scoreand adverts, thats it. I think it was probably a case of the fourth official, either saw something, or somebody locked in a room somewhere with a TV said "oi, Zizou just decked that bloke" over the radio.

Freds

 

[pakman]

Oh I couldn't resist changing my avatar..

ole! Wonder if Zidane just went mad and thought for a second he was a bull running in Pamplona...

 

[Jason Ooi]

I like your Avater...Pakman

 

[dive_lover88]

Zidane isnt that hot tempered...he has only done something like that 3 times,this being the 4th...so it must be something really sensitive that the defender said to get this kind of reaction.

 

[tedtim]

2) Did anyone else happen to notice that NEITHER linesman raised his flag when the headbutt actually occurred? The only reason they saw it at all is because THEY LOOKED AT THE REPLAY ON THE THREE VIDEOSCREENS! Don't get me wrong -- I don't condone what Zidane did by any stretch of the imagination -- but to be sent off because of something NONE of the officials saw first hand and could only judge from a video replay is outrageous.

Unless I misunderstood the commentators on ABC, it seems that the fourth official saw what happened and informed the referee. They too talked about the big video screen but also mentioned, quite correctly I believe, that they could not use the replay as a source of information.

Regardless, it was a huge error by Zidane. The last image we have of him in the world cup is walking down the stairs, head looking down, with the world cup trophy at his back. Sad for such a great player.