yeah it was. congrats to italy, they really deserve to be in the final.. i'll cheer for them, and we can still go for 3rd place!

Damn, I lost a lot of money during this WC lol

My next betting slip will be a France-Italy final with France as the winners :)

Nobody (the US announcers) said anything about 2 goals to win in OT, but I'm guessing that's the case.

I'm still stuck in my thinking that a round robin tourney would be better. IE: carrying the first round format all the way through. One game is nothing, but if you can beat them 2 of 3, then that's a win.

So let me get this straight, initial round is a tourney, round of 16 is "win or go home", then the finals are for 1-4?. Hmmm seems to me World Series is best of 7 :D

I kept my self from posting because what ever I have said I was wrong and I really wished for Germany not to get to finals ... now don't get me wrong I admire their collective sprit and discipline but they play like a machine with no real "football spark". They really don't have a player You can say he knows football ... unlike Italians (don't like them either because of the luck they always have) who made me change my mind after this last game ...

... now I hope to see Zinedine with cup in his hands :-)

Why do we Americans look at the world's most popular sport and think that it should be changed to meet our own desires? Nothing else in the sporty world comes close to the passion and excitement of the World Cup. I'd really hate to see the World Cup loose most of it's excitement and become just another World Series :)

I was cheering for Germnay hard and felt if it went to kicks that they would crush the wops. However, that was the prettiest pair of goals that I've seen in decades. The first one may be the sweetest (at least the 2nd) that I've seen so far.

Let's see what the Frogs do today.

I really cannot believe that there are those of you out there that actually think that Italy deserves to be this far. They don't. Think back to the Australian game. They should have been toast then but they weren't. And since that 'gimme' from the MA-FIFA officiating squad, they have been playing great football. I'd really hate to say it but, I don't think that France nor Portugal can stop the Italians. Italy plays that same boring 'trap' that got Greece the Euro championship in 2004. France or Portugal are in for a tough run.

I would like to see Portugal take the whole thing. They are a tiny country amongst these other soccer giants, they are undefeated in this tournament and they deserve it with their fair play attitude. The French were very lucky to get as far as they have. They have an ageing lineup and I suppose many soccer enthusiasts want to see them come out on top again, yours truly included in that sentiment but they just don't have any luck against the Italians.

The way I see it, nothing will stop the Italians. Marcello Lippi has his players focused on a team first mentality, something the Italians have not done since 1982 and to be honest, everything is pointing towards them. The lucky goals they've scored. The fact that they played Australia and then Ukraine, like come on!! And then taking it to the Germans in Dortmund, a place where Germany had NEVER lost. Sundays match should be a classic.

There ya have it - France vs. Italy.
Sorry bleu blanc et rouge but the Azzurri are gonna eat you guys alive in this one. Italy 3 France 1.

sshhh ... peace and quiet on board. France -Italy 1-1. |doh|

At least Zidane ended his last game for the national team in style :D

and what a style that was :-)

wonder what Materazzi said to him!?!?
anyway ... congrats to Itally at the end they deserved it ...

For those of you that missed Zidane's last action for the French national team, here it is again :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1i_l0OeeMc