Italiaaaaaa

Last night's match was the best so far. The first half was fast paced, evenly matched and both teams were playing attacking football. The defending and goalkeeping was what kept it from being a high scoring match. Not surprisingly, the second half wasn't as intense and it looked like the Italians were having an extended siesta. The extra time period was where the Italians stamped their authority on the game. The two chances at the beginning of the first half which hit the posts and then the desperate attacks at the end showed that they didn't want it to go to penalties - where the Germans have never lost. The pressure and home support might have been too much for the Italians. The two goals were so clinically executed and the finishing was perfect. Two beautiful curling kicks past Lehman showed how tough it was to score against him. Del Piero's finish was quite dramatic. An ageing superstar coming off the bench, he knew exactly when to make that great run on the counterattack (he was obviously not as tired) and the placement in the end was a dagger through the Germans' heart. Felt sorry for Klinsi and his team. Tonight's match will probably not be as intense but Zidane's in amazing form and he's a joy to watch.