I followed Jack's suggestion and had an Italian themed dinner tonight to honor the World Cup champs. After a simple green salad with a balsamic vinagrette, we enjoyed a healthy antipasto plate of Italian olives, salami, wo different types of Italian cheese, a New Seasons ciabatto and an american prosciutto washed down with a wonderful Italian white wine.

I was not rooting for the Italians until Zidane acted just like Wayne Rooney and screwed his own team. I loved Ribery and Henry on the French, but I also enjoyed Cannavaro, Zambrusco and even De Rossi (the guy who elbowed McBride in the US match). Zidane was poor loser.

But what a tournament. My wife and I are actually contempatling going to the farthest place on the globe from Portland in 2010, South Africa (check out Google maps sandwich app), mostly to enjoy the humanity and hopefully a better run by the red-white&blue (as opposed to Les Bleus). What a concept: the world gathering in SA. Any takers???

love hilsy

Posted by: hilsy at July 9, 2006 08:31 PM

When my wife calculates numbers in her head, she moves the fingers on her right hand as if she's using a ten key (she's a CPA). I noticed her doing this at the Moon & Sixpence during the England-Portugal match.

"So what numbers are you crunching now?," I asked.

"How much money we need to save each month go to South Africa in four years," she replied.

Excellent.

It was a great weekend in Soccer City, USA. Pioneer Courthouse Square was packed for today's World Cup final. There were at least one thousand more than there were on the Fourth of July for the Italy-Germany semifinal. This morning, most spots were taken an hour before kick-off. Last night, the Timbers played an entertaining exhibition against Coventry City FC, one of the oldest clubs in England, in front of over 10,000 in the Park. Our boys in green and white won in a shoot out.

Posted by: Eric Berg at July 9, 2006 09:09 PM

Jack:

Your pool sounded like fun, but I prefer cold hard cash. Being the big gambler I am, I threw £5 on Italy (at 8-1 odds) to win the whole thing a few weeks ago in London. So the Azzuri have just paid for my next Italian meal in the UK (gratzi!)

Hilsy, having just had the pleasure of seeing one match live in Hannover (as it happens, Italy's first group match v. Ghana), I cannot recommend an experience more highly. Go to South Africa in 2010...you won't regret it!

Maybe we'll see you there!

Posted by: calmnsense at July 9, 2006 09:36 PM

Isn't football a great game, when played at this level? And your pool made it fun even when the teams I was rooting for lost, Jack. Thanks for getting into the spirit of the world's game. Congratulations again to the winners of the pool, and tie-breaker victor TRP.

I watched the final at home, with 17 teenagers. We all agreed the non-penalty goal was good, but the head-butt was outstanding. A web site I read this evening says Zidane is claiming the Italian player said a racial slur. Regardless, the prevailing sentiment in my house is that deciding the World Cup final on penalties is ridiculous. Replaying the match would have given us another day of watching these superb players.

Also, let's celebrate the good behavior of the fans in Germany. Only a few problems with drunken behavior, and no major incidents. The menfolk in my British family went even though they couldn't get tickets, and had a marvellous time. Anyone who can make it to South Africa in 2010 should have a wonderful experience.

Posted by: Amanda Fritz at July 10, 2006 12:34 AM

I was reading somewhere yesterday that the South African infrastructure may not in fact be able to handle the Cup, and that it might in fact wind up being played elsewhere. Don't know how serious that discussion was, but it might be worth brooding about before buying tickets.

Posted by: Jack Bog at July 10, 2006 01:10 AM

South Africa has hosted the World Cup of rugby and of cricket. Football is the biggest, of course, but it seems they have the capacity to pull it off. It's too late to reassign the tournament anyway, and politically almost impossible except in the event of civil war.

More info and a funny Q & A at http://www.motherland.co.za/news.php?cat=&perpage=10&pagenumber=7#83

Posted by: Amanda Fritz at July 10, 2006 10:15 AM

I'd much prefer to see another penalty period, this one a "Golden Goal" period, than PKs. I think the best thing to do would be to allow the coaches an extra two or three subs, or even the chance to bring in a player previously subbed out (but not sent off, as with Zidane, Rooney, etc.), for the third penalty period. The Italians were just stalling for 30 minutes so they could get to the PKs.

As for Zidane, I believe him that the Italian uttered a racial slur (Zidane is Algerian), but, still, it doesn't matter what the guy said. He could have said some vile thing about Zidane's sister--in such an event you need to stay strong, win the match, and THEN go over and punch the guy. Don't pull something like that when everyone is counting on you.

Posted by: Dave J. at July 10, 2006 11:10 AM

zidane is a sore loser. at this level of professional sports we expect better than his display on Sunday.
The red card was well deserved. Just because he is a star of the game doesn't give him the right to throw temper tantrums like that.

congrats to the italians..well fought and well deserved. I personally was rooting for Brazil but nonetheless, well played Italy.

As to the pool, I wish I would've known about it earlier. Would've been fun.

Posted by: Angelo at July 10, 2006 12:47 PM

One last World Cup comment - did anyone else find the Adidas commercials delightful, the ones with the young boys playing football in dirt streets with international stars? Unlike most other ads that are repeated over and over, I never got tired of watching them.

Posted by: Amanda Fritz at July 10, 2006 10:02 PM

[Posted as indicated; restored later.]