oops, duff information. Perhaps they meant in the Euros qualifiers and tournaments.
anyway, it doesn’t happen often, let’s leave it at that! 
Wow, Mario certainly put his foot through that, great strike.
But why put himself under pressure by getting a silly yellow card. The man walks a knife edge between brilliant and bonkers.
What answer do Germany have to this?
So THAT’S why Balotelli gets so much face time. Impressive plays after a sub average game last game.
Well, he damn well better score both those goals. Crap defending in both cases, but great players will take what is given.
Germany should put Miro Klose in, he is a more active center forward than Gomez. Or give Reus or Gotze a go. Hoping for a quick German goal, the game is a good watch already… could become great!
Ugh, that was a painful first half.
Certainly if Germany manage to get a foothold back in this game there will be fireworks.
I don’t think they have been particularly out of sorts, just that the chances Italy have made they have taken. Germany certainly *look *like scoring.
Italy: Germany’s nightmare. That said, the Germans have to open the game; almost all of their attacks have come right through the middle, haven’t seen much/any wing action at all. Just makes it easier for The Azzurri to defend.
Still the chances come for Germany. Just not clinical enough.
That’s because Podolski is useless. Glad he is off. I like him, but a very poor showing this tournament.
ooooooo! late penalty to Germany. Drama!
they’ll have a couple of minutes if they score…Yes! bring on the carnage.
Congrats to the Pizzamunchers ;). I didn’t think they were better, but they took their chances. Too bad Germany couldn’t have scored their goal faster… but Italy kept playing for a third goal and could have had it.
btw it is a travesty the ref finished the game at exactly 94 minutes, after having a penalty kick and goal in extra time, he should at least have had the free kick taken its course. If I were German, i would be quite upset (evenyhough it probably wouldn’t have mattered at all). Fuck refs with their heads in their asses (too bad, since he had a pretty good game overall).
To be fair, had the Germans punted it long the ref would probably have let the attack complete.
No matter. A very interesting game with Ballotelli and Pirlo looking very good. Looking forward to the final.
Onto more pressing matters, I’ve poured myself a small 21 year-old Balvenie and settled down to watch the fifth set of Rosol-Nadal, Rafa is down a break, another upset on the cards?
Congrats to Italy, they were the better team today.
Loew has set himself up as a target with that lineup. And they never looked well-practiced defending corners in this tournament, not once. Philipp Lahm is too small to be expected to do much in the air, but hello, everyone else?
I think Loew has spent too much time on ironing his shirt and getting those sleeve turn-ups just right.
The defending practice has obviously suffered as a result but wow, he looked sharp. He made the *Italians *look scruffy by comparison.
Pardon me, but does the name David Villa mean anything to you? If anything, he is the missing cog (torn ACL) in our team, hardly Torres, whose sole claim to fame with Spain is scoring the winner vs Germany in '08 – Villa (Golden Boot back than) went out to injury in the semis vs Russia. Plus he is directly responsible for three of the WC wins that lead us to the title. Talk about unappreciated…thy name is Villa.
Not ragging on you, but just because Fernando had a couple of great years at Anfield, hardly make him the best Spanish striker. He isn’t. History shows it’s Villa, Spain’s best ever striker. And a perfect team fit.
Not a small accomplishment.
I’m very impressed with Prandelli, who I barely knew as anything but the fairly competent Fiorentina manager. He has managed to build up a new Italy after the 2010 debacle with a newfound taste for attacking football. Not bad for what looked like a transitional side.
I’m going to have to consider them the favourites for this final. Spain’s been… let me be charitable and call them “uneven”.
I’m well aware of him and think his is a magnificent player. I’m not suggesting that Torres is the best ever but Villa is unavailable through serious injury and now over 30 he may find that road back to fitness a little rocky. Spain are missing that clinical edge though and a back-on-form Torres would be a real bonus. Certainly on the evidence of last night Spain are going to need to take their chances as Italy don’t seem to be refusing theirs, indeed seeing Mario B. collect the ball, breeze into the box and hammer it home without thinking about it is precisely what Torres used to do and needs to do.
Buffon looked a bit shaky early on, but otherwise was his usual rock-solid self. Can’t remember; did he play in the 1998 World Cup in France? Feels like he’s been around forever.
He was in the Italy squad for France '98, but did not play.