Italy, Two Shots Fired After 120 Minutes!

2006/7/5 5:50:47

Even if you treat football merely as a way to consume men, you must — without any alternative — consume men like these Italians: the Italy that fired two shots after 120 minutes, the Italy brimming with handsome men, the Italy of Verdi, the Italy soaring on golden wings, the Italy tracing beautiful blue arcs through the air.

The Germans waiting for the penalty shootout received only the limpness of defeat. Like that little East Asian football nation that had to be escorted by referees to reach the semi-finals only to go no further, Argentina's blue and white — that insufficiently pure blue — finally dissolved into the boundless, pristine blue of the Mediterranean. Tonight, blue at last overwhelmed white; ocean drowned sky — just as five billion years ago, white was enveloped by infinite blue.

The Germans have nothing to regret. Twice, the goalposts already gave them enough help. But this time, the net too demanded the satisfaction of two strikes — two most beautiful blue arcs, left and right. Germany was shot down by beauty. The Germans completed an outstanding performance as supporting actors; Italy was the true master beneath tonight's starry sky. Tonight belongs to blue alone! A blue more powerful and pure than 1982!

Germans, if you must curse someone, go curse that crow: "Pele's Column: Believe in Germany and Portugal." But tonight, you did not die merely at the hands of that mystical crow — the miracle of two shots after 120 minutes cannot be accomplished by a beak alone! To perish beneath a blue more miraculous than that miraculous crow — that is your glory!

Germans, in 2002, you already received what you never should have received. And Italy, France, Portugal — they were all merely collecting on debts from four years prior. Whether or not the mystical crow can turn grapes into grape skins, this European Cup-ified World Cup has also become a South European Cup! For the sake of that Mediterranean blue, for the sake of the southern European blue wind — the world is made beautiful because of it.