A wonderful goal by Silvan Wiltord in the end of the stoppge time
made France come to life, and in the 102' minute David Trezeguet brought
the Europien Cup to the French.
We expected Italy, which gave a very bad and ugly game against the Dutch in the Semi-Final,
to do the same against the French, and hope to win again in penalties.
But the Italians thought differently. They played pretty well about 80 minutes,
attacked, defended, and mostly impressed most of us.
Dino Zoff came well prepered to this game. He didn't want to lose the cup,
after his team made a wonderful job all this turnament.
And because of that, he knew that if he wants to raise the cup in the end of the game,
he has to attack as well. So, first of all he made some "circle" around Zidane.
When ever he got the ball, Iuliano, Di-Biago and Albertini came towards him.
That move disrupted the French moves, and did not let them to make an easy moves.
But the French, like the French, they do not give up so easy.
Even without their important player, they played very good football last night.
The half ended when the score is tied at 0-0.
The second half started exactly like the first one ended. The Italian possession was higher
more then all other game they played - 49%. By this statistic data, they could made
a lot of opportunities near Barthez's goal.
In the 50' minute, Alessandro Del-Piero came into the game iinsted of Fiore.
This step made the Italians "biggers" then the French.
Two minutes later, Italy took the lead. Pessoto got a wonderful ball from Totti and touched it perfectly exactly to Delvecchio, who could not missed from there: 1-0 to the Italians.
We have'nt believed it, but it was Italy who got the opportunities after the goal.
Del-Piero could finish the game in the 59' minute, but shot wide of the target.
In the 83' minute, the same Del-Piero got the ball in the same place, but Barthez went to the ball perfectly. Italy was so close to the cup. They could smell it, they could tauch it.
But the French, like the French, and Zidane like Zidane.
2 minutes separated between the Italians and the cup. But in the 93' minute, Zidane passed the equality ball to Silvan Wiltord. Toldo could reached it, but the substitute French
shot to the far corner of the goal, 1-1, and the cup goes far away from Italy.
Italy was already mentaly-broken, and did not believed it self any more.
The golden-goal was a question of time. That time was 13 minutes, 4 of them went to the treatment in Toldo.
A few minuted later, Treseguet got a wonderful ball from other substitute-Robert Pires, and shot powerfuly to Toldo's net, 2-1.
Team which scored only one goal in the final, never won in the Europien cup.
Italy, was close enough to be the first national team to do it. Thank god it did not happen.
There is only one conclusion from this game: Football-you need to play 120 minutes, and even go to the penalties.
made France come to life, and in the 102' minute David Trezeguet brought
the Europien Cup to the French.
We expected Italy, which gave a very bad and ugly game against the Dutch in the Semi-Final,
to do the same against the French, and hope to win again in penalties.
But the Italians thought differently. They played pretty well about 80 minutes,
attacked, defended, and mostly impressed most of us.
Dino Zoff came well prepered to this game. He didn't want to lose the cup,
after his team made a wonderful job all this turnament.
And because of that, he knew that if he wants to raise the cup in the end of the game,
he has to attack as well. So, first of all he made some "circle" around Zidane.
When ever he got the ball, Iuliano, Di-Biago and Albertini came towards him.
That move disrupted the French moves, and did not let them to make an easy moves.
But the French, like the French, they do not give up so easy.
Even without their important player, they played very good football last night.
The half ended when the score is tied at 0-0.
The second half started exactly like the first one ended. The Italian possession was higher
more then all other game they played - 49%. By this statistic data, they could made
a lot of opportunities near Barthez's goal.
In the 50' minute, Alessandro Del-Piero came into the game iinsted of Fiore.
This step made the Italians "biggers" then the French.
Two minutes later, Italy took the lead. Pessoto got a wonderful ball from Totti and touched it perfectly exactly to Delvecchio, who could not missed from there: 1-0 to the Italians.
We have'nt believed it, but it was Italy who got the opportunities after the goal.
Del-Piero could finish the game in the 59' minute, but shot wide of the target.
In the 83' minute, the same Del-Piero got the ball in the same place, but Barthez went to the ball perfectly. Italy was so close to the cup. They could smell it, they could tauch it.
But the French, like the French, and Zidane like Zidane.
2 minutes separated between the Italians and the cup. But in the 93' minute, Zidane passed the equality ball to Silvan Wiltord. Toldo could reached it, but the substitute French
shot to the far corner of the goal, 1-1, and the cup goes far away from Italy.
Italy was already mentaly-broken, and did not believed it self any more.
The golden-goal was a question of time. That time was 13 minutes, 4 of them went to the treatment in Toldo.
A few minuted later, Treseguet got a wonderful ball from other substitute-Robert Pires, and shot powerfuly to Toldo's net, 2-1.
Team which scored only one goal in the final, never won in the Europien cup.
Italy, was close enough to be the first national team to do it. Thank god it did not happen.
There is only one conclusion from this game: Football-you need to play 120 minutes, and even go to the penalties.
France - Italy
- 
2-1
On Golden Goal
Wiltord 95' - Delvecchio 52'
Trezeguet 102'
50,000 people in Rotterdam.
France-"We play football for 120 minutes, and more!"
- 2-1
On Golden Goal
Wiltord 95' - Delvecchio 52'
Trezeguet 102'
| |
| Barthez - 6 | Toldo - 6 |
| Thuram - 6 | Cannavaro - 6.5 |
| Blanc - 7 | Nesta - 7 |
| Desailly - 7 | Iuliano - 6.5 |
| Lizarazu (Pires, 85) - 5.5 | Pessoto - 6.5 |
| Djorkaeff (Treseguet, 75) - 5 | Di-Biago (Ambrosini, 65) - 6 |
| Viera - 6 | Albertini - 6 |
| Deschamps - 6.5 | Maldini - 5.5 |
| Dugarry (Wiltord, 57') - 4 | Fiore (Del-Piero, 52') - 4 |
| Zidane - 6 | Totti - 7 |
| Henry - 6.5 | Delvecchio (Montella, 81) - 6.5 |
50,000 people in Rotterdam.
France-"We play football for 120 minutes, and more!"