Everything will close down in Europe for the Final…and
it should. The World Cup Final is bigger than anything
you can even describe in the sporting world. The Olympics
don’t draw this much attention for a two-hour
block.
Italy is going to be tough to break-down and I think
that the French are going to be much more tired than
the Italians. I love Gattuso in the middle of the park
for the Italians, he exemplifies everything that is
good about individual as well as team defending. Are
you going to loaf around on defense when you see Gattuso
running around scissoring people left and right and
winning every ball within his reach? Hell no, he’ll
scissor you too!
He’s got heart (you listening Landon?), skills,
and is an animal on defense. That’s how you compete
and win World Cups…with guys who want it, every
minute of every day of their lives. Not with guys who
think that playing for their National Team is a hobby!
The Final should be good. If the referees keep their
sticky little fingers out of it and let the guys play,
it will be a quality match. I’m picking Italy
1-0. They’ve got way more momentum than France
after winning that thriller in the closing minutes of
overtime against Germany.
On
a side note: I am not looking forward to the rest of
my summer. What the heck am I going to do everyday?
I remember coming down from the Euro Cup a couple of
years ago and it was ugly. My Dad is going to struggle
too, because even though my sister gets jealous that
he and I talk everyday, she fails to realize that it’s
all soccer. Maybe she should have stuck with the world’s
game instead of becoming a cheerleader. Think about
it sis, cause I’m not sorry that your out of the
loop now.
Tomorrow: Shutting it down?
Departments
In every
issue of 90:00® we cover the game of soccer with style, intelligence
and passion. You'll find hard-hitting editorial, explosive action
photography, insightful interviews and in-depth coverage of the personalities
and products that represent the best of soccer. Plus, in each new
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Inside
the Touchline
Kicking off each
issue, we cover everything from the weird and wacky to the latest
developments affecting the game we love.
Sideline
Chatter
Gadgets, games,
gear and gossip all collide in this section, bringing you up to
date with the modern soccer lifestyle.
World's
Game
News and views from
a passionate perspective on the global game; Asia, Europe, Africa
and both Americas. It's all in play.
Mark's
Mayhem
A place where absolutely
nothing is off-limits and only the strong survive.
Stoppage
Time
A parting shot that sometimes
shocks and always delights. One last reminder to look out for us
next time.
