Apparently, the only team in the world that can score on Italy is...Italy.
Zidane may be the best player on either team, but Italy completely shut down Ballack, the heart and soul of Germany's traditional strength--an attacking midfield game--and never allowed the Germans to develop any sustained pressure. Italy's backline also has the legs to keep up with the speed of France's Ribery, Henry,etc..
I've watched the Brazil-France game twice, and I STILL don't see how the frog-eaters managed to hold off arguably the most talented team in the world. Maybe if Ronaldo spent a little less time rolling on the ground and crying to the officials (more on THAT in a moment), he would have had time to notice how many open PASSING lanes he had. (An armchair observation from a less-than-world-class athlete: the highlight-reel goals of this World Cup have primarily been off outstanding setups and passes, not one-on-three, fake-'em-out-of-their-jockstrap individual plays; maybe some of the (ahem) "superstars" need to re-acquaint themselves with that concept...)
Another observation: I believe the referees capricious use of yellow cards early in the tournament, handing them out like Valentine cards in a second-grade class, has led to even MORE of the rolling-on-the-ground-holding-a-body-part-and-crying-like-an-infant that turns many Americans off to soccer.
Italy 2, France 0...you heard it here first.
