Why, Zizou?

A great World Cup came to an end with a thrilling penalty kick shootout that nobody will remember.

Even though Italy prevailed (5-3 on kicks after a 1-1 draw), non-Italian fans will always remember this as the game where France's Zinédine Zidane--who most believe to be the best player of the last 20 years, since Maradona and following in the line of Pele--was tossed with a red card after he inexplicably head-butted an Italian player as overtime was winding down.

I still haven't seen an interview with him or an explanation for why he did what he did. He's had a few other incidents in the past, but that's not uncommon in soccer. Most articles say he was probably frustrated by all the hitting, pushing and grabbing the Italians threw at him, much of which the officials didn't call/see.

Ironically, they didn't see Zidane's head butt either; the Times mentions off-the-field officials invoked the use of video replay, for the first time, on the call. Which seems like a huge story to me--what a way for a great player to end his career.

I have mixed thoughts about the whole thing. On the one hand, ever since the knock-out rounds I've really like the Italian team--their defense has been so calm, and aside from a crazy game against Australia (which the Italians won on a ridiculous penalty shot), they've lifted their game.

Tonight, though, France was clearly the better team on the pitch. And they played the single-best game I saw this tournament in their quarterfinals upset of Brazil. Zidane was amazing in that game; he totally controlled it, and outshone the star-studded Brazilian team essentially by himself.

He was good tonight; not great, though. The French are going to forget in all the furor that really, they should never have gotten this far. When the tournament started, every Frenchman would've been ecstatic if this team had made it to the finals. They were old, bickering, and since they'd just won the Cup eight years ago, the French didn't have the same hunger as the Italians.

Italy was driven not just by the fact that it had last won the Cup in 1982 against a country that no longer exists (West Germany), but also by a desire to bury the bad news about match-fixing, corrupt officials and massive bribes that has torn apart the domestic soccer leagues.

Well, that they did. I don't think, actually, France would have won even if Zidane hadn't been sent off. There were only a few minutes left in overtime, and Italy's goalkeeper is the best in the world--while France's is wildly erratic.

Even so, it's too bad such a magnificent tournament and career ended on this note.

AP photo of France's Lilian Thuram crying by Christophe Ena via Yahoo News.

AP photo of Italian players running in celebration by Christophe Ena via Yahoo News.

AP photo of France's Zinedane Zidane reacting after missing header at goal by Luca Bruno via Yahoo News.

amNewYork photo of World Cup Italy fans in Bensonhurst in Brooklyn by Lane Johnson.