A few World Cup links worth reading if you're preparing yourself for tomorrow's final of France vs. Italy:
- A nice Washington Post article on the indefatigable and deserving youngster, Franck Ribéry.
- Marcel Desailly, the retired French defender, on the French team (in The Guardian).
- The shortlist for the Golden Ball, given by FIFA to the best player.
- The Guardian on the Italy side.
- Henry wants it. But will he show up?
- Homage to Zidane.
- "Fabulously flawed" Italy.
- SuperFrenchie on why Americans don't care about soccer.
- And, finally, information on Italy's strategy for winning the final.
3 comments:
Well, I have to have a rooting interest in order to justify my plan of sitting in front of the tube sipping Razzatinis and watching the match, so here's my thought process.
First, my wife has Italian heritage, so I think it would be more fun if we were on different sides. On the other hand, "Azzuri" is a pretty spiffy name, especially considering that France seems to be named after stinky, bacteria-infested cheese.
I can't get down with Italy's reputation as a bunch of dive artistes. France, on the other hand, could only benefit from a win by their nicely diverse team, in Zidane's final outing.
I'm going to the national anthems as a tiebreaker. (Hey, you use your thought process, I'll use mine....)
Italy:
Italian brothers,
Italy has arisen,
With Scipio's helmet
binding her head.
Where is Victory?
Let her bow down,
For God has made her
The slave of Rome.
Let us gather in legions,
Ready to die!
Italy has called!
OK, Minus 1 for sexism, plus one for the Scipio reference, minus 1 for religiosity, minus 1 for defeatism (Ready to die, indeed!) Total, minus 2.
France:
Let's go children of the fatherland,
The day of glory has arrived!
Against us tyranny's
Bloody flag is raised! (repeat)
In the countryside, do you hear
The roaring of these fierce soldiers?
They come right to our arms
To slit the throats of our sons, our friends!
Grab your weapons, citizens!
Form your batallions!
Let us march! Let us march!
May impure blood
Water our fields!
Plus 1 for staring out like a Ramones rave-up. ("Let's go!") Plus 1 for stirring up a nice revolutionary fervor. (Sweet Jeebus, they're going to slit our children's throats!) Plus 1 for empowering the citizenry (Grab your weapons, form your batallions!) Plus 1 for confidence and imagery. (Watering our fields with blood.) Minus 1 for characterizing said blood as "impure".) Minus 5 for tossing the whole thing in the shitcan back in 1940. It's a long drop from watering the fields with invader blood to "Bonjour, Herr Hitler. Voulez-vous sleep with my daughter?"
Total: Minus 2.
France wins on penalty kicks. Vive la France!
Leffe for me (Belgian, I know, but wine doesn't cut it for sports and French beer sucks)....
I suggest two others - not having to do with the anthem itself, but who's singing it.
Italy:
- Minus 1 point for having jerseys designed by Prada (or whatever).
- Minus 1 point for uniforms that have nothing to do with their flag color, thus appropriating les Bleus' genuine claim for wearing blue jerseys.
At least they're not wearing the Camicie nere
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