Yeah.. I know.. its already 2 weeks since the final and only now I'm updating hehe..
Well, blame it on melayan kekecewaan or anything.. truth is, I've been a bit busy since. Last weekend we had our yearly River Expedition which I hope to update on ('Hope' being the keyword here since I seem to haven't updated on it for the past 2 years) and this weekend plak went to celebrate 'My Best Friend's Wedding' hehe.. Ok, mcm la weekend je bleh update..
So as most who followed the tournament knew, my team wasn't one of the favourites to win. In fact, it wasn't even considered to go past the quarters. Even my ownself, who has been supporting Italy eversince I started watching international football, had already considered my 2nd team (which hilariously, at least from my point of view, is Spain! All because I have a football crush on Casillas since the first time I saw him defending haha.. Argentina would've been close behind but they're not in Euro..).
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| These two goalkeepers have actually been the reason on why I choose to support their teams. And since you don't consider them as handsome, nmpk sgt la I don't like them sebab their looks, kn! =p |
So imagine my suprise (and I imagine other Azzuri fans jugak) when sedikit² dan merangkak² the Azzuri managed to go into the finals against La Furia Roja!
It would've been a dream come true for me (especially since I missed a great game between these two in the group rounds earlier.. and to think that everyone was egging me about how I missed one of the greater games of the tournament!).. right until half hour into the game..
By then, Spain had scored 1 goal. To me, the game was still quite balanced and it only made the Italians play even harder but STRIKE 1! One of their players were injured and had to be switched..
Now, I'm not one who watches football coz I understand the game, but in my humble opinion, switching players early in the game usually is a sign of bad luck..
..and I so wanted to paint my face!
From then on, it just went downhill. By the time La Roja scored for the second time, it could be seen that the morales of the Azzuri were quite down.. but thankfully, there were no chest kicks (or headbutts, God forbid!) seen here even though they were clearly frustrated.
During the break after the first half, I was already feeling.. not confident! Not that I was confident before haha.. but somehow, seeing them fight their way to the top when they weren't even considered by most had made me kinda hope for a win, I guess.. or at least a good game which regretfully, was also not the case here jugak *sigh*
Still, I was hoping that the 15-minute break would somehow help boost their spirits especially for both my favourites, Buffon and Pirlo, whom have been on the first ever team I supported when I first decided that football wasn't much of a waste of time, after all..
..and they didn't upset me! The first 15 minutes of the 2nd half was great. I was beginning to feel a hope of at least a great game by then but then, STRIKE 2!
Prandelli had already subbed 3 of the players (and I actually only knew then that that was the maximum number of exchanges you could make) and the 3rd player whom I don't know the name, coz tak minat tgk dia main kot haha, had a torn hamstring or something (but it sure looked painful when they replayed it) and he was taken of the pitch.. and left the Azzuri with a 10-man team..
It was then that it was clear the Italians had lost the fire they had rekindled just a few moments before. Then I saw how old ('Old' being a word used loosely here since they are around my age je pun haha..) Pirlo and Buffon looked like.. well, they were like the oldest team there anyway but somehow it didn't hit me much till then.
After the blow, they seemed to just want the game to get over. Even Pirlo, whom I always thought played with a poker face, looked so crestfallen..
It didn't help that Torres scored a third goal (Thus taking the Golden Boot Award right outta Balotellis hands!) and assisted a fourth one..
It must've been the worst final ever.. and imagine being on the losing side.. 4~0!
It didn't help that pictures of Kodak Moments between Torres and his children were splayed everywhere..
..while Trolls of all sorts popped up on Balotelli.. sian kot haha..
Still, I managed to find a 'tender moment' between Prandelli and Balotelli right after the match.. see, Italians have feelings too.. =p
So it was a great tournament for me (except for the terrible final je la kot). Other teams were great, for instance the Germans who have played better than I've ever seen them play and even Holland managed a great last game for their fans.
But what I'd like to remember the most is the surprise the Azzuri gave to their fans whom, I'm sure, never thought they'd get the treat to be able to support the same team right through the final.. Grazie!
As for now, I rest the inner football fan in me until the next World Cup..
Thank God I no longer follow the leagues and only watch these two tournaments je hehe.. =p
