Heartbroken

I thought Germany would lift the Cup. I was hoping that they would win. But I guess it just was not meant to be.

1st half was quite nervous to watch. Germany was defending too much for my liking. Then 2nd half came along, and Germany attacked a lot more. It was great to watch, yet no goals scored. Missed chances, they were. I call it the Lampard curse.

The play went into extra time. The Italians nearly scored, the ball just hitting the cross bar. Still I held on to my faith, and hoped that Germany would rise to the occasion. A great chance came along, and Podolski headed the ball... away from the goal.

That squandered goal was almost as painful to watch as when Peter Crouch kicked the ball into the orbit despite the goal being right in front of him and he was not being pressured by any defenders, in England's match against Trinidad & Tobago.

Minutes before the end of extra time, I thought it would go into another penalty shootout. That did not materialise, however. At the dying minutes, the Italians converted yet another corner to a superb goal, I must admit. The way the ball curved into the goal... what's-his-name really did a great job. The Germans' morale was shattered, and tried to recover, but Del Piero added salt to the wound by netting another brilliant goal within 2 minutes.

Germany's World Cup dream was over. And fans around the world mourn.

Props for Italy. They were actually the better team on the pitch. Despite the horrible play actors here and there within the team (Totti is an ass), Italy played very well. The Italian defence did not give the Germans much space to score. And their strikers took a whole lot more chances than the German side. Germany has done very well in this World Cup, indeed, and the team has no reason to be ashamed. They just lost to a better team, simple as that.

Wow... I haven't got emo over a football team since... France '98, when England was sent home by Argentina. But England's departure this time didn't upset me as much anymore; you kinda get used to it, you know? In Japan/S. Korea '02, I remember Germany playing a very boring finals against Brazil. I wasn't even planning to support Germany this time, until I saw Lahm scoring the very first goal of the tournament. One thing I noticed about Germany is that although they have big names, they've always played as a team, and that's what makes wonderful football. I never liked the whole 4-5-1 concept - the feed-the-ball-to-the-lone-striker concept as England adopted. Sven Goran Eriksson is an idiot. But then he was short on strikers. Well, he's still an idiot, nevertheless. But I digress. :P

Well, if I, a Malaysian girl, could feel sad over their loss, imagine the Germans. Or the German players themselves. How does it feel to not deliver your promise, and to shatter the hopes and dreams of your country who have counted on you so much? Not good. But that's football, and that's life.

I hope Juergen Klinsmann stays on as their coach, though. Hopefully the Germans will get to avenge this loss in Euro 2008... and I can still see my favourite coach on tv, haha! :P

I'm gonna watch the 3rd place playoff, of course, and will continue to root for Germany. As for the finals, I don't really give a damn now. As long as Portugal doesn't win the World Cup.

May Zizou & co. kick Portugal's ass later.