Italy Will Not Be Missed
Sager Bombs
After three amazing quarterfinal games, Italy-Spain was a soccer game that reinforces all the “Americans Don’t Get Soccer” stereotypes. Tons of flopping. Poor officiating. Pass forward, pass back, holds it, holds it, holds it…
(UPDATE: I just read the Deadspin wrapup of the weekend’s action, and they make the exact same point as I did about this being the kind of game Americans hate. Great minds think alike from their mother’s basements? Anyways, I’m just acknowledging that we both made a similar comment at about the same time. If I was going to crib a Deadspin post of all things, I’d like to think I’d do a better job of hiding it. Moving on…)
I’m going to write off the crap level of play as a product of the matchup. Both teams came in with their country having high (unreasonable?) expectations for the tournament. Spain has been the better side in the tournament, but Italy has centuries of experience when it comes to packing the box and playing for the tie.
So thank god they didn’t win on PK’s. The flopping, defensive minded, Spurs-of-international football are gone. Besides the camera pans of their hot fans and the chance to play the sip-every-time-they-flop drinking game, will anyone miss them?
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:33 am
Try millenia of experience:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabian_strategy
June 23rd, 2008 at 9:18 am
you can go back to your regularly scheduled Spurs hating now….
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:19 am
In other news, the Deadspin soccer “coverage” was little more than a trite rehashing of what was discussed in studio shows, with some unfunny national stereotypes thrown in.
June 23rd, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Funny thing is…I was actually entertained by the Spain/Italy game. Go figure.