Posted on 07/09/2006 3:34:19 PM PDT by SkyPilot
BERLIN (AP) -- Zinedine Zidane cut short his dazzling World Cup and closed his career with an ugly head butt -- and a loss.
The France captain was given a red card for slamming the crown of his bald head into the center of Italy defender Marco Materazzi's chest after the two exchanged words while walking down the field in extra time.
The game was tied 1-1 when Zidane was sent off, head bowed, in the 110th minute Sunday. Without their sharpshooting captain, France couldn't unlock Italy's defense and went on to lose in a shootout, 5-3.
Zidane's strike was clearly intentional, and referee Horacio Elizondo of Argentina briefly consulted with his assistant referees before showing the 28th red card of the tournament. The previous World Cup record of 22 red cards, set in 1998, was broken before the quarterfinals round began.
Zidane, whose sparkling play carried France much deeper into this tournament than anyone expected, previously said he would quit soccer when it was over. He passed coach Raymond Domenech as he walked off but did not look at him -- then continued past the golden World Cup trophy and disappeared into the tunnel, his head still down.
Earlier in Sunday's match, he had given France the lead with a seventh-minute penalty -- his 31st goal for France and third in a World Cup final. Zidane was treated for what appeared to be a shoulder injury in the 80th minute; trainers took him off but he returned, holding his right arm awkwardly and wincing in pain.
Minutes before Zidane was sent off, France striker Thierry Henry was substituted for in favor of Sylvain Wiltord. In the first half, Henry bumped his head in a collision and crumpled to the ground, then went briefly to the sideline and returned.
Eight years ago, Zidane was red-carded for stomping on an opponent while playing Saudi Arabia. At this World Cup he collected two yellow cards and was suspended for France's third group match against Togo.
Five years ago, Zidane was also red-carded for butting Jochen Kientz in a Champions League match for Juventus against Hamburger SV. A year later, his volley gave Real Madrid its ninth European title.
Zidane headed in two goals when Les Bleus beat Brazil 3-0 for the World Cup title in 1998.
Zidane did a foolish thing, but I am sure it was provoked in some way either physically or verbally. It happens all the time in sports. Usually, it is the guy who retaliates who gets caught. I don't understand why anyone would be shocked by such behavior. Rooney stomped an opponent's nuts and an Italian was suspended for five games for elbowing Brian McBride in the face.
Just like the several players who were suspended for games during the NBA playoff finals, Zidane hurt his team by commiting a fooling foul. It was stupid but not unusual in the heat of battle.
So you were involved in a contact sport while you were head-butted. Sort of like how a boxer is expecting a jab or uppercut. This is a totally different scenario.
That's horsecrap and you know it. No headbutt ever given would make his left leg fly out like that.
Now we're discussing leg movements. I thought we were discussing how he should not have went down.
Zidane appears to be a few inches shorter than the Italian. That coupled with the unexpectedness of the action (as opposed to squaring off for wrestling) could have made the difference.
Heavyweight (275).
It's a long story, but I lost my spot at the 189 lb guy because I dislocated my elbow before the duals started that season.
The guy who went down from 215 to 189 was on a roll and the guy who went from heavy (he was 230) down to 215 ended up placing in state, and I could dislodge him from 215, so I was bumped to heavyweight.
I wrestled a guy who eventually went onto Ohio State as a defensive lineman up in Alliance.
I'm not saying it wouldn't have staggered him. But watch his left leg.
He kicked it out like, well I don't know what would have caused that motion.
But I DO know that this headbutt would NOT have caused such a motion without "help" from the other direction, or the player himself. Simple physics guys.
To be devil's advocate for your view: The Italian could have known whatever "secret" thing it was about Zidane that was sure to set him off since Zidane played in the Italian league for a few years. I bet he wanted to get a reaction out of him with whatever was said, but probably didn't think it would be a head-butt (from a butthead none the less).
yeah...
from continually looking at the picture posted above and the video on YouTube, I'm 100% certain he embellished it.
the only way that left leg kicks like that is IF he's stepping forward with the left at the moment of impact.
But he wasn't. He was in the process of putting the right foot down. All of his weight was on his left (back) foot at the time.
but yeah, it was a red card offense, no doubt. But it would've been without the stupid play-acting.
In other news:
Linguists compiling a French / Yiddish dictionary announced today that they have now found a word for the French translation of "putz".
It'll be in the Z section.
I'd love to know what the Italian said.
Oooh. Good one. Although Tonya wasn't the one doing the "hit" and it came during a practice, not the actual competition.
Still, a definite lowlight.
I dunno, Scorpius was a pretty mean dude -- probably good at headers too...
Hello, since when is saying something - anything, when the stakes are this high -- excuse enough to act like a total a-hole, let down your team and your nation, not to mention destroy your own highly buffed-up "legacy" -- an excuse for something as clearly unsportsmanlike as a head butt? So WWF, isn't it? Interestingly there's a strong element of damage control already going down, suggesting that the Italian said something nasty about Muslims, and that this was a racist issue. No dounbt if the French can' make THAT stick, they'll blame it on Bush...Cos it's all about how mean we all are to Muslims, right? And that excuses ANYthing, from head butts to subway bombs.
H-m-m-m, let's see here, the French are supposed to be enlightened pacifists and Islam a peaceful religion and I have a 500 acre lot smack dab in the middle of the Beverly Hills shopping district to sell you.
So I guess if he was practicing he would have blown the himself up in front of the Italian instead. Boy, aren't we lucky he is 'abstaining' or passing or whatever they do in that religion.
Of course I'll take a man flying an F-18 or carrying a big ole' gun over everyone of them anyday. Sorry soccer boys :-)
The Emmy should go to the guy in the first half - the one that led to the penalty kick. He wasn't even touched.
The refs in this World Cup sucked.
That I will give you. And here I thought the NBA had the market cornered on horrible refs....
I didn't watch the game, so I'll concede the point.
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