The Final Match Weekend

I couldn't wait for the weekend to start. Work somehow still chose to arrive in my tray on Friday morning. Had a lovely Friday lunch after navigating the Crazy KL traffic with a few of my closest mates. Had the following conversation with my mate just before leaving:

He: You know, I asked TheBoss who he's supporting on Sunday.

Me: And...?

He: He's actually going for Italy. [shook head in disbelief]

Me: What's wrong with Italy? I'm going to support them.

He: [Looked at me in mock horror, shook his head, proceeded to say something but only managed a...] Huh?!

I soon discovered that a lot of people were actually supporting France and hoping Les Blues would lift up the Cup. I suspect the reason for the support was mainly 'cause it was Zidane's last game. But... may the best team wins. And why do people have an issue with how Azzurri play? That's how they have been playing all along all this while from as far as I can remember and there have been criticisms but you should have expected/seen it coming. It seemed they can't do anything right: when they start playing attacking footie, people commented on this rare display. When they play defensively, they get criticised. There's no pleasing people. And for what it's worth, they've lifted the Cup more times than France.

The usual tackling of domestic chores was done early Saturday morning and as a reward, I went out to KLCC area. Managed to grab a pair of shoes at a sale but after traipsing around KLCC, I soon got tired of the crowd and couldn't wait to leave. Fell into an exhausted afternoon nap before waking up to tackle ironing [I hate this chore the most]. Set my alarm for the Portugal-Germany match early Sunday morning and although I did wake up, I didn't quite manage to drag myself out of my bed until almost 6 am. Oh dear!

Was determined that I would not step out on Sunday and spend the day indoors. For once. Caught the Portugal-Germany match repeat and then the CSI marathon alternating between reading my novel. I have Always suspected I can be quite a slob and true enough, there I was on the couch, either sitting up or lying down. Munching, nibbling, chewing food. I don't think I can quite work from home should they ever decide to implement this.

After that long date with the idiot box, I decided to nap as I planned to get up for the Italy-France match. Was in the kitchen cooking dinner (or at least attempting to) when my mate rang and said she wanted to take me out to dinner. Suggested she came over instead and we spent the next three hours chatting and catching up.

Woke up this morning and by the time I turned the tube on, I discovered to my dismay that France had led by a penalty goal. Soon enough, Materazzi equalised with a header from a corner kick. I was hoping the match would end and not drag on to extra time or penalty but as we all know, that was not to be. While it's good news for those in the stadium [pardon me for saying this, but it's like a Value For Money kind of situation; you pay to watch a 90-minute match and you get a 120-minute match and penalties! What a bargain!], it's not so good news for those several time zones ahead! I was telling myself that the vigil had better be worth it.

It was sad to witness Zidane, the Zizou who has three World Player of the Year awards, ending his career with that kind of dismissal - surely no professional sportsman would want to end his career that way, legend or not - but seriously, it was a gesture totally unbecoming, uncharateristic, uncalled for, stupid even, of Zidane. And apparently, that was not his first headbutting incident. He was also banned for two matches in the 1998 World Cup for stamping on a Saudi skipper.

And then the penalty.... Italy had never had luck in penalty shoot-outs as evidenced by their previous failures in 1990, 1994 and 1998 but they refused to let those previous nightmares to continue haunting them and set aside their domestic problems and went on to triumphantly lift the Cup for the 4th time. VIVA ITALIA!!!

And what other better way to cap the weekend than the sweet news of FedEx overcoming Nadal at Wimbledon.