It's down to the final four now: host Germany, Portugal, Italy and France, which dispatched legendary Brazil today. I had been pulling for Brazil simply because it fields a roster of all-stars, which almost always yields a fun game to watch. However, like some other teams that pull great players together (see, NY Yankees since 2000), the sum is not always the equal of the parts. While Brazil boasts past superstars Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos, and current star Ronaldinho, Brazil failed to put all of its elements together to beat an inspired France side.
I'm now perfectly happy that France moved on, however, because I get to see Zinedine Zidane play at least one more game before he retires. I don't follow soccer closely, which, to my current regret, means that I have missed out on this guy's career. A three-time international player of the year and the two-goal-scoring hero of the French team that won the World Cup in 1998, he was an absolute wizard today. Nobody on the field could match his creativity with the ball. He's the only sportsman other than Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods who has made me laugh out loud during an event in sheer astonishment of his abilities. Like all supremely talented athletes, he can pull off maneuvers beyond the reach of anyone else while remaining absolutely calm and focused on the play around him. He did that repeatedly today, turning clever magic with his feet into genuinely useful points of attack for his team. Plus, France's lone goal came off of his perfectly-placed free kick.
Click here for a little sample of what Ronaldinho and Zidane can do. The amazing thing is that Zidane did stuff like that shown in the video almost every time he touched the ball. Even better, it was never just for show. He does it, not just because he can, but because it makes his team better. Much better. Don't miss the Portugal-France game on Wednesday .
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