Italy Show How It's Done

Yes, Germany are an ordinary side but Italy showed last night how to take a game by the scruff of the neck and keep shaking it until you win.

As I had predicted, they had the best players in key areas: Cannavaro, Zambrotta, Gattuso, and Pirlo and they kept going in a way that any Englishman watching could only hope will act as an inspiration to our team.

This hasn't been a vintage World Cup and there is an argument that says there is a shortage of genuine World class talent around at the moment but the Azzurri showed a desire to win from first to last and combined with exceptional talent they were irrisistable. All the problems back home with the match fixing and ex-players falling out of windows cluthcing rosary beads were put behind them as they outplayed and outclassed their hosts. The two finishes from Fabio Grosso and Bruce Springsteen were exceptional and Grosso's run towards the camera mirrored the famous Tardelli 'scream'.

There's an old pro saying that at any given time only six or seven players will be worth their place in a starting line-up, the rest will be there out of neccessity or reputation. Last night Italy had Buffon, Cannavaro, Zambrotta, Grosso, Perrotta, Gattuso and Pirlo added to which Materazzi and Camoranesi contributed tremendous effort and desire, leaving just Totti and the unfortunate Toni as lightweights. Given the two 'T's' contributions to this competition so far, what's the odds that Luca Toni and Francesco Totti both score in the final?