2006年NPR美国国家公共电台七月-Italy, France Head to World Cup Final

Grosso, Grosso, Italy's Fabio Grosso scoring in the final minutes of a second overtime 1 in Italy's semifinal World Cup victory over Germany. Now Italy will play France. France defeated Portugal yesterday. Sunday is the World Cup Final. We are joined by ESPN soccer analyst 2 Tommy Smith.

--Tommy, welcome to Day to Day. And Italy versus 3 Germany, this is the match that was played on the 4th of July. Two teams, they played for 120 minutes. No score, and then, at the end of the second overtime, in just two minutes, there are two scores by Italy. How does this come about, one of the great all-time matches I would think.

--Well, you may be on Day to Day, they were on minute to minute. Believe me...and it all came about an attitude. I mean the Italians were scared to go to penalty kicks.

--After you play two overtimes and it's tied, then you go to these kind of free kick things, (that) and that's how you settle it.

--Yes, it's 12 yards out and you -- one man against the goalkeeper, and they set up five and whoever scores the most out of the five. But basically, the Italians have a very, very bad record when it comes to taking penalty kicks. And the Germans have been perfect, the Germans have never lost a game taking penalty kicks. So Marcello Lippi, who is the coach of the Italian team. He sent on uh…three substitutes. The three substitutes were all attacking footballers, they were strikers, who were designed to score a goal. And then, of course, there was that memorable 4 goal as you just had on your clip from uh… Grosso.

--You had predicted that Italy was going to win the whole thing. What is it you like so much about the Italians?

--Well, actually when the draw was made in December, I was asked on the air that day who would win the World Cup, and I said that Italy would win the World Cup. And I was asked what about Brazil. And I said I didn't like Brazil. To knock off the Brazil question, firstly Alex, I, I didn't like Brazil because I had thought their players were too old, and a little bit too smug for my liking 5, because you know, they are Brazilians, they feel they are gonna win the World Cup. And they don't have to put as much as other people into it and I think that showed in their play. For the Italians, the Italians are, are a very, very talented team. The Italians are notoriously slow starters. First couple of games, they don't play very well. And then when it gets down to the final couple of games, they are always in it so I, I just felt they were a good team, Alex.

--If you don't like the age of the Brazilians, what about the French now in the World Cup Final? They are led by a guy who, uh, actually was retired 6 and came back just for the series, although he is playing awfully 7 well.

--Yes, Zinedine Zidane. There is actually three players on the, the French side who had retired. And of course, Zidane, I mean, the best player in the world. It's a great way to go out,if, if you are gonna go out of the international game, it's a great way to go out in the World Cup Final. But to answer your question, I really didn't think the, the French would do anything. But I think there was a difference in the attitude that the French had come out of retirement 8 to get their team to the World Cup Final. The Brazilians already felt that they were in the World Cup Final.

--You still like the Italians on, on Sunday. [The French are there], but you think they are just gonna show up.

--They will do more than show up. I mean they are a very good side. Claude Makelele and Patrick Vieira- - who are the two central defenders 9. They are the rocks on the team. And they hold everything together at the back, which allows Zinedine Zidane that free role to roam around midfield. And now he has a young runner with him. He has this kid with a scar on his face, Ribery who was in a very serious car accident when he was two years old. And he is a lucky man to have even been alive, never mind playing a World Cup Final. So I certainly would not write France off, but yes, I do feel that Italy would still win it.

--ESPN's soccer analyst Tommy Smith. Tommy, thank you.

--Thank you, Alex.

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overtime:a period of time added to the end of a sports game to give one of the two teams a chance to win;加时赛
all-time:used when you compare things to say that one of them is the best, worst etc that there has ever been;空前的, 创记录的
come about:to happen, especially in a way that is not planned;产生,发生
goalkeeper:the player in a sports team whose job is to try to stop the ball going into the goal,American Equivalent: goaltender;守门员
substitute:someone who does someone else's job for a limited period of time, especially in a sports team or school;替补队员
striker:a player in football whose main job is to score goals;前锋队员,进攻队员
knock off:reduce amount;<口>(从价格、帐单等中)减去，除去
smug:showing too much satisfaction with your own cleverness or success - used to show disapproval;自鸣得意的
go out:to stop playing in a competition because you have lost a game;谢幕
show up:to arrive, especially at the place where someone is waiting for you;出场亮相
central defender:中卫队员
roam:to walk or travel, usually for a long time, with no clear purpose or direction;漫游,徘徊
midfield:the middle part of the area where a game such as football is played;中场
write off:To decide that sb. or sth. is useless or unimportant, or a failure. 勾销, 取消