Italy-France 1-0 (Xbox research)

There is only one game left of this World Cup, and naturally I had to play it on my Xbox. Tonight’s final will be close and tough, but with a lot of attempts to actually play attacking football. France will encounter big problems with Italy’s solid defense, and Totti will have a great game organizing quite a few nice Italian attacks.

In the 79th minute, Totti will find Gilardino with a cut-through pass. France’s old men try to chase Gilardino, but he is too fast and alone with Barthez he makes no mistake.

During the last ten minutes France desperately tries to score an equalizer, but the Italian defense is solid as a rock. Italy wins 1-0 and the whole country, including Prime Minister Prodi and President Napolitano, explodes.

Anyway, that it was I am hoping for, so I hope my “research” holds.

* * *

But the truth is that I really like France as well, and their team naturally brings back memories of 1998 (when I lived in France). But this time I think and hope it is Italy’s turn to win.

* * *

I have seldom supported Germany when football is played, but yesterday I felt quite OK when they beat Portugal. Great team, great host, and Germany is slowly finding its role in a post-Cold War Europe. Right now in Africa, Germany is for the first time leading a UN-operation. And around world, and not at least in Germany itself, a renaissance for the German national football team is spreading. If handled in the right way, that will be remembered as a very positive outcome of the World Cup 2006.