Azzurro is the colour

How great were Italy last night? Okay, so Germany were good, too. But at the end of the day, Italy raised their game and Germany didn't. I'm no football connoisseur, and I don't have a great sporting memory. Indeed, my interest in Italian football dates back only about ten years, but I've never seen Italy play better than they did last night. Fantastic.


I must go on record, too, though, and say that I really don't like Alessandro Del Piero. When I saw him come on, I though we were in for 15 minutes of diving from the dive-master. At best I thought that even that old, played-out motherfucker had quarter of an hour of good football in him. But to go on and score that second goal in the last minute as he did... Sheer magic.

Normally when Italy score, be it in the first minute or the last, you can expect them to stop attacking and go into defence mode. But last night to score two goals - no, two great goals - in the last two or three minutes of the game... Unheard of. Un-Italy. Unadulterated genius.

And still no team has put a goal past Italy in the whole of the World Cup. The only goal they have conceded is the own goal against the USA.

Best commentating moment? "It's lovely to see two strikers playing with each other."

Let's hope the French get a caning tonight and that we see an Italy v Portugal final.