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with my fiend-like obsession over all things world cup these days, I've been re-watching the Spain and Brazil games from our '06 run...
first of all, do you know how fucking amazing it is these things are up on youtube in their integrality? I can't get over how cool it is. I even get the French broadcast with Droopy ass Arsene Wenger and my man Jean-Michel Larque (both really good color guys).
these 2 games are a 'definitely top 3 maybe GOAT' France two games stretch for me (for the record...contenders would be Italy+Brazil 86, Croatia+Brazil 98, Portugal+Italy 00 or maybe Spain+Portugal 00, and these two). in my nostalgia fueled, hazy memory, they were both Zinedine Zidane masterpieces...the truth is, Big Pat was the hero in the Spain game like he was in the previous one vs Togo, w/a special mention for Scarface who punked Beria all game long. for Zizou, this game was just a stepping stone; he got stronger and stronger as the game went along, culminating in this splendid third goal to cap off the night ("et s'il allait marquer? ET S'IL ALLAIT MARQUER?"), a sign of thé brilliance to come.
and brilliance was it ever...honestly, no hyperbole, I can't think of a more scintillating stretch of play than Zinedine's performance in the Brazil game from roughly the 20' mark in the 1st half. He was everywhere, demanding the ball constantly and making magic happen on almost every touch. trademark dribble moves, sombreros, one touch passes in the perfect tempo, 40 yards bombs across the pitch right on the money, and even multiple defensive takeaways. pure dominance, punctuated by a pitch perfect free kick to Henry (who made up for a real stinker vs Spain in that game, btw).
man, it was so good to be a France fan back then.
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