In show business, a performer learns to leave an audience wanting more.
The World Cup, soccer’s biggest show, was supposed to leave U.S. audiences wanting more soccer in years to come.
When the 15th World Cup ended Sunday with Brazil beating Italy in a penalty-kick shootout after a scoreless 120 minutes, the sport’s biggest fans and the 94,194 at the Rose Bowl were left with the feeling that enough is enough.
The presumably attractive matchup of traditional powers had turned into the dreaded zero-zero, or nil-nil in global soccer parlance. No matter how one says it, it comes out as 0-0, soccer tame, goose eggs are wild, the sport wiping egg from its face.
After a month of matches that were riveting at best and entertaining at least, the World Cup saved its worst for last on a dog-day afternoon.
Lifeless. Torpid. Tedious. All those adjectives applied to soccer with mindless, knee-jerk regularity in the past can be fairly used to describe a match in which Brazil became the first team to win four titles in soccer’s quadrennial world championship. The others were in 1958, 1962 and 1970.
The score goes into the record book as 0-0 (3-2 on penalty kicks). It was the first World Cup championship match to end in a scoreless tie, and the third scoreless tie of this World Cup’s 52 matches. The other two came in the first round.
The previous nadir for scoring in the championship match was reached just four years ago, when Germany beat Argentina 1-0 on a penalty kick in regulation time.
This was the fourth World Cup final to reach overtime-the others were 1934, 1966 and 1978-but the first to remain tied after the extra 30 minutes. It would not be decided until both Roberto Baggio, the Italians’ star, and Franco Baresi, their veteran defender, were among the three Italians who failed to score in the five-kick shootout.
Brazil goalie Taffarel stopped just one of those three, diving left to save Daniele Massaro’s shot. Baggio and Baresi both shot over the net.
“It is like playing the lottery,” Baresi said of the shootout, which comes into play after the World Cup’s first round.
Brazil held the winning ticket because its final three penalty kickers, Romario, Branco and Dunga, beat Italian goalie Gianluca Pagliuca. He made the save against Brazil’s first shooter, Marcio Santos.
“It is not the most eloquent way to win,” said Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, “but it would be grossly unfair to keep playing after 90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of overtime.”
There was at least little doubt that the better team won. Brazil controlled play most of the game, outshooting Italy 22-8. In seven games-six wins and a tie-Brazil had five shutouts, outscored opponents 11-3 and outshot them 126-49.
Italy, which also had won three world titles, struggled into the championship match with a 1-1-1 record in the first round and three 2-1 victories after that. Baggio had scored five goals in those previous three matches but hurt his hamstring in the semifinal and was either unable or unwilling to run much in the final.
“Brazil was the best team throughout the whole tournament,” said Brazilian forward Bebeto. “Every team changed their way of playing when they played against us. Italy played back waiting for Brazil.
“Thank God our patience was enough to win the battle. It’s sad the game was decided on penalty kicks.”
The best plays and best players in the match were on defense-Aldair, Marcio Santos and Mauro Silva of Brazil, Baresi and Paolo Maldini of Italy. They parried attacks in a variety of ways, from close marking to efficient tackling to strong heading.
With a hamstrung Baggio, Italy never took risks on the attack, although it did have a few decent scoring chances.
Three of the best belonged to Baggio, who had two clear shots inside the penalty area. One went over the goal, and the other was easily saved by Taffarel. His best shot was a 28-yard sailer that Taffarel slapped over the net with two hands.
The post saved Italy in the 66th minute, when Mauro Silva’s shot bounced out of Pagliuca’s hands and into the left upright.
Much of the game was wasted in botched plays by both teams. At times, it seemed there were 200 players in midfield, where both teams bunched up to prevent advances by the opponent.
Asked for his general impressions of the match, Parreira began, “There is not much to say.” He was right, too. There was so little to be said, except enough is enough.
