If you think that is 'Little Italy' you should check out Lygon Street it is going off....

shows just how good the aussies were - just losing 1 - 0 to Italy

then the azzuri winning 3 - 0 and 2 - 0 before the final

USA was the closest 1 all draw with italy

I think Italy's victory is "the greatest injustice in world sport."

forget MJ going out after hitting the game winning shot,

Zidane's headbutt has to be the ultimate in 'ways a sportsman can retire from the game'

classic moment of insanity from one of the greatest players ever.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE "shows just how good the aussies were - just losing 1 - 0 to Italy". The Aussies were even better than that when you consider how they lost. Its criminal to think how close they came. The Italians even said that Australia was the toughest team they played.

Unfortunatly i feel if the game went for 3 days Australia would not have scored, Italy defence throughout the cup was the best you will ever see, forza azzurri!! And to the The Journo your spasticated!!

I totally agree with The Journo, pfft Tripod boy, how is he spasticated for voicing his opinion?

I mean after all Italy beat Australia by proving they are little soft cock boys who run into people fall over and cry for a penalty... World champs good job!

Good call 52-cans....... World Champs at Flopping...
Italy flop more than Dennis Rodman in his prime....

I agree with anon 88083, Italy's defence was absolutely stunning, if the game went for an extra 2 hours, Australia wouldn't have scored, but to go out on a penalty kick by a mistaken referee call is just... Frustrating.

Well done to Italy for winning the World Cup. If anyone watches Big Brother, Mike Goldman considers Australia the world champs cos of the referee call, lol!

Soccer was going so good in Australia until Grosso flopped and the whole country lost interest again.

It was funny to see the 'turncoats' who had Socceroos jerseys on one day and Italy ones the next, thats even more of a disgrace!

Hopefully the NBL can take off like in the mid 1990's to compete with competitions like the A-League, or should the NBL go back to a winter season?

Why is someone with Italian heritage a turncoat for supporting their home country, and then that of their parents/grandparents once their home country was eliminated? I followed Australia's progress, and then hoped Italy would win after the semi-finals (my mother was born in Italy and my maternal grandparents grew up near the Italian border). Not sure that it's much of a disgrace.

Journo - Definetly should not go back to a winter season. NO NO NO.
I would rather compete with the A league than both AFL and NRL any day.
Not only would it be even harder to get it televised, it would struggle to get more than a simple comment in the Newspaper and on the news itself. Summer all the way.

My heritage is also Italian but I am embarrased to belong to the same race as the Italian Soccer team. The dirty tactics they employed throughout this series is something I am not proud of. Even at the very end, it took a despicable swipe at a frenchman in the hope of gaining a reaction that would red card him. Just another way to gain an advantage over your opponent.

As for an earlier thread regarding Soccer becoming stronger in Australia to the detriment of basketball, after this world cup series, I don't think that will happen. How many Australians lost interest in the World Cup after Australia's elimination? I know the newspapers didn't report as much after that. The soccer flavour lasted only while soccer fever was sweeping the world. As a non soccer follower but did support the Australians, I have seen just how corrupt the game is played.

Australia should sack their coach and hire a drama teacher, that way we will be ready to win the next World Cup!

Australia and the U.S.A were the only teams in my mind who didn't bother to stage a Broadway show every time they got tackled. Good on them for being good honest competitors.

In the latest Bill Simmons article on ESPN.com, he said that Manu Ginobili should incorperate the "get taken off on a stretcher and then suddenly jump back into play like nothing happened" into his rountine. Classic.