The Great Zidane
The quarterfinals match last Saturday between Brazil and France reminds me of a scene from the boxing movie saga, "Rocky," where an inspirational underdog faces his number one nemesis in a final blood-guts-and-glory battle.
The hero this time is not Sly, but none other than the great Zinedine Zidane, who at 34 years of age and two games short of retirement (if France beat Portugal on Wednesday) was instrumental in knocking out this Cup's favored-to-win team. Zidane has shown the world that he is the eye of the tiger.
Zidane not only brought the French team to the semifinals with an assist to Thierry Henry's goal but also revived this lackluster World Cup series, which has been criticized for being short of stellar performances from star players.
This is Zidane's quasi-comeback after being called a "has-been" by the French media, accused of being too old to play. And just like an embattled hero seeking his second wind, Zidane, the veteran three-time FIFA football awardee, played in a state of grace on Saturday against Brazil. It almost felt like history itself unfolding.
The idea that every game could be his last is a Hollywood plot that grips the heart of every football fan. There is also some sentiment when remembering how a boy of Algerian descent grew up in the rough streets of Marseilles to become the best football player since Maradona and Pele.
Against Brazil, Zidane stole the show with moves. One Associated Press writer called his performance "almost Brazilian." Zidane's exquisite footwork and almost sublime passing earned him the title of "executioner" on Brazil's internet portal, uol.com.br, for sending Brazil home on round two, a recurring Brazilian nightmare after France first beat them in the 1998 World Cup.
Meanwhile, the French media has caught a round of Zidanitis. "Zidanitis" is a term coined by French actor Jamel Debbouze to describe a contagious disease caught when Zidane is in top form and hungry to play.
"Magic!" screamed L'Equipe. "It was like a dream."
"The samba is blue," went the headline in Nice Matin. (The samba is Brazil's national dance.) "Zidane played his greatest match in blue. A festival of technique, extraordinary control, omnipresence and decisive passes."
And for La Provence, Zidane is "A master without equal. In aggressiveness, in work-rate, in action or in beautiful gestures. He was more Brazilian than the Brazilians."
And even if France does not win this year's World Cup, Zidane is already one for the history books.
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