Sorry for being missing for so long. Din hear about my car and my excitement for very long huh? Well, that coz there was something else extremely exciting that took place and override my excitement... THE WORLD CUP!!!

Watched 1 of the most emotional World Cup finals early this morning. Italy vs France. Emotional not because of the game itself. Emotional coz of 1 man. Emotional coz of a legendary French player - Zinedine Zidane.

I was rooting for Italy last night at the World Cup finals, but have every single bit of respect for Zinedine Zidane. I was hoping that France loses the game, yet wished hard that Zidane can show something great before he leaves the football scene for good. I admit cheering when Zidane was sent off with a red card, literally ending his football career 10min earlier. But it was out of anger for his ungentlemanly act. After cooling down, I actually felt sad and sorry for him...

Zidane, coz being unable to hold his temper, not only ended his career a few min earlier, he had to walk off the field in shame. He could have been standing in the middle of the field, receiving his share of cheers and well wishes from his fans, even if France lost. Heck! Even though I was rooting for Italy, I would have been giving him a standing ovation if he had ended the game like a gentleman!!!

He's a legend, a great player. He was what got me hooked on watching the world cup in 1998. I totally enjoyed myself looking at the man with a big bald spot (was laughing at his bald spot, but was totally impressed by his skills nevertheless)… But the legend walked of the field yesterday, hanging his head in shame.

Decided to take a break from work at lunch time today and see what I can find on Zidane on the net. Many articles brought me close to tear…

Here’s some the excerpts of some of the stuff I read:

Curtain falls on Zidane years in traumatic finale (Reuters)
A golden era ended in traumatic fashion for France when the player who made them the ultimate winning machine, Zinedine Zidane, left the stage in tears after an ill-tempered World Cup final on Sunday.

Domenech says he understands Zidane losing cool (Reuters)
"They gave it all they had, physically and mentally. Maybe he (Zidane) was provoked. It's awful to see him leave that way because I sincerely believed he would lift that trophy."
- France's 1998 World Cup-winning coach Aime Jacquet told Canal Plus TV

France, Italy Go to Kicks; Zidane Tossed (Associated Press)
Zidane went down after a collision with an Italian player in the 81st minute, but moments later he returned to the game as the crowd went wild.
The crowd could be going even wilder for him, only if he had held his cool… Sobs… Tissue please…

Get ready folks, here come the true tear jerker…

Zidane Writes a Sad Ending to Great Career (Associated Press - Jim Litke)
All the trophies Zinedine Zidane hoisted, all the glory he brought France, all those sparks of magic that flew off his feet game after game, year after year- all of a sudden, it's almost like they never happened.

Because the most gifted player of his generation, playing his final match on the world stage, will be remembered now for something else - petulance, selfishness, looniness, take your pick.

All because of one moment of unbridled fury.

In the 110th minute of Sunday night's World Cup final, Zidane lost his cool, then lowered his head and butted Italian defender Marco Materazzi full-on in the chest.

Seconds earlier, with the score tied 1-1 in extra time, Materazzi had grabbed a handful of Zidane's jersey just as a French attack on goal passed harmlessly by. Then the defender let go and both players began walking back up the field exchanging words. Without warning, Materazzi fell to the ground like he'd been shot.

"I don't know what Materazzi said to Zidane," French coach Raymond Domenech said.

"But it's a shame. It's sad. He (Materazzi) did a lot of acting and for such a big man, a gust of wind made him fall over. It's regrettable.

"We regret it," Domenech added, apparently speaking for Zidane. "He regrets it."

Whatever the provocation, the effect was never in doubt. Yet few people actually saw the head-butt happen, and those who did could believe their eyes.

But while referee Horacio Elizondo tried to sort out the chaotic scene on the field, Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon ran to the assistant referee along the sideline and began pleading his case. Replays available on television screens around the stadium made it a slam-dunk case. Elizondo walked over for a brief consultation with his assistant, and no sooner did that end than he walked up to Zidane, brandished a red card and banished No. 10 from the field.

Zidane barely protested. Slowly, he turned toward the exit leading to the locker room and began the long walk. A few times, he turned his eyes skyward. Amid a growing din of whistles, catcalls and shouts, he yelled a few words at the heavens.

And so the closest he would come to the World Cup trophy on this night was passing within arm's reach of the pedestal where it sat on display a few steps ahead of the exit.

As Zidane sat in France's locker room through at the end of extra time and beyond, Italy went on to convert all five of its penalty kicks in the shootout and took home the trophy that could have been - and for a while seemed like it would have been - the crowning achievement of his career. Instead, it turned out to be the nadir.

Well, what can I say… A few seconds of temper may have led to a lifetime of regret...