What’s Your Favorite World Cup Memory?

April 4th, 2010 | by: Julian |

It’s June 8 2006. I’m at work with my father trying to make some spending money for the summer. He’s a contractor and we’re working on our current project: installing a patio. We had spent the past 2 days demolishing the old one, and were in the process of dismantling the concrete foundation to pour in a new one. His cell phone rings; a look of concern washes over his face.

“Cmon” he tells me. “We have to go.”

“What do you mean we have to go? We just got here a few hours ago.” (He paid me by the hour and I really needed the money.)

“Your brother is in the hospital.” My heart froze.

To make a long story short, flying insects hate my family. My sister is incredibly allergic to bees, and a wasp sting would put my father in the hospital two summers later. That day, the insects illustrated their hatred to the DeMartinis family via my brother. He was stung just below his eye by a bee the night before, a mark which swelled dramatically overnight. He woke up the next morning unable to see and the doctors feared the infection could spread to his brain. It wasn’t too serious a risk, but he needed to spend the next 36 hours in the hospital, on an IV full of antibiotics and drugs to prevent infection.

It was in that tiny hospital room, on the 13th floor of a local hospital, where we watched the final of the world cup on the following day. My brother, my dad and I all stared at a tiny 15 inch TV screen for 3 hours. When Grosso scored the final penalty, the room erupted like 50 people were in there. We all yelled; I jumped in the air screaming like an animal and the only thing that prevented me from noticing the tears in my father’s eyes was a phone call from his uncle. We celebrated like we were out there and had just won. A nurse ran in to make sure everything was ok. She left and yelled at us for being loud and inconsiderate.

Like we cared.

***

I’ve mentioned that story in the comments section before, but that’s the full version. My favorite world cup memory is sitting in that tiny hospital room with my family, watching the game on a tiny screen. It’s a microcosm of what football can do: it brings people together and lets us live and die with those players on the field.

But that’s my favorite memory. What’s yours? (I have a nagging feeling that I’ve posted a thread like this before. I spent quite a while searching through my old posts and can’t find anything. I may have overlooked it, in which case I do apologize if this is a repost. Either way I feel like it’s a good way to help build up some excitement for South Africa.)

As a side note, I would like to give a sincere thank you to the readers of this blog. You guys make this worth writing, even though we don’t always agree on the topic of particular posts. Without readers this would just be me talking to myself, and I get way too much of that done without this blog. Within the last 2 months there’s been an increase of 61% in people reading this blog. With the World Cup mere months away, I expect that number to continue to increase. Paul and I are going to have to most definitely up our game. So, we will try as hard as we can, but please email us with any comments/suggestions for posts. My email is jdemart@gmail.com and I’d love to hear from anyone via email in addition to the comments section. I hate to pull out a cliché, but if you help us to help you, the whole site will run that much more smoothly.

Italy World Cup Blog RSS Feed

http://italy.worldcupblog.org/paul Paul

I agree with Julian, thanks for all your support guys, we’re among one of the most read blogs on the WCB site because of your support. If anyone has good ideas for posts please share, we can only think of so many ideas, and sometimes you guys think of great things to write about. It’s a community here; just because we do the posts doesn’t mean no one else has a say; it’s everyone’s blog.
http://italy.worldcupblog.org/paul Paul

My favorite story (well, 2)

Immediately following the win over the Czech Republic in ‘06, I was off to Italy for vacation. None of it was planned for the World Cup, but let’s just say it worked out well.
We were at sea the night of the semi final and I watched the game on the large poolside movie screen on board the Carnival Liberty. There were probably 400 people watching, some neutral, but many decked out in Italy/Germany gear. I sat with numerous Azzurri fans, and we were going crazy through all the ups and downs of the game. Finally, Grosso scored and everyone went crazy. I was so caught up in the madness that I missed Del Piero’s goal. It wasn’t until I heard people screaming again that I noticed we had won 2-0. After celebrating more, we ran up and down the promenade with flags and an air horn going crazy. One kid was “arrested” by ship security.
For the final, I was visiting my family in Frosinone. We watched the game in the center of town along with thousands of locals. Although I didn’t know much Italian, my cousin and I somehow found a way to communicate throughout the game, which was really cool. My Dad predicted a 2-1 win, which everyone thought happened when Luca Toni scored in the second half, only to be called offside. When Zidane headbutted Materazzi, everyone was shocked, but went crazy when Zidane was finally sent off. Everyone was so nervous during the penalties, but when it was all over the town erupted. Fireworks, smoke bombs, flying alcohol, it was INSANE. My cousin cried and I was still in disbelief that I was in Italy when they won the World Cup. I got back to my hotel at 2am and couldn’t sleep; people kept singing the National Anthem in the street all night. Sadly, my journey ended at 4am that morning as I was off to Fiumicino to head home, flying on an Alitalia plane with flags draped out the cockpit windows. I think back now and wonder what would have happened if my family was to leave the day of/before the final…
Mikey V

My favorite world cup memory was the U.S beating Brazil in the final to win the world cup. I remembered yelling at all my friends telling them i called this from the start. Then i woke up, and realized that the US lost to Ghana and were out of the tournament. Dreams are never reality.
Vincent

Baggio scoring in the final minute to tie Nigeria and then to eventually win.

I am old enough to also remember Tardelli’s goal and celebration in the Final in 1982

Grosso’s goal against Germany in 2006
Comrade

I recall I had a good time on this blog 4 years ago. Paul and Julian – were you guys running this site then?
Marco

Favourite World Cup Memories:

top 5 on the pitch moments.
5. France ‘98: Baggio’s redemption. Italy 2 v. Chile 2 when baggio ‘cheekingly’ drew a penalty by launching the ball at the defenders hand, he subsequently scored the penalty thus removing the memory of USA 94.

4. USA ‘94: I was young here, but the game that stood out was Italy v. Nigeria. Nigeria was up 1-0 then Roberto Baggio went to town and scored the equalizer and converted the penalty in extra time.

3. Italia ‘90: Baggio’s Journey through the Czek defence. I was really young here but this run from the center of the field through the defence to score what was for me the greatest goal ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqitJgMNIls
* youth scored that goal, not a 37 yold defender.

2. Germany ‘06: Goal Di Grosso! Germany v. Italy. Tight game until the bitter end. Absolutely smashing goal. Followed by Del Piero’s finish ‘em goal. The view of the german girl crying in her seat said it all. Forza Azzurri.

1. Germany ‘06: Italy v. France. The final penalty of the world cup. What vindication for years of losing in penalties. Absolutely brilliant stuff, I remember after Grosso scored, there was a 5 second delay in my house. Was it really true? Ah if only we can relive that emotion again this year!

Top World Cup Moments: Off the Pitch

5. Buying an Azzurri shirt before the world cup. Tradition began in 98, will not continue this year as the shirts are hideous. Who am I kidding… I’ll buy 1

4. Celebrating on the streets with hundreds of thousands of people the World Cup victory of Germany 06

3. Celebrating on the streets the semi-final beating of Bulgaria on the streets in 94

2. Driving around the city with 10 huge italian flags hanging out of my Durango in ‘06, blowing whistles, honking the horn, screaming and yelling like lunatics following the victory over germany. The final celebration was far more subdued than this drunken mess of a night!! haha

1. Italia ‘90 quarterfinal victory, I was very young, but I remember the hundreds of thousands of people that poured onto the streets. This was a completely magical world cup in every way. It was the first time we did some mass recording of every single game with the vcr, everyone was on edge, to lose it in the end was a shame.

Worst world cup moments:

5. France 98 loss on Penalties

4. Korea/Japan loss to Croatia – I thought we’d be unstoppable that year.

3. Italia 90 Loss to argentina. The only reason this is here is because I hardly remember this one.

2. Korea/Japan 2002. Loss to Korea. By far and away the biggest horse shit game I have ever watched. I was home from school that morning glued to the tv. and Furious!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syKTFLK1gBY
- a recap of the bullshit all be it with a little chocolate flavour.

1. By far and away the most heartbreaking sporting moment ever. USA ‘94 losing to penalties. It had to be baggio, what irony.

finally best Fifa World cup moments brought to you by Genesis and playstation
5. winning the world cup in 94
4.winning the world cup in 2002
3. winning the world cup in 98
2. winning the world cup in 2006
1. being the highest scorer in any world cup – wayyy ahead of ronaldo
http://italy.worldcupblog.org/ Julian

We were not, Comrade. I joined right after the last Euros and Paul hopped aboard last year.
Bari Mike

Pirlo, slips it to Grosso. Grosso curls the perfect shot in the top left corner. There is no better moment for me, and Im sure Im not alone.

Others….(all distant 2nds)

Grosso’s winning PK
Seeing Zidane walk of in shame
Baggio’s tying goal against Nigeria in 94
Baggio’s winner against Spain in 94
DP’s tying goal to send us into the 2nd round vs Mexico in ‘02
Schilacci’s PK to win 3rd place in Bari @ Italia ‘90

I was a tyke, so I have no recollection of it. But my dad telling me about how he celebrated after Italy won in ‘82. (he was at home watching by himself, and he just went outside are started yelling and screamming for joy)
Stasio

Baggio scoring in the 88th min against Nigeria in 94′ was my favorite moment I remember holding hands with my grandpa jumping up and down, one of my last memories with him. Also the fact that the game was in Boston and me living in NY was exciting. Baggio was the greatest of our time no one better.

Also the Euro 2000 game vs Holland & Of course the Germany game 06′
D’Agher

Buffon saving the nsaty Korean’s penalty in 2002. I was pretty new to football back then, and i had started to hate Buffon because of the goals he conceded against Croatia and Mexico (I was a Toldo fan because of his Euro 2000 heroics, so I was pretty pissed at Trap for starting a guy I never heard of over him). But, SuperGigi won me over with that save.

DP’s equalizer against Mexico. I was very pissed at Trap for benching him, and that was the “THIS IS WHAT YOU WERE MISSING OUT ON!” to Trap.

Grosso’s winning penalty against the French… Sent me into tears!

Del Piero’s goal against the Germans. I was waiting for him to get his 1st goal in that WC, and he did that in awesome DP fashion!

Grosso’s goal against the Germans. I had spent the entire extra time praying to St. Rita while German fans were screaming and laughing all around me. Before the corner was taken, there was a close-up on Grosso and I told my friend “Check it out, Grosso’s gonna make us proud”. And when he did, I started screaming and jumping and i lifted a guy twice my size over my head, WWE style!
KJ

World Cup 94… Baggio Baggio and Baggio
barindera

Ronaldo scoring in the WC final in 2002!
mufid

my best memory the feeling of which is still fresh even after 28 years is when i heared in the news that italy just defeated brazil to reach the semi in 1982. i was watching every game of that world cup but i missed that one because local channels(no satellite at the time) did not broadcast it due to the refree being an israeli
Alastair

The two minutes of magic at the end of the 2006 semifinal against Germany remain my two favourite minutes in all of sport, ever.

One of the few times I have lost my voice from shouting with delight.
http://vuvuzelas.biz/ Vuvuzelas

Great post, keep up the good work!!
Steven Gruenstein

I was trying to go to sleep after Italy won the Mondiale in ‘82. I had a big test the next day and had to sleep. All night long the fans were honking their horns keeping me awake. I couldn’t take it.
Well, I got a great grade anyhow. All ended well and it became a very fond memory.
Tom

2006 WC Final

I had missed much of the semi against Germany as I was flying that day — caught bits and pieces in the airport, but it still sucked. I did manage to see the winning goal and the second.

A buddy of mine at work is from France. He came over to my place with a 12-pack and we watched as Italia defeated Le Coq.

He left (made it home safely) and I decided to walk to the Villager Tavern (Nashville, TN) — about a mile from my apartment — to celebrate.

I wore my Euro 2000 Italia shirt. A few cars honked at me and I held up four fingers.

I had the Euro 2000 shirt due too a trip to Italy in the summer of 2000… to visit Italian friends. I loved Italy — gained about 10 lbs while I was there, though I walked a lot — and have since retained a sense of brotherhood both with Italia and I Azzurri.

So I will wear that old Italia 2000 Euro shirt while I watch the Azzurri go for #5.