Deja vu sends France through
Di Biagio's missed penalty ends Italy's hopes with 4-3 shootout loss

July 03, 1998
CNN/SI

ST. DENIS, France -- For Italy, it was third time and again unlucky in a penalty shootout. For France, it was another victorious chapter in a great World Cup adventure -- and luck had nothing to do it.

Eliminated by spot kicks in both the 1990 semifinal against Argentina and the 1994 final against Brazil, the Azzurri left France '98 the same way Friday, dropping the shootout 4-3 after a 0-0 draw as the French reached the Cup semifinals for the first time in 12 years.

"It's a sort of a curse," Italian coach Cesare Maldini said. "We're walking out of this stadium with our heads up. It's a pity because it really is a lottery when you go to a shootout. I have no regrets."

That's not how it was seen by the hosts.

"It takes the coolest heads to win," French coach Aime Jacquet said. "We didn't lose our nerve. In the end, the best team won."

None come cooler than defender Laurent Blanc, who netted the shootout decider six days after scoring the World Cup's first Golden Goal in France's 1-0 second round victory over Paraguay.

After a 120-minute thriller in which playmaker Zinedine Zidane did everything for France but score the winner, it came down to 10 tense shots to divide the two neighboring soccer giants. Luigi Di Biagio crashed Italy's fifth attempt onto the bar, releasing the crowd of 80,000 at the Stade de France into wild celebrations.

"I'm really sorry, so sorry," said Di Biagio, taking over the apologetic mantle from Roberto Baggio, who missed the final penalty in the shootout loss to Brazil four years ago.

"It's hard to go out of the World Cup this way," said Demetrio Albertini, who had his shootout attempt saved by goalkeeper Fabien Barthez.

Zidane, David Trezeguet and Thierry Henry made their kicks for France. Baggio, Alesandro Costacurta and Christian Vieri converted for Italy.

France's Bixente Lizarazu had his shot saved, and the teams were neck-and-neck until Blanc nailed his and Di Biagio sent Italy home.

France will come back to the Stade de France on Wednesday to play the winner of Saturday's Germany-Croatia match.

The shootout, the second of France '98, came after two hours of hard physical play and the most refined of tactics could not produce a goal.

France dominated, outshooting the Italians 31-10. Italy didn't get its first corner kick until the third minute of the second-half injury time.

"We just wanted this victory more than the Italians did," said French captain Didier Deschamps.

Yet Italy almost snatched the game in the 102nd minute, when Baggio ran onto a long pass from Angelo Di Livio and volleyed the ball without controlling it. It was a piece of magic from the veteran, but it swerved just past the far post.

Even later, in the 118th minute, Henry put Youri Djorkaeff through, but the French forward could not lift the ball over his Inter Milan teammate, goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca.

So it came down to penalties and the heart-stopping moments.

Even French President Jacques Chirac was held in a spell. "This is true happiness after total stress," said France's first fan.

Throughout the match, Zidane spread play around at ease and swept past his personal marker Gianluca Pessotto with almost royal disdain. The lack of a true goalscorer, however, kept Les Bleus from finding the net.

Italy lived with the pressure as long as it could break. In the ninth minute, Vieri headed just wide and half an hour later his rising drive at Barthez took a good punching save to deflect the ball. In the 35th minute, Barthez had to throw his whole body at Vieri to deny him on a drive.

Vieri was controlled by France's smothering defense from then on. In five World Cup matches, France has only allowed just one penalty goal.

Alessandro Del Piero, who was touted as one of the potential World Cup stars, was near invisible apart from earning a yellow card. Maldini, who benched Baggio for Del Piero refused to condemn the Juventus forward.

"He did his work," said Maldini.

"Life goes on," said Del Piero.

Seven of France's starting lineup are playing in Italy or have played there in the past few years, including Zidane, making a comeback after missing two games because of suspension.

Although players on both sides were friends, the game was rough, with 50 fouls called and five yellow cards issued. Afterward, all jerseys mingled into bittersweet embraces.

"I'm totally exhausted," Jacquet said.

Lineups

Italy: Gianluca Pagliuca; Giuseppe Bergomi, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Costacurta, Paolo Maldini; Francesco Moriero, Dino Baggio (Demetrio Albertini, 52nd), Luigi Di Biagio, Gianluca Pessotto (Angelo Di Livio, 90th); Christian Vieri, Alessandro Del Piero (Roberto Baggio, 67th).

France: Fabien Barthez; Lilian Thuram, Laurent Blanc, Marcel Desailly, Bixente Lizarazu; Didier Deschamps, Emmanuel Petit, Zinedine Zidane, Christian Karembeu (Thierry Henry, 65th); Stephane Guivarc'h (David Trezeguet, 65th), Youri Djorkaeff.

Referee: Hugh Dallas, Scotland.
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