Zidane and the Oldies Toss Aside thier Walkers For One More Go

It’s the final no one expected or predicted, well except for the guy currently winning our soccer pool. Age won out over youth after many pundits, myself included, based on early results, declared age anathema to success, and youth as the key to victory. As Holland, Spain, and Argentina, the exemplars of jettisoning the old and bringing in the new at this tournament, crashed out. It’s like the senior citizens at this tournament, overhearing the grandkids taking their possessions and planning on how to dispose of the bodies, awoke from their narcoleptic slumber and fetched the shotgun from the under the bed. From my cold dead hands Zidane said as France dumped Spain out of the tournament. Zidane waving his double barrels of experience and not-yet exhausted talent in the faces of David Villa and Cesc Fabregas.
In all fairness, both Italy and France have mixed youth with experience. Beside the veterans from 1998, France line up Ribery, Malouda and Abidal. Italy’s strike force is made up of debutants: Toni and Gilardino. And look at the Czechs who fielded the oldest team in the tournament. Sent out in the first round.
Youth still had its place in the tournament. Podoloski of Germany won the best young player award of this World Cup. And his name, along with Fabregas, Rooney (if he can stay on the pitch long enough without killing someone) and Ronaldo Jr will in tournaments to come replace in our memories the performances of their forbearers. Grandfathers will make way for the sons. Unless global warming gets us all first.