Golden Ball win doesn't assuage Zidane shame

Being disappointed by a man is not exactly a new feeling for most women. As mere mortals with feet of clay, occasionally it's to be expected and anger tends to bring out the worst in us all, chicks included.

Of course there is a different expectation based on age, personality, and responsibility.

I wasn't surprised that Wayne Rooney got a red card. He's hot headed, young and impetuous. And in his defense, I can see how Rooney felt betrayed when his Manchester United team mate Cristiano Ronald, seeking the love of his countrymen, encouraged the ref to red card Rooney for stomping on Ricardo Carvalho’s groin.

I wasn’t expecting that of Zinedine Zidane, but perhaps I was temporarily blinded by his beauty and should have. Zidane does have a history suggesting he may need to practice a bit of anger management on the pitch. He was sent off in the 98 World Cup for stamping on a Saudi player and when he played for Juventus he was banned for five Champions League games for a similar headbutt. But in a game that was eventually decided by penalty kicks when Thierry Henry was already pulled from the match, to say his actions were unwise is an understatement. Marco Materazzi, was rather aggressively defending Zidane moments before, and the thought is he intentionally sought to inflame the French Captain with a few pointed barbs. Zidane did walk away before turning and headbutting Materazzi square in the chest. There was some discussion as only one of the refs saw the incident and there was some review before a red card was drawn. And despite what Chelsea's William Gallas said, let's face it,once Zidane was gone, so was France’s best chance at winning.

Whatever Materazzi said, it was Zidane’s reaction that led to a shameful end for such a great player.Although he has won the World Cup’s Golden Ball for being outstanding player during the tournament,and deservedly so, it was painful to see a career that should have ended with a sparkling crescendo be tarnished by a rash act.