Chapter 169 Winning the Championship
After running for a full 120 minutes, Fino's throat was dry and sore.
The tense and chaotic atmosphere at the scene suddenly paused, as many people remembered that Fino had trained as a goalkeeper before joining Milan's first team.
After a few seconds of silence, Lippi finally asked, "Can you do it?"
This is a pointless statement; De Sanctis is clearly no longer a reliable option. At this point, someone has to step up, whether they're capable or not.
Pirlo grabbed Fino's arm suddenly, but hesitated to make any further move.
Changing goalkeeper at the last minute before a penalty shootout means all eyes will be on Fino. If Italy wins, great; but what if they lose...?
As an Italian player, Pirlo knew that Fino needed to step up, but as Fino's friend, he didn't want Fino to bear that pressure.
In Pirlo's eyes, Fino will always be that little kid he needs to protect, even after he has won the Ballon d'Or and become a pillar of the Italian national team...
Fino patted Pirlo's hand, reassuring him with his eyes.
He understood what Pirlo meant, but he had to step up. Even though he had been away from the goalkeeper position for almost four years, his skills and experience were still there. Perhaps he couldn't compare to Buffon and Casillas, but he was still better than the heartbroken De Sanctis and his teammates who had no goalkeeping experience.
"We have to do it, even if we can't." Fino forced a smile and loudly rallied the team's morale. "I've trained as a goalkeeper for eight years and saved countless penalties. What's there to worry about? Besides, penalty shootouts are all about scoring goals. As long as we score one more than Spain, we'll win!"
His hoarse voice sounded particularly deep and tragic at this moment, which made it even more inspiring.
Lippi glanced at De Sanctis, who was still gagging, and finally made up his mind.
He stepped forward and hugged Fino, then patted Fino on the shoulder and solemnly said, "Good boy, no matter what the final outcome is, you are an Italian hero!"
De Sanctis is in really bad form; of the remaining 10 players on the field, there is no one who can compare to Fino.
After everything was settled, Fino began preparing for the penalty shootout. He put on Buffon's jersey, put on goalkeeper gloves, and started a simple warm-up.
Italy's three goalkeepers are all around 190cm tall, so Fino's jersey would be too big for any of them. At least Buffon's jersey is clean, and Fino also hopes to ride on Buffon's good fortune, as Buffon won the penalty shootout in the last World Cup final.
When the camera captured Fino warming up in his goalkeeper jersey and transmitted it to the stadium's big screen, all four stands erupted in commotion.
Commentators from all over the world who were commentating on this match exclaimed in surprise.
"Great news! Following the substitution of Italy's starting goalkeeper Marchetti, substitute goalkeeper De Sanctis will also be unavailable for the penalty shootout!" the Spanish commentator exclaimed ecstatically. "From the remaining 10 players, Lippi has chosen Cabrini to guard the penalty shootout. It seems our players are going to teach Cabrini a lesson; the world doesn't revolve around geniuses, and even if Cabrini is a Ballon d'Or winner, he's not omnipotent!"
The Italian commentator expressed concern: "De Sanctis didn't look good in extra time, and it seems he's in worse shape than we thought. But we're not without a chance. Remember, Cabrini played as a goalkeeper throughout his youth academy years and was known as a goalkeeping prodigy as a child. We have to believe in our Ballon d'Or winner..."
As if things weren't bad enough, Cannavaro lost to Casillas in a coin toss.
According to statistics, in penalty shootouts of major international events such as the World Cup and the European Championship, the team that takes the penalty first has a win rate of about 60%, while the team that takes it second has a win rate of about 40%. This is related to psychological warfare.
Casillas decisively chose Spain to take the penalty first, so Fino was the first to stand in front of the goal to face the test.
Fino took a sip of water, rinsed his mouth, and spat it out, moistening his dry and sore mouth as he waited for the penalty shootout to begin.
Buffon stood beside him, offering some last-minute tips on saving penalty kicks.
Fino listened expressionlessly.
At that moment, Cassie came over and greeted him.
“Finnie, I knew you would go to the free-throw line and become my opponent, but I really didn’t expect that you would become my opponent in another position.”
Fino curled the corners of his mouth: "When I was still in youth training, you were the role model that the coaching staff assigned to me, but I ended up going down a different path. I never thought I would have the opportunity to stand in the same position as you and shoulder the same responsibilities."
“You’re very brave, Finn, but I won’t wish you good luck.” Cassie patted Finn on the shoulder.
"I believe in my teammates."
They didn't offer each other blessings or provoke each other; they simply exchanged a hug.
When Fino actually stood in front of the goal, he didn't feel as nervous as he had imagined.
Perhaps, as Alonso said before the match, the tension would disappear once the match started, or perhaps, after 120 minutes of high-intensity play, the nerves that controlled the tension had become numb.
In short, he felt exceptionally calm now, a calm that seemed to accept life and death as indifferent.
He suddenly remembered his childhood.
At that time, he had just joined Milan's youth training program. Because of the language barrier, he was unable to integrate into the group and could only stand alone in front of the goal to guard the goal.
He did very well. Before he turned 16, he was considered a genius goalkeeper by others. His sense of position, anticipation, and agility were second to none.
But he lost because of his height and wingspan.
He knew all too well the weaknesses of short goalkeepers; from age 16 to 18, he endured two whole years of bullying from those bastard strikers.
The two top corners of the goal are the most difficult positions for a short goalkeeper to save, because they are the furthest from the center of the goal, requiring him to jump with all his might and stretch his body.
Although the two bottom corners of the goal are also far apart, shorter goalkeepers naturally have a lower center of gravity and a faster landing speed, giving them an advantage in making saves compared to taller goalkeepers.
Penalty shootouts involve a lot of gambling. Fino's strategy was very clear: he gambled on the top two corners, betting that Spain would attack his weaknesses.
After all, his weaknesses are so obvious, and he is not as experienced as Casillas. How could the Spaniards not seize this weakness and target it effectively?
However, sometimes, a fully exposed weakness can become bait to capture an opponent.
Villa was the first Spanish player to step up at the penalty spot.
As Villa took his run-up, Fino placed one foot firmly on the goal line to prevent a violation, while leaning his body forward to maximize his coverage area after Villa took the penalty kick.
The instant Villa's foot touched the ball, Fino immediately lunged towards the top left corner.
However, Villa shot the ball into the top right corner.
Fino gave up his position to Casillas, and he wasn't upset. Goalkeepers have an average penalty-saving success rate of around 20%, so losing a gamble isn't normal, is it? Besides, he didn't completely lose the gamble; Villa did indeed kick the top corner.
De Rossi was the first Italian player to take the field, and he also hit the top right corner.
In the first round of the penalty shootout, Italy and Spain tied, making the aggregate score 2-2.
Xavi will play for Spain in the second round, and Fino continues to bet on the top left corner.
This time he won his gamble; Xavi shot towards the upper corner, opposite to Villa's direction, and it hit Fino's glove directly.
"Cabrini saved it! He saved Xavi's penalty!" the Italian commentator shouted passionately. "Even though he made his name as a striker, even though he shocked the football world as an attacking midfielder in South Africa, the aura of a genius goalkeeper has not faded from his head!"
Seeing Xavi's incredulous expression as he held his head in his hands, Fino felt a long-lost sense of exhilaration that belonged to a goalkeeper.
Next up was Casillas in goal, and Di Natale, Italy's second goalkeeper, scored with a single shot, the ball nestling into the bottom right corner of the net.
After two rounds, Italy is temporarily leading 3-2.
Alonso was the third player to take the field for Spain.
Alonso's feelings were very complicated. He really didn't expect that Fino would be the one to step onto the goal line for Italy in the penalty shootout.
But he wouldn't show any mercy; they were all fighting for their country.
After a run-up, Alonso swung his right foot powerfully, and the ball sped into the bottom left corner of the goal.
Fino knew that after he had gambled twice on the top left corner, Alonso was unlikely to shoot towards either of the top corners, but he still dived for the top right corner. He wanted to mislead the Spanish players, making them think that he was afraid they had exploited his weakness, so he only dared to gamble on the top corner.
Pirlo, Italy's third player to take the field, also successfully converted his penalty.
After three rounds, Italy is temporarily leading 4-3.
The penalty shootout has reached the fourth round, and Fabregas has stepped up to take the penalty. He was substituted on by Del Bosque in the final stages of extra time.
Fabregas glanced at the top right corner.
Fino remained expressionless, his eyes fixed intently on Fabregas's feet.
He knew that Fabregas was trying to mislead him; Fabregas deliberately made himself see through his weakness, and then wavered between the two upper corners.
But he had already made up his mind; this time, he would bet on the bottom right corner.
He bet right, Fabregas did indeed throw the penalty to the bottom right corner!
At that moment, he suddenly thought of the 2007/08 Champions League knockout stage. It was because of Fabregas' goal that Arsenal eliminated AC Milan on away goals, shutting Milan out of the quarterfinals.
Perhaps it was because Fino suffered his first major injury in that match, which indirectly led to Milan's collapse at the end of the season and almost cost them a Champions League spot the following season. So even though Milan successfully avenged their defeat against Arsenal the following year, Fino still remembered it vividly!
Thinking of this, Fino smiled at the dejected Fabregas.
He felt his smile was quite friendly, but it was heavily interpreted after the match and became a nightmare for Fabregas for a long time.
A penalty shootout is a game of goals. A goalkeeper who saves one penalty is considered to have passed, two are considered to have made him a legend, and three are considered a miracle that he can brag about for a lifetime.
Fino has already made two saves.
Amid the Italian players' jubilation, Gilardino walked to the penalty spot.
Because Fabregas missed his penalty, the score remains 4-3. If Gilardino scores, the penalty shootout will end immediately, and there will be no need for a fifth round.
One minute later, Casillas clenched his fists, tilted his head back, and roared as he saved Gilardino's penalty. The score remained 4-3, and the penalty shootout continued!
Iniesta was Spain's last penalty taker, carrying the heavy responsibility of keeping the team alive. If he scored, they would have to wait for Italy's final penalty taker; if he missed, Spain would have to leave the World Cup just one step away from the trophy, leaving with a bitter taste of defeat.
Iniesta calmly slotted the ball into the net, while Fino guessed the wrong way.
With the score tied at 4-4, the two teams are back on equal footing.
As Fino walked toward the penalty spot, the entire stadium seemed to be silenced.
Fino slowly took off his goalkeeper gloves, untied the bandages wrapped around his hands, and tossed them to his teammates.
The seemingly unintentional action brought Cassie a tremendous sense of pressure.
Casillas knew that Fino was telling him that he wouldn't let the penalty shootout go to sudden death; he would deliver the decisive blow.
When Fino's foot touched the ball, Casillas quickly fell to the lower left corner, but a familiar scene played out before his eyes once again.
The ball arced through the air and nestled into the net from the center of the goal.
Fino scooped a shot, just like he did last fall when he took a penalty against Ronaldo...
Cassie closed his eyes and lay on the ground, unable to get up.
it's over……
"Cabrini scores with a Panenka, Italy wins the penalty shootout 4-3, and secures the 2010 South Africa World Cup title with a 5-4 aggregate score!" the Italian commentator roared. "Cabrini is Italy's god! Cabrini is omnipotent!"
Overjoyed, the Italian players rushed to Fino, lifted him up, and tossed him into the air!
When Fino felt his body lift off the ground, he finally relaxed completely.
The World Cup is finally over. This past month has been incredibly difficult.
His hard work paid off, as Italy equaled Brazil to become the country with the most World Cup titles in history, and he also won his first major tournament championship.
More importantly, Nesta, Pirlo, Ambrosini, Gattuso... none of the people he cares about will have any regrets!
They achieved the best possible outcome in South Africa.
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Author's Note: I've finally finished writing about the World Cup final! This is the longest match I've ever written. I bet the teachers were tired from waiting. Thank you for your hard work! [kissing emoji]
In reality, Italy was eliminated in the group stage, but in the story, Italy has Fino, an all-powerful Fino, allowing the Italians to say goodbye to the national team without any regrets.
Thank you everyone for your support! [cat paw]
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