It was the year 2000 and Kristin and I had become big-time Italian soccer fans. We joined all our Italian friends in deciding that the best league in the world was the summertime UEFA Cup. This was the league where all European players would return home to their various mother countries and represent their national team against other European countries.  It evoked as much national pride as the olympics.  It was incredible.

So in this particular year, the Italians had made it to the championship game against the French. We were with our good friends Jay and Teanna Sunberg in Sofia, Bulgaria, at the time. The Sunbergs also happened to be hosting a youth group from Scotland who had come to Bulgaria to help with some church projects.  

In their apartment, Kristin and I found ourselves the ONLY Italian fans out of the 20+ people who gathered for the game.  We all crammed around their TV set that evening for the exciting game.  We "rubbed it in" as much as possible for what we were certain was going to be an Italian win.

Well as it goes, the regulation time ended in a 1-1 tie.  They go on to play an overtime period and France squeaks a shot past our goalie for the 2-1 victory. I've never heard Scottish people yell so loud.  It was terrible.  When we arrived home in Italy, all the papers recounted the game and ended with same conclusion:  another predictable flop for the favored Italian squad.

So if any of you happened to find yourselves scrolling through the TV yesterday, you may have seen the same game play out again.  The favored Italians cruised through 90% of the UEFA semi-finals game - giving what appeared to be a half-hearted effort, at best -  when they finally decided to turn it on.  And by that time, it was too late.  

The game ended in a tie.  The two overtime periods ended in a tie.  And the Spanish won on free kicks.

You know what they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same.  Well, at least until next year, when we'll be charmed into thinking that "THIS" is our championship season. See you then!  Dai Azzuri!