Italian soccer fans rewarded late for vigil<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Many local fans of the Italian soccer team went
\nto sleep early Wednesday morning wondering whether their side's
\n1-1 draw with Mexico had effectively eliminated Italy from the
\n1994 World Cup.<\/p>\n
"I realize that Italy is not safe yet, we may not be able to
\nhold these late-night parties anymore if they are out of the
\nCup," said Paolo Randone, the manager of Il Punto restaurant in
\nJakarta which has been offering cheap, late night beer and pizza
\nspecials.<\/p>\n
"I'm still waiting anxiously," Randone told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He didn't have to wait long, because his favorite side earned
\na spot in the knockout round a few hours later when Russia
\nbundled Cameroon out of the Cup with a 6-0 shellacking.<\/p>\n
Italy's disappointingly mediocre performance resulted in a 1-1
\ndraw with Mexico, and likely the unenviable task of facing a
\nrevitalized Argentine team.<\/p>\n
Randone's reaction was somewhat anticlimactic as he and about
\n10 other Italian fans were ecstatically shouting Forza Italia!
\nnon-stop around midnight at Il Punto.<\/p>\n
Of course, the stuffy, air-condition-free atmosphere inside
\nthe restaurant would not tolerate the uptightness that one might
\nfeel during Il Punto's normal hours.<\/p>\n
Randone, who is usually decked out in slick double-breasted
\nItalian suits, was spotted wearing shorts, t-shirt (with the
\nItalian team logo) and tennis shoes without socks.<\/p>\n
It should be noted, however, that at various points in the
\nnight he glamorously draped the Italian flag around him.<\/p>\n
The other patrons of the emergency sports bar were mostly
\nItalians and Frenchmen, confirming the stereotype that the most
\neffective male-bonding ritual must be performed with sacraments
\nof beer before a sporting event. There were also about six
\nFrench-speaking Africans who appeared hypnotized by the 20-inch
\nTV set.<\/p>\n
As expected, these men, fueled by liters of espresso and beer,
\nwere sometimes caught up in emotional critiques of coach Arrigo
\nSacchi's strategy.<\/p>\n
When Daniele Massaro drove home a goal for the Italians in the
\n49th minute, these men went wild and immediately hugged each
\nother amid intense screaming and shouting.<\/p>\n
However, Mexico struck back 10 minutes later. Charles
\nHermosillo crossed, Giuseppe Signori missed a tackle on Marcelino
\nBernal and the midfielder rifled a shot past Luca Marchegiani
\nfrom just outside the penalty area.<\/p>\n
Several murmurs of Mama mia! were heard at that point.<\/p>\n
The Italian fans were already looking forward to facing the
\nDiego Maradona-led Argentines.<\/p>\n
"That means that a real serious party must be held here for
\nthat match," Randone said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, another Italian fan, 75-year-old Toesminah
\nJajadisastra, who lives in Bandung, West Java, told the Post that
\nshe would have kept burning the midnight oil even if her favorite
\nteam had been eliminated from the Cup.<\/p>\n
"Sure, I love the Italians, but there are still many other
\nteams which are fun to watch," she said.<\/p>\n
"Those people can play soccer beautifully, unlike us," she
\nadded. (hdj\/brd)<\/p>",
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