by Francesca Di Meglio

Italy played decently against Australia but again seemed to be underestimating the strength of a country that only recently showed soccer spunk. The game remained scoreless for the first half and most of the second. Just when it seemed as though the game would be heading into overtime, the Australians started to play desperately and nervously. There were mere minutes left in regulation time when the Australians knocked down Fabio Grosso in the penalty area, and substitute Francesco Totti scored with a pretty penalty kick. Italy was going to the quarterfinals, and Australia was going down under.

My boyfriend Antonio had to rush back to work after this match, so there was no time for cheering. Many other Italians were in the same boat. There was a quiet joy and everyone went back to their jobs with a big grin on their face. It was like an inside joke that everyone was in on.

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