Italy beat France for the World Cup Championship with a PK score of 5-3 on Sunday, July 9th.

France's fifth player never got his chance to shoot after Italy netted its final shot for the win. France's captain, Zinedine Zidaine, met a most dissapointing end to his career with a red card after he headbutted an Italian midfielder in the chest towards the end of the second regulation half. Zidaine, known for his solid penalty kicks yet unable to help his team in the final shootout, will hopefully be remebered more for his typical classy playing.

World Cup Fever has spread quickly throughout the US. Foreign influence and Title IX have certainly played a dominant role in the past decade and a half. With many growing latino communities combined with the support of female athletes in schools and clubs, the popularity of soccer has nowhere to go but up! Keep track of the men's matches and look for the Women's World Cup next year!