Soccer SuperFans

By: David Capone, Winnipeg

Italian dads at the Caboto Centre in Winnipeg 

Dads don't really care for the material things on Fathers day.

All they really want is a relaxing day where they can sit and watch golf (or whatever) and not be bothered.

As Italian fans, our desires are not that different from that of our dads on Fathers Day.

We want to sit back, relax and watch our Azzurri go out on the pitch, play a good game, score a couple of goals and simply win.

Instead, we get a performance today that's the equivalent to a piece of construction paper decorated with lots of glue and some scattered elbow macaroni.

The young kids have an excuse: the macaroni art is their best effort; as for the soccer players: I find myself saying the same thing.

Sadly, it's probably their best effort.

Before we even knew what hit us today we found ourselves down a goal.

I don't know how bad of a sign this is, but it didn't look like anyone was stunned in the crowd I was watching with.

Like dads with their children, our love for the national team is unconditional.

However, Italy, much like me with my dad on a few occasions, both seem to enjoy putting that 'unconditional love' to the test.

On the bright side, fate is still in our hands.

A win in our next match puts us through. A loss sends us home. It's pretty simple, which is a nice change, because Italy never makes it all that straight forward.

For instance when we were drawn in this group last December, soccer pundits said Italy had an easy draw. Italian fans knew better, the easier the group, the harder the Azzurri make it.

Life would be so much easier, especially Fathers Day, if we all just watched golf like our neighbours to the south.

Sit back and watch Tiger Woods go for glory at the U.S. Open. I mean Tiger has never been known to disappoint his fans...

Silly me, I figured we'd win today and that's all my dad would ever want for Fathers Day. Now I sit at home trying to swallow the bitter taste of today's tie and also reeling to figure out what to get my dad for Fathers Day.

I'm pretty sure I have construction paper and elbow macaroni somewhere.

Can anyone lend me some glue?

Before the game: Azzurri fans with their game faces on

After the game: Azzuri fans with their sad faces (except for one)