Roberto Baggio My Miss PK
Tipster
Italy would never have reached the 1994 final against Brazil without
Baggio's goals and guile. He was their talisman - and then the match
went to a penalty shoot-out...
Roberto Baggio
Sunday May 19, 2002
It was the toughest moment of my career. Before I left for the finals
my Buddhistspiritual master told me that I would be confronted with a
lot of problems and that everything would be decided at the very last
minute. At the time I didn't realise his prediction would be so
accurate.
The finals did not start well, and I felt the pressure. There was too
much responsibility. After all, it was meant to be 'my' World Cup. It
was falling apart in front of me and I couldn't make a mark on it. If I
hadn't had my faith in the Gohonzon [the entity of the oneness of the
Person and the Law], it would have all been a terrible nightmare. I
prayed a lot. The more difficult things got, the more I kept to myself
and tried to find my inner strength, often by chanting the Daimoku in
absolute silence.
But everything changed from the moment I equalised in the final minutes
against Nigeria. I got the ball, kicked it and it went through the
defender's legs and landed on the right post. It was impossible to
save. Many people called it lucky, and when you score in the 90th
minute there's always a little bit of luck, but then again... maybe
there was something special in that moment. Maybe, that time my Master
gave me a bit more help than usual. Or maybe my faith helped me, my
belief in myself, my inner peace.
After that goal I stopped feeling so anxious. I started playing with
ease. I freed myself once again. It was a fundamental moment. From then
on my World Cup got a lot better. But I did pick up an injury in the
semi-final against Bulgaria. It wasn't anything serious, just a tired
muscle, but it affected my preparation for the final. What would have
been a minor injury in any other situation was more serious because of
the situation. But I was desperate to play. I would have played even if
they'd cut off my leg. My appearance in that game still causes
controversy but I felt OK, otherwise I wouldn't have played. I trained
the whole morning. I trained in the hotel in a room used for wedding
receptions. I had my trainers on and I was kicking the ball against the
wall until I was through. My muscles were OK and so were my legs,
regardless of the injuries. But the Italy team had had a six-hour
flight to California while Brazil were already there and that was to
their advantage. And they had an easier path to the final. Maybe at the
beginning of the game I couldn't let go, subconsciously I was worried
about hurting myself, but after a while I got over that. However I
didn't have a great game, and neither did the team. We were knackered.
As for the penalty, I don't want to brag but I've only ever missed a
couple of penalties in my career. And they were because the goalkeeper
saved them not because I shot wide. That's just so you understand that
there is no easy explanation for what happened at Pasadena. When I went
up to the spot I was pretty lucid, as much as one can be in that kind
of situation. I knew Taffarel always dived so I decided to shoot for
the middle, about halfway up, so he couldn't get it with his feet. It
was an intelligent decision because Taffarel did go to his left, and he
would never have got to the shot I planned.
Unfortunately, and I don't know how, the ball went up three metres and
flew over the crossbar. As for taking the penalty in the first place, I
was knackered, but I was the team's penalty taker. I've never run away
from my responsibilities. Only those who have the courage to take a
penalty miss them. I failed that time. Period. And it affected me for
years. It the worst moment of my career. I still dream about it. If I
could erase a moment from my career, it would be that one.
What is sometimes forgotten is that even if I had scored, Brazil could
still have won with the last penalty because before me Baresi and
Massaro had both missed. That's part of the game. I missed the last
penalty, thereby 'cancelling out' those by Baresi and Massaro. They had
to chose one image from the finals and they chose my mistake. For a
change. They wanted a lamb to slaughter and chose me. Forgetting that
without me we would never have reached those finals. After my miss I
looked stunned, and that look stayed with me for a long time. I just
couldn't accept how it had ended. When my teammates went to supper, I
locked myself in my room.
But looking back I have to say that losing a World Cup final on
penalties is something that I'll never agree with. If you lose on the
pitch, that's fine, it's right. Even if you deserved something
different. But with penalties, no, that's not right. Is it right that
four years of sacrifice are decided by three minutes of penalties? I
don't think so. Losing that way isn't right, and neither is winning
that way. The golden goal is much better. Or the way they used to do it
- play a rematch.
After the final [team manager Arrigo] Sacchi's attitude towards me
changed completely. I was 27, but Sacchi called me up less and less.
The last time was 6 September, 1994. I played the final few minutes and
then nothing. I was hoping for a little gratitude from him. I would
have understood if it was a technical decision but it wasn't. It seemed
more personal.
We saw each other in Como, not long ago, to film a commercial where the
penalty at Pasadena went in and we won the World Cup. And the hug
between me and Sacchi and me was very real. During the shoot, every
time we had a break, all he did was talk to me and try to explain. We
were sitting on two footballs and replayed the World Cup final. And
this time we won it.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,6903,716542,00.html