Rossi Is Dead!

You had me going there for a moment. Here you go...
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...ed-64-tributes-pour-italian-world-cup-winner/

 

Don’t do that. Crickey almost had a heart attack.

 

Have to say the Italy-Brazil game in 1982 was one of the best games ever.

The game was the decider in the second group stage, a “group of death” comprising Argentina, Brazil and Italy. Italy and Brazil had both beaten Maradona-inspired World Champions Argentina, the Italy-Argentina game being a typically dirty encounter and the Brazil-Argentina game seeing Maradona sent off for kicking an opponent.

The decider would see the group winner proceed to the Semi-Finals, and everyone expected Brazil to cruise through.

A really strong and much-hyped Brazil team, favourites to win the 1982 World Cup, and starring Socrates, Zico, Falcao and Eder, against an Italy team which had been typically cautious and unimpressive hitherto, with Dino Zoff in goal and a striker - Paolo Rossi - who had just returned from a two year ban from football after a match fixing scandal and who was far from match-fit.

The match pitted Brazil's attack against Italy's defence, with the majority of the game played around the Italian area, and with the Italian midfielders and defenders returning the repeated set volleys of Brazilian shooters such as Zico, Sócrates and Falcão. Italian centre back Gentile was assigned to mark Brazilian striker Zico, earning a yellow card and a suspension for the semi-final.

Paolo Rossi opened the scoring when he headed in Antonio Cabrini's cross with just five minutes played. Sócrates equalised for Brazil seven minutes later. In the twenty-fifth minute Rossi stepped past Júnior, intercepted a pass from Cerezo across the Brazilians' goal, and drilled the shot home.

The Brazilians threw everything in search of another equaliser, while Italy defended bravely. On 68 minutes, Falcão collected a pass from Júnior and as Cerezo's dummy run distracted three defenders, fired home from 20 yards out. Now Italy had gained the lead twice thanks to Rossi's goals, and Brazil had come back twice; At 2–2, Brazil would have been through on goal difference, but in the 74th minute, a poor clearance from an Italian corner kick went back to the Brazilian six-yard line where Rossi and Francesco Graziani were waiting. Both aimed at the same shot, Rossi connecting to get a hat trick and sending Italy into the lead for good.

In the 86th minute Giancarlo Antognoni scored an apparent fourth goal for Italy, but it was wrongly disallowed for offside. In the dying moments Dino Zoff made a miraculous save to deny Oscar a goal, ensuring that Italy advanced to the semi-final.

[with thanks to Wikipedia]

 

you bugger.....
I actually txt'd my missus to tell her.....

 

Oh geez!