Few teams faced more questions heading into the World Cup than Italy and France. The French were over the hill - they couldn't even score. The Italians were consumed by the biggest soccer scandal in the nation's history.
Zinedine Zidane made sure the last match of his glittering career would be a World Cup final when he presented France with a 1-0 win over Portugal in a tense semi-final.
Italian football has never been short on drama and frequently touches the extremes of brilliance and degradation but Tuesday's events crammed all facets of 'calcio' into a few hours of intense emotion.
Notwithstanding the country's biggest football scandal, the apparent suicide attempt of a former international, and the loss of key players to suspension and injury, Italy are in the World Cup final.
Italy threw off their tradition of cautious football to earn a place in the World Cup final after a 2-0 extra-time victory over hosts Germany in an enthralling semi-final on Tuesday.
William Gallas has a theory on how Portugal became a surprise World Cup semifinalist, and it has more to do with acting than soccer.
Huge crowds of Germans who crammed the streets and squares howled in frustration while the host team failed to score for two hours Tuesday. That gave way to groans, stunned silence and resignation when Italy abruptly ended the World Cup hosts' dream of lifting the trophy in Berlin when two late Italian goals sent thousands of fans filing sadly away.
Italy moved to within one game of winning the World Cup on Tuesday and still hasn't allowed an opponent a goal.
Fabio Grosso and Alessandro del Piero grabbed two goals in the final two minutes of extra-time to puncture the German World Cup party and send Italy into the final 2-0.
If Germany are to realize their World Cup dream, they have to overcome their nightmare opponents Italy on Tuesday in the semi-finals.
History and a revitalised Zinedine Zidane suggest France will have the upper hand in Wednesday's World Cup semi-final against Portugal.
The guys who keep the ball out of the net after all else breaks down could decide this World Cup. If so, Italy might have the edge with Gianluigi Buffon.
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