World Cup 1982

My Education

I didn't know anything about the World Cup. I had always loved the game of soccer and played it for 2 years in elementary and middle school, but I wasn't one to follow sports or have a favorite team. My education was about to expand when in 1982 I moved to Florence, Italy to do a collegiate year abroad.

The 1980's

Florence was a much quieter city back then. There were certainly tourists, but nothing like the overwhelming crowds that fill the city today. Florentines still dominated the streets with the sounds of their distinctly musical language filling the air. Mothers walked their children to school, dressed in starched pinafores and polished shoes, while fathers gathered in small groups, chatting and whistling at the young women passing by. Students, both Italian and international, were drawn to the beauty of this city. I was one of them.

It was July 11, 1982 to be exact. I gathered with a group of Italian friends in a house to watch this important soccer game. I was there for the socializing, eating and drinking, I knew it was the “World Cup Final Match”, but I had no way of knowing that I was about to witness one of the most unforgettable moments in Italian history.

World Cup Final 

We all sat around a small television set, cranking our necks to get a good view from the small couch. We had tasty snacks and a few drinks. The tension and focus in the room changed once the game began. There was heightened energy and a crescendo of yelling and screaming out players' names and directives: Dai Graziani! Vai forte Tardelli! Bravo Dino!! And then the final moments. Altobelli scores off a pass from Bruno Conti, bringing the score to 3-0. Two minutes later, Germany scores, bringing the score to 3-1. It is now the 83^rd minute out of a total of 90 minutes, but no one rejoices because Italians are superstitious and that would be asking for something bad. The end of the game comes with an eruption, an eruption greater than any volcano on Italian soil. It was an eruption of pure joy and elation and emotion like I had never seen before. Tears streaming down these proud, masculine faces without any hesitation, without any ego or machismo. It was something I had never seen before. Within seconds the world outside our window became a flood of green, white, and red. Cars painted in the Italian flag, fountains spilling green, white and red liquid, faces covered in the honorary colors and car horns blasting with people screaming “Abbiamo vinto!”--We won!!!