Will the real Super Mario please stand up.
To be fair, it must be present certain psychological difficulties to a side who last trailed in a competitive match in their third-place game...at the 2010 World Cup (or some 1,313 minutes ago).
The Italians put the comeback even farther out of the mental reach of the Germans when Balotelli doubled his tournament total with a smashing solo effort into the top right hand corner in the 36th. At once both l'enfant terrible and transcendent talent, Balotelli's brilliant brace all but assured Italy's place even before the start of the second half.
And in very un-German-like fashion, Germany folded after a brief foray forward in the second half, their erratic defending and wanton finishing finally causing them to pay the full price for profligacy. Jogi Low could only rue the many missed chances, as Manuel Neuer bounded upfield to function as an auxiliary striker after Ozil's penalty gave Germany hope for a Hail Mary.
Just another golden opportunity and another missed chance for Deutschland's Tournea Mannschaft, who are beginning to resemble more of the Jim Kelly led Bills of the 1990s than an actual title contender.
