One minute from a penalty shootout, Fabio Grosso decided to settle it himself. In the 119th minute of the 2006 World Cup semi-final against hosts Germany, the Italian left-back took a pass from Andrea Pirlo on the left side of the box, cut inside and curled the ball past Jens Lehmann into the far corner.
The German crowd fell silent. Grosso ran off towards the corner screaming, and Italy were in the World Cup Final.
Why the timing matters so much
Plenty of goals are better struck. Very few arrive at a moment like this. Extra time was almost over, penalties were waiting, and the opponents were the host nation playing in front of their own supporters. Nobody could write a more dramatic script.
Grosso kept his head. A left-back with ice in his veins, he picked his spot and bent the ball exactly where it needed to go. Italy added a second before the whistle to win 2-0 after extra time.
Italian commentator Fabio Caressa's scream of Grosso's name became famous in its own right, and it is still replayed in Italy.
The goal sent Italy to the final, and they beat France there on penalties to win the 2006 World Cup. For Italians, the road to that trophy runs straight through Grosso's curler.
Tomorrow: number 17.
