From a reader:
G,
This is typical of soccer fans. The over-the-top praise for every aspect of the game is one of the reasons many Americans laugh at the sport. I was watching the game with friends in a bar. Everyone was laughing at the flowery language the *American* commentators were using to describe the event. Calling a penalty kick “heroic” is absurd, unless he did it dodging gunfire. All game long they kept at it. I don’t know how many times they said it was “a beautiful game,” but it was often enough to seem like satire.
They clearly assumed this Zadine guy was going to be the hero and pounded that theme home during the game. There was much rejoicing in the bar when the bonehead got himself ejected. Now that was Beautiful.