Soccer - World Cup final
BERLIN, July 8 (Reuters)
After more than two years of competition featuring 194 teams, 910
games and more than 2,600 goals, the World Cup will be decided on Sunday
with either Italy crowned champions for the fourth time or France for
the second.
A billion people will turn their attention to Berlin's Olympiastadion
where two teams drenched in World Cup history will do battle in the 18th
final.
The match has left bookmakers divided but is littered with
fascinating sub-plots that fans of each side can cling to in the
desperate hope that they are fated to triumph.
For France it is the opportunity to complete the circle of recovery
after they were knocked out after the first round without scoring a goal
four years ago.
Striker Thierry Henry's frustration goes back even further as he
seeks to banish the bitter-sweet memories of 1998 when he watched the
final from the bench as France triumphed 3-0 over Brazil.
And there is Zinedine Zidane, who retires after the match with his
reputation as one of the game's greats long-assured but who craves the
ultimate leaving gift.
2000 Revenge
Italy go into the game under the cloud of the domestic match-fixing
scandal which might yet see half the squad playing second division
football next month but which has also helped mould them into a
formidably spirited unit. They are also seeking revenge for the agony of
the 2000 European Championship when the title seemed theirs before
France snatched an injury-time equaliser then won it with David
Trezeguet's golden goal.
While Zidane's departure seems to demand victory, Italy can point to
a similarly neat and equally deserved last page scenario that would see
their superb captain Fabio Cannavaro lifting the trophy on the occasion
of his 100th international appearance.
However, all the historical twists will be forgotten on Sunday when
the destination of the trophy will be decided not according to some
grand design but more likely by a moment of inspiration or a fatal loss
of concentration.
It seems certain that the match will be in keeping with the rest of
the tournament as a cagey affair with little likelihood of a feast of
goals. That was certainly the case in their last World Cup meeting in
the 1998 quarter-finals when France advanced on penalties after a
goalless draw.
Grey edge
Five of the side who played in that game and went on to win the
trophy and then beat the Italians again in the Euro 2000 final are in
the squad for Sunday - Fabien Barthez, Lilian Thuram, Trezeguet, Henry
and Zidane but only Cannavaro and Alessandro Del Piero survive for
Italy.
The grey edge to the French side was one of the reasons so few people
gave them a chance in this competition but they have countered the
critics with performances of increasing confidence as they dispatched
Spain, Brazil and Portugal.
Italy too have every reason to back themselves. Their superb defence,
fighting spirit and a coolness in front of goal that has produced 10
different scorers of 11 goals, took them deservedly past Australia,
Ukraine and Germany.
Both sides are littered with potential match-winners and both have
experienced players highly qualified in the art of stopping such
performers.
Can Zidane possibly match his two-goal heroics of the 1998 final, can
Henry deliver one of his special moments or can new boy Franck Ribery
complete a dream tournament by scoring in the final?
Conversely can Luca Toni follow in the footsteps of 1982 hero Paolo
Rossi, will Andrea Pirlo net one his sumptuous free kicks or could the
rampaging Gianluca Zambrotta charge his way into the history books?
If not, there is always penalties.
Probable Teams:
ITALY (4-4-1-1): 1-Gianluigi Buffon; 19-Gianluca Zambrotta,
23-Marco Materazzi, 5-Fabio Cannavaro (captain), 3-Fabio Grosso;
20-Simone Perrotta, 21-Andrea Pirlo, 8-Gennaro Gattuso, 16-Mauro
Camoranesi; 10-Francesco Totti; 9-Luca Toni.
FRANCE (4-2-3-1): 16-Fabien Barthez; 19-Willy Sagnol,
15-Lilian Thuram, 5-William Gallas, 3-Eric Abidal; 4-Patrick Vieira,
6-Claude Makelele; 22-Franck Ribery, 10-Zinedine Zidane (captain),
7-Florent Malouda; 12-Thierry Henry.
Referee: Horacio Elizondo (Argentina). |