Scene is set, French Theatre or Italian Opera
For more than a month, the world was after the songs and dances of a ball. That is all going to end on that Sunday when World Football will hail their new champion. One team will have to go home without that prize, because there will be only one victor. Pardon me for getting into a pessimistic atmosphere, but if
Few teams faced more questions heading into the World Cup than
In the final, ‘The Old Lady’ will be having a huge presence. When the club is about to be demoted to the Serie-C, when they have lost their master tactician Don Fabio, when their player trainer chief is still struggling to recover from a suicide attempt, a lot of their players will be playing it out for final glory.
One man who deserves his place in the Turin-based club’s fairytales, the French midfield maestro is about to have his last appearance on the football field, a fitting finale to what has been a truly illustrious career. The 34-year-old, aided and abetted by his fellow thirty-some things Patrick Vieira and Lilian Thuram, also Juve players, had drawn the sting through plush passing and inimitable determination. His ability to make space and time for himself is exemplary of the great players. Vieira has been a true giant in the midfield and Thuram lead the ironclad French defence and earned a man-of-the-match award in the semi-final for his indomitable resistance. Nicknamed ‘le Sage’, meaning the wise man will be trying to put in all his wisdom in his 121st international match. Juventus striker Trezequet will find it very difficult to get into the pitch because of the form shown by another old Juve player, Thierry Henry, who couldn’t impress with the Italian giants at his time at the Delle Alpi.
When the French brigade of Juve have performed well in the tournament, the Italian counterparts were also more than impressive. If the French are looking really on that trophy, they need to score against the Italians, something which no opponent has done so far in this World Cup. You need to get past the ‘rock at the back’ Captain Cannavaro first. Then there is the incredible Buffon, who is looking more and more like unbeatable. Also the French have to counter the wing threat of Zambrotta and Camoranesi. Then there is the charming Juventus captain, Alessandro Del Piero, who has now regained his masterful scoring touch.
When the whistle blows in
When Colombian pop singer Shakira is going to top the bill for the kick-off party on Sunday at Berlin's Olympiastadion before the action starts on the field, fans all over the world will be praying for a Zidane Miracle not marred by any of Henry theatricals. They will be wishing a curler from Grosso, not a dive in the box.