The day has arrived for which 196 countries dreamed to be part of when the first qualifying match commenced for FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany. Now we are left with best two who are all set to give their all to take the coveted trophy back home. Will it be France guided by resurgent Zidane or Italy managed by the Master Lippi. This is one of the better world cup tournaments in some 20 years and deserves a fitting finale. The final will be a classic encounter between the players dynamism vs Managers planning. The players batten is handled by France The Entertainers of Europe while Italy will rest on its traditional qualities of holding and hitting on counters. The battle is a mouth watering prospect. If we compare one on one in every third of field we will graced by few of best ever to grace this game. The small battles among the big battle will hold key in deciding which team will be taking the Holy Grail to its native land. Luca Toni vs Henry These are two of the best inform strikers in Europe, while Henry won the golden boot in Premiership Luca Toni became the first striker to score thirty goals in Serie A for over four decades. Both have their own distinctive styles while Henry thrives on pace and skill, Luca Toni scores most of his goals through head and his sheer presence in the six yard box. Zidane vs Totti As per Lippi this match will be the last for both Zidane and Totti. Though no formal confirmation from Totti but the Zen Master Zidane will certainly have his last swansong in Berlin tonight. The role of both the players has acquired even more significance as these are two best teams defensively in the tournament and need moment of magic from one of these two stalwarts to out thought the others defense. Pirlo & Gattuso vs Viera & Makalele Of the six matches played so far by Italy, Pirlo has been Man of the Match in two of them while Gattuso has gone ahead with fierce and hard nosed tackling. On the other side the French midfield engine is run by Viera who has scored two crucial goals with his aerial prowess and Makalele the master destroyer we so often see in Chelsea colors. Thuram vs Cannavaro This is the contest between two partners in the heart of Juventus defense. Both has played with each other for years and right now must be sharing those crucial notes to help their team mates to unlock rival defense. So far Cannavaro has not put a foot wrong in the tournament and to my mind is the best defender of the tournament. Battles as enthralling as prospect, its really hard to wait for the Sunday evening when the fruit of years of endeavor will unfold itself. |
