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To: X Y Zebra who wrote (980)	7/11/1998 10:33:00 PM
From: X Y Zebra	Respond to of 5130

A few news pieces before the game..... Copy start------------------------ Saint Denis stadium dancing to samba beat or French rock Saint Denis Stadium will be dancing wildly to the Brazilian samba beat or French rock late on Sunday as the World Cup extravaganza finally makes its bow with either Dunga or Didier Deschamps brandishing the famous golden trophy. The 64-match, 33-day football jamboree with an estimated total television audience of 38 billion will come to a close as the celebrations of the winners hold the attention of the sporting world. The World Cup, which beats even the summer Olympics for media hype, could therefore be described as the world's biggest sporting bonanza and for both countries it is a do-or-die affair. It's been a long road to the final for both teams, criticised in their respective countries for not being up to scratch. France coach Aime Jacquet described the French press as yobbos and Brazil boss Mario Zagallo has made no secret of his dislike of the piranha-like Brazilian media. Criticism will rain down once more on the losers but the winners will have their names ceremoniously engraved on the hallowed stone of World Cup legend. Brazil, who already hold the record of four World Cup victories, would add a fifth to be two titles ahead of both three-time champions Italy and Germany. Should France win, they would be the seventh member of an elite club of world champions. Argentina, Italy, Germany and Brazil share 12 titles, Uruguay have won it twice and England once. France would also level the scores between Europe and South America with both continents having captured eight titles. France, who won the 1984 European championships, will have finally overcome their psychological barrier of only being World Cup also-rans and gain the composure and confidence of the world's best. Brazil are the masters at the World Cup challenge. They have qualified for all 16 finals and are synonymous with everything one expects from the land of beautiful football. Victory would also equal their 1958 achievement of being the only country to win on a different continent. France have played in every qualifying event since 1930 and their previous best performances were in reaching three semi-finals in 1958, when a Pele hat-trick undermined them, 1982 and 1986.But neither the current sides of both Brazil and France are considered the best ever that their country has ever produced. The 1970 vintage of Brazil is generally believed to have been the zenith of spectacular football when the midfield of Gerson, Pele, Rivelino and Clodoaldo wowed the world on their way to their third title to keep the Jules Rimet trophy forever. And defender Lilian Thuram, the unlikely two-goal hero against Croatia in the semi-final, believes the current French team is not as good as some of the euphoria surrounding their success might lead people to believe. Only 24 hours after he put France into their first ever World Cup final the 26-year-old was quick to dismiss claims that this side was the best ever. For Thuram the generation of players which included Jean Tigana, Alain Giresse and Michel Platini during the 80s was the best ever. "Tigana was my idol and that French team had really great players. I feel they cannot be compared with the current French side and that they were better than us," Thuram said. But there won't be an asterisk in the sporting manuels against the winners saying: "Although they won the trophy, they really weren't that good." The champions will be remembered forever in the tomes of football yearbooks. Photos c 1998 - Reuters Text c 1998 - AFP

To: X Y Zebra who wrote (980)	7/11/1998 10:36:00 PM
From: X Y Zebra	Respond to of 5130

Brazil - M. Zagallo: "We can't go back to Brazil without this World Cup" 11.07.98 03h54 CET Statement from Ozoir-la-FerriŠre (southeast of PARIS) Mario ZAGALLO, BRAZIL team coach "Victory isn't ours yet. What we have already accomplished in this World Cup gives me confidence for the final against FRANCE. The success or failure of the Brazilian team rests squarely on my shoulders. This team doesn't belong to the CBF (Brazilian football confederation) or to the technical staff. It belongs to me! And I repeat that I assume the full consequence for my actions. It will all be decided during the 90 minutes of play on Sunday. We can't go back to BRAZIL without this World Cup. I hope that Sunday we will claim this trophy once again, no one will prevent us from winning this fifth title. I firmly believe we will succeed".

To: X Y Zebra who wrote (980)	7/11/1998 10:38:00 PM
From: X Y Zebra	Respond to of 5130

La Marseillaise, French national anthem, down the years 11.07.98 16h46 CET La Marseillaise, the French national anthem, was composed in one night three years after the French Revolution (April 24, 1792) by Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle, a captain of the engineers and amateur musician. Originally entitled Chant de guerre de l'arm‚e du Rhin (War Song of the Army of the Rhine), the anthem became called La Marseillaise because of its popularity with volunteer army units from Marseilles. The Convention accepted it as the French national anthem in a decree passed July 14, 1795. La Marseillaise was banned by Napoleon during the Empire, and by Louis XVIII on the Second Restoration (1815), because of its revolutionary associations. Authorized after the July Revolution of 1830, it was again banned by Napoleon III and not reinstated until 1879.

To: X Y Zebra who wrote (980)	7/11/1998 10:43:00 PM
From: X Y Zebra	Respond to of 5130

Statistics for World Cup Final matches 11.07.98 15h40 CET Statistics (matches, goals, cards, attendances) of World Cup Final matches down the years: Matches played: 15 Settled after extra-time: 3 (1934 Italy, 1966 England, 1978 Argentina) Settled after penalty shoot-outs: 1 (1994 Brazil) (Winners are in brackets above) Goals: 62 1st half: 25 2nd half: 32 In extra-time: 5 Average: 4.13 Penalties: 4 ( 1974:2; 1982: 1; 1990: 1) Converted: 3 Cards: 32 Yellow cards: 30 Red cards: 2 Attendance: 1,237,273 - Average: 82, 484

To: X Y Zebra who wrote (980)	7/11/1998 10:46:00 PM
From: X Y Zebra	Respond to of 5130

Players' statistics in World Cup Final matches down the years 11.07.98 17h29 CET Statistics (players) in World Cup Final matches down the years: Players: 315 - Number of players who have played 2 matches: 36 - Most time played in a World Cup Final: 210 minutes (Beckenbauer, Ferrari, Haan, Jongbloed, Krol, Meazza, Monti, Neeskens, Overath, Rep) - Minimum time played: 2 minutes (Causio, Trobbiani) - Goalscorers : 51 - Players scoring 2 goals: 5 (Rahn, Breitner, Piola, Colaussi, Kempes) - Players scoring 3 goals: 3 (Hurst, Pel‚, Vava) - Players scoring twice in the same finals: 6 (Rahn, Piola, Colaussi, Kempes, Vava, Pel‚) - Hat-tricks : 1 (Hurst) - Players scoring in 2 finals: 3 (Pel‚, Vava, Breitner) - Players receiving one booking: 28 - Players receiving 2 yellow cards: 2 (Maradona, Neeskens) - Players sent off (red card): 2 (Monzon, Dezotti) - Players in the winning teams of several World Cups: 3 Pel‚, 2 Castilho, Bellini, Gilmar, Didi, Zagallo, Garrincha, Nilton Santos, Mauro, Zito, Vava, Pepe, Ferrari, Meazza - Those winning the World Cup as both player and coach: 2 (Zagallo, Beckenbauer)

To: X Y Zebra who wrote (980)	7/11/1998 10:52:00 PM
From: X Y Zebra	Respond to of 5130

France - D. Deschamps: "There are only 90 minutes left for France to go down in history" () 11.07.98 18h22 CET Comments from Clairefontaine, national technical centre "BRAZIL's game is the best in the world, so obviously it doesn't suit anyone. However, like all teams, they have their weaknesses and it's up to us to take advantage of this. Defence is the key to the game. We're going to have to be very strong physically and cut off the supply to their forwards. We must be organised and disciplined. I'm proud of this team and proud to captain it. We have a really strong team spirit and I admire the self-belief of each individual player. Up until now, I don't have any regrets. We're going to be part of a memorable and historic event on Sunday and there are only 90 minutes left for FRANCE to go down in history. All the players have watched our previous matches in order to build up confidence. It's a cruel personal blow for Laurent BLANC (5) to miss the game, but he will be with us right to the end. It's the end of an adventure for Aim‚ JACQUET. He has taken so much stick in the past, that people are now afraid to comment on his success. The players owe him a lot but we've done a lot for him too". ----------------------------end of copy---------------------- my note: 90 minutes..... hmmm is that the sound of over-confidence, or a mere "oversight" ?

To: X Y Zebra who wrote (980)	7/11/1998 10:55:00 PM
From: X Y Zebra	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 5130

A Giant Fresco for the Final 11.07.98 23h31 CET "Thank you everybody, and see you soon." That is the parting message from the Ministry for Youth Affairs and Sport and its partners, a message to be illustrated by 16 "acrobat painters" suspended 16 metres up at the foot of the Stade de France in SAINT-DENIS (north side, opposite Gates J and K); on Sunday 12 July. The 200 m2 fresco will be formed to a musical accompaniment provided by Chico Cesar and other artists from around the world, in front of the tens of thousands of fans gathering to support the teams in the Final.