ON one coast of America, the slight figure of Roberto Baggio was

hunched over. He was crying. On the other coast, the west, another

exceptional footballer was repeating a prediction made before the first

ball of the World Cup finals was kicked in earnest.

''This will be Brazil's tournament, it will also be mine,'' said the

small, dark-skinned striker, Romario Faria, who is known the world over

simply as Romario.

He and Italy's Baggio scored the crucial goals which took their sides

into the final of the World Cup in Pasadena's Rose Bowl on Sunday

afternoon, and guaranteed that the excitement and drama would continue

to the final whistle.

In Germany's absence, this is the final the world wanted, and if

Baggio and Romario, who have emerged as the dominant players, are

allowed to express themselves, it could be a classic confrontation.

There is one major problem for Italy. Baggio's chances of playing on

Sunday are rated at no more than 50-50 because of a hamstring strain.

''I fear that we won't know until a few hours before the game whether he

will play,'' team doctor Andrea Ferretti said of Baggio yesterday.

Baggio suffered the injury after having scored both goals in Italy's

2-1 semi-final win over Bulgaria on Wednesday.

On top of that, central defender Alessandro Costacurta is suspended

for the final after having received his second yellow card. Veteran

captain Franco Baresi, who had keyhole surgery to repair cartilage

damage towards the end of June, may be recalled although at the moment,

Parma defender Luigi Apolloni may just have the edge to fill that

position.

These nations each have won the World Cup three times and Brazil's

last triumph, in Mexico 24 years ago, was at the expense of Italy, who

lost 4-1. In those days Brazil had Pele and Tostao and now they have

come up with a second goal factory, Romario and Bebeto, but Italy are

more accomplished now than they were in the Mexican finals and they also

appear to have more than their fair share of good fortune.

They were minutes from being sent home in the first round, seconds

away from elimination in the next phase, and were narrow winners in the

quarter-finals. Now they are in the final for the fifth time and what

began as a nightmare with defeat by Ireland in their opening game in New

Jersey is turning into a sweet dream.

Baggio wept at the end of the semi. Was the weight of his country's

expectations too much for him? '' No, this is my work, my life,'' he

said after having dried his tears. ''It is made of sweat and tears and

this time I cried because I am very happy.''

Across in Pasadena, after he had scored the only goal of Brazil's game

against Sweden, Romario was totally relaxed. In fact, he appeared

slightly bored at having to talk about a match which Brazil should have

won much more comfortably.

''I only want to talk about the one which went in,'' said Romario.

''Sweden defended with so many people it was impossible to go through

their penalty box, so we had to go wide and send the ball in from

there.''

That is precisely what Jorghino did 10 minutes from time, and Romario,

the smallest player on the pitch, rose and headed the ball into the net.

''You don't have to be tall. It's all about positioning and timing,'' he

said, ''and because of that, Brazil have a chance to become the first

country to win the World Cup four times.

''Italy have also won the cup three times, which means that after

Sunday the world will have a champion of champions.''

The final also offers the world a chance to see the two players who

were voted Europe's top performers at the end of last season, although

this time Romario has no intention of finishing second. He was runner-up

to Baggio in the European Footballer-of-the-Year competition, but as

things stand here he is running level with the Italian.

Both players have scored five goals, and Romario, undoubtedly the more

arrogant of the two, said: ''The team which wins the World Cup will

probably be the team with the top scorer also. Let's see who will be the

best player.''

The Barcelona striker, who has settled all of his differences with his

international team-mates says he does not know Baggio personally, but

that he has been told he is a ''nice person.'' Now, though, he wants to

find out if the Italian is a winner.

Baggio, as you would expect from someone studying Buddhism, was less

inclined to be confrontational. His desire is a more private quality and

all round he is a more gracious person than the Brazilian, but the

difference in personalities adds to the sense of anticipation as the

world moves towards Sunday. Romario always believes that any match in

which he is involved should revolve around him, but when he says the

outcome of the final could be decided by his or Baggio's influence he

could well be correct.

Of the 528 players who started the competition a month ago, Baggio and

Romario are two of the smallest, yet they have assumed the major roles.

Unfortunately, it will all end in tears for at least one of them.

Had Baggio and Italy not beaten Bulgaria, the organisers of World Cup

USA94 might also have been crying. They had been living in fear that

Bulgaria would reach the final -- and that would have been no good at

all.

It isn't that chairman and chief executive officer of World Cup USA94,

Alan Rothenberg, has anything against Bulgarians, but his kind tend to

think in numbers and dollar signs.

Yes, of course the football has been exciting, even wonderful at

times, but that's merely a side effect of the real reason the finals are

being played in America. As Rothenberg himself said, the Bulgarians

wouldn't have been in America buying up T-shirts and other World Cup

merchandise.

Hristo Stoichkov and his team-mates had already upset the authorities

by beating France in the qualifying series and then dumping Mexico in

the second phase. Getting rid of defending champions Germany in the

quarter-finals was just too much and Rothenberg was moved to say: ''I

wonder how much money the Bulgarians have cost us.''

Bulgaria in the final would have been his worst nightmare, but Baggio

put the smiles back on the faces of most people involved in this

competition which now has a perfect finale. Sweden would not have done

the final justice either, because they have been too committed to

cautious, defensive play.