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.
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