Thoughts before the Final of World Cup 2006 - France Will Win

Finally, it comes down to the last two teams, France and Italy, to face off in the final of World Cup 2006 tomorrow.

History really repeat itself as Italy beat the host country Germany, and France beat Portugal on a penalty kick by Zinedine Zidane, just like what happened in Euro 2000.

So can France beat Italy again just like in Euro 2000?

My bet is that France can once again rely on Zidane to raise the trophy for the 2nd time. Zidane has been playing his best football in last 3-4 years since the knock-out stage began. The way he stuck the winning penalty kick against Portugal really showed his confidence. He must be really motivated to go out as a champion as he's retiring from both international and club level competition after the final tomorrow.

Ribery has been playing impressively. His speed and penetration compliments Zidane's ball control and passing very well in the attacking midfield.

Both Italy and France have played stellar defense. I am worried that if Italy scores early, Italy will really pack the back line, and the game will become very ugly. Italy has a clear advantage on goalkeeping. Barthez|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabien_Barthez], the French goalkeeper, can be a liability as he's inconsistent. In contrast, Buffon, the Italian goalkeeper, is the best in the world.

Let's all hope for a great final tomorrow.

Tags: 2006worldcup