Live from Germany
Germany thrash Portugal to finish third ahead of Berlin final
Germany capped a wonderful albeit frustrating World Cup campaign as they were carried by the inspiration of Bastian Schweinsteiger and brushed aside Portugal 3-1 in the third-place match but all eyes now turn to Sunday's final between France and Italy in Berlin.
German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger celebrates after scoring during the third-place playoff 2006 World Cup football match between Germany and Portugal at Stuttgart's Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium, 08 July 2006. Germany were leading 2-0 in the second half. AFP PHOTO / ODD ANDERSEN
In Jurgen Klinsmann's hometown of Stuttgart, the host nation shook off their semi-final defeat to Italy with a dominating win that was inspired by Schweinseiger who scored twice and created the third.
Nuno Gomes pulled back a late consolation marker for the Portuguese who despite the defeat are expected to return home to a heroes welcome on Sunday in Lisbon.
Now heading into Sunday, 63 of the 64 matches have been played with the championship tie lined up for Berlin between 1998 champions France and Italy who won the last of their three titles back in 1982.
On Saturday, torrential rain in Berlin hampered preparations for Sunday's World Cup final with the French and Italian players to arrive during the day from their respective training camps.
The downpour, which started Friday evening after days of uncustomary hot weather, forced FIFA to tell the Italians they would not as planned be able to get their first feel for the final venue at a Saturday morning training session.
Spokesman Andreas Herren said the decision had been taken "because of the state of the pitch and because of the heavy rainfall in Berlin over the last couple of days."
Marcello Lippi and his men then decided to stay overnight at their Duisberg base in the west of the country and only travel to Berlin by a charter flight during Saturday evening.
Opponents France were due to fly in from their base near Hanover earlier in the day and had scheduled a training session at another stadium in Berlin later in the evening.
Italian forward Luca Toni (C) warms up with his teammates during a training session, 06 July 2006 in Duisburg. Italy will play against France in the 2006 Football World Cup 2006 final match in Berlin 09 July. AFP PHOTO / PATRICK HERTZOG
The heavy rain continued in the German capital Saturday morning but brighter weather was forecast for Sunday.
French football midfielders Zinedine Zidane (L), Claude Makelele(C) and defender Lilian Thuram jog during a training session at the Stadium in Aerzen, 07 July 2006. France defeated Portugal 1-0 and will face Italy on July 09 in Berlin for the Final of the World Cup Germany. AF P PHOTO/ PASCAL PAVANI/PP
Coach Raymond Domenech had the French squad undertake an hour-long final training session at what has been their base for the last five weeks on Friday evening.
Brazil's conquerors have a clean bill of health for the final with only reserve striker Louis Saha unavailable due to suspension, having picked up a second yellow card after coming on as a substitute in the 1-0 semi-final win over Portugal.
Their drive to the final which has taken them from strength to strength past Spain, Brazil and Portugal has completely changed opinions back home with 86 percent of French people now convinced that their ageing team will once again win the World Cup on Sunday.
Thousands of fans jam the Champs Elysees avenue 13 July 1998 in Paris as they wait to cheer the French national soccer team, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the World Cup final 12 July at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, in the northern suburbs of Paris. (ELECTRONIC IMAGE) AFP PHOTO GABRIEL BOUYS
A French victory is expected to unleash massive celebrations in the capital with up to a million people converging, as they did eight years ago when France last won the World Cup, on the Champs Elysees.
Such is the growing euphoria over the team's performance that even the Eiffel Tower is getting involved with the monument's managers announcing that it would glitter with lights until dawn in the case of a French victory.
The view from Rome was more muted with the Italian team's World Cup triumphs tempered by the huge match-fixing scandal which has rocked the league and eroded public faith in the way the sport is run.
The Italians are also relatively injury-free with only experienced defender Alessandro Nesta as expected unavailable due to a groin injury.
The crucial task of marking French playmaker Zinedine Zidane will go to tigerish midfielder Gennaro Gattuso who has said that the exertions of the last few weeks could eventually catch up with the 34-year-old who will be playing in his last match before retiring.
"Zidane's 34 and he's played every match at a high level. I hope he has little energy left in his body for the final," the 28-year-old AC Milan midfielder said.