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The World Cup winner is ...

All signs point to Italy but France and Argentina along with some usual suspects could continue the Italians' 20-year drought.

[AP photos] Senegal's Moussa Ndiaye, right, and France's Bixente Lizarazu go for the ball during today's World Cup Group A soccer match at the World Cup stadium in Seoul.

By RODNEY PAGE, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published May 31, 2002

Italy's national team coach, Giovanni Trapattoni, isn't saying his team is going to win the 2002 World Cup. But he isn't saying it's going to lose, either.

"This Italy team is very competitive," Trapattoni said at a pre-World Cup news conference. "We will be difficult to beat."

Senegal practices under the lights and the rain at World Cup Stadium in Seoul, Korea, in advance of today's game.

That's the consensus as the games begin today in South Korea and Japan. Italy, which has lost one World Cup match in regulation since 1994, appears to be loaded with talent and motivation.

The Italians haven't brought home the Cup since 1982. In 1990, as the host, Italy lost in the semifinals on penalty kicks. In 1998, the "Azzurris" or "Blue" lost again in penalty kicks in the quarterfinal.

This year's team looks to have enough talent to get past its penalty kick jinx. Goalkeeper Gianluigi "GiGi" Buffon is considered one of the five best in the world. Paolo Maldini is widely considered one of the best defenders. Throw in a healthy Francesco Totti and role players such as Alessandro Del Piero, Fabio Cannavaro and Alessandro Nesta and how can Italy lose?

Prime minister Silvio Berlusconi joked that his team is going to the Far East to win and if it doesn't, it might want to consider staying there.

But there are other teams in South Korea and Japan that want to bring home the Cup. In the history of the event, only seven countries have won the championship. It doesn't appear an eighth will join that group this year.

France will not be overlooked after winning the 1998 World Cup on its soil. The French play in the relatively easy Group A, which includes Senegal, Uruguay and Denmark. The only chink in the armor is a thigh injury to midfielder Zinedine Zidane, who is out for at least the opening match against Senegal.

The French have plenty of talent, including forward Thierry Henry, defender Lilian Thuram and goalkeeper Fabien Barthez.

"France is absolutely loaded with attacking talent, that's for sure," ESPN soccer analyst Ty Keough said. "They just run past people like they're not even there."

Argentina, World Cup champion in 1978 and '86, may have one of its best sides ever. Gabriel Batistuta, Hernan Crespo, Juan Veron, Diego Simeone, Walter Samuel, Juan Pablo Sorin and Javier Zanetti are world-class players.

The only thing that might hurt Argentina is its first-round group. Group F includes Sweden, England and Nigeria, dangerous teams that will pressure for 90 minutes.

"France and Argentina appear to be the favorites going in," U.S. coach Bruce Arena said. "I'm aware of the fact that this team from France is pretty good, and so is the team from Argentina. As for dark horses, I don't think any of us know that."

Could it be the United States? History says no. The U.S. team has advanced to the semifinals once, in the inaugural Cup in 1930. It finished last at the 1998 Cup. But with rising stars such as Clint Mathis, DeMarcus Beasley and Landon Donovan as well as veterans Claudio Reyna and Jeff Agoos, some see the United States as a threat either this year or in four years.

"The U.S. is no longer a team that can be pushed over," former German national team member Jurgen Klinsmann said. "You can see that the youth programs are getting better and better. There is more talent now."

It's hard to consider Brazil a long shot, but after qualifying for the World Cup in its last game, perhaps Brazil isn't as strong as past years. Brazil has qualified for every World Cup and has won four times, more than any country.

But there is a question of forward Ronaldo's health. The world-class striker missed most of the past three years with knee injuries. He appears healthy, and teamed with players such as Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Cafu, nobody will look past Brazil, even in a down year.

"Brazil has a 99 percent chance of getting out of its group and qualifying for the second round," French coach Roger Lemerre said.

There will be other teams that make a run after the first round. Portugal, in Group D with the United States and with a top midfielder in Luis Figo, would not be a surprise to get past the round of 16. Neither would Paraguay or Germany, both with rosters full of international players.

And what about England? That depends on the health of midfielder David Beckham, who broke his left foot April 10. Beckham practiced Thursday and told coach Sven-Goran Eriksson he was ready to play. Ireland was dealt a blow when star forward Roy Keane got in a shouting match with coach Mick McCarthy and was kicked off the team.

"Injuries are hitting a lot of teams," Keough said. "It almost comes down to who can bring the healthiest bodies. But again, that really throws light on the fact that only the teams with the most depth are the ones that keep winning World Cups. Only seven countries have ever won World Cups, and that's why. They can lose three or four players, but the guys coming up are more than capable of picking up the slack."

-- Times staff writer Brian Landman contributed to this report, which used information from other news organizations.

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