1. Brazil will wear their YELLOW while Germany will wear their WHITE. So regardless of the similiar tones, Fifa has approved that Brazil can wear their #1 Kit
2. As expected, Collina of Italy will be the man in charge of this game. He should do well...
30.06.2002 Germany - Brazil 64 YOKOHAMA Final
Referee COLLINA Pierluigi (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1 LINDBERG Leif (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2 SHARP Philip (ENG)
Fourth Official DALLAS Hugh (SCO)
YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) -- Like the players of Brazil and Germany, referee Pierluigi Collina hopes to have the game of his life in Sunday's World Cup final. ADVERTISEMENT
But he knows there's no guarantee.
``We try to do our best, absolutely,'' said the 42-year-old Italian accountant, who is working his first World Cup championship game and is regarded as soccer's finest referee. ``Sometimes it is not enough, but it is the same thing for players.''
Collina and his assistants -- Leif Lindberg of Sweden, Philip Sharp of England and Scotsman Hugh Dallas -- faced a barrage of questions Friday about what some consider the worst officiating in recent World Cups.
Collina was polite and open. But he was curt when asked about disputed calls that may have sent Italy and Spain home early and prompted FIFA president Sepp Blatter to disparage some of the officiating.
``You cannot possibly know what I am thinking, never,'' said Collina, replying to a leading question from a Spanish journalist who suggested he must have ``felt quite a bit of pain'' at seeing his home country exit partly because of a disputed call. ``I don't have anything else to say about this.''
Collina said he'll wear a small Italian flag on his uniform Sunday.
``I hope that all the people from my country will be happy that someone from Italy is playing -- even if that is not the correct word -- in the match,'' he said.
But try as he might, the questions returned to missed or bad calls in the World Cup.
``Our job is not easy. It wasn't easy 20 years ago,'' he said. ``It is not easy now, but something has changed in the last 20 years. ... Few cameras were on the field then. In this World Cup about 20 cameras work during a match. The difficulty of our job has increased a lot.''
Collina was mobbed as if he were a star player. Several young women asked for his autograph. Others sought snapshots with the bald man -- he lost all his hair 18 years ago from a disease called alopecia -- with the piercing stare who has his own Web site.
He recently appeared in an advertisement for German sportswear manufacturer Adidas, but FIFA president Sepp Blatter said that has no effect on the decision to appoint Collina for the finals. Adidas is one of FIFA's sponsors and provides equipment for referees at the World Cup.
``I don't see any conflict,'' Blatter said.
Germany is outfitted by Adidas, while Brazil wears Nike uniforms.
Collina talked about studying the two finalists, knowing whether a team would play three defenders or four, whether ``a very tough midfield would press the opponent ... or let them play. It's completely different and the referee must know, anticipate, how the play will develop.''
Comparing himself to the players, he called being involved in the game ``unbelievable.''
``I try to keep my feet on the ground, but it is very difficult. I have refereed a lot of matches in my career, but the World Cup final is something totally different from all the other things,'' Collina admitted.
He called on ``referees and players to trust each other, because we are not enemies. We are doing the same thing in different ways. We are all doing our best to let the people ... enjoy the show the players produce.''
One person convinced Collina will do a good job Sunday is Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. ``He's a spectacular referee,'' Scolari said Friday.
``Everybody likes him. He's not good, he's very good.''
Collina will let history ``make its judgment'' on his performance Sunday.
``I don't know if perfect refereeing exists,'' he said. ``Referees are human beings and all humans make mistakes. When a player, when a referee has done everything to be ready, I think his conscience can be clear. Sometimes things don't go well.''
4. My cousin Allesandro says Germany will win based on the following info he came up with:
The first World Cup took place in 1930. Until now germany won 3 times. 1954, 1974 and 1990.
So it took them 24 years to win it the first time, 20 years for the second title, ald 16 for the third one.
Notice something?
1930+24 = 1954
24 - 4 = 20
1954+20 = 1974
20 - 4 = 16
1974+16 = 1990
16 - 4 = 12
1990 + 12 = 2002
So mathematically germany must win. And not only that: they won?t win 2006, but 2010 and defend their title 2014.
2. As expected, Collina of Italy will be the man in charge of this game. He should do well...
30.06.2002 Germany - Brazil 64 YOKOHAMA Final
Referee COLLINA Pierluigi (ITA)
Assistant Referee 1 LINDBERG Leif (SWE)
Assistant Referee 2 SHARP Philip (ENG)
Fourth Official DALLAS Hugh (SCO)
YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) -- Like the players of Brazil and Germany, referee Pierluigi Collina hopes to have the game of his life in Sunday's World Cup final. ADVERTISEMENT
But he knows there's no guarantee.
``We try to do our best, absolutely,'' said the 42-year-old Italian accountant, who is working his first World Cup championship game and is regarded as soccer's finest referee. ``Sometimes it is not enough, but it is the same thing for players.''
Collina and his assistants -- Leif Lindberg of Sweden, Philip Sharp of England and Scotsman Hugh Dallas -- faced a barrage of questions Friday about what some consider the worst officiating in recent World Cups.
Collina was polite and open. But he was curt when asked about disputed calls that may have sent Italy and Spain home early and prompted FIFA president Sepp Blatter to disparage some of the officiating.
``You cannot possibly know what I am thinking, never,'' said Collina, replying to a leading question from a Spanish journalist who suggested he must have ``felt quite a bit of pain'' at seeing his home country exit partly because of a disputed call. ``I don't have anything else to say about this.''
Collina said he'll wear a small Italian flag on his uniform Sunday.
``I hope that all the people from my country will be happy that someone from Italy is playing -- even if that is not the correct word -- in the match,'' he said.
But try as he might, the questions returned to missed or bad calls in the World Cup.
``Our job is not easy. It wasn't easy 20 years ago,'' he said. ``It is not easy now, but something has changed in the last 20 years. ... Few cameras were on the field then. In this World Cup about 20 cameras work during a match. The difficulty of our job has increased a lot.''
Collina was mobbed as if he were a star player. Several young women asked for his autograph. Others sought snapshots with the bald man -- he lost all his hair 18 years ago from a disease called alopecia -- with the piercing stare who has his own Web site.
He recently appeared in an advertisement for German sportswear manufacturer Adidas, but FIFA president Sepp Blatter said that has no effect on the decision to appoint Collina for the finals. Adidas is one of FIFA's sponsors and provides equipment for referees at the World Cup.
``I don't see any conflict,'' Blatter said.
Germany is outfitted by Adidas, while Brazil wears Nike uniforms.
Collina talked about studying the two finalists, knowing whether a team would play three defenders or four, whether ``a very tough midfield would press the opponent ... or let them play. It's completely different and the referee must know, anticipate, how the play will develop.''
Comparing himself to the players, he called being involved in the game ``unbelievable.''
``I try to keep my feet on the ground, but it is very difficult. I have refereed a lot of matches in my career, but the World Cup final is something totally different from all the other things,'' Collina admitted.
He called on ``referees and players to trust each other, because we are not enemies. We are doing the same thing in different ways. We are all doing our best to let the people ... enjoy the show the players produce.''
One person convinced Collina will do a good job Sunday is Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. ``He's a spectacular referee,'' Scolari said Friday.
``Everybody likes him. He's not good, he's very good.''
Collina will let history ``make its judgment'' on his performance Sunday.
``I don't know if perfect refereeing exists,'' he said. ``Referees are human beings and all humans make mistakes. When a player, when a referee has done everything to be ready, I think his conscience can be clear. Sometimes things don't go well.''
4. My cousin Allesandro says Germany will win based on the following info he came up with:
The first World Cup took place in 1930. Until now germany won 3 times. 1954, 1974 and 1990.
So it took them 24 years to win it the first time, 20 years for the second title, ald 16 for the third one.
Notice something?
1930+24 = 1954
24 - 4 = 20
1954+20 = 1974
20 - 4 = 16
1974+16 = 1990
16 - 4 = 12
1990 + 12 = 2002
So mathematically germany must win. And not only that: they won?t win 2006, but 2010 and defend their title 2014.
