Sunday, July 12, 1998                     http://www.HWCI.com/wc98
Issue # 38.5.2 "Stunner in Saint-Denis..."

		1998 HWCI WORLD CUP TOURNAMENT POOL
		===================================

  IS IT A DREAM?  HOST FRANCE BEATS BRAZIL FOR FIRST-EVER WORLD CUP
         Socker Scooter is super-seer and takes third place

        SELANDER HOME, LA MIRADA, CA (smt)-  Could you have written
a better script?  First match the defending champion Brazil team
against the host nation France, the first time such a matchup has
ever happened in a World Cup.  Then have superstar Zinedine Zidane
break out and score his first goal for France in the World Cup.
Then have him do it again, just before the first half is over.  
The French defense is stifling as predicted, so let's give Brazil
a break by taking away one of their best defenders, Marcel Desailly,  
with a second caution (thus, red card).  Have flamboyant French 
goalkeeper Fabien Barthez make a couple of great saves (even one 
point-blank off two-time FIFA player of the year Ronaldo) and mix in
a couple of Barthez-shaky moments resulting in near Brazil goals, 
just to rattle French hearts.  To end it all, while playing 10 
on 11, have France score its third goal in extra time (essentially 
the last play of the match) off a breakaway sealing the victory.

	In one of the biggest upsets of the tournament, and any
World Cup final, hometown France (6-0-1) stifled the talented
Brazil (4-2-1) team en route to a 3-0 drubbing in front of 80,000
fans in Stade de France.  France took only three corner kicks, all
in the first half, and each resulted in a great scoring chance, 
including both of Zidane's headers for goals.  Defensive wins games
and France smothered Brazil's playmakers while Brazil's defenders
made some crucial mistakes allowing France ample opportunities
on goal.  When France went down a man in the 68th minute, they
still held Brazil at bay even though Denilson did his best to 
rally Brazil as a second half sub.  It was France's first World
Cup in the tourney they invented.  Brazil is now 4-2 in World Cup
finals.  France is the fifth nation to win it all at home and just
the seventh nation to win the World Cup (4-Brazil, 3-Italy, 3-Germany,
2-Argentina, 2-Uruguay, 1-England).  

	This is still Brazil and even with the match 2-0 and extra
time approaching, you could just sense that Brazil could come back.
Then Emmanuel Petit sealed the victory with a brilliant run off a
fast break and Brazil would have to wait for their fifth World Cup
title.  What's with Brazil not warming up before the match?  Cocky?
Hiding Ronaldo's injury?  Bad move, IMHO.  But France's defensive 
truly was amazing.  After a while it didn't seem like they were 
playing 10 on 11.  France didn't have one cross or corner kick that 
whole second half- they nearly scored on all three corner kicks in 
the first half.  Zidane's second goal had to break Brazil's 
confidence and will just as Lilian Thuram's game-tying goal a minute 
after Croatia scored shocked Croatia in the semis.  A truly great 
game to watch and I'm happy for France.  They scored the most goals 
(15) while giving up the least (2).  Barthez is truly fun and 
nerve-wrecking to watch, combining a little Jorge Campos with some 
talent to pick up his fifth shutout of the tourney.  One negative:  
ABC sucks.  Flip to Univision if you wanted to see the celebration, 
the entirely weird-then strange-then bizarre-then pretty cool 
postgame show, and highlights.  But, ABC "must" go to golf.  

	France's victory was only predicted by SOCKER SCOOTER while
six who picked Brazil go home disappointed.  SOCCER SCOOTER takes
3rd place away from NAW'DEEN, who still takes 4th.  SOCCER SPICE 
falls out of the money spots to finish 5th.  The final results are:

	1st-  LE BIX, 135 points         [$115.00 prize]
	2nd-  MLSBOB, 134 points         [$55.00 prize]
	3rd-  SOCCER SCOOTER, 124 points [$25.00 prize]
	4th-  NAW'DEEN, 118 points       [$15.00 prize]

LE BIX and SOCKER SCOOTER are now two-time HWCI pool winners, taking
in $185.00 and $65.00, respectively.  MLSBOB and NAW'DEEN are 
first-time HWCI pool entrants.  LE BIX won the first HWCI NCAA pool
and now wins the first HWCI WC pool.  

Love dem blues!...
Scott HW
                                            
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Scott M Tamashiro, HWCI Engineering       \\||//\\||//  /o-o\\ \ \ `
WC98 Pool Administrator                    \  /  \  /  (o-o-o)) ) > > >
Email:    scott@hwci.com                    ||    ||    \`o'// / / ,  
Updates:  http://www.HWCI.com/wc98          ||    ||  WORLD CUP   
----------------------------------------------------  POOL 1998