FINAL MAY TURN ON WHAT DOESN'T HAPPEN DEFENSE FIGURES TO BE THE KEY TO VICTORY.

Byline: SCOTT FRENCH Staff Writer

BERLIN -- Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry and Francesco Totti might be the biggest names, the most familiar faces, when the World Cup final kicks off today at the historic Olympiastadion, but it's no secret why France and Italy have overcome ghosts from the past and threats to the future to reach the planet's biggest sporting showdown -- and it's not the big stars.

They're the tournament's two best defensive teams, each reliant on superb backlines and tough midfields (and Italy on an excellent goalkeeper), and their success has been built on stinginess. Zidane, especially, might draw most of the attention -- for good reason -- but the French know why they're playing for their second World Cup title in eight years.

``A solid defense,'' France right back Willy Sagnol said, ``is the key to success.''

``We don't concede goals,'' explained French striker Henry, who might as well have been speaking about Italy, too. ``Everyone fights and fights together. When we need to make the difference, we make the difference.''

The scene is set for a tight, tense, low-scoring final, in which one error -- or moment of brilliance -- could prove decisive. And if none is coming, penalty kicks will decide a winner, as in 1994, when Italy held Brazil to a scoreless draw at the Rose Bowl but succumbed from the spot.

The last time France and Italy met in a World Cup, in a quarterfinal eight years ago, it went to penalties. The Italians lost that one, too, then fell in a dramatic conclusion in the European Championship title game twoyears later.

``I think of the penalty shootout in 1998 and in the (Euro) final in 2000, and mamma mia,'' said Fabio Cannavaro, the centerpiece of three-time champion Italy's stifling backline. ``We will have to sweat and battle.''

Those defeats have fueled the Azzurri -- ``We are turning that anger into something positive,'' Cannavaro said -- and they've been galvanized by the match-fixing scandal at home that could result in more than half the roster playing next season in the second division, or lower.

``The confusion of the past two months has given us all the desire to respond in an appropriate way,'' said Italy coach Marcello Lippi, whose team has played well all tournament and was brilliant in a dramatic overtime triumph against host Germany in the semifinals. ``It's brought this group of guys together. We want to show what Italian football really means.''

France, which is 4-0-2 against Italy since a defeat at the 1978 World Cup (and 7-17-8 all-time), also has had to overcome struggles. Les Bleus failed to score a goal at the 2002 championship, and they remained haunted by it when they opened group play with unimpressive draws against Switzerland and South Korea.

A victory over Togo, with Zidane missing, to advance to the knockout phase was ``liberating,'' defensive leader Lilian Thuram said, and Zidane -- the game's finest practitioner since Diego Maradona -- provided vintage performances in triumphs over Spain and Brazil that signaled the France of '98 had returned.

``The team was not born against Spain,'' Thuram said. ``It was more than what happened against Spain was possible because of what happened before.''

France has surrendered just two goals, a penalty kick and an odd redirection that bounced inside the right post, and Italy has given up just one, an own goal in the group-stage draw with the U.S.

All 72,000 seats have been sold -- tickets have been scalped for nearly $2,000 -- and a television audience of more than a billion worldwide is expected.

``Italy is a team that waits and waits,'' Henry said. ``They lull you to sleep, and then they score two goals in the last two minutes. ... Italy is a bit like a scorpion. We need to be very wary.''

``Italy will be tough,'' says midfielder Patrick Vieira, teammate to Thuram and five Italy players at troubled Turin power Juventus. ``But when you've just knocked out Spain, Brazil and Portugal, you can keep your head held high and believe in yourself.''

Said Lippi: ``Among many things on the table will be the organization of the teams, the technical quality and the great players on both sides. We will see who has the most hunger. They have won a World Cup and a European Championship while this generation of (Italian) players has only come close to that. That is what is on the table. We have the fork in our hand, and let's see what happens.''

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Fabio Cannavaro, left, will be one of the keys to the Azzurri's attack, as Italy faces France today in the final.

Luca Bruno/Associated Press