If you take the negative aspects of the Confederations Cup (the League Cup of international football) away from the equation, then FIFA couldn't have asked for a more intriguing final today at International Stadium Yokohama.

You have France, the world champion, up against one of the two host nations -- Japan -- at the venue for the World Cup final next year. And a capacity crowd of 70,000 is virtually guaranteed.

Bearing in mind that France thrashed Japan 5-0 on its home turf at the end of March, there is likely to be an added element of tension to the match. This time around, Japan is the home team, while France has to adapt to a new stadium and face the hostility of the home fans as they seek revenge for the humiliation in Paris.

Japan boss Philippe Troussier says his team wants to show what it has learned from the defeat in Paris. So, expect three strikers in a 4-3-3 formation.

Ha! Caught you sleeping, didn't I. Of course, we all hope Japan has learned lessons from the games it has played this year, and we hope Troussier has, too. While it is certain he will stick to a flat back-three, he still has a bit of juggling to do with the team.

For starters, Hidetoshi Nakata has opted to fly back to Rome to celebrate, he hopes, the Serie A title with a win over Napoli, also today. Nakata, common wisdom suggests, cannot be replaced, and that's probably true. The "Boy from Bellmare" continues to develop as a player and there's little doubt that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who has been on hand to watch Nakata's impressive displays, has been onto his club's bankers this week to raise the 16 million British pounds that Roma requires to offload Japan's midfield maestro.

Ono's big chance

But any other manager looking for some midfield talent should also be on the phone to try and raise the 4 million pounds the Urawa Reds are seeking to part with Shinji Ono.

Ono's rise to stardom was put on hold two years ago when a Filipino clogger hacked him down in an Olympic qualifier and wrecked his knee ligaments. His recovery was hurt by a premature return to action, further minor injuries and problems that prevented a speedy return to fitness, and the demotion of the shambolic Reds to the second division of the J. League.

All that's behind him now (although the Reds are still shambolic) and the man with the magic feet has been dancing all season, particularly in this tournament playing alongside Nakata.

In the Confederations Cup final, Ono has a chance to send his market price soaring as he will most likely take over Nakata's lynchpin role in the center of midfield. The final could be Ono's BIG moment. He's got the skill, he's got the vision, he's got all the talent; now he just needs to show it.

Of course, there is the possibility that Troussier will get all defensive again and stuff his midfield with defenders to try and stem the bleu tide. But after such a resolute performance against Australia in the semifinal on Thursday, it's more than likely that Japan's manager has the confidence to stick with what he's got.

In some ways, his natural selection may be stronger defensively. With Nakata out, Ono can relinquish the left wing-back position he's not accustomed to playing to someone who plays there on a regular basis -- Toshihiro Hattori of Jubilo Iwata.

If Ryuzo Morioka recovers from the thigh injury he picked up against Australia, the back three will remain unchanged from Thursday's lineup of Naoki Matsuda, Morioka and Koji Nakata. Should Morioka fail a fitness test, his substitute Kenichi Uemura will again deputize.

There's also no reason to mess much with the midfield after placing Hattori on the left and Ono in the middle. Yasuhiro Hato of the Yokohama F. Marinos has done enough to retain his position on the left, while the two defensive midfielders, Junichi Inamoto and Kazuyuki Toda, have also earned the right to keep their places.

Inamoto, perhaps more than anyone, will be keen to make up for a rotten performance against France in Paris, while Toda, who is a contender for player of the season after being moved up into the midfield by his club Shimizu S-Pulse this season, has fitted in very well in Troussier's setup.

Problems up front

The red card handed out to Takayuki Suzuki against Australia has presented Troussier with his biggest problem. The Kashima Antlers striker has done well in this tournament and has shown the kind of battling qualities Troussier wants to see, while his striking partner, Espanyol's Akinori Nishizawa, has done virtually nothing.

It is almost certain that Troussier will play Hiroaki Morishima in the strike-support role and in some ways it makes sense to make him play behind his old Cerezo Osaka teammate Nishizawa.

On the other hand, with Nishizawa underperforming, Troussier's got nothing to lose by trying an alternative. The trouble is, he hasn't got many alternatives.

Masashi Nakayama is tried and tested and not very good, while new boy Yoshiteru Yamashita is untried and untested and not very good.

The only alternative is the Space Cadet himself -- Tatsuhiko Kubo. The only problem with playing Kubo at International Stadium Yokohama is that, as soon as he sees it, he might figure it's the mothership come to take him back to his home planet.

If he can come down to Earth long enough to realize where he is, he might just confuse/death ray/frighten his opponents enough to do some damage.

Wings and a prayer

Tactically, Troussier has to be praying just a bit. His formation got stuck in against Australia and defended with great heart, but Japan is still getting caught out down the wings, which was one of the big problems in Paris.

On the other hand, in Hato and Hattori he has probably the best cover available. If they can't cover the flanks for him, then perhaps it really is time to try 4-4-2. be. Troussier has a very strong defensive lineup for today's game; he can't afford to let it fail.

But he also can't afford to give up on going forward as he did in Paris. Attack can often be the best form of defense. If Nicolas Anelka, Robert Pires, Christophe Dugarry and Sylvain Wiltord can't get into a position to test the defense so often, hopefully it won't break so often.

If it does, at least Troussier has the knowledge that his No. 1 keeper is between the posts. Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi has always been Japan's best big-match keeper. Providing his usual gaff per game is not critical, he's a safe pair of hands.

France, the current world and European champion, has the opportunity to win a unique treble by adding the Confederations Cup to its collection. "B" tournament or not, the trophy would still look good on the team's resume.

Without Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Fabien Barthez and Lilian Thuram, coach Roger Lemerre has had a good opportunity to see what some of his untested players can do. There are no dummies in this French squad and, unlike Brazil, the unity of the players remains unbroken. France exists as a team, not a collection of 11 players. The players are secondary; the team is primary.

France plays the French way and its manager is in such a strong position he can demand and get the best out of his players match after match. While Brazil only showed its true colors against France in the semifinal in Suwon, France has been consistently strong, the 1-0 defeat to Australia notwithstanding.

Most of the French players are still among the best in Europe. Midfield giants Patrick Vieira and Olivier Dacourt were possibly the two best players in the English Premier League last season, while Marcel Desailly and Frank Leboeuf formed the core of Chelsea's defense.

Of course, if you're already a world champion, you might feel you don't have to prove very much in a competition like the Confederations Cup, but the French Old Guard aren't ready to roll over and die just yet.

Meanwhile, there are several players on the squad who do have a point to prove. Dacourt is just one of them. Although he's been a dynamic and crucial part of Leeds' success this season, he hasn't been able to establish himself in the French team. The same can be said of Pires, Wiltord and Anelka.

Of course, Pires and Wiltord played a crucial part in France's dramatic win over Italy in the final of Euro 2000 last year, but they would rather be starters than regulars both for France and for Arsenal. If M. Wenger is still watching, these two will be extra keen to send a message to their boss. Pires' message has probably already hit home after a dazzling display against Brazil, while Wiltord still has some work to do to rid himself of his inconsistent tag.

Anelka, too, would like to forget a largely forgettable season with Paris St. Germain and while he has proven to be a menace to opposing defenses during the Confederations Cup, some profligate finishing might prolong his "suspect" image for club and country alike.

For Japan, the opportunities are immense. Troussier will once again call on his players to prove they are men. The final is nothing short of a rite of passage for the boys who turned up in Paris in March -- doubly so without Nakata.

It will be a tall order for the "Boys In Blue" to stop Les Bleus, but if men turn up instead of boys, anything could happen.