Fifa World Cup: U-20 finale shapes as beaut

Fans congratulate the Brazilian players after their trouncing of Senegal in Christchurch on Wednesday. Photo / Getty Images

Herald football writers Steven Holloway and Michael Burgess break down five reasons the Fifa Under-20 World Cup final in Auckland tomorrow will be a cracker.

It's a battle of David and Goliath in the Fifa Under-20 World Cup final as five-time winners Brazil take on Serbia - a team with no titles who are playing at the tournament for the first time since 1987.

Five reasons the final will be a great occasion:

1 Another sold-out football game in New Zealand

Getting 25,000 fans along to a football game in New Zealand is no easy feat, but Fifa have managed it twice this World Cup.

The Junior All Whites' opener was a sell-out and tomorrow's final will follow suit, transforming the typically dreary and dull North Harbour Stadium into a cultural melting pot of colour, chanting and world class football.

2 Brazil have found their mojo

After stuttering through the knockout stages without scoring a goal from open play, Brazil have finally found their mojo. They slipped five goals past Senegal without really getting out of second gear in the semifinal and have finally unleashed their potential. Good news for football neutrals, bad news for Serbia.

3 A star will be born

Going on past history, it is likely the crowd tomorrow will see a new star on the rise; maybe a relative unknown putting himself in the global spotlight. In 2013, Paul Pogba inspired France's victory over Uruguay while two years earlier Oscar scored a hat-trick in Brazil's 3-2 win over Portugal. In 2007, Sergio Arguero was a key man for champions Argentina and in 2005 Lionel Messi led the way. Who will it be tomorrow?

4 Serbia could make history

The European team hasn't even featured in this tournament since 1987, either as part of the former Yugoslavia or as an independent nation (since 2006). Now they are one game away from lifting Fifa's second most important trophy.

"We are making history for our country," said Serbian coach Veljko Paunovic. "We are probably not yet conscious of what we are achieving here." The reaction has been massive in Belgrade while the local Serbian community has got behind their team with a huge, vocal bloc of support. It's special to witness.

5 Fitting finale for a successful tournament

While off the field there have been a few issues, the action on the park has been superb over the past three weeks. Aside from the disappointing quarter-finals, the football has lived up to the hype. There has been some stunning play and it has been a privilege to watch. Tomorrow's decider has all the ingredients for a great game, with two teams that have a lot of attacking threats.