WORLD CUP ’90 : Schillaci Leads Scoring Race : World Cup: West Germany’s Matthaeus would have to score three goals against Argentina today to catch Sicilian.

If West Germany’s Lothar Matthaeus wants to finish as the World Cup’s top goal-scorer, he will have to produce a hat trick today against Argentina in the championship match.

Matthaeus comes into the 11 a.m. PDT match at Rome’s Olympic Stadium with four goals, two fewer than Italy’s Salvatore Schillaci. The odds are against Matthaeus succeeding. Only one other player in history--England’s Geoff Hurst in 1966--has scored three goals in a World Cup final.

It was in Bari Saturday night that Schillaci might have made the scoring crown his own. The Sicilian striker’s 84th-minute penalty kick not only gave Italy a 2-1 victory over England and third place in the tournament, it also doubled the distance between him and Matthaeus.

England’s Gary Lineker, the 1986 World Cup scoring leader, came into the match with four goals but was held scoreless. England’s only goal came on a header from David Platt in the 80th minute after Roberto Baggio had given Italy the lead 10 minutes earlier.

The match also marked the end of two international careers. England’s coach, Bobby Robson, bowed out after eight years in charge of the national team, and goalkeeper Peter Shilton announced his retirement after two decades as England’s No. 1 choice in the nets.

In all, Shilton played 125 matches for England, a world record for international appearances.

“I knew about this about three weeks ago when he came to see me in Cagliari,” Robson said. “I thought it was a right and proper decision for him. He’s going out at the pinnacle of his career, at the end of a fabulous World Cup for England and certainly for him.

“He’s proved again at the highest level that he’s one of the greatest goalkeepers we’ve ever seen. For me, I have not seen a better goalkeeper in this tournament than Peter Shilton.

“He’s been one of the great nucleuses of the team during my reign. He’s been a terrific inspiration to everybody, and I have nothing but respect and admiration for him. It’s nice for me that he felt he should go at the same time.”

Robson will take over as coach of the Dutch club, PSV Eindhoven, this fall at a reported $350,000 a year.

Regarding his retirement, he said: “I’m very sorry. I’m very sad. I shall miss it a great deal. It’s been my life for eight years.”