PARIS. July 6: Dunga’s Brazil, four-time winners and reigning champions, will take on Bergkamp's Holland in the 60.000 capacity Stade Velodrome at Marseille in the first semifinal of World Cup '98 tomorrow.

The fans of both teams have been converging on the port city in south-east France over the past two days.

The town wears a festive look with yellow and orange being the dominant colours, the Brazilian samba being much noisier than anything Marseille has heard before.

Brazil have promised it will be a grand match. Although skipper Dunga has admitted that he would have preferred Argentina as their semifinal opponents, coach Marlo Za-gaflo and his boys were a bundle of confidence and at the moment cannot envisage anything

but "a place in the final".

"We do not understand anything except going to the final." said Zagallo at a press conference.

Holland, often dubbed as the best team not to win the World Cup (they were runners-up in 1974 and 1978). will try to forget the last clash of the two teams in the last World Cup in the US. The Dutch lost to Brazil 2-3 in the quarterfinals at Dallas in USA '94.

Holland insisted that they were not seeing Monday s match as a means of vendetta They are not going for revenge but will rely on will power, talent and current form to eliminate Brazil.

Holland have been formidable right from the qualifiers when they emerged group champions scoring 26 goals against four consumed in

eight matches. Brazil were automatic qualifier as champions.

Both teams have experience of playing at the Marseille ground with Holland having the edge. Both should have ample support in the ground as the Dutch as well as the Brazilian supporters are avid followers of their team.

Holland may gather strength from having been able to effectively contain the double-barrel attacking power of Argentina's Ortega and Batistuta.

Unless Zagallo changes Latin tactics he might find the Dutch a tough team to beat.

Brazil will also rewind and Say tapes of their two defeats to orway. surprise loss to the USA and to Argentina since USA ’94 with focus on their conquerors from North Europe. It may require more than a crystal ball to predict if Holland will dance like the Norwegians.

With 53 wins and only 12 defeats In 16 World Cup tournaments, Brazil has a formidable record.

But if the Brazilian defence cannot be tightened then that wholesome record could be slightly tarnished.

Pele reckons Holland’s success against Argentina was due to the Dutch adopting Latin tactics of Individual skill.

If tomorrow at Marseille, the likes of Kluivert, Seedorf and Sum can conjure the Latlno-European cocktail, the potion may be too deadly for Mario Za-K' and Guus Hiddink could 'nk into the final.

In doing that the Dutch have to deal with Zagallo who has won the World Cup in 1958 and 1962 as a player and again as coach In 1970 and as assistant coach in the last World Cup.

His reluctance to watch future opponents is considered ' imprudent' and so the late induction of Zico as technical co-

ordinator in his team.

But that must be a stigma he collected as a successful "boss". For Zagallo admits: "My experience of playing at the highest levels gives me an advantage when it comes to seeing beneath the surface of the action.”

The Brazilians have talent and so do the Dutch.

While both teams have players with European experience. Holland's home-based players will have a distinct advantage over the Brazilians playing Tn South America. For Brazil have never won the Cup in Europe.

In the earlier rounds Brazil have scored seven goals and conceded three while the Dutch have a for and against tally of 4-2.

So both teams know that the opposite defence is not impregnable. Both also know they can score. But while Brazil have done so against Chile and Denmark. it will do no harm to Holland's confidence that they scored twice against the might of Argentina.

Winners of tomorrow's match will wait for the victors of the July 8 clash between hosts France and Croatia, a cracker of an encounter, for a meeting at Stade de France at St Denis on July 12 In the final, the last day of the thirty-three day contest.

The losers will have yet another chance , to play for the third prize the day before. With tension and excitement at a boiling point, one can only hope that football will be the ultimate winner.