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The huge windmill which suddenly materialised, perched on a hill just outside Marseille airport on the way to the Stade Velodrome, turned out not to be so out of context after all.

There could scarcely have been any better portent of what was to come as Holland finally exorcised the ghost of their 1978 defeat by Argentina in the final with Saturday8217;s quarter-final victory here over the two-times world champions.

This time, Bergkamp8217;s two most telling contributions were as good as anything they have produced, in this tournament or even in any other. The finish for his goal was quite breathtaking. But the skill in nodding a perfect through pass for Patrick Kluivert8217;s opener was simply sublime.Bergkamp summed things up when he said afterwards that the Dutch were now on course for the kind of greatness which has to be measured in trophies.

Andreas Kopke, Germany

Question mark over future

Germany keeper Andreas Kopke has gone throughWorld Cup hell after letting in three goals in his country8217;s worst World Cup defeat for 40 years.German coach Berti Vogts has always said Kopke is an automatic choice. But now a question mark hangs over his future selection following his performance in the 3-0 quarter-final loss to Croatia.

Just two years ago at Euro ;96, the Marseille keeper was named the best keeper in Europe, and some believed best in the world.

However his performance at this World Cup has lowered his ranking. He let a cross from Darko Kovacevic out of his grasp, allowing Dragan Stojkovic to put Yugoslavi a 2-0 up in their group game. Against Mexico he made handling errors which were poor for a keeper of his supposed stature. Vogts may have kept faith with Kopke, but he would have wanted to forget the keeper8217;s 59th cap-winning performance for his 100th match as coach.

Ariel Ortega, Argentina

Burrito8217;s one mad moment

He had been touted as the greatest talent to come out of Argentina since Diego Maradona, and itwould appear the pundits were, for once, more accurate than they could have possibly imagined.

With his tousled black hair and exceptional ball control, Ariel Ortega does look uncannily like a previous incarnation of the man who once made Argentina8217;s No. 10 shirt his own personal property.

Unfortunately, the would-be Maradona clone has the old master8217;s temperament as well as much of the skill. In getting himself sent off for an appalling rush of blood to the head which persuaded him to headbutt Dutch keeper Edwin van der Sar, Ortega destroyed Argentina8217;s chances of World Cup glory in a single mad moment.

Ortega is nicknamed Burrito8217; or little donkey, although the sobriquet might have been more appropriate if he had elected to kick Van der Sar.