TODAY

By HELENE ELLIOTT

July 4, 1998 12 AM PT

SITE: Marseille

TIME: 7:30 a.m. TV: Chs. 7, 34.

* ABOUT ARGENTINA: Can the Argentines (4-0) top the drama of their penalty-kick victory over England? Knowing the strength of the Dutch attack, Coach Daniel Passarella intends to fortify a defense that looked vulnerable against England. He will welcome the return of Roberto Sensini, who sat out the last two games because of a pulled leg muscle. Nelson Vivas is expected to sit. Also, Javier Zanetti may be replaced by Mauricio Pineda.

* ABOUT THE NETHERLANDS: The Dutch (2-0-2) had a narrow escape in the round of 16, defeating Yugoslavia, 2-1, on Edgar Davids’ 92nd-minute goal. They are respectfully wary of Argentina. “I think we have to be able to cope with their passing of the ball,” forward Dennis Bergkamp said. “We have to sort that out or we’ll be running for 90 minutes behind them, which is exactly what we don’t want.” Defender Michael Reiziger is questionable because of an injured right foot. Aron Winter is the likely replacement.

* OUTLOOK: The countries haven’t met since the 1978 World Cup final, won by Argentina in overtime at Buenos Aires. Argentina won’t have the home-continent advantage, but striker Gabriel Batistuta (five goals) and midfielders Juan Veron and Ariel Ortega make Argentina strong enough to win anywhere. The Dutch lost in the quarterfinals in their last two major tournaments, the 1994 World Cup and 1996 European championships. However, they have healed the rifts that split them as recently as two years ago. “You can see in the team that we’re very concerned with the team itself,” Bergkamp said. “We don’t want problems within the team. You can see that we want to work more for each other.” If their midfield--which has produced five of their nine goals--can control the pace, they have a good chance today.

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Helene Elliott

Helene Elliott was with the Los Angeles Times’ Sports department from 1989 to 2024, first as a staff writer and then, starting in 2006, as a columnist. She became the first female journalist to be honored with a plaque in the Hall of Fame of a major professional sport as the 2005 winner of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Elmer Ferguson Award, awarded to writers “who have brought honor to journalism and to hockey.” A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, she has covered 18 Olympics.