Now they're trying again, this time with a more talented but underachieving group that has produced the most proficient offence and the worst defence of the Cup.

Which was better?

Coach Mario Zagallo, assistant to Carlos Alberto Parreira in 1994, uses the ultimate yardstick. "The '94 team. They were world champions," he said. "This one hasn't won anything yet."

In style and philosophy, the teams are vastly different, but many of the names are the same. The backbone of the team is unchanged, with Taffarel, Aldair, Dunga and Bebeto. Ronaldo and Cafu, reserves four years ago, are now starters.

Since 1970, brilliant Brazilian teams had lost the Cup through overconfidence in their goal-scoring ability, so Parreira designed tactics to tie opponents in knots. Then he looked for players to fill the roles.

The defensive fortress he cameup with had a solid back line and another blockade in the midfield. The sector now featured Mauro Silva, Dunga, Mazinho and Zinho, a striker so limited by defensive duties that he was dubbed "The Floorwaxer," because he just went around in circles. Romario and Bebeto handled the playmaking and scoring, and did it well enough to win the Cup.

All that changed when Zagallo took over. With a generation of gifted strikers like Ronaldo, Denilson and Rivaldo, he redesigned the team to stress offence and "art-soccer."

For team captain Dunga, the two teams have distinct personalities and virtues. "In 1994, defence was our strong suit," he said.

"Now, our team is a killer. It's our nature to play on the attack. No matter how we try to control it, it's impossible."