Thousands more, decked out in blue, white and red and waving national flags, uncorked champagne bottles to mark France's 4-3 penalty shoot out victory over Italy. Convoys of cars, horns sounding, drove through the city.Similar scenes were played out in cities and villages around the country.

Partygoers were peaceful and police reported no major incidents. In Marseille, revellers congregated at the harbour. And in Lyon, Nice and Bordeaux fans celebrated in city squares chanting we're in the semi-final.RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazilians heaved a sigh of relief on Friday after the defending champion edged Denmark 3-2 and advanced to the semi-finals of the World Cup.

In Niteroi, across the bay from Rio, some 2,000 gathered before a large television screen on Icarai Beach.

When Denmark scoredthe first goal less than two minutes after the opening kickoff, Brazilians looked on in shock and disbelief. A sombre mood hovered over the crowd until Bebeto's goal in the 11th minute and then the crowd let loose, celebrating with samba and fireworks.

``We have the best players in the world, but we have a lousy team,'' said Joao Malta, a stockbroker who left work early to watch the game.

Sloppy play by Brazil kept the fans on edge as Brazil took the lead only to see Denmark tie it up again. Even when Brazil scored to lead 3-2, Denmark took advantage of gaping holes in the Brazilian defence and created chacnes that left the crowd uneasy.

``We're going to have to play better than that if we want to win the cup,'' said Selma Viera, who was selling Brazilian flags and plastic noise makers.Only when the referee blew the final whistle did the crowd let loose and begin celebrating in earnest. It was Samba time.

ROME: There's no such thing as ``just another game'' when it comes to Italy and the World Cup. Anestimated nine out of every 10 televisions in this soccer-loving country were tuning in to watch the Azzurri take on the hosts in the first quarter-final of France '98.

By the early afternoon, the normally bustling historic centre was an eerie quiet generally reserved for national holidays. Police were closing off traffic on a main thoroughfare near the Spanish steps during and after the match to keep out any celebrants should Italy win.

Many people had already gathered in one of the eight spots around the capital where giant screens were set up to broadcast the game. Outdoor viewing was also available in several cities across Italy, from Milan to Florence.

``No one is around,'' said Cleto Vacca, sweeping his hand toward rows of empty tables at his cafe near Piazza Venezia in the heart of Rome. ``I'm doing no business. Maybe someone will come to watch on that,'' he added hopefully, pointing to a TV he brought from home.

Red-green-and-white flags dotted bars, restaurants and apartment windows, whilesome fans walked around with painted faces. Others were looking forward to the spectacle.

``I'm not that interested in sports, but Italians are very emotional about soccer,'' said Ernie Terga, a 39-year-old from Queens, New York, on a two-month tour through Europe. ``I want to check it out, see what the hoopla's all about.''

Vacca, the bar owner, said he was looking forward to the kickoff for another reason.``I'm taking advantage,'' he said. ``With no one around, I can get some errands done. Hey, you can't live by soccer alone.'' He was certainly in the minority in Italy.

COPENHAGEN: Some 100,000 Danish soccer fans in the city centre town hall square yesterday struck up a rousing chorus of the ironic life of Brian film theme song -- always look on the bright side of life -- after their National side's 2-3 defeat at the hands of the Brazil.

Watching the quarter-final match on a giant TV screen, the mood of the red and white clad crowd ranged from ecstasy to despair as the goals and equalisers wereregistered. But all seemed to agree that the Danish team had played brilliantly and lost against one of the world's best sides with honour.

``We are red, we are white, we are Danish dynamite,'' chanted the thousands of Roligans, as the Danish fans are known. Despite the cold, gusty weather, some exuberant fans stripped off their clothes and danced in the fountains. Others danced the samba and shouted incoherently with bottles of beer in their hands. A few climbed up lamp posts, waving and cheering.

The sounds of the Copenhagen Jazz Festival attracted many of the fans who gradually dispersed to bars and clubs in the city centre. The nearby Tivoli Gardens amusement park allowed fee entry for the huge crowds.

In the city of Aarhus, the streets were empty while thousands of poeple watched the match on an outdoor screen, or stayed at home to view it on television.

The 30,000 people attending the three-day mid-fun music festival clapped at the end of the match, which they were able follow on a big screenprovided by the organisers. And then the bands went back on stage for an all-night session.

Police across the country initially reported no serious incidents of violence or vandalism despite the heavy alcohol consumption among the crowds.

AMSTERDAM/BUENOS AIRES: The entire Dutch nation went on one of its orange binges today after Holland beat Argentina in the World Cup while in Buenos Aires disbelief turned to tears.

Cars with orange streamers honked down the thoroughfares of Amsterdam and other Dutch cities, and orange-clad fans streamed out of bars where they had been watching tv coverage and danced in the streets.

Three-quarters of Holland's population was reckoned to have been watching the 2-1 win in Marseille which put their side into the semi-finals against Brazil. Surgeons were even performing operations in orange caps in the football-crazy nation.

In the Argentine capital, a festival atmosphere in overcrowded bars, cafes and restaurants where television sets blared was suddenly cut dead byDennis Bergkamp's winning goal for the Dutch.