``In fact, we even aimed a few rockets in the direction of the Dutch embassy,'' Brazilian ambassador Luiz Filipe de Macedo Soares said this evening, his tongue only partially in his cheek. ``We were up all night celebrating,'' he added with a wink, reaching out for a football and dribbling in the lush green grass of the embassy's front lawns.

The embassy is being decked up for the final. A massive banner flying across the breadth of Aurangzeb Road outside the embassy screams: ``Brazil thanks India for its support.'' A giant flag has been draped over the embassy walls and the premises are being decorated with multi-coloured buntings and streamers.

``Viva Brazil,'' soccer fans greet each other. ``Oh! all work comes to a standstill here when Brazil is playing soccer. Soccer to Brazil iswhat cricket is to India,'' explained Eliane Gama e Abreu de Andrade, a diplomat. ``You know even I can play the game. Who do you want me to play like - Rivaldo or Ronaldo or Bebeto or Taffarel?'' he asks. He smiles and then kicks a ball high into the air.

``Yeh-Yeh,'' his staff cheer him and as the ball is kicked back he heads it, angling the ball towards the cameras. The crisp suit he wears does not deter him from diving for the ball and trapping it before his invisible opponent can take it from him. ``I'm good huh!,'' he says, panting slightly from the effort. The embassy has erected a large screen for the grand final. ``It will be fun watching it on the large screen.

Almost like watching it live,'' Eliane Andrade chips in. Conversation at the embassy is centered around Taffarel, who saved Brazil and how he is on his way to becoming a legend. Everything in the embassy is now shaped like a football. Even the pen stand at the security desk of the embassy. In fact, to kill time, security men and thegardeners pull out a punctured football from under a table and play around with it.

Who do they think will Brazil meet in Sunday-Monday's final, France or Croatia? ``Well, France is our neighbour on Aurangzeb Road. And the Croatians play a great game. So let's see. But it will be a game to watch,'' Andrade says. ``And we will win the finals,'' she adds emotionally.