CUP BREAKDOWN.

Byline: Associated Press 

A team-by-team look at winners, losers and those in between at the World Cup:

WINNERS

BRAZIL: They didn't always look spectacular, but the Brazilians have risen above all challenges to get to the final in search of a fifth championship.

FRANCE: Already the greatest French soccer team, it could be the first host to win since 1978. France has played with flair despite struggling to find the net.

NETHERLANDS: Brazil's equal in the semifinals, losing in a shootout, some will claim nobody was better than the Dutch.

CROATIA: Its first Cup appearance, and a memorable trip to the semifinals for a country in its eighth year of existence.

DENMARK: Back with the elite, the '92 European champions had done little since until upsetting Nigeria and not backing down against Brazil.

PARAGUAY: A goalie who scores was not the only news about the Paraguayans, whose defense was as staunch as anyone's.

CHILE: Lowly regarded South Americans were expected to go three and out. Instead, they went to the second round.

MEXICO: Struggling when they entered the tournament, the Mexicans were comeback kids and nearly knocked off Germany in the second round.

MODERATE SUCCESSES

ARGENTINA: Sought more than a quarterfinal berth, but beating England showed its strength and testing the Netherlands displayed its grit.

ROMANIA: Always in the mix for a couple of rounds, got the most out of an aging team.

YUGOSLAVIA: Touted by some as a contender, but rarely do Yugoslavs reach their potential in the World Cup. Perhaps the best team to lose in second round.

NORWAY: Much better work than in 1994, and the Norwegians even beat Brazil to advance to the second round.

IRAN: Beat the ``Great Satan.'' Need we say more?

JAMAICA: A rookie team that won a game, albeit against another rookie team, Japan, and showed possibilities for the future.

JAPAN: Three close losses, including 1-0 vs. Croatia and Argentina, allow the Japanese to look forward eagerly to being co-host in 2002.

SOUTH AFRICA: A loss to France and two ties in the opening round is OK for a newcomer with little soccer history.

MOROCCO: Only a late penalty kick for Norway kept it out of the second round. The Moroccans played good open soccer.

LOSERS

GERMANY: Sure, they made the quarterfinals, but the Germans expect more. And they looked old, in serious need of some rebuilding.

ITALY: A major disappointment, it played tentatively after the first round, rarely going to its strength up front.

ENGLAND: The English made lots of noise about being a title contender, but they fell into some bad luck and showed they still can't handle shootouts.

NIGERIA: Olympic champions with great natural skills, the Nigerians fell apart against the Danes in the second round.

SPAIN: A nation that was supposed to challenge for its first championship, instead it flopped in the first round.

BULGARIA: Just awful. After a stunning run to the semifinals four years ago, the Bulgarians often looked like they didn't care.

BELGIUM: Couldn't get by weak South Korea when presented with the possibility of advancing. That says a lot about the state of Belgian soccer.

COLOMBIA: Kicked out its best scorer for criticizing coach then was eliminated by England in the opening round.

CAMEROON: Once the rising stars of Africa, the ``Indomitable Lions'' looked like kittens.

SCOTLAND: Now 8 for 8 in going out in the first round of the World Cup.

AUSTRIA: Perhaps the dullest style in the entire tournament, but the Austrians did find the net late twice for ties.

SAUDI ARABIA: Went to the second round last time. Fired its coach after two games this time.

TUNISIA: Didn't measure up in a tough group with Romania, England and Colombia.

SOUTH KOREA: Also canned coach before the third game, which it tied. The 2002 co-host doesn't have happy memories like the Japanese.

UNITED STATES: The real football season starts in September.