CYBERSPORT : A BICYCLE KICK FOR TWO.

Byline: Tom Hoffarth

We can only be virtually certain of this, but Holland will defeat France 6-4 in the World Cup final next Sunday.

But then again, tweak the controls on Electronic Arts' wildly popular ``FIFA World Cup '98'' computer video game, and even the United States can navigate through the Ronaldos and Bebetos of the world and come home with that giant blob of a gold trophy.

On the market since spring and lauded as the hottest sports video game out there by even the most ardent non-soccer fans, ``FIFA World Cup '98'' ($59.95 for the Nintendo 64 version, $39.95 for PC and Sony PlayStation) could be the secret to generating future American viewing interest in the international game.

How close is it to watching a real game on TV? Better, in this case, because the MotionBlending technology provides a mesmerizing re-creation for players or those just watching. Plus, the crowds are louder, you can make the contests as long or as short as you care to see, and there are fewer replays (unless you want more).

Using motion-captured data from U.S. players Preki, Roy Lassiter, Cle Kooiman and goalie Mark Dodd, the EA game has managed to fulfill its mission ``to recreate every nuance of the World Cup from delivering the world's most technically advanced soccer game ever,'' according to Bruce McMillan, the game's executive producer.

Any of the five modes of competition will suit the gamer's level of ability, from a training area all the way to World Cup Classics, which replay eight of the all-time greatest matches in Cup history.

In the World Cup mode, players grab onto a team and see if they can steer it through both stage 1 and 2 of the tournament to claim the title, just as it's been played for the last few weeks in France.

In many ways, ``FIFA World Cup '98'' seems to reduce to arcade-game status any competing soccer games like Fox's new ``Fox Sports Soccer'' and even Konami's ``International Superstar Soccer 64,'' which was voted best console sports game of '97 by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences at the E3 show this past May and plans for a new, improved version in the coming months.