One orange march at least proceeds in style and harmony, with no question as to which route they will take home. In Marseille on Saturday the Dutch, in a performance filled with know-how and beauty, outwitted the Argentinians in a game which ranks among the best this fine competition has seen.

It had a theatrical touch, too, a crafted finish whereby Bergkamp, in a moment of divine skill, killed off the Argentinians at the death. His goal came at the end of the 90 minutes and left only insult and injury-time for the South Americans to absorb.

The result brought Holland the furthest they have been in the competition since the Argentinians beat them in the final 20 years ago.

A triumph of planning and precision. The Dutch opted to base themselves in Monaco for this World Cup and they will slip out of the principality again tomorrow and head once more for the Velodrome and a semi-final with Brazil which holds the promise at least of being the game of the tournament.

Whatever happens when those two flowing teams surge onto the field tomorrow, it is unlikely that they will contrive a better goal than that with which the Dutch opened the scoring on Saturday.

The game was just 10 minutes old when Ronald de Boer hit a dinky little chipped pass into the Dutch penalty area. Dennis Bergkamp's mind processed all the options before the rest of us had registered that it was in fact Bergkamp. He cushioned a little header downwards past the paralysed Sensini and into the path of Kluivert, who had lots to do but also had the least to do.

Whatever. He did it. One-nil.

Even after just 10 minutes it was a merited breakthrough. Jonk had already hit the post after a stunningly arrogant Dutch move. Bergkamp surveyed the possibilities for a shot, declined and rolled it to Kluivert, also in the area. Kluivert took out a tape measure and decided it wasn't feasible and disdained the opportunity before rolling it out to Jonk who shook the woodwork and rattled the Argentinians.

That extraordinary beginning settled some arguments.

Hiddink, the Dutch manager who has preached balance and harmony throughout the competition, had apparently abandoned his credo in his team selection. Kluivert, gifted but self-centred, claimed just his second start of the World Cup, displacing Cocu who moved to the right wing and in turn bumping Marc Overmars to the bench. In the centre of midfield Clarence Seedorf, whose performance against Yugoslavia was widely praised, moved to the bench. Jonk was recalled to soldier with Davids.

With his team's display, Hiddink ultimately won all arguments. His brow must have creased in worry, however, during the course of the discussion. Argentina responded quickly to Kluivert's goal, sweeping the play into the Dutch half of the field and keeping it there. Six minutes later Batistuta and Veron exchanged tight passes only for Veron to stumble when faced with the task of putting it past Van der Sar.

The relief for the Dutch was momentary. Untypically, they lost possession as they emerged from defence. Veron was there again, poking the ball back in behind the Dutch lines who hoped for an offside. Claudio Lopez had timed his run well, though, and had the space and wit to stick the ball to the net under Van der Sar's legs.

Having secured parity the Argentinians looked fresh and confident. None more so than Lopez who skinned Reiziger down the left minutes later, only for Stam to intervene. Lopez, who made the team by the skin of his teeth, grasped his chance gratefully and out-shone Batistuta for long periods.

The game moved with tidal grandeur at this stage. A chip from Kluivert almost freed Bergkamp. Davids scythed through the Argentine defence but blew it wide. Another Davids shot sent Roa the wrong way and the despairing jerk of the goalkeeper's foot was all that kept the ball out.

Argentina were shaken and stirred. Ortega's vicious drive had Frank de Boer ducking and only the post to Van der Sar's right halted its progress. On the stroke of half-time Simeone hit a good shot narrowly wide.

It had been an extraordinary first half. Both sides moved through the other's midfield like streams over rocks. The defences exhibited symptoms of frailty hitherto unsuspected. Yet the thoughtfulness and variation of the attacks made it all forgivable.

During the break the Dutch seemed to take a collective decision to kill the game off. For a spell of maybe 15 minutes they held possession with only the most fleeting touches being allowed to the Argentinians. It stole the breath away to watch a team so confident of the technicalities of possession that they could afford to roll it around casually as they tried to think their way to goal.

Now quick, now slow, they had explored virtually every avenue when disaster almost struck. The Argentinians, fatigued by the harrying which siege conditions had induced, broke down the field on a rare counter. Veron fed Batistuta who thundered a shot off the Dutch post.

That set the game boiling again. Overmars arrived in and with his first touch turned Simeone and crossed perfectly for Kluivert's head. Wonderful save by Roa. So it went.

On the 31st minute, however, another jerk in the narrative chain. Arturo Brizio Carter, the Mexican referee who sent off two in his last game here, brandished his well-thumbed red card over Arthur Numan's head after a second bookable offence. Holland were down to 10 men.

The Argentinians were tired, however. The cumulative effects of Holland's 15 minutes of keep ball in the sun, plus their efforts against England, had wearied them.

"We had not recovered from our fatigue from playing against England," said Daniel Passarella credibly afterwards.

The tiredness took its toll on their creativity. Apart from a Batistuta header they had little to offer when faced once more with a numerical advantage. The measure of their desperation came two minutes from time when Ortega took an extravagant tumble in the box under weight of a challenge from Stam.

The Manchester United bauble, who had already been booked, looked stricken as the referee approached fumbling in his pockets.

Whether he was going to book Stam for the challenge or Ortega for the dive we will never know. Ortega may not quite be the new Maradona in terms of skill, but he certainly has the touch in terms of stupidity. Rising to his feet he head-butted Van der Sar who had been standing over him reminding him of the ethical ramifications of his deed. With the game lurching towards extra-time the referee had no hesitation in evening up the numbers.

Ortega took the walk.

The Argentinians were still reshuffling two minutes later when an extraordinary thing happened. Frank de Boer (who must be worth £21 million if Stam is worth £10.5) struck an astonishing pass from deep in his own half. Bergkamp, alone in opposition territory, trapped the ball, killing off Ayala's challenge in the same move, and spun the ball to the net.

What a way to become the top Dutch scorer of all time. The delirium and the shock ate up the three minutes of injury-time.

Holland cartwheeled into the semi-finals, Bergkamp leading the way.