PALO ALTO, Calif. - Ah, the coincidental symmetry. The US and Brazil together again in soccer's World Cup, five years later to the day in the same stadium. Men then, women now. ''How exciting it will be to know people are driving down the same street to watch us,'' Brandi Chastain says.
But the similarity ends there. In 1994, the US males were delighted to lose honorably (as in 1-0, without taking a shot) in the second round to the eventual world champions. In 1999, the US women are expected to win their semifinal and go on to reclaim the Cup Saturday in the Rose Bowl.
They may wear the same blue-green-yellow uniforms, go by nicknames, and play the `jogo bonito' (`beautiful game'), but the Brazilian women aren't in the same class as their men and don't pretend to be.
They've already made their summer by reaching the final four and qualifying for the Olympics. Beating the Americans on the Fourth of July before more than 60,000 face-painted flagwavers in Stanford Stadium is the stuff of fantasy, not symmetry.
''Every game is a different story,'' says Brazilian coach Wilson (yes, he goes by one name, too). ''Sometimes, the story repeats. If we can emulate what happened in this stadium five years ago, our dream will come true.''
Odds are that won't happen. The Americans are 8-1-1 lifetime against the samba sisters and blanked them, 3-0, six weeks ago in a friendly in Orlando. They've lost only one home match in three years and are coming off a rousing 3-2 victory over two-time medalist Germany. The Brazilians, who blew a 3-0 lead to the Nigerians before prevailing in overtime, are happy just to be here.
When the Americans look at the exuberant, clever, fleet Brazilians, they're reminded of the Nigerians. The same Nigerians who scored against the Americans on their first shot in Chicago. And the same Nigerians who quickly imploded, gave up six goals before halftime, and lost, 7-1.
''We saw Brazil unravel under pressure,'' says US coach Tony DiCicco. ''We saw a Brazil that we hadn't seen earlier in this World Cup, a Brazil that was showing its nerves.''
Not that the Yanks have been models of cool - at least not in the first dozen minutes. The Danes nearly scored on their first rush in the opener. The Nigerians did score. And the US put a ball into its own net in the fifth minute against the Germans.
So the hosts expect the Brazilians to flood their area right from the start, try to shock them with an early goal and freelance it from there. ''Brazil will come out with a lot of fire,'' says midfielder Julie Foudy. ''We'll just have to get through the first 10 minutes and play our game.''
The American game is based on 90 minutes and multiple weapons. Their 16 goals have been scored by 10 different players, and the last two against the Germans came from defenders. The Brazilians rely on the close-cropped Sissi (whose seven goals lead the tournament) and whoever else (like Pretinha, Katia, and Maicon) happens to be inspired on the day.
It was Sissi who wears Pele's hallowed 10, whose free kick beat the Nigerians. ''She's having a tremendous World Cup,'' says DiCicco. ''That doesn't surprise any of us.''
But if they can shackle Sissi and get behind the Brazilian back line often enough, the Americans figure they'll get through to the final - and what they believe is their destiny. Those 60,000 fans may be coming down the same road on the same day to see the same countries in the same stadium, but this is not the same game.
''Do I think the result will be the same as 1994?,'' DiCicco says? ''No, I don't.''
