BERLIN – The eccentric – some would say chaotic – FIFA seeding system is working brilliantly. Seven of the eight seeded teams have won their first games, and all are now likely to progress into the second round of the World Cup. France is the exception, having done no better than a scoreless tie with Switzerland.

Of course, hosts Germany were an auto matic seed, and you don’t have to be a genius to pick out Brazil or Germany or Italy or England or Argentina. But Mexico, a debatable pick,came through impressively against Iran. Then there was Spain, and the stage directions to greet the decision to seed the Spanish would read “Derisive snorts!”.

After all, Spain has become a stock soccer joke with its repeated ability to generate high hopes followed by calamitous failure. The country’s highest finish in the World Cup was fourth, and that was 56 years ago. But look at this, just in, from Leipzig: Spain 4 Ukraine 0.

In what was certainly the most impressive performance of any team so far, Spain, with a relentless attacking game, simply brushed Ukraine aside. It was a smiling coach Luis Aragones who congratulated his players as they left the field yesterday – quite a change from the gloomy Aragones of a couple of weeks ago, when, after a uninspired 0-0 tie in a friendly against Russia, he moaned “I hope we don’t mess up in the World Cup.”

The gloom has gone, there was no messing up here, and Aragones now has reason for optimism. Ukraine entered the tournament as one of the stronger European teams, having disposed of Turkey,Denmark, and Greece, and given up only seven goals in 12 qualifying games. Spain made light of those menacing stats, and it was the joyful fluency of its game that so impressed, the fact that the energy and the inventiveness never faltered.

Aragones had taken a risk with his line up,leaving out Raul – who holds almost folk-hero status in Spanish soccer – including instead David Villa, the player in form.The combination up front of Villa and the tall young Fernando Torres immediately showed a goal-seeking urgency that had the Ukrainian defenders back-pedaling from the start. Aragones was rewarded for his decision to bench Raul by having the comfort of a 3-0 lead after 46 minutes. Two of the goals had come from Villa, so there were no dramatics when Villa was taken off after 53 minutes, to be replaced by Raul.

The Spanish did what the Germans did a week ago,and what is comparatively rare in a debut game: They threw away the cautious approach and went in for the kill.This was what we expected from Brazil against Croatia on Tuesday, and what we did not get.Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira had a similar problem to that of Aragones: what to do about an iconic goal-scoring star who’s not scoring goals. Aragones left Raul on the bench, but Parreira put Ronaldo in the starting lineup. Maybe that was a mistake, for Ronaldo looked apathetic, anything but dangerous. For 77 minutes he lumbered around the field before making way for the livelier Robinho. Ronaldo a flop, then – but so was Adriano, who looked downright clumsy at times, while Ronaldinho, who raised a roar of expectation every time he got the ball, was well below his best. But this is Brazil, a team that has depth to marvel at. Up steps Kaka with a commanding performance, capped by a superb left-footed goal, and Brazil are 1-0 winners.

Parreira had knowingly commented that his team was in Germany “to win the last game, not the first,” and no doubt the comparatively moderate pace of this opener – it had none of the exhausting frenzy of the Argentina vs. Ivory Coast clash – was to his liking. This was a good game for easing his players into the tighter, harder contests to come. In particular, it was a perfect test for Brazil’s defenders, because the Croatians – no doubt encouraged by the Brazilians’ rather less-than-wholehearted approach to offense – did some nifty attacking of their own.

The Croatians ended up with nine shots, four of which were on target, all of them straight at goalkeeper Dida, which reveals that his positional play is in good order. Also passing the test were the apparently telescopic legs of centerback Lucio, who stretches for – and reaches – the ball while performing seemingly impossible tackles.

Altogether, a satisfying evening on the defensive front for Brazil. If this game threw up any doubts, they perversely concerned the lack of punch at the attacking end of the field, which may be the same thing as saying there weren’t any doubts – who can imagine Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Adriano, and Robinho having a tournament-long collective fit of ineffectiveness?

We have, in this World Cup, two teams that play in blue – the French (Les Bleus), and the Italians (gli azzurri). The azzurri are flying high after an ultra-professional win over a very talented Ghana team and will be seeking to ensure their second-round status with a win over America on Saturday. U.S. coach Bruce Arena, searching to retrieve something from his team’s wretched showing against the Czechs, feels that the Italians may be satisfied with a tie against his team.

That amounts to the most wishful of wishful thinking, because winning this group is highly important; finishing second means qualifying for the second round, but it also means playing the winners of Group F – surely Brazil.

As for France, there is real sadness here, for the great Zinedine Zidane, who had promised to be in spectacular form for this tournament, looked like a spent force during France’s painfully labored tie with Switzerland.

French coach Raymond Domenech now has the same problem as the one confronting Spain and Brazil: what to do with a falling star. Raul, because Spain played so well without him, should stay on the bench. On form, Ronaldo should not start for Brazil against Australia. For the same reason, Domenech should not start Zidane against Korea.

Brazil, of course, have brilliant players to fill any gap left by an absent Ronaldo. For France, an in-form Zidane is unique, irreplaceable. It seems likely that – for reasons of faith, hope, and sympathy – both Ronaldo and Zidane will start their next games, though I doubt either will finish them on the field.

pgardner@nysun.com