WORLD CUP USA ’94 / THE FIRST ROUND : Dahlin Gives Sweden Heady Performance : Group B: Striker left off 1990 Cup team heads in two goals in 3-1 victory over tumultuous Russia.

Adding to its laundry list of 1994 World Cup nightmares, Russia now can be haunted by the elusive Martin Dahlin.

Dahlin, the brilliant Swedish striker, kept popping his head into Russia’s front door Friday night, scoring on two second-half headers and setting up another goal in Sweden’s 3-1 victory before 71,528 at Pontiac Silverdome.

It was Sweden’s first World Cup triumph in 20 years.

Dahlin, the first black member of the national team, is more than making up for a career slump that cost him a place on the 1990 World Cup team.

“This was one of his best games, if not his best,” Sweden Coach Tommy Svensson said.

Svensson can only hope the victory was enough to propel his team into the second round, because Sweden must face Brazil next Tuesday without Dahlin, who picked up his second yellow card of the tournament and must sit out the team’s final Group B game.

Difficult to imagine Sweden challenging Brazil without Dahlin.

“Of course it’s a loss,” said forward Tomas Brolin, who tied the score on a first-half penalty kick. “But we have other players also. I think we are also in the second round.”

Dhalin scored the decisive goal in the 60th minute. The game had turned in the 49th minute when Russian forward Sergei Gorlukovitch received a red-card ejection for taking Dahlin down from behind.

The Russians, gasping to stay in the game at that point, could not endure having to play a man short.

Sweden soon forced the issue when midfielder Jonas Thern, uncovered in the left corner, left-footed a pass that hooked into an oncoming Dahlin, who flicked a header to the right of goalkeeper Dmitri Kharine.

Dahlin made it 3-1 in the 82nd minute, this time heading in an extraordinary crossing pass, right to left, from forward Kennet Andersson. As do many humble stars, Dahlin downplayed his role.

“I got two great crosses from Thern and Andersson,” Dahlin said. “For me, it was only with my head. It was not so difficult.”

The Russians would beg to differ. “Nobody on our defense could handle Dahlin,” Yuri Semin, a Russian assistant coach, said.

Rocked by dissension and turmoil, the Russians actually put a scare into Sweden, scoring the first goal in the fourth minute on Oleg Salenko’s penalty kick. The score was set up when Sweden’s Roger Ljung tripped Alexander Borodiuk, who appeared poised to score in front of the Swedish goal.

In a questionable strategy by Coach Pavel Sadyrin, Russia tried to sit on the lead, drawing whistles of derision from the crowd. In fact, in the 34th minute, Kharine received a yellow card for delaying play.

Sadyrin, who has withstood mass defections and criticisms, also chose not to play Sergei Yuran, presumably one of Russia’s top strikers. It might have been one of Sadyrin’s last decisions involving the team; sources told the Associated Press on Friday that Sadyrin would resign as Russia’s coach, or be replaced.

Sadyrin did not face the media afterward, but his assistant said Yuran did not play because he had played poorly against Brazil.

The Russian result seemed inevitable.

Sweden tied the score, 1-1, in the 39th minute on Brolin’s penalty kick, set up by--who else?--Dahlin. After taking a sideline pass, Andersson, his back to the goal near the right corner, bounced the ball off his knee and then kicked it back over his head toward the goal, where Gorlukovitch was backing into Dahlin, who had position on the Russian.

A penalty was called and Brolin easily drove his shot to the right of Kharine.

Though it was tough for a while, the Swedes said they never felt threatened. “I felt all the game we were the better team,” Dahlin said. “It’s not always good to score the first goal. We saw that against Cameroon.”

The Russians played their best defense in the locker room, complaining about the red-card ejection that changed the game.

“Of course it hurt us,” Semin said. “I mean you’re playing with only nine field players.”

With one game left in Group B, Sweden trails Brazil by two points, six to four.

Obviously, Tuesday’s showdown won’t be the same without Dahlin.

“I hope it doesn’t matter,” he said. “I hope this enough to get into the second round.”