PARIS -- Gabriel Batistuta scored the first hat-trick of the 1998 World Cup on Sunday within 10 minutes late in the second half as beat 10-man Jamaica 5-0.

Argentina's win meant they reached the second round along with Croatia from group H. It equals the best victory of the tournament, the Dutch 5-0 defeat of South Korea on Saturday.

Argentina's other two goals were scored by Ariel Ortega who broke Jamaica's resistance with the opening goal in the 32nd minute and got a second in the 55th. Batistuta scored after 72, 79 and 83 minutes to seal Argentina's emphatic victory.

"We expected a more difficult game. They sort of went home after the first goal," Batistuta said. Batistuta, currently top scorer in the tournament with four goals, said he would like to finish that way. "Of course that's what I came here for, but it's early days yet. It's going to be very difficult but we'll keep on trying to the end."

Jamaica initially looked as if they were going to make Argentina battle all the way for the points, but they made their opponents' task a lot easier on the stroke of half-time when Darryl Powell was sent off for a second bookable challenge from behind on Ortega.

He had been booked as early as the fourth minute for his first clattering tackle and Norwegian referee Rune Pedersen has no hesitation in sending him off for the second. "Playing with 10 men against the likes of Argentina, France and Brazil is very difficult and their skill and technical level is very high," Jamaica coach Rene Simoes said.

With Powell off, Jamaica's already tough task became even more difficult and although they put together some well-worked moves and threatened to score once or twice, the South Americans were never in any danger of surrendering the points. "However I am not making any complaints, the better team won. I am proud of my team," Simoes said.

"I had a choice to make at halftime when were were 1-0 down and down to 10 men -- do we play and keep it tight and try to keep the score to 1-0 or do I tell the players to go out and enjoy themselves and show what they can do. Well I didn't care for my reputation, I thought let them go and do it and show how good they are, let them go for goals. Okay we lost by a big score, but they did their best."

Argentina went ahead after 32 minutes with a goal created by Juan Veron who provided the through pass for Ortega whose right-foot shot gave goalkeeper Warren Barrett no chance. Ortega then showed what damage he could do with his left foot 10 minutes into the second half when he made it 2-0.

Claudio Lopez sent Ortega on his way and he darted through the gap between defenders Christopher Dawes and Peter Cargill before drawing Barrett and scoring with his left foot.

Batistuta, who scored Argentina's winner in their 1-0 victory over Japan in their opening match, scored his second goal of the tournament to put Argentina 3-0 up after 73 minutes. Ortega was involved in that goal too, providing the final pass for the Fiorentina striker to crack home with his right foot into the far corner of the net.

Batistuta added a typical second six minutes later, firing home from the edge of the box, and added the fifth from the penalty spot after Dawes brought down Ortega in the box. The only blot on any otherwise perfect sunny day for the South Americans was losing defender Roberto Sensini with an injury after only 25 minutes.

But Argentina go into next Friday's game against Croatia with both teams sure of a place in the last 16 and only the first and second positions in the group to be decided.