Boys from Brazil are back

'Big Phil' is a natural born winner - with 14 Brazilian league titles under his belt - though he doesn't adhere to the Samba theory that style is as important as substance.

"What is the point of playing spectacular football in three group games but failing to qualify?" he asked. "If we have to play ugly football to reach our objective we will do so."

Carlos Alberto Parreira, who led Brazil to the title in 1994, was ridiculed because his team won without style.

"He should be revered because he demonstrated the importance of having belief in your work," said Scolari. "He made the players believe they could win it."

In a sense Scolari has the best of both worlds. He encourages a physical game, shouts at referees and publicly tells his playersto foul opponents when necessary, but he also possesses three of the world's finest individual attacking players.

Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho have scored 12 of Brazil's 15 goals although Ronaldinho is suspended following his sending-off against England and misses the Turkey match. Ronaldo has recovered from a thigh injury and should play, while the third of this trio, Rivaldo, can expect few favours from the Turks.

The Barcelona midfielder was fined £5,000 by FIFA for play-acting, the first person to be punished for feigning injury at a World Cup, during their fractious group game in Ulsan three weeks ago which Brazil won 2-1 thanks to a dubious late penalty.

Blackburn midfielder Hakan Ulsan was sent off after kicking the ball at Rivaldo as he waited to take a corner. Although the ball hit Rivaldo on the leg he collapsed dramatically to the ground clutching his face in apparent agony.

What's sad is that the Brazilian players have no need to resort to this kind of cheating. In a World Cup that is without a great team, they are emerging as one of the best and potential winners - for the fifth time.

Brazil have had worries over goalkeeper Marcos, who was injured in training, but it is nothing more serious than a dead-leg and he is expected to play against the Turks, who are playing in the final stages for the first time since 1954.

In 2000, Galatasaray became the first Turkish club to win a major European prize - the UEFA Cup following their penalty shoot-out win over Arsenal - and the growing stature of the national team suggests that England's European Championship qualification may be no foregone conclusion with the two sides in the same group.

Turkey have one of the best attacking midfielders here in Hasan Sas. The Brazilians need to keep him quiet and if they do there can be only one winner.

World Cup semi-final
Brazil v Turkey
(Tomorrow, Saitama, 12.30pm. Live on BBC1)