Brazil set up England showdown

The Schalke stalwart had one goal which would have given them the lead ruled out, was denied twice only by splendid saves from Marcos and created several other opportunities against a defence which began to look increasingly creaky.

Even when Rivaldo scored what is surely the goal of the finals, this unloved, unregarded Belgian team never laid down, particularly commendable because it was a moment of sublime skill that we only have the right to expect from someone who wears the yellow No 10 shirt.

Brazil created chance after chance in the first half yet they'd appeared to be running out of ideas as Belgium started the second sensing this was the moment to join Senegal and USA in the list of wholly unlikely quarter-finalists.

Then, in the 67th minute, with the game still delicately poised, Ronaldinho picked up the ball on the right, teased his marker and lazily flicked the ball to the edge of the box. Belgium's defence had given Rivaldo a yard, but he had to take the ball high on his chest with his back to goal.

Yet it was a yard too much. The Barcelona man needed just one more touch to tee it up, before swivelling instantly and crashing a wondrous left-foot volley past Geert de Vleiger. Okay, so it took a slight deflection which left the keeper no chance but it was still superlative.

Then, as they sat back for the first time, Brazil quite lost their grip in midfield and their much-criticised back three of Lucio, Roque Junior and Edmilson sometimes going missing, especially when they inexplicably parted to almost let Bart Goor nip in and get on the end of a hopeful ball punted forward.

Yet, as Belgium pushed forward in search of an equaliser, substitute Kleberson found himself clear down the right flank in the 86th minute, hared some 50 yards before crossing expertly low to Ronaldo, whose finishing was, as it had been all afternoon, slightly off colour.

He'd missed or been thwarted on three previous occasions but this time he had luck on his side, as his weak shot bobbled through de Vlieger and into the net to put him level with Germany's Miroslav Klose in the race for the Golden Boot.

Both he and Rivaldo still have the opportunity to equal Jairzinho's legendary record of finding the net in every round of the competition in 1970, including the final.

"I want to relax now, I don't want to talk about England," said a relieved Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari and who could blame him? For England are not Belgium.

If Robert Waseige's side had possessed a Michael Owen rather than a Mbo Mpenza, who started off brightly producing a fine save in the opening minute but gradually proved more and more ineffective when chances were presented to him, it might have been different.

And it might have been different had Wilmots' 35th-minute header, which found the net but was controversially ruled out by Jamaican referee Peter Prendergast, who felt he had lent on Roque Junior, been allowed to stand.

Yet, in truth, up there in the stands, Becks and co, one minute watching bewitched by Brazil's pretty patterns and the next rubbing their hands at the sight of their vulnerability, probably never really wanted Belgium anyway. "It's the people's choice," said Beckham and Shizuoka is set for its second earthquake in the space of a week.

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