 Brazil ensured the glamour of the
2002 World Cup remained alive as a
half-fit Ronaldo conjured a flash
of pure inspiration against Turkey
to set up an enticing final clash
with Germany.
The South American side, who have
never previously faced Germany in
the World Cup, dominated the semi-final
in Saitama throughout. They are in
the final for the third consecutive
time, and how this tournament needed
their potential for true class and
style to be there.
Ronaldo, who was clearly struggling
with a thigh injury, eventually made
the breakthrough just after half-time
with a goal contrived virtually out
of thin air. Having also set up two other chances
which were spurned by his team-mates,
he limped off with 23 minutes left
having done little else but also more
than enough to secure victory. And so Brazil, who defeated Turkey
2-1 in a fractious opening group game
between the two sides, had prevailed
again.
As for Ronaldo, the competition's
leading scorer with six goals, now
has the chance to redeem the lowest
point of his career so far in last
year's final, when a lack of fitness
told rather more painfully and publicly. His team had missed the suspended
Ronaldinho's ability to dribble at
defences, although Turkey were guilty
of allowing the third 'r' - Rivaldo
- far too much space in which to run
the game.
While some Turkey players insisted
they were out for revenge following
his play-acting in getting Hakan Unsal
sent off in the group game between
the two sides, they hardly got anywhere
near Rivaldo at all this time. Central midfield became his personal
fiefdom as he dropped into the yawning
gap between Turkey's back-four and
midfield, with Tugay being over-run.
Once Turkey had threatened first,
with Alpay's header tipped round the
post, Brazil were duly roused into
action.
Ronaldo spotted Cafu overlapping
on the right and although he hesitated
by taking a touch, keeper Rustu Recber
had luck on his side as the ball deflected
off his body onto the ground and up
over the bar. The threats, however, were now raining
down on him from all angles. Roberto Carlos cut inside from the
left flank and shot wide, while Rustu
spilled a long-range effort from Rivaldo
but still recovered in time to block
Ronaldo's uncertain follow-up. If the Brazil centre-forward was
fit, he was not even nearly showing
it at this stage.
Rivaldo was at least posing enough
threats on his own. One swerving drive
was pushed round the post by Rustu
and then another sweetly-struck effort
flew an inch past the upright. While the agile Turkey keeper also
denied Roberto Carlos and Edilson,
his own side threatened intermittently
on the break, lacking only the final
ball for their neat approach play
with Hakan Sukur at least a yard short
of pace.
So too was Ronaldo, or rather so
it initially seemed. For having lumbered through the first
48 minutes as if in a trance, the
centre -forward suddenly burst into
life as if he had received an electric
shock. Cutting inside one defender with
a sudden spurt, he held off the attentions
of two others before toe-poking a
shot with such accuracy that although
Rustu got fingertips to the ball,
he could not prevent it sneaking inside
the post.
Ronaldo was not finished there. First
he spotted Edilson storming into the
penalty area and picked him out with
a pinpoint pass only for his strike
partners to clip his finish off target. Then he picked out Kleberson, only
for the midfielder to shoot straight
at Rustu.
Turkey coach Gunes could wait no
longer. Marcos had to tip a deflected
effort over the bar but on came the
pacy Ilhan Mansiz, the golden goalscorer
in the quarter-finals, only for Emre
to go off rather than Sukur.
Ronaldo eventually bowed to the inevitable
too and limped off to be replaced
by Luizao, whose bicycle kick in front
of an empty net promptly bounced over
the bar.
Turkey, with Muzzy Izzet now on,
looked to make the most of that largesse. Roque Junior flung himself into a
saving tackle on Mansiz, who also
headed a late chance over the top,
while Marcos parried a dangerous volley
by Sukur. By the end, however, Turkey simply
could not even win possession of the
ball as, at one point, three players
were chasing in vain after substitute
Denilson.
At the World Cup of shocks, however,
Brazil ensured, just as they did against
England, that class had eventually
told |
Soccer Media
