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