England bowed out of the World Cup 2002 after a 2-1 defeat to 10-man Brazil after a pulsating battle in Shizuoka. Sven-Goran Eriksson's men were hit by a Ronaldinho-inspired double strike in seven minutes either side of the interval.

And though the Brazilian's day was ruined when he was harshly red carded for a stamp on Danny Mills, England couldn't find a vital second. It all looked so different after 23 minutes when Michael Owen put England in front, but Rivaldo equalised in first half injury time before Ronaldinho's free-kick winner.

Had England been able to hold on to their lead, it would have been just reward for an almost perfectly-executed first-half plan. Though Brazil dominated for long periods, they were denied space around the box and England's goal remained largely untroubled.

However, Ronaldo did find space to curl in a low shot which was easy for David Seaman.

It took England 23 minutes to threaten their opponents' goal again, but when they did Owen put England in front with his 18th international strike. There appeared little danger when Emile Heskey picked up Mills' short pass on halfway. But after his forward pass was mis-judged by Lucio into the path of Owen, the England striker strode on and confidently chipped the ball over Marcos. David Beckham, who required treatment for a blow to his right ankle, flashed a shot over the bar as he lead the search for a potentially match-winning second.

Brazil regrouped though and continued their forward offensive, this time with slightly more threat. Ronaldo produced a good save from Seaman at his near post before Campbell blocked Kleberson's powerful 25-yard effort. Then Mills needed to react quickly to rob Ronaldo inside the six-yard area after the Brazilian hit-man had gathered a fortunate rebound within striking range. Seaman was another who needed medical attention when he fell awkwardly collecting a high ball, tipping over Campbell and landing on his side.

For the remainder of the half, England looked comfortable, but Beckham's failure to run the ball into touch two minutes into injury time, set Brazil in motion for the leveller. Scholes then failed to make a vital tackle in midfield, allowing Ronaldinho to sweep forward. Ashley Cole was dragged into the middle and with neither Rio Ferdinand nor Sol Campbell able to make a tackle, Rivaldo drifted to the right, took the easy pass and stroked a first-time shot into the corner.

Most England fans were relieved when Seaman was fit enough to resume after the interval, but within five minutes they were reflecting on an error equally as crass as those made by the suspect Brazilian rearguard. As Ronaldinho lined up a free-kick in an innocuous position, Seaman pulled away from his line expecting a cross. The Brazilian spotted the opening and from 35 yards floated the ball into the top corner with the aid of the crossbar. It was a blow from which England couldn't recover, even though their opponents were reduced to 10 men just 11 minutes after the break when Mexican referee Felipe Ramos Rizo ruled Ronaldinho had stamped on Mills, even though replays showed the player had pulled out of the challenge.

For the first time in the competition, England were behind and chasing the game against opponents lethal on the counter. Lucio cut out Heskey's cross at the near post and Ferdinand was unable to steer a header from Beckham's free-kick on target before Cole fired a shot into the area which Brazil were able to scramble away. Beckham went down in the box under pressure from Roque Junior and beat the ground in frustration as Rizo waved away the penalty appeal.

England continued to press but Brazil never looked like yielding their advantage and long before the end, Beckham and co had run out of ideas even though Eriksson threw on Darius Vassell and Teddy Sheringham late on in a desperate search for an equaliser.

England continued to press but Brazil never looked like yielding their advantage and long before the end, Beckham and Co had run out of ideas and were out of the World Cup.

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