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Brazil blanks Belgium en route to quarters

©Associated Press
June 18, 2002

Surprise success Patriotism stirs passion for soccer U.S.: 'We want to win it' Upset stirs memories of '50 Cup More than just defeat for southern neighbor New formation pays dividends Brazil blanks Belgium en route to quarters

KOBE, Japan -- Four-time champion Brazil worry? No way. Not with players such as Rivaldo and Ronaldo at the World Cup.

Despite being on the defensive for much of the game, Brazil defeated Belgium 2-0 on Monday with second-half goals from those one-name stars, advancing to the quarterfinals of the tournament.

"The World Cup actually begins now," Ronaldo said. "From now on, every match will be a final, like today's. Today it was wonderful, the support from the crowd, seeing that huge yellow-green mass in the stands."

Like Brazil, Rivaldo was shut down until midway through the second half by a determined and stubborn Belgium team. But in the 67th minute, he scored a goal worthy of the World Cup stage, his fourth of the tournament.

Taking a pass off the right wing from Ronaldinho, Rivaldo took the ball on his chest, touched it with his left foot and spun to face the goal. He let it bounce once and shot from 18 yards, the ball finding the net after deflecting off the foot of Belgium's Timmy Simons.

Twenty minutes later, Ronaldo scored his fifth goal of the tournament, taking a pass from the wing on a counterattack and scoring from 10 yards on a low, hard shot that skidded under goalie Geert De Vlieger.

Brazil, the only Latin American team left, faces England on Friday in Shizuoka, Japan. Spain, England, Senegal, Germany and the United States had already reached the quarterfinals. The final two spots will be decided today.

"I think it's going to be a better match with England because they come stronger in attack," Ronaldo said. "It's going to be a match among equal forces."

Brazil fielded its regular 11. Belgium was missing starting defender Glen De Boeck, who was replaced by Simons.

Belgium, which had more than its share of chances, looked as if it had scored in the 36th minute when Marc Wilmots' header beat Brazil goalie Marcos.

But Jamaican referee Peter Prendergast disallowed the goal, ruling the Belgian had pushed Brazilian defender Roque Junior as the two jostled for position.

"We played a great match but made one mistake in defense that preceded the first goal," Belgian midfielder Bart Goor said.

Asked about the disallowed goal, Goor said: "It was a great goal. I'm not sure whether that was a foul."

With the victory, Brazilian fans in the stands unfurled a sign that read: "England Here We Come -- God Help The Queen."

RUSSIAN RIOT: Moscow prosecutors filed criminal charges against 15 people in connection with last week's disturbance that left two dead and caused widespread damage in the city center. Also, authorities conducted a search of an ad agency that some officials have blamed for the riot. Ator was responsible for a commercial shown during an outdoor broadcast of the June 9 match against Japan that depicted a man smashing a car with a baseball bat.

PORTUGAL: FIFA will investigate a report that Joao Pinto pushed or struck referee Angel Sanchez when he was sent off during Friday's loss to South Korea. The World Cup Disciplinary Committee will examine the incident Wednesday, said Keith Cooper, a spokesman for the ruling body.

IRELAND: Mick McCarthy, bucking a trend in which many coaches whose teams have been eliminated have quit their jobs, said he plans to stay on through the 2004 European Championship.

MAN CHARGED: A man was held without bail on a charge in Hong Kong that he planted a bomb at a horse racing track where almost 10,000 fans watched a World Cup match. Lam Kwong-choi was accused of placing the bomb packed with nails in a shopping bag at the Shatin Racecourse. The bomb was defused by police after it was found by a janitor. People were at the track to watch China face Turkey last week.

OBITUARY: Fritz Walter, the captain of the West German team that won the country's first World Cup title in 1954, died at 81.

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