Belgium to face Brazil in second round

Belgium beat Russia 3-2 to clinch a place in round two of the World Cup as runners-up in Group H.

Two goals in the final 12 minutes of a pulsating clash handed Belgium a showdown with Brazil.

Wesley Sonck and Marc Wilmots, capping a man-of-the-match performance, fired home the goals to end Belgium's miserable run of seven World Cup matches without a victory.

Belgium just managed to hang on to the runners-up spot as Russia threatened a stunning comeback at the Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa.

But for coach Oleg Romantsev's side it was too little too late.

Needing a draw to guarantee their place in the last 16, they started the match in disastrous fashion, albeit conceding one of the goals of the tournament to date.

Andrei Solomatin's shirt tug on Wilmots led to Walem sweeping a 24-yard left-foot free-kick over the Russian wall and into the left-hand corner of keeper Ruslan Nigmatullin's net.

Glen de Boeck and Gert Verheyen both missed chances to double Belgium's lead just before the break, seven minutes after which Vladimir Bestchastnykh hauled Russia level.

Dmitry Khokhlov's through ball picked out the advancing Dmitri Sychev, only for his goal-bound flick to be blocked at point-blank range by Geert de Vlieger.

Unfortunately for de Vlieger, the ball spun off his body and into the path of Bestchastnykh to side-foot home from eight yards, with a diving Daniel van Buyten unable to prevent it from crossing the line.

It was now Belgium in need of the qualifying goal, and they continued to look the more dangerous side, and should have regained the lead inside two minutes.

Wilmots first sliced Mbo Mpenza's byline ball with the goal at his mercy, but just as with Russia's equaliser, the ball then fell kindly to Walem.

However, after a first touch to control, he could not complete his brace as he stabbed his six-yard shot into the side-netting.

Belgium, though, were not to be denied and within eight minutes of coming on as a sub for Mpenza, Sonck headed home a Walem corner from six yards.

The insurance goal followed four minutes later from Wilmots as he turned inside the challenge of Yuri Kovtun after receiving a through ball from Bart Goor before firing an 18-yard right-foot shot beyond Nigmatullin.

It proved vital for in the 88th minute Sychev pulled one back as he slipped a close-range shot past the advancing de Vlieger, but it was all in vain.