Double delight as Ronaldo equals record

A RONALDO-inspired Brazil battled back from a goal down to beat Japan and eliminate the Asian champions from the tournament.

The Real Madrid forward equalled Gerd Muller’s World Cup scoring record of 14, with a goal in each half, after Keiji Tamada had given Japan an unlikely lead in the 34th minute. Japanese goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi frustrated Brazil with a string of fine saves until first-half injury-time, when Ronaldo equalised.

Second-half goals from Juninho Pernambucano and Gilberto guaranteed Brazil the win before Ronaldo rounded off the victory with a curling finish from the edge of the area.

The result was no less than Carlos Alberto Parreira’s team deserved after their marauding opening to the Group F game somehow failed to yield a goal.

With four minutes on the clock, Kaka crossed into the centre and Ronaldo beat Yuji Nakazawa to the ball — but the Real Madrid man glanced his header wide of the target.

Three minutes later, Ronaldo was fed by Ronaldinho — but his left foot shot was pushed around the post by Kawaguchi.

It was the first of a string of saves by the Japan goalkeeper, who almost single-handedly kept the illustrious Brazilian strike-force at bay.

The Kawaguchi show continued midway through the half when he tipped Juninho’s drive over the bar, and it looked like it might not be Brazil’s night, in the 34th minute, when the Japanese took the lead.

A perfectly weighted through ball from Brazil-born Alex released Keiji Tamada, who lashed a first-time left-foot effort over Dida’s head, sending the Japan fans into raptures.

With the clock ticking into injury-time, Brazil pulled level with a goal engineered by Ronaldinho’s vision. The Barcelona man ran at the Japan defence before picking out Cicinho on the right side of the penalty area, and his header back across the face of goal was nodded home by Ronaldo.

If the first half was about heroic goalkeeping and missed chances, the second half saw Brazil make amends.

Brazil took the lead in the 53rd minutes, when Juninho let fly from distance and found the back of the net as the goalkeeper flapped at the shot.

Ronaldinho’s delightful ball through the midfield found a rampaging Gilberto down the Brazil left and he cracked home a low shot which gave Kawaguchi little chance in the 59th minute.

With nine minutes remaining Ronaldo completed the scoring with his second goal, after a neat exchange of passes with Juan, and the burly Brazilian curled an exquisite shot past the goalkeeper from the edge of the area.

JAPAN: Kawaguchi, Santos, Tsuboi, Kaji, Nakazawa, Hidetoshi Nakata, Ogasawara (Koji Nakata 56), Nakamura, Inamoto, Maki (Takahara 60), Tamada, Takahara (Oguro 66).

BRAZIL: Dida (Rogerio 82), Lucio, Juan, Cicinho, Gilberto, Kaka (Ze Roberto 71), Ronaldinho (Ricardinho 71), Silva, Juninho, Ronaldo, Robinho.

Referee: Eric Poulat (France).