World Cup - Brazil 2 Belgium 0

Belgium held and then outplayed Brazil but Rivaldo and Ronaldo scored to put the World Cup favourites into a quarter final on Friday against England.

Ronaldo sealed the win with two minutes to go by driving in a low cross from substitute Cleberson after Belgium rallied to try and equalize.

Rivaldo put his side ahead after Brazil had failed to make any impression on the second half.

He chested a cross to the edge of the penalty area by Ronaldino on the right wing and backed out of the bounce to volley in with his left foot off a deflection from Timmy Simon’s boot to carry the ball to the other side of Gert De Vlieger in the Belgian goal.

Belgium tried to press for an equalizer but Bart Goor failed to connect with a header after Cafu left a cross to goalkeeper Marcos in the 73rd minute and Verheyen hit a corner over the bar in the 78th minute.

A minute later substitute Wesley Sonck forced a save from Marcos with an angled shot from the right with the Brazilian goalkeeper their outstanding player in Kobe.

Belgium were reasonably comfortable in the first half.

Their game plan worked well and Mbo Mpenza’s pace down the right wing allowed them several attacks.

It was Mpenza who created the first chance for himself after les and fifty seconds.

He received the ball in space and chipped Brazilian goalkeeper Marcos with an accurate shot that forced him back and he jumped to palm the ball over.

Yves Vanderhaeghe hit a cross shot from the right in the 5th minute with Gert Verheyen heading over in the 15th minute from an Mpenza cross from the right.

Ronaldinho set up Ronaldo with a run across goal but the striker hit a curling shot over the bar before crossing on 22 minutes for Rivaldo to jump and volley over from in front of goal.

Marc Wilmots hits an overhad kick over the bar in the 26th minute and then had a goal ruled out for pushing on Roque Junior in the 36th minute as he jumped to meet a Verheyen cross from the right and send it into the net.

Gert De Vlieger had to save at Ronaldo’s feet when the striker had burst through two defenders to shot from an acute angle on the left.

Ronaldo ended the half by threatening again when he beat his marker to volley a driven cross from the left by Rivaldo over the cross bar.

Belgium then started the second half as much the better team.

Marc Wilmots hit a shot on the turn from distance on 53 minutes which Marcos dived and saved well and the Brazilian goalkeeper had to save at Mbo Mpenza’s feetr two minutes later.

Wilmots cut inside after collecting an Mpenza cross in the 63rd minute and tested Marcos again with a curling shot to the far post which was clawed away.