World Cup - Brazil 1 Turkey 0

Ronaldo was restricted to only two chances by Turkey in their Saitama semi final but scored with a 49th minute shot on the run to send Brazil into a seventh World Cup final.

The South Americans now meet Germany in Yokohama on Sunday to decide the champions.

The two sides have contested seven finals each but have never met at any stage of the World Cup finals.

Perhaps their great record – Brazil have four titles and Germany three – is partly down to the two countries never meeting in crucial games.

Ronaldo managed to produce a goal from nothing in the 49th minute.

Turkey were attacking when centre back Roque Junior broke down the left wing to feed Ronaldo with the space to turn and run for only the second time in the match. Ronaldo carried the ball past his marker Korkmaz and bore down on goal to hit a shot across Rustu Recber in the Turkish goal with no back lift or warning for the goalkeeper.

Rustu dived and got a touch to the ball but it went in off the far post as Ronaldo scored his 6th goal of the finals with an instinctive finish that the Rustu was unable to anticipate.

Edilson hit a shot on the run wide in the 58th minute with Brazil playing solely on the beak after going the goal up with Kleberson slapping a shot straight at Rustu when put clear by Ronaldo who was replaced in the 68th minute by Luizao.

The substitute volleyed into the ground with a jumping effort that sent the ball over the bar as Brazil did not come close to killing the game.

Turkey pressed forward leaving only three at the back but they did not create the chances to push Brazil towards elimination.

Substitute Ilhan Mansiz almost sent a cross from the left over Marcos’ head in the Brazilian goal but he dived back to tip the ball way. A minute later on 79 minutes Roque Junior blocked a Mansiz turn as he tried to turn and shoot in the penalty area and Sukur almost volleyed in a free kick a minute later with Marcos saving well after a Hasan Sas found the striker with a free kick from the left to the far post.

Ilhan headed over from a Sas cross in the 93rd minute as the Turkish challenge died.

Goalkeeper Rustu had been the best Turkish player of the first half.

He did well to save at his near post in the 21st minute when Cafu delayed a shot on the run on the right wing. If Cafu had hit the ball first time the move which spread play from one wing to the other would have born echoes of Carlos Alberto’s famous goal in the 1970 World Cup final.

Two minutes later Rustu had to make a great double save.

A speculative swerving shot from Rivaldo on the left was spilled straight to Ronaldo who could only poke the ball at goal with Rustu recovering well to make the stop.

In the 34th minute Rustu saved from a low shot that Rivaldo hit from a central position with no back lift and Rivaldo almost hit the target with a sweeping shot first time from the edge of the area two minutes later.

Roberto Carlos cut inside from the left wing to shoot wide in the 43rd minute and Rustu ended the first half with more heroics.

The goalkeeper saved at Edilson’s feet after a low first time cross the left wing from Carlos as Ronaldo tried to reach the ball. The cross was deflected into Edilson’s path and Rustu had to dive at his feet and cuff the ball out of his stride and away to safety.

Turkey started the game very well with Ergun Penbe impressive at right back and a busy midfield with Emre and Yildiry Basturk seeing plenty of the ball.

But they did not create scoring chances despite excellent approach play.

Centre back Alpay forced a save from Marcos in the Brazilian goal with a glancing header after an angled cross from the right by Fatih and Emre later curled a free kick over the crossbar from a central position. With captain Hakan Sukur still struggling with his fitness, the veteran was only able to get clear once but the 31st minute chance saw the ball run away from him after a great ball from Fatih bisected the Brazilian defence to give him a glimmer of space to perhaps shoot.

Turkey needed a play-off win last year to reach the finals and came close to reaching the final after a 48 year absence from the tournament.

Ronaldo scored his first goal of the finals against Turkey in their opening group game on June 3rd and then hit his latest to win a close game.