DORTMUND, Germany -- Brazil shattered Japan's World Cup dreams and ended coach Zico's reign in the cruelest of fashions Thursday night as the five-time champion handed out a 4-1 thrashing in their final Group F match.
 |
| Brazil's Ronaldo scores his team's first goal on a header during first-half injury time as Japan goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi and teammates Keisuke Tsuboi and Yuji Nakazawa look on in their World Cup Group F match on Thursday night in Dortmund, Germany. Brazil won 4-1. |
Ronaldo equaled German Gerd Mueller's World Cup finals record of 14 goals with a first-half header and stylish 81st minute curler either side of goals from Juninho Pernambucano and Gilberto, after Keiji Tamada had given Japan a hope-inspiring 34th-minute lead.