FRANCE 98 – Match Summary n°49

Brazil emphatically booked their place in the World Cup quarter-finals after a mesmerising 4-1 performance which left Chile reeling at the Parc de Princes here on Saturday.

Sampaio crashed home a second and Ronaldo hit the third from the spot to bury the Chileans by the break. Brazilian coach Mario Zagallo could already see the trophy in his hands. ” The cup is ours,”   he forecast.

And he warned that Ronaldo, despite the fact he scored two goals and twice hit the woodwork, was still not at his best. “He can do better,”  warned Zagallo. Regardless, Ronaldo had a huge grin on his face when he appeared afterwards.

“I’m really happy. I think we were really strong tonight and it proves we are ready to defend our title,”   said the world player of the year, who has now notched three goals at the World Cup. Ronaldo easily won his battle with the Za-Sa partnership of Inter Milan teammate Ivan Zamorano and Lazio-bound Marcelo Salas, who at least grabbed a consolation with a second half header. “Brazil were just far too strong for us in the end although we played quite well,” said Salas.

Zamorano was quick to pay tribute to Ronaldo. “When he plays like this he is just unstoppable. There was nothing we could do against him,” he sighed.

It was a spectacular return for Sampaio who missed the Norway defeat through suspension.

Aside from that it was Samba all the way as Ronaldo answered his critics, including former Brazil star Zico, who said he hadn’t pulled his weight in the first round, in sensational fashion. But that didn’t stop Zagallo giving him flak.