But will Brazil be celebrating against England? (Allsport)

By Frank Malley, PA Chief Sports Writer, Kobe

David Beckham and co came along to the Kobe stadium to improve their education on the undeniable skills of Brazil.

They left having sat through a familiar lesson - there is nothing more important than the three Rs.

In Brazil's case that means Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and Ronaldo. But apart from the three Rs there is precious little England need to brush up on when they face Brazil in the World Cup quarter-final in Shizuoka on Friday.

That was the first conclusion from a 2-0 Brazil victory over Belgium which exposed as many flaws as it revealed magic in the World Cup favourites.

But for a distinctly dodgy decision by Jamaican referee Peter Prendergast, who ruled out Marc Wilmots' headed 'goal' in the 36th minute for a push on Roque Junior, which no-one else on the entire Asian continent saw, then England could quite easily have been lining up against Belgium on Friday.

The second conclusion is that in Brazil there is a static and fragile defence which is made for the lightning bursts of Michael Owen.

And while it may be a little premature to start booking tickets for the semi-final in Saitama just yet there is no reason to believe that the wave of euphoria England have been riding this past fortnight is about to hit the rocks.

True, it should be said, there is still a wonderfully thrilling quality about the fashion in which Brazil come forward.

Their poise and balance are pleasing on the eye, much of the play goes through the compact and tidy Juninho, formerly of Middlesbrough, in midfield.

But essentially this is a Brazil which is full of nifty tricks, flashy flicks and inventive thrusts - an entertaining circus act for sure, but World Cup champions? Not on this evidence.

There is good reason why Brazil won only a third of their qualifying games and arrived in the Far East as only third favourites for this tournament.

They might wear the same thrilling yellow shirts as their famous forebears but they are some way short of the Brazilian sides which live in the memory.

Considerably short, in fact, of the 1982 version of Zico and Socrates which should have danced its way to the World Cup but was caught cold by the Italy of Paolo Rossi.

Not even deserving of comparison with the greatest team of all-time, the 1970 artists comprising the likes of Pele, Jairzinho, Rivelino and Tostao.

The latter was here, as it happened, working for Brazilian television and he must have wondered quite how far his nation had fallen since those heady days when their majesty coined the famous, the 'Beautiful Game'.

As it was Brazil manager Felipe Scolari put his side's less-than-convincing display after the exhibition performances against a weak Costa Rica and a dreadful China down to the nerves of players and supporters.

Judging by the way those supporters reacted to the arrival of the England contingent - manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, players and backroom staff - then Brazil's nerves may be even more fraught come the weekend.

The pre-match warm-up was totally overshadowed and the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole, Ashley Cole, Owen Hargreaves, Nicky Butt and Teddy Sheringham also looked on with bewilderment as Beckham took his seat.

The entire band of Brazilian fans on one side of the ground turned round to take photographs of the England captain, throwing Japanese security into turmoil.

Surely the first time in living memory that the Samba army have turned their backs on their own team.

There is, however, one saving grace about 2002 Brazil - they are not prima donnas. They do not strut and preen themselves like some teams of old.

They shed bucketfuls of sweat in the cause. They fight for every ball, compete for every tackle and such industry is always going to give the three Rs an opportunity.

So it proved, though fortune too follows the pounding beat of the samba drums.

Rivaldo's swivel, control with the chest and volley in the 67th minute was brilliant but it also took a wicked deflection past Belgian goalkeeper Geert De Vlieger.

Even Ronaldo's late clincher, his fifth goal of the competition, found its way fortuitously through the legs of the goalkeeper.

It was all so cruel on Belgium captain Wilmots, whose influence showed the maturity of his 33 years.

Three of his second-half thrusts went perilously close to giving Belgium the lead which their enterprising play deserved.

But if Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell display the form which has taken England thus far, if Danny Mills and Ashley Cole repel the threat of the overlapping Roberto Carlos and Cafu and if Beckham turns heads on the field as he did tonight off it then England can truly begin to dream of embracing the World Cup.

Indeed, when the England contingent rose from their seats 10 minutes from the end for a smooth exit there was a big smile on the face of assistant coach Steve McClaren and a twinkle in the eye of Beckham to match the diamond stud in his ear.

They had taken a peek into the future - and it was not nearly as daunting as they might have feared.

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