Rivaldo shields the ball from Turkey's Emre (Allsport)

By Frank Malley, PA Chief Sports Writer, Saitama

So for all the intrigue and fascinating unpredictability of this 17th World Cup the final on Sunday will be steeped in the old established order.

Brazil v Germany. The spiritual guardians of the game against the ruthless pragmatists. The four-times winners against the three-times winners. The great entertainers versus the master defenders.

The two countries have contested 12 of the 16 finals so far, yet incredibly have never met. Which is why Sunday in Yokohama will truly stage the duel of the champions.

And as Brazil reached their seventh final with a 1-0 triumph over Turkey we thanked heaven and a resurgent Ronaldo for that.

Because for all the romance of Senegal, the optimism of Japan and the revelation of South Korea there is nothing quite like the allure of Brazil.

Just as there are few stories in sport to rival the extraordinary career of Ronaldo.

Ronaldo, the man who suffered a seizure before the final four years ago and wandered around the Stade de France in a daze. The man also who has spent much of the last four years in rehabilitation after suffering a career-threatening knee injury.

Even on the eve of this semi-final Ronaldo's preparation had been drenched in drama - a thigh injury incurred against England jeopardising his appearance.

He underwent intensive physiotherapy and devoured anti-inflammation tablets.

For some bizarre reason, even he doesn't know, he cut his hair into the shape of a triangle. Then he went out and picked up the man-of-the-match award with a second-half goal which highlighted the individualism which drives the thrilling yellow shirts of Brazil.

And then announced in an emotional and theatrical post-match press conference:

"The nightmare is over".

No matter that he was substituted after 68 minutes. Having played just 13 games for his club Inter Milan last season he is still short of full match fitness.

But he had done his work, he had taken the lead in the race for the Golden Boot with six goals in this tournament and he had set Brazil on course for their seventh World Cup final.

Sport throws up characters of such influence and imagination only rarely. It just so happens that this Brazil side possesses two such men - Rivaldo being the other touched with genius.

In a tournament full of good players, but lacking true heroes, full of fine teams but lacking great ones, it is a pleasure and a privilege to witness their skills.

That empty seats dotted parts of the arena here with such wondrous performers on show is a staggering indictment of the incompetence of ticketing arrangements.

Yet for all their individual brilliance, too strong for Turkey and which should have induced a much more flattering scoreline, this is not a vintage Brazilian side.

That was apparent against Belgium when they were lucky to win, though their resilience against England with 10 men was impressive.

It is not in the same fluent class as the men of 1982 or as solid as the samba boys of 1994. Certainly it does not come close to the majesty of the 1970 Brazilians - the greatest football side of all-time.

But that is an unfair comparison, especially in a month in which Brazil have supplied most of the shimmering brilliance on show at this tournament.

Of course, Turkey deserve a mention. Their approach play has been imaginative, their technical skill pleasing on the eye.

But, in truth, they were not a world champion side.

Far from it. Their ambition never extended further than thrusting one or two strikers into the penalty area.

That is not the stuff of dreams. Not with a World Cup final at stake, even if Alpay did produce a header which brought a fabulous save from goalkeeper Marcos after 24 minutes.

Ironically, it was that thrust which sparked Brazil into sweeping ripostes, almost as if the footballing giant needed a prod to emerge from its slumbers.

When it awoke, however, it adorned the Saitama stadium with a series of delightful cameos with Rivaldo inevitably at their heart.

The Barcelona midfielder could have had a hat-trick in the first-half such was the invention of his work.

He would have done, too, but for the alert Rustu Recber who twice kept out goalbound drives with flying saves.

When the goal came, however, it was trademark Brazil, typical Ronaldo.

Surrounded by defenders he picked up the ball, shimmied one way and then the other, darted into the penalty area and toe-poked the ball home from 15 yards.

The description barely does it justice, for it was among the best of this World Cup - a triumph of inventive flair over organised defence.

That the yellow shirts should have had more, many more, is indisputable as they sliced open the Turkey defence at times almost at will.

But that's the nature of this Brazilian side. It promises so much. At times it struggles to deliver.

And yet they are the finalists for which we hoped and prayed after Germany beat South Korea yesterday at a World Cup which has endured poor refereeing decisions, ticketing problems and the defensive thinking of so many sides, including Italy and Spain.

So we will have the beauty of Brazil and a Yokohama stadium swathed in a sea of yellow - and a team which believes the greatest prize can be won by shimmering skill and stirring adventure.

If the price for such a feast is defensive weakness then so be it.

When Brazil ran onto the Saitama pitch the pulse quickened in every football lover.

Win or lose it will be the same on Sunday.

That is what the World Cup is all about.

Do you agree? Send your World Cup feedback to: