Ronaldo - the man England must stop.

By Frank Malley, PA Chief Sports Writer, Shizuoka

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It is perhaps appropriate that England v Brazil should be an encounter played out almost in the shadow of nearby Mount Fuji.

Rarely before can a football match have pitched together two contrasting, yet equally compelling, footballing forces of nature. The Brazilians with their yellow-clad army of fans, samba beat and thrilling aura against the pristine white of England, the flag of St George and tune to the 'Great Escape'.

The spirit of football against the nation which invented the game. The magnetism of Brazil against the pragmatism of England.

Already it has been billed 'the real final' and with due respect to Germany, Spain, Senegal, Turkey, the United States and the wonderfully invigorating South Korea, it is the match which has split this country, reduced England and Brazil to near hysteria and captured the imagination of football lovers around the world.

It says everything about how far England have come in the 20 months since that woefully depressing defeat against Germany in the last match at Wembley, that they go into this match on a par with the greatest footballing nation the world has seen.

England might not be able to knock down their national stadium, but in double-quick time they can build a team to rival the best on the planet - with a little help, of course, from a Swede in the shape of manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

You only had to observe the two training camps these past few days to get a feel for the different directions from which these two nations approach their football.

With England it is behind covered hoardings, copious security guards and perimeter fences - all military-style efficiency and clinical composure. With Brazil it is sheer pandemonium, a camp where supporters are welcomed, Press are indulged and every day is seemingly the beginning of a fresh carnival.

With Eriksson it is as though his veins are filled with ice. With theatrical Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, otherwise known as Felipao (Big Phil), the fire which not too long ago saw him offer to settle his differences with a referee in the car park is never far away. Two reporters already claim to have felt the power of his fists.

If anything, however, the confidence and the momentum is with England.

They have grown with each match in this unpredictable tournament. Their young stars have matured on the biggest stage and, as so often happens in major competitions, circumstances have pushed the hand of the coach.

The introduction of Trevor Sinclair against Argentina, with Owen Hargreaves going off injured, has lent England a balance on the left-hand side for which they have been yearning for years and for which Emile Heskey was so obviously unsuited against Sweden.

The arrival of Nicky Butt in midfield has brought solidity and compactness, halted teams overrunning the central channels and brought bite where there was timidity.

Those two positional changes, especially with David Beckham still a shade short of full match-fitness, have been crucial in the development of Eriksson's midfield, where Paul Scholes has been a scampering and intelligent menace.

By contrast Brazil's Juninho and Ronaldinho were heavily criticised by Brazilian supporters and Press after the 2-0 victory against Belgium for squandering possession and holding on to the ball too long.

"If we play as badly as we did against Belgium we won't have a chance against England," was the verdict of respected Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo. In the end, however, it will come down to a simple equation. Can England's defence see off the swashbuckling genius of Ronaldo and Rivaldo?

It is by some distance their toughest task thus far, but such has been the consistency of Danny Mills and Ashley Cole on the flanks, the latter nullifying the lightning threat of Denmark's Dennis Rommedahl in the last round, there is every reason for hope.

Add to that the sound central partnership forged by Rio Ferdinand, the supreme defender of this World Cup so far, and Sol Campbell and England quite probably have their best rearguard since 1966 and the days of Bobby Moore, Jack Charlton and mobile full-backs George Cohen and Ray Wilson.

At some stage Brazil's brilliant duo inevitably will work an opening which David Seaman, who at 38 has done everything expected of him so far, will need to repel.

Even with sound defence, a protective midfield and the counter-attacking threat of Michael Owen, assuming his groin problem has healed, England will also need a healthy slice of fortune.

Yet already the great and the even greater have cast their votes in favour of England, including Sir Alex Ferguson and Brazil's 1970 star Tostao.

Expect a single goal again to decide the outcome just as it did 32 years ago.

This time, however, in England's favour.

If so the roar from Stadium Ecopa will eclipse anything in Mount Fuji's volatile history.