Scolari celebrates with keeper Marcos. (Allsport)
RONALDO - I WAS PUNCHED
By Jason Hughes, PA Sport, Saitama
Ronaldo has accused Turkish defender Bulent Korkmaz of punching him during Brazil's 1-0 World Cup semi-final triumph in Saitama.
The Brazilian striker, who scored his side's only goal just after half-time, said Korkmaz, the 33-year-old Galatasaray defender, struck him on the top of the head after the pair had grappled for the ball.
They then squared up to each other and the incident provoked simmering bad feeling between the two sides.
"We fell together to the floor and when I got back up that is when we had the problem," said Ronaldo, who complained to referee Kim Milton-Nielsen.
"He stepped on me and I felt him hit me with his fist on my head. That made me very angry. I was furious. That is the only reason that I reacted as I did."
Turkish coach Senol Gunes, however, countered Ronaldo's claims with his own accusations that the Brazilians had used dirty tricks.
Gunes echoed the claims of England's Teddy Sheringham who had described the Brazilians as masters of time-wasting and admitting England had been too naive.
"The Brazilian players used their tactics very well," said Gunes. "Our players should not have been reacting. I told them not to but my players were angry."
Ronaldo, who has been plagued by knee problems since the last World Cup added: "I don't feel I have any need to explain the last two years of suffering which I have been through.
"But I have to say the nightmare is now over. Every time I take to the pitch, for me it is an honour and a joy, and every goal I score is a victory.
"Now, in helping Brazil to the final, it is my aim to continue such happiness. It is a final in which I plan to score the most important goal of my career.
"The one I scored here made me feel so happy. It was a great feeling to score, but it is a goal which is not for me, but for the entire team, one which has taken us to the final."
Ronaldo, though, is clearly not fully fit even now as he looked out of sorts and unfit in the opening 45 minutes against the Turks, mainly due to the fact he has been struggling with a thigh problem since the quarter-final victory over England.
Ronaldo now intends to put his feet up ahead of the final, as he added: "I'm going to recover and rest because this game was a hard one in what has been a hard World Cup.
"I felt muscle pains in the lower part of my legs, while I had some pain in my thigh."
Meanwhile, boss Luiz Felipe Scolari claimed he knew all along that Brazil would beat Turkey.
Scolari said: "It is really something very big what we have achieved but I felt positive energy from the Brazilian players, supporters and the bench.
"We are pleased that we have now been able to make the fans so happy and we thank them for having the patience.
"They will be cheering now and my team will be cheering now too in the dressing room, but after that the players will start thinking about the next game."
Match-winner Ronaldo recovered from a thigh injury to take Brazil into their third successive World Cup final.
Scolari said: "Ronaldo's injury did not really worry us. When I saw him with his strange haircut I knew that we would see his positive side here.
"We knew from seeing him before the game and then during the game that he was fine.
"I only substituted him towards the end to keep him fresh for the final."
Scolari admits he is now looking forward to a reunion with Germany coach Rudi Voller when their teams meet in Sunday's final in Yokohama.
"I met Voller at the World Cup finals draw and it was a peculiar situation because both our teams had struggled to qualify.
"We hugged each other and I said to him 'I will see you in the final'.
"When I see him again I will give him another hug."
Scolari praised the stout resistance put up by Turkey, who they also beat 2-1 in their opening group game.
"We expected them to be hard opponents, very tough," he said.
"They are a very good team, especially in the part of the field between midfield and attack.
"They create a lot of of opportunities. However, even though we won, we expected it to perhaps be by a higher margin, but that did not happen.
"Finally though I would like to congratulate the Turkey coach for putting his team in the best four in the world. That is quite some achievement."
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