Brazil were never concerned about losing against England in the 2002 World Cup quarter-final, despite going 1-0 down when Michael Owen scored in the 23rd minute.
With the likes of Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu and Roberto Carlos forming a star-studded Brazil side, the Selecao knew they had the quality to turn things around in Japan at the Shizuoka Stadium.
Roque Junior started that match for Brazil at centre-back, overcoming that early setback to keep England out for the rest of the game, allowing the talented forward-line to turn things around.
Brazil never feared losing to England in 2002, even after going a goal down or losing Ronaldinho to a red card
“I didn’t panic, because there was a lot of time left in the game,” Roque Junior exclusively tells FourFourTwo. “We’d already come from 1-0 behind in our opening match against Turkey, so I knew we had the ability to turn the match around. It was just about staying calm, keeping focus and sticking to our plan. England were a strong team, but we didn’t lose composure and, in the end, our belief in ourselves paid off.”
Indeed, Rivaldo levelled the scores just before half-time, before Ronaldinho scored a free-kick he definitely did/didn’t – depending on who you ask – mean. Roque Junior certainly didn’t expect his team-mate to be attempting to lob David Seaman from such an improbable distance.
“I was definitely expecting a cross,” Roque Junior adds. “But Ronaldinho had decided to shoot and it turned out to be the right decision. He says to this day that he meant it, and I believe him. It was an incredible goal. I had the best view of it, being in the box, and it’s something I’ll never forget. We deserved that goal because we’d been the better team, and it was a huge morale boost. Beating England wasn’t easy, but that game gave us even more belief in ourselves.”
Ronaldinho’s red card with 35 minutes left of the game did little to stop Brazil’s confidence either.
“England’s style of play made it easier for us to defend, even with 10 men,” Roque Junior says. “They relied heavily on long balls and we had tall defenders who could handle it. We dropped back a bit more after Ronaldinho’s red card, but England didn’t create many real chances. Their strategy played into our hands, and we managed to hold on without too much fear of losing.”
That 2-1 victory ensured Brazil progressed to the semi-finals, with a 1-0 win over Turkey setting up a final against Germany in Yokohama. Roque Junior played in six of Brazil’s seven games that tournament, missing just the final group game against Costa Rica.
Naturally, the 2-0 win in the final stands out most for the former centre-back, commending his team-mates for managing to overcome the final loss from four years prrevious.
“The final is the most vivid memory, of course,” he tells FFT. “Becoming world champion for your country is an incomparable feeling.
“The beginning of our journey was also significant. There was so much pressure on us because Brazil had lost the final in 1998, which increased expectations. Veteran players like Roberto Carlos, Cafu Rivaldo and Ronaldo were vital for us. They had been in the ’98 final defeat to France and were determined to win this time.
“Their focus and determination motivated us younger players. I learned loads from them. Every training session was intense. That group was focused, and it was clear from the start that we had one goal: winning the World Cup.”
