England's World Cup campaign has already provided joyous exorcism of past defeats - and 7.30 a.m. on Friday morning will give Sven-Goran Eriksson's team the opportunity for more ghostbusting when they meet Brazil in the quarter-finals.
Brazil's 2-0 defeat of Belgium yesterday in the second round of the tournament, with second-half goals from Rivaldo and Ronaldo, set up a repeat of one of football's more evocative milestones: the South Americans' victory over Sir Alf Ramsey's world champions in the group stage of the 1970 finals in Mexico.
The 1970 match in Guadalajara brought together the two finest teams of the era: the Brazil of Pele, Rivelino, Jairzinho and Tostao, against an England side of Bobby Moore, Gordon Banks and Bobby Charlton.
For Brazil, who went on to win the final at a canter, the 1-0 victory was by far the hardest match of a glorious campaign. For England it marked the end of a brief period of global dominance.
Although neither the current Brazil nor England side can yet claim to be on a par with their predecessors of 22 years ago, the team still remaining in the World Cup after the Shizuoka crunch match will be considered favourites for the title.
"England against Brazil will be the best match so far," said Juninho, the Brazil midfielder and former Middlesbrough player. "They are playing well. Whoever wins this match has a great chance to be champions."
Brazil's golden yellow shirts may inspire fear in the world's defenders, but back home yesterday the mood was of fear and caution at the prospect of meeting England. Almost two thirds of voters in a spot internet poll immediately after the match said they were "scared of England".
Pundits on television and radio after Brazil's 2-0 defeat of Belgium were not their usual triumphalist selves and played up the match as a battle in
which David Beckham, Michael Owen and co are seen as favourites.
"Can a team without a midfield win the World Cup? Maybe not," said the leading sports columnist Juca Kfouri, referring to the gaps in Brazil's tactical formation.
Nevertheless, during the game yesterday the streets of Rio were empty as people stayed at home to watch the match. Flags were draped from windows and green and yellow bunting hung from many homes.
The kick-off was at 8.30 a.m. local time and authorities declared a half-day holiday so people could turn up several hours late for work.
The national silence broke twice - once at each goal - when cities became noisy with cheers and firecrackers. Once the game had finished Rio's roads filled up with cars flying Brazilian flags and there were several bottlenecks where people were dancing on the streets. But beneath the euphoria was the worry that the team have to improve. "England have played better than us so far. It will be the toughest game of the tournament," said taxi-driver Luiz Paula. "Whoever wins the Friday game I reckon will win the cup."
At yesterday's match Eriksson and David Beckham led a group of England players to their seats in the VIP box. Rio Ferdinand said the squad would not settle for a "brave defeat" against Brazil.
Despite the world falling in love again with Brazilian football after the team showed classy touches in the first phase, Brazilians are still very critical of the coach Luiz Felipe Scolari.
He is under intense criticism for his tactics and his choice of players. The press has nicknamed the team "Jekyll and Hyde" - attractive when attacking but terrifying in defence.
Superstitious by nature, the Brazilians are counting their luck after refereeing decisions in their favour during the opening game against Turkey and yesterday's against Belgium - who had an apparently good goal disallowed.
A game against England is seen as talismanic. The teams have met three times in World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970) and each time Brazil have gone on to be champions.
A clash between England and Brazil also has symbolic weight. Brazilians respect English football. They affectionately call the game the "violent British sport", since it was the son of British immigrants who introduced it to the country.
