Johannesburg — BRILLIANT Brazil stormed back from the dead, with an awesome attacking show in the second half, to power themselves to victory last night in this unforgettable thriller at Ellis Park and become the first side to successfully defend the Confederations Cup.

Dunga and his men appeared down and out, after falling behind 0-2 at the interval to an inspired United States, but the sum collection of their superior athletic powers helped them bounce back and be crowned champions. Captain Lucio led from the front, powerfully heading home a lovely ball swung in from a corner by substitute Elano in the 84th minute, to give the Brazilians the victory their storming second half show deserved. How different it had all looked at the break. The Brazilians were rattled as the Americans took a two-goal lead, hitting them on the break on either occasion after their attack had collapsed, before the samba boys came back charging in style to turn the game on its head and get their gold prize.

The five-time world champions started the game with composure and sprayed the ball around but it was their opponents who took the lead after just 10 minutes.

Defender Jonathan Spector pumped a speculative ball, from his half, into the Brazilian box and Clint Dempsey guided it expertly, with a deft touch that took it beyond the dive of goalkeeper Julio Cesar into the bottom corner.

The samba boys replied immediately with a flowing move that saw Kaka -- the outstanding player of the tournament -- pick out Robinho wide on the left and the Manchester City forward took a few steps, dropped his shoulders, and placed a good shot to his right.

United States goalkeeper Tim Howard went down quickly and saved expertly. It was a lively opening period and it helped warm the hearts of a sell-out crowd, which included a number of Zimbabweans, on a chilly night in South Africa's biggest city.

Howard was then called upon to make another brilliant save from Felipe Mello as the Brazilians upped the tempo in search of an equaliser and the good money was on them getting the goal.

But, in the 27th minute, the Americans stole the ball from a Brazilian attack and, as Kaka decided not to involve himself in the battle to retrieve it, it was pushed to Landon Donavan who cut the defence with a ball that found Charlie Davies on the left.

Davies brilliantly squared the ball across the field, beyond the Brazilian defence, and it fell to Donavan whose fine touch swept him past Ramirez, surprisingly finding himself in a defensive role, before the American forward steadied himself and then fired an unstoppable shot into the corner. Less than half an hour played and it was the United States 2, Brazil 0. The world, let alone Ellis Park, could hardly believe the drama.

The Brazilians needed inspiration from somewhere and when the outstanding Howard blocked Andre Santos, after he had been put clear by Robinho, it looked like this was not going to be their day. But 40 seconds after the break, the former world champions got the breakthrough that they wanted and the game turned on its head. Maicon pumped a ball forward and Luis Fabiano controlled and turned, full circle, before firing a low and vicious shot into the corner which even Howard, at his best, could not save. The Brazilians knew that they were back in the game and they controlled the pace of the game and should have been level on the hour when Kaka's header, from the blind side, clearly crossed the line before Howard pushed it back, via the underside of the crossbar, to safety.

It was a controversial moment in the game but it clearly spelt out the Brazilians' intent.

And, also, the American's shortcomings when covering the blind side. With 20 minutes remaining, Fabiano held his line brilliantly to avoid the offside trap and then ran clear but Howard, once again, made a great save. But for how long could this American side hold on?

Four minutes later, we got the answer. Kaka, with a sudden burst of pace down the left, left his marker for dead and he drilled the ball across goal and, once again, there was noone on the American blind side and Robinho's connection came off the crossbar. This time Luis Fabiano was on hand to guide home the header for the equaliser -- his fifth goal in the tournament giving the Sevilla man the Golden Shoe award.

Still the drama was not over and, with just six minutes left on the clock, Captain Courageous Lucio rose, again on the blind side, to meet a lovely ball from Elano and guide it home for the winner.

Brazil were champions.

Although the Americans launched one final attack, with defender Oguchi Onyewu just missing the target with a header, the game had been lost and the samba boys could begin their celebrations.

Teams

United States: Tim Howard, Jay DeMerit, Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Jonathan Spector, Ricardo Clark (Conor Casey, 88), Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Charlie Davies, Jozy Altidore (Jonathan Bornstein, 75), Benny Feilhaber (Sacha Klejstan, 75).

Brazil: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Luisao, Lucio, Andre Santos (Daniel Alves, 66), Felipe Melo, Gilberto Silva, Ramires (Elano, 67), Kaka, Robinho, Luis Fabiano.