Venezuela score maiden win over Brazil

Foxborough, Massachusetts: Giancarlo Maldonado and Ronald Vargas scored first-half goals and Venezuela beat Brazil 2-0 for the first time with surprising ease in a friendly on Friday.

Brazil coach Dunga used a new starting lineup — except for Robinho, who scored the winner against Canada in a 3-2 win in Seattle on Saturday — and they didn’t produce. Brazil had struggled to get past Canada earlier , and they failed to impress against Venezuela.

At halftime, the players left the field to a chorus of boos from the pro-Brazilian crowd of 54,045, who formed a sea of yellow and green around the lower bowl and about half of the upper sections of Gillette Stadium.

But many of them left disappointed, with the stands about half full with about 10 minutes left. For most of the opening 35 minutes Brazil controlled the play in the Venezuela end, but trailed 1-0.

Maldonado got behind the defence and chipped in a shot in the sixth minute. Venezuela’s Juan Arango nearly made it 2-0 in the 35th minute but his left-footed kick rolled just past the left post. Vargas’ goal in the 44th came when he dribbled around defenceman Luisao and beat goalkeeper Doni by sending a left-footed kick inside the right post. Brazil’s best bid came in the second half when Diego’s bicycle kick in the 57th minute hit the right post.

It started out as a magical evening for Brazilian fans, who were roaring when their players entered the stadium. Some communities in the area had signs up in storefronts promoting the team’s second match in Foxborough in nine months. Brazil beat Mexico 3-1 in September last year.

There was a brief delay in the 67th minute when a shirtless male fan ran onto the field and hugged Robinho before being handcuffed and led off by police. During the delay, flares were shot onto the field from the stands.

Brazil resumes World Cup qualifiers on June 14 at Paraguay and host Argentina on June 17. Venezuela will be at Uruguay and at home against Chile. — AP