World player of the year Kaka returned after an 11-month international absence to inspire five-time champions Brazil to a 4-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Venezuela on Sunday.
The 26-year-old AC Milan star was on target after just five minutes and set up the third goal as Brazil moved back into the second place in the South American standings with 16 points, four behind leaders Paraguay.
Manchester City ace Robinho also grabbed a share of the headlines with two sublime goals.
Venezuela came into the match buoyed by having won a friendly between the two nations 2-0 in a friendly in Boston last year, their first ever victory ending a run of 17 successive defeats against their illustrious rivals.
However, within 20 minutes, any hopes Venezuela coach Cesar Farias had off overseeing another shock were extinguished.
With just six minutes gone, Kaka beat goalkeeper Renny Vega with a shot from a difficult angle which went in off the post. It was the AC Milan star’s 23rd international goal in his 60th appearance.
Four minutes later, Robinho made it 2-0 when he cut inside from the left and drove the ball into the back of the net from 30 yards.
By the 20th minute, it was 3-0 with troubled striker Adriano, recalled this year after a series of fitness and disciplinary problems, finding the net from close range.
Kaka had broken from midfield and sent Elano, another Manchester City player on the pitch, free down the left-hand side.
His shot fell invitingly for Adriano to beat Vega and to justify his selection by coach Dunga who was deprived of the injured Luis Fabiano.
Venezuela had chances to hit back before half-time as Brazil’s defensive frailties looked in danger of being exposed, but Alejandro Guerra, Jorge Rojas, Juan Arango and Giancarlo Maldonado all wasted opportunities.
Adriano was booked on the stroke of half-time which means he will be suspended for tomorrow’s visit of Colombia.
Brazil keeper Julio Cesar was twice called on early in the second half to save from Maldonado at close range.
Venezuela paid for their wastefulness after 69 minutes when Robinho added his second goal of the night being put through by Kleber.
Three players were sent off as Ecuador beat Chile 1-0 in an ugly foul-ridden World Cup qualifier on Sunday to revive their chances of qualifying for South Africa.
Ecuador striker Christian Benitez, who fueled the rivalry before the game by saying that Chile had a weak attack, scored the winner in the 71st minute.
Chile appeared to prove Benitez right in his pre-match comments as they failed to muster a shot on goal.
The visitors, who made their last finals appearance in 1998, were in trouble from the 20th minute when defender Ismael Fuentes was sent off for a late tackle on Joffre Guerron.
Ecuador had Luis Antonio Valencia dismissed in the 76th minute for a studs-up challenge and he was followed by Chile defender Gonzalo Jara in the 83rd minute for a second bookable offense.
The match completed the first half of the marathon 18-game South American qualifying campaign.
■AFRICA SECOND ROUND
AFP AND AP, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
Guinea and Mozambique filled the final slots on Sunday as six months of 2010 World Cup-African Nations Cup second-round qualifying drama ended.
Joining them in a draw next Friday to split 20 survivors into five pools are Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, Togo, Tunisia, Sudan and Zambia.
RSS