Bolivia ended Brazil’s 11-game winning streak on Sunday with a 2-1 World Cup qualifying victory at high altitude.
Edgar Olivares headed home a corner in the 10th minute and Werder Bremen’s on-loan striker Marcelo Martins doubled the hosts’ advantage at the Hernando Siles Stadium in the 30th by curling a free kick over the defensive wall beyond flat-footed goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
Daniel Alves, being tried out by Dunga in midfield, almost pulled one back with a drive from outside the box in the 36th minute that came back off the post. Striker Adriano went for the rebound but scuffed his shot wide.
Brazil finally got on the scoreboard in the 70th minute when Maicon got the ball in the Brazil box, passed out right to Ramires and charged into Bolivian territory where he picked up the midfielder’s ball forward and crossed from the right wing for Nilmar to head in.
Brazil were without star players Kaka and Luis Fabiano as coach Dunga fielded a team of mostly reserves having already qualified for next year’s finals in South Africa.
Brazil, who haven’t won at La Paz since 1997, are level with Paraguay atop South American qualifying with 33 points with one match remaining, against Venezuela tomorrow.
Bolivia’s last win — a 6-1 defeat of Argentina in April — also came at 3,600m, but Bolivia is already out of contention for the 2010 tournament as it sits second-bottom with 15 points. It wraps up qualifying against last-place Peru.
The match could be the last at La Paz as FIFA re-examines whether to bar matches above 2,500m without adequate time preparation.
Brazil are at home to Venezuela, who are all but out of the running for the finals, in their final qualifier tomorrow.
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