Soccer: All Whites succumb to Brazil's class

Steven Old (L) and Che Bunce challenge Brazil's Ronaldo. Picture / Reuters

Brazil 4 New Zealand 0

Brazil showed why they are favourites for the World Cup when they comprehensively beat the All Whites in front of a sell-out crowd in Geneva this morning.

Ronaldo opened the scoring in the first half before the Brazilians added another three goals in the second half to give them a 4-0 victory.

Adriano, Kaka and Juninho Pernambucano were the other scorers.

It could have been worse for the All Whites if it wasn't for the performance of goalkeeper Glen Moss.

His continual diving and sprawling across the goal kept the Brazilians quiet for large portions of the match.

Opportunities to score were few and far between for the New Zealand attackers.

Herbert believed his side made a good start against the world's top-ranked team, whose coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, chose his first-string 11 to begin the match.

But the difficulty for the All Whites was maintaining that effort once the opposition stepped up a gear.

"It's sustaining that once the Brazil get into their stride," he said. "They're going to be very difficult to contain in the World Cup."

Herbert said Moss' performance was all the more impressive given that the 23-year-old former New Zealand Knight, who is without a club, didn't make his international debut until this year.

He also pointed out that New Zealand had two 18-year-olds on the pitch at the end, substitutes Jeremy Brockie and Chris James, and a 20-year-old in defender Steven Old.

"I think that speaks volumes for where we are heading."

Old had to play most of the match without his partner in central defence, skipper Danny Hay, who went off in the 25th minute with a stomach muscle injury.

Herbert said Hay's departure was huge setback.

"Danny has been absolutely inspirational with the team, not only on the pitch, but off the pitch," he said.

"That was a massive loss for us so early in the match."

Ronaldo was forced off at halftime due to a blister on his foot.

Parreira said: "We tried to do something to it at halftime but it continued to bother him and the doctor decided the best thing to do was to rest.

"Please don't make a seven-headed animal out of this, it's a blister and nothing more, it's not a big issue. It will be all right in 48 hours."

Brazil now march onto the World Cup in Germany, while the All Whites have completed their European tour on which they recorded a win, a draw and two losses.

Brazil 4 (Ronaldo 42, Adriano 50, Kaka 85, Juninho 90)
New Zealand 0

- REUTERS, NEWSTALK ZB, NZPA