Football: Brazilian run ends

BOLIVIA beat Brazil 2-0 in a South American Group B World Cup qualifying match in La Paz yesterday. The result is Brazil's first defeat in a World Cup qualifier in 31 ties stretching back 38 years.

The hosts' midfielder, Marco Etcheverry, gave his side the lead in the 88th minute, helped by a horrendous mistake by Brazil's goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel. One minute later, the Bolivian substitute, Alvaro Pena, ran through a demoralised Brazilian defence to score with an angled shot which went through Taffarel's legs. Nine minutes earlier, Taffarel had been the Brazilian hero when he saved Erwin Sanchez's penalty.

Bolivia, who put seven past Venezuela in their first game, had expected Brazil to struggle in the thin air of La Paz, which is situated at 3700m. Elsewhere in Group B, Uruguay overcame Venezuela 1-0 courtesy of a 59th-minute Jose Herrera strike in San Cristobal.