Six-goal Brazil rout Bolivia in friendly

A Brazil team filled with fresh faces routed Bolivia 6-0 on Thursday in a friendly in which the visitors offered little resistance.

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari gave seven players their first taste of international football, and Bolivia were over-run as much by the enthusiasm as by the skill of the home side.

Scolari's side produced little of the flowing football for which they are renowned, but Atletico Paranaense's Kleberson made an encouraging debut and the young midfielder was the key playmaker in the game.

Brazil started uneasily but grew in confidence as Kleberson, Juninho and Edilson began carving their way through the midfield.

The crowd were starting to get impatient when Cris met a Kleberson cross to break the deadlock on 43 minutes.

Gilberto Silva made it 2-0 in the opening minute of the second half, and from that moment Brazil were able to relax.

Silva scored a neat header in the 54th minute before Kleberson grabbed the best goal of the night when he rifled home a loose ball from the edge of the box nine minutes later.

Washington and Anderson Polga also got on the scoresheet with close-range headers in the 72nd and 86th minutes.

The frequent flow of substitutions did not help the quality of the game, but the win will boost Brazil's confidence as they start their preparations for the World Cup finals in South Korea and Japan in May and June.

Scolari had been vilified by many fans after deciding not to call-up veteran striker Romario.

Juninho acknowledged after the game that the scoreline had provided some welcome relief from the pressure.

"The best way to silence the complaints is with a good win, with plenty of goals. The other objectives, such as playing beautiful football, become easier after a victory," he said.

Bolivia's defeat was their first under Argentine coach Carlos Leon Trucco.

Bolivia's three wins under his command included a 3-1 victory over Brazil in a World Cup qualifying game.

Brazil now travel to Riyadh to play Saudi Arabia in a friendly next Wednesday.

Team coordinator Antonio Lopes announced one change to the squad with Djalminha, who plays for Spanish club Deportivo Coruna, coming in for Esquerdinha of Santos.