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Chile gives Brazil soccer shock

Chile's Marcelo Salas, a doubtful starter with a thigh injury, produced an electric performance to subject four-time world champions Brazil to a humiliating 3-0 defeat.

Salas outshone Brazil's World Player of the Year Rivaldo, setting up two goals and then rounding off by scoring the third, in the Olympic qualifier for the South American group, at Santiago.

Till the start of this qualifying round, Brazil had only lost one qualifying game in its history. This year, they have lost two out of three, having gone down to Paraguay last month.

Salas kicked-started the game in the 25th minute with an inch perfect cross for Fabian Estay to slot home Chile's first goal. In the 44th minute, he stole the ball at the edge of the penalty area, and crossed to Ivan Zamorano who netted with a deft placement. He then administered the coup de grace in the 73rd minute, showing deft control to trap a Pizarro cross before firing home.

This was the first time the two teams were meeting in a qualifier since 1989 at Rio de Janeiro, when Chile walked off after a firecracker landed near goalkeeper Roberto Rojas.

FIFA on that occasion ruled that Rojas had faked injury, and banned him for life. Chile were suspended from the 1994 qualifiers.

Since then, the two teams have met in the 1998 World Cup when Brazil won 4-1, and in the Copa Americana last year when Brazil again won, 1-0.

Elsewhere, Colombia sneaked a win over Uruguay 1-0. The losers had two goals disallowed, another surefire penalty not given.

With these results, the South American placings read Argentine, Colombia, Brazil and Uruguay in joint third place, Chile, and Paraguay.

The next round of action in the qualifying league is on Wednesday.