Brazil thump Costa Rica

Group C
Costa Rica 2
Brazil 5

Brazil thumped Costa Rica 5-2 yesterday to reach the second round with a maximum nine points and eliminate their brave opponents in an exhilarating game.

The four times champions, favourites for another world title after the shock exits of France and Argentina, played brilliantly in the first half and scored five goals in a finals match for the first time since the 1958 final against Sweden.

Ronaldo maintained his record of scoring in every game as Brazil took their first-round goals tally to 11, the most they have ever mustered in the tournament's opening phase.

Costa Rica, needing a draw or a narrow high-scoring defeat to go through, had several opportunities as they carved through a ragged Brazilian defence. However, they could not get the extra goals they needed and bowed out of the tournament with four points, the same tally as Turkey.

Brazil joined Spain as the second team to qualify with maximum points and will play Japan, Russia, Belgium or Tunisia in the second round.

"We understand that people see us as favourites, but we don't think that ourselves," Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said. "We have to keep our calm and we have to reach each game with our concentration very high."

Costa Rica had the first clear opportunity when Mauricio Wright headed over the bar after nine minutes. But instead of taking a shock lead, within a minute Costa Rica fell behind when defender Luis Marin, desperately trying to beat Ronaldo to a low Edilson cross, poked the ball into his own net.

Three minutes later it was 2-0 as Ronaldo seized on some hesitant defending by Harold Wallace to score his third goal of the tournament with a low shot.

Edmilson then gave a lesson in finishing seven minutes before the break, swivelling mid-air to score with a spectacular overhead kick from a deflected Junior cross.

Costa Rica pulled one back almost immediately when striker Paulo Wanchope played a clever one-two with Wright before scoring with a deflected low shot.

In first-half injury time Rivaldo hammered a free-kick against a post, Junior knocking the rebound wide.

Two great tackles by Gilberto Martinez soon after the restart prevented further Brazilian goals and Costa Rica took heart and launched a series of attacks. Anderson Polga cleared a Wanchope shot off the line and goalkeeper Marcos tipped over a rising Carlos Castro shot.

The pressure paid off in the 56th minute when second-half substitute Steven Bryce clipped in a superb cross from the right which Ronald Gomez met with a diving header.

That strike could have been enough to send Costa Rica through on goals scored but their dreams disappeared as Brazil struck twice in two minutes. In the 62nd minute Rivaldo turned in a low Junior cross and Junior himself added the fifth with a firm shot from 10 metres after breaking clear of the defence.

Costa Rica: Lonnis; Martinez, (Parks 74), Wright, Marin; Wallace (Bryce 46), Solis (Fonseca 65), Lopez, Castro, Centeno; Wanchope, Gomez.

Brazil: Marcos; Lucio, Polga, Edmilson; Cafu, Silva, Junior, Juninho (Ricardinho 60), Rivaldo (Kaka 72); Ronaldo, Edilson (Kleberson 57).

Referee: Gamal Ghandour (Egypt).

Scorers: Wanchope 39, Gomez 56; Marin 10 og, Ronaldo 13, Edmilson 38, Rivaldo 62, Junior 64.

Yellow card: Cafu.

HT: 1-3. Attendance: 38,524.