Brazil go second as Argentina get hit for six

Argentina were thumped 6-1 by Bolivia in a World Cup qualifier on Wednesday and shattered coach Diego Maradona said that each goal was like a stab in his heart.

Paraguay scored in injury-time to draw 1-1 in Ecuador and stay top of the South American group while Brazil moved into second place after two goals from Luis Fabiano helped them to a 3-0 win in Peru.

Argentina forward Lionel Messi was upstaged by a player from the Mexican second division as Maradona's 100 per cent record went up in smoke at 3,600 metres above sea level in La Paz.

Bolivia striker Joaquin Botero, who plays for a team called Correcaminos (Road Runners), scored a hat-trick and took his tally in the competition to eight goals.

Marcelo Martins, Alex Da Rosa and Didi Torrico were also on target for Bolivia as Argentina shipped six goals for the first time since they lost by the same score to Czechoslovakia at the 1958 World Cup.

Luis Gonzalez replied for Argentina, briefly putting them back on level terms in the 25th minute, before a Botero penalty and Alex Da Rosa header gave Bolivia a 3-1 half-time lead, Martins having opened the scoring in the 12th minute.

Botero added two more in the second half and Torrico completed the rout.

"I suffered with them (the Argentine public)," Maradona said, himself appearing short of breath.

"Every Bolivia goal was a stab in my heart."

Before taking over as coach last October, Maradona had publicly backed Bolivia's campaign against a FIFA ban on high altitude matches, playing in a charity match in La Paz alongside the country's president Evo Morales. The ban was later overturned.

Argentina slipped to fourth in the 10-team group with 19 points from 12 games, the lowest of the positions in which they can finish and qualify directly for South Africa in 2010.

Fifth place would mean a two-leg play off against the fourth side from the CONCACAF region.

Brazil had little trouble in overcoming demoralised, table-propping Peru in Porto Alegre.

Luis Fabiano put them ahead with an 18th-minute penalty after a foul on Kaka and added another nine minutes later.

Midfielder Felipe Melo scored the third in the 64th minute.

Results: Brazil vs Peru 3-0; Chile vs Uruguay 0-0; Ecuador vs Paraguay 1-1.