Porto Alegre, June 11 (IANS) A first-half strike from Roberto Firmino earned Brazil a 1-0 victory over Honduras in an international football friendly here.
Firmino provided a rare moment to remember at the Beira-Rio Stadium on Wednesday when he finished off a fine move initiated by Filipe Luis, reports Xinhua.
The Chelsea full-back played a clever one-two with Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho before laying off a perfectly weighted pass to Firmino. The Hoffenheim attacker’s first-time finish left goalkeeper Noel Valladares with no chance.
Barcelona forward and Brazil captain Neymar was introduced at halftime, barely four days after the Catalan club’s 3-1 victory over Juventus in the Champions League final in Berlin. The 23-year-old made little impact, though he did force a reflex save from Valladares (64th minute).
The match was Brazil’s last chance to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the Copa America in Chile. Dunga’s team have been drawn in the same group as Colombia, Peru and Venezuela for the quadrennial tournament. The ‘Selecao’ will play their first match against Peru in Temuco on June 14.
