Match Report: Brazil dismantle Honduras 7-0 in last friendly before Copa America
Full time Score: Brazil 6-0 Honduras
(Jesus-6', 47'; Silva-13'; Coutinho-37' (P); Neres-56'; Firmino-65'; Richarlison-70')
Brazil showed no signs of missing star player Neymar as they made light work of a Honduras side reduced to 10 men by a scoreline of 7-0 with Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus bagging a brace.
This was the last preparatory friendly before Brazil begin their Copa America 2019 campaign on home soil and the Selecao will go into the tournament with confidence garnered by two wins in their last two games.
Manager Tite made three changes from the side that beat Qatar 2-0 on Thursday with David Neres coming in for Neymar on the left wing, Thiago Silva replacing Miranda at centre-back and Alisson returning in goal replacing Ederson.
Brazil hit the ground running with their pacy wingers Richarlison and David Neres constantly putting the Honduran defenders under pressure. Wonderful play down the right flank between Richarlison and Dani Alves resulted in Jesus opening the scoring in the 6th minute with a fine header.
Thiago Silva doubled the Selecao's advantage in the 13th minute with a brilliant glancing header from a Philippe Coutinho corner. Honduras' game got even worse when winger Romell Quinto was sent off in the 29th minute for a reckless, two-footed tackle on Barcelona midfielder Arthur Melo.
Brazil were awarded a penalty in the 37th minute after Richarlison was fouled by Honduran left-back Emilio Izaguirre in the box. Coutinho stepped up to score smartly, slotting the ball into the top left corner past goalkeeper Luiz Lopez.
The Barcelona playmaker grew into the game after his goal and was unlucky not once but two times with two of his trademark long distance curlers coming off the opposition post.
Brazil refused to take the foot off the gas post the break with Richarlison intelligently finding Jesus with a header after drawing away two Honduran defenders. The Manchester City made no mistake finishing with aplomb to make the scoreline 4-0 by the 47th minute.
Ajax's 22-year-old winger David Neres, who had impressed in this season's UEFA Champions League scored a fantastic solo goal in the 56th minute. Running onto a long ball from Felipe Luis, the dimunitive speedster broke into the Honduran box and brilliantly fooled Luiz Lopez by feigning to cut the ball back, only to poke the ball past the goalkeeper's near post.
Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino came off the bench to grab a 6th goal for the Selecao in the 65th minute, stealing the ball from Honduran defender Maynor Figueroa and calmly lifting the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper.Richarlison got his just rewards for a hardworking performance, tapping in Brazil's 7th goal in the 70th minute after a brilliant cutback from substitute Everton Soares.
Brazil will go into their Copa America opener againt Bolivia (Saturday, 15th June) with a spring in their step thanks to this morale boosting victory.