Brazil ignores presidential order in rout of Haiti

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) -- Brazilians on Thursday commemorated their 6-0 rout of Haiti in an exhibition game -- and Haitians seemed just as happy.

Brazil's five-time World Cup champions ignored a presidential request not to run up the score in Wednesday's game, intended to promote peace in the Caribbean nation, still recovering from the rebellion that led to the Feb. 29 ouster of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. But Haiti didn't seem to mind.

"It was an honor to play with the world champions," defender Jean Pierre said in an interview on Pele's web site, www.pele.net.

Fans thronged the streets to cheer the Brazilian team as it arrived Wednesday aboard armored personnel carriers at the stadium in Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital.

Even Brazil's World Cup veterans were awed.

"It was like the return from the world championship," three-time FIFA Player of the Year award winner Ronaldo said.

"I've never seen anything like this. I'll remember it forever," teammate Roberto Carlos added.

Forgotten was a request by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who asked thge Brazilian team not to win by too big a margin. Haiti, rated 95th of 205 national teams in the latest FIFA Rankings, have qualified for just one World Cup, in 1974.

Da Silva attended the match Wednesday.

Barcelona midfielder Ronaldinho was the hero, with three goals. Roger added a pair and Nilmar scored one. Ronaldo played only the first half and had a pair of assists.

"An unforgettable fiesta," the Rio sporting daily Lance said.

"Make goals, not war," read the headline in Jornal do Brasil.

The game also gave coach Carlos Alberto Parreira a chance to test the patched-up roster Brazil will use in its next 2006 World Cup qalifying match, against Bolivia on Sept. 5.

Parreira was angry that two European clubs refused to release their Brazilian members for the Haiti game. Parreira felt the players should have insisted to go, and in retaliation he left five starters off the team for the Bolivia game.

Missing will be team captain Cafu, goalkeeper Dida and midfielder Kaka, of Italy's AC Milan. Also gone are defender Lucio and midfielder Ze Roberto of Germany's Bayern Munich.

Bazil leads the South American table for the World Cup with 13 points. Bolivia is in last place, with six.