Brazil gave beleaguered coach Dunga some much-needed respite by making light of a Ronaldinho penalty miss to beat Chile 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Santiago on Sunday.

Luis Fabiano notched two goals for Brazil, which had not scored in its previous three games, and Robinho was also on target while Ronaldinho's spot-kick was superbly saved by the host's goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.

Brazil defender Kleber and Chile midfielder Jorge Valdivia, playing only his second international since completing a 10-match ban for indiscipline, were sent off in the second half of a rough but pulsating match.

Brazil moved from sixth up to second in the 10-team South American group with 12 points from seven games, ahead of Argentina on goal difference and two points behind Paraguay.

Chile, which has lost its last five matches to Brazil and shipped 21 goals in the process, is sixth with 10 points.

The top four teams qualify directly for South Africa and the fifth plays off against the fourth team from the CONCACAF region.

Dunga went into the game under huge pressure after a run of poor results, worsened by the failure of the Olympic team, which he also coached, to win a gold medal in Beijing.

Brazilian media said before the game that anything but a win would end Dunga's two-year spell in charge.

Dunga praised his players' "perfect tactical performance."

"We succeeded in closing spaces to the rival and opening our own space for our counterattacks," he said.

Luis Fabiano scored in the 21st minute against the run of play, heading in Ronaldinho's free kick.

After Ronaldinho's penalty kick was saved, Robinho made it 2-0 a minute before halftime off a pass from Luis Fabiano, who finished the scoring in the 82nd with a solo run past defender Gary Medel.

A minute into the second half, Brazil was reduced to 10 men after Kleber was ejected for his second yellow card.

But Chile also lost a key player when Valdivia was expelled for a violent foul on Diego in the 61st.

Dunga said his most difficult decision during the match was to replace Ronaldinho after Kleber was expelled.

"But his reaction was very good. Being one of the world's best players, he is great not only as a player but also as a man," Dunga said of Ronaldinho.

Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa said his team's key problem "was the physical weakness in our defense, facing a team which is very strong physically."

Tomorrow, Chile will host Colombia, and Brazil will welcome Bolivia.

(Agencies via Shanghai Daily September 9, 2008)