SANTIAGO // Manchester City's British record signing helped to give his national manager Dunga some much-needed respite by scoring a goal in Brazil's 3-0 win over Chile in a World Cup qualifier on Sunday. Robinho, who was signed by City shortly after the club were taken over by the Abu Dhabi-based United Group for Development and Investment (ADUG), put Brazil two up on the stroke of half time. Luis Fabiano netted either side of Robinho's goal for a Brazilian team who had not scored in their previous three games. The winning margin should have been wider but Ronaldinho had a penalty saved.
Brazil defender Kleber and Chile midfielder Jorge Valdivia, playing only his second international since completing a 10-match ban, were sent off in the second half. The result moved Brazil from sixth 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. Brazil now face Bolivia in Rio de Janeiro in their next match tomorrow. Dunga went into the game against Chile under huge pressure after a run of poor results, worsened by the failure of the Olympic team, who he also coached, to win a gold medal in Beijing. The Brazilian media had said that anything but a win would end Dunga's two-year spell in charge.
City's £32.5million (Dh213.7m) signing Robinho said: "We took our chances and we deserved to win. It is easy to play with Ronaldinho and Luis Fabiano when we have the ball. "The problems begin when we don't have it as we have to move back and mark." Meanwhile, the Manchester City manager Mark Hughes said that the club would not abandon their respected youth policy. Well over 20 first-team players have emerged through the Blues ranks in recent years, including Shaun Wright-Phillips, who last month returned to Eastlands after having been sold to Chelsea for £21million.
There had been fears that huge transfer funds made available by ADUG would block the route to the first team for City's home-grown players. Hughes said: "The youth policy still has a role to play. With extra funds it can produce even better players." * With agencies