AUCKLAND – The Oly-Whites found themselves on the wrong end of a golden signal of Olympic intent from Ronaldinho’s Brazil on Sunday night, losing 0-5 to the favourites in Shenyang.

Despite five World Cup victories, two Confederation Cups and a total of seven age-group World Cups at U-20 and U-17 levels, Brazil have never claimed football’s Olympic goal medal but let the rest the field know it’s still on their list of souvenirs to take home from Beijing.

Ronaldinho led the way with two goals but his AC Milan team-mate Alexandre Pato also netted as did Manchester United forward Anderson and second half substitute Rafael Sobis in a mesmerising victory that booked a quarter-final berth with a game in hand.

New Zealand meanwhile, must now beat Belgium on Wednesday to have a chance of claiming second place in the group ahead of the Europeans and China, who met after New Zealand’s game, but that was always the aim for coach Stu Jacobs.

“Our goal was to always get a result against China, which we did, and then to get a something out of Belgium,” Jacobs said.

“The end result of trying to get through [to the quarter-finals] hasn’t changed and we head into Wednesday’s match against Belgium with a hell of a chance.”

For that match the Oly-Whites will be without both Ryan Nelsen – who now returns to Blackburn – and in-form forward Jeremy Brockie – who picked up his second yellow card of the tournament – but will have All White Steven Old back from his suspension.

It may have taken China 88 minutes to unlock New Zealand’s defence on Thursday but it took AC Milan starlet Pato just three.

The 18-year-old prodigy threaded a ball through for Anderson who needed three attempts to get the ball past a desperate Jacob Spoonley and a scrambling defence.

The combination of Milan and Manchester for the first goal switched to Madrid and Milan for the second with Real Madrid fullback Marcelo providing an inch-perfect cross for Pato to double the lead.

Ronaldinho reached into his bag of tricks to help Brazil get the ball in the net a third time but after wriggling his way past three defenders his no-look pass was played a fraction late to Marcelo – who was already offside when he played in Pato for what would’ve been his second goal.

The Brazilian captain – who moved from Barcelona to AC Milan in the European summer – did eventually conjure a third goal, a low free kick from the edge of the area that somehow found its way through a forest of blue and white socks, and past Spoonley, untouched.

New Zealand continued to toil, but it by then it was Ronaldinho’s show and the twice FIFA World Player of the Year latched onto an Anderson header to win a 61st minute penalty, which he would duly convert himself for Brazil’s fourth and his second.

The Oly-Whites did enjoy extended patches of possession but largely in their own half, and while they did create chances, Brazil’s keeper Renan was never tested by Cole Peverley’s long-range efforts in each half, blocked shots from Simon Elliott and Chris Killen, and a few dangerous set-pieces.

Substitute Rafael Sobis added the final gloss on the victory by adding a fifth goal in injury time, but Jacobs is pleased with the way his squad made up of players largely from the New Zealand Football Championship stuck to their task against the world’s best.

“What they didn’t do is throw in the towel,” Jacobs said.

“The players weren’t in awe of Brazil but they realise they were up against the best in the world.

“I think Brazil were a level above where they were against Belgium and we looked a bit tired.

“The China match took a lot more out of us than we expected but that’s understandable given we played most of that game with ten men.”

Men’s Olympic Football Tournament: Group C

Shenyang Olympic Stadium

Sunday 10 August

New Zealand 0 Brazil 5 (Anderson 3, Alexandre Pato 32, Ronaldinho 55, 61-pen, Rafael Sobis 90+3)

New Zealand: 1-Jacob SPOONLEY (GK), 2-Aaron SCOTT (9-Daniel ELLENSOHN 62), 5-Ryan NELSEN (Captain), 6-Michael BOXALL, 3-Ian HOGG, 11-Jeremy BROCKIE, 4-Cole PEVERLEY, 7-Simon ELLIOTT, 13-Shaun VAN ROOYEN (16-Sam JENKINS 46), 8-Craig HENDERSON, 10-Chris KILLEN (15-Greg DRAPER 46).

Substitutes not used: 14-Cole TINKLER, 17-Sam MESSAM, 18-Liam LITTLE (RGK).

Not available: 12-Steven OLD (suspended).

Coach: Stu Jacobs

Cautions: Jeremy BROCKIE, Sam JENKINS

Brazil: 12-RENAN (GK), 2-RAFINHA (13-ILSINHO 66), 3-ALEX SILVA, 5-HERNANES, 6-MARCELO, 7-ANDERSON, 8-LUCAS, 9-ALEXANDRE PATO (17-RAFAEL SOBIS 71), 10-RONALDINHO (Captain), 14-BRENO, 15-DIEGO (16-THIAGO NEVES 71).

Substitutes not used: 1-DIEGO ALVES (RGK), 4-THIAGO SILVA, 11-RAMIRES, 18-JO

Story provided by NZF Media. For full story visit www.nzsoccer.com

Standings:

Team

 P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Brazil 2 2 0 0 6 0 6 6
China 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
New Zealand 2 0 1 1 1 6 -5 1
Belgium 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0

Photos provided by FIFA Media. For more visit www.fifa.com