Until this year, Brazil`s national soccer team had never lost three games in a row. The Selecao had never lost a World Cup qualifying match at home. It had never had anything but wins against a visiting Venezuela team, for many years the weakest in South America.

Interim coach Fernando Diniz, however, has had to endure all those setbacks in only a few months on the job all while Brazil hopes that Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will soon take over.