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Willian strike gives Brazil victory

Sept 10 - Brazil beat Ecuador 1-0 in an international friendly in New Jersey on Tuesday with a first half goal from Willian enough to give coach Dunga his second successive victory.

The goal came on the half hour from a well-rehearsed free kick. Oscar hit a short pass to Neymar who lifted a curled pass over the defence to Willian, who controlled the ball and slipped it into the net with the outside of his right foot.

Ecuador almost equalised six minutes later but Enner Valencia's right foot shot hit the base of the post after beating goalkeeper Jefferson.

The West Ham United striker also had a looping header cleared off the line by Filipe Luis 16 minutes into the second half as Ecuador enjoyed their best spell of the game.

Brazil's best chance of the second half fell to Neymar in the 47th minute but the Barcelona striker missed an open goal from four yards out with the keeper on the ground.

Ecuador fielded a young team but they were quick and fearless and frequently stretched a Brazilian back four that had never played together at international level.

The quartet of Danilo, Marquinhos, Miranda and Filipe Luis defended well, however, and a midfield featuring the Chelsea trio of Oscar, Willian and Ramires hassled and harried from the start.

Brazil had the best of the first half but they made several changes after the break, giving debuts to Cruzeiro striker Ricardo Goulart and Corinthians defender Gil and allowing Ecuador to get back into the game.

Neither side dominated a fairly even match for long periods, however.

The win was the second in a row for Dunga since he returned to coach the Brazil side after their disastrous World Cup. On Friday, they beat Colombia 1-0 in Miami with a late goal from Neymar.

Brazil's next match will be against Argentina in Beijing on Oct. 11. Dunga's first competitive fixtures will come in next year's Copa America in Chile.

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