Within seconds of the final whistle in Colombia, just moments after devastated players trooped off the field and long-faced commentators summed up the nation's disgrace, the broadcast ended and Brazil's nightly news started.

The IMF was negotiating a new financial package for Brazil's troubled economy and the presidents of the world's richest countries were trying to piece together an accord on global warming. But that would all come later.

The headline told the real story: Brazil 0 Honduras 2. Brazil had just been knocked out of the Copa America by Honduras.

"It was a laughable display, another disgrace, another humiliation," said the reporter in Colombia, Galvao Bueno.

"After defeats by Cameroon, South Korea, Japan, Australia and Ecuador, now Honduras, a country without a footballing tradition. This is perhaps the most embarrassing result in the history of Brazilian football. Where will it all end?"

Even to a country becoming accustomed to losing, this was something else. The players struggled to take it all in. Denilson, shell-shocked and confused, walked towards the dressing-room telling a reporter: "The players should be congratulated for all they have done in the Copa America."

What they did was lose 1-0 to Mexico, beat Peru 2-0 and Paraguay 3-1. And then crumble against Honduras, a country whose only previous mention in soccer's history books is that they once fought a war over a World Cup qualifier.

Incredibly, Brazil could have lost by more. After spending the first half on the back foot, Honduras came out after the break and scored a neat goal that deflated Brazil and left the fabled yellow shirts standing watching the nimble Central Americans.

The Hondurans worked neat little triangles and galloped down the flanks. They strung pass after pass together with growing confidence, and before long the Colombian crowd were roaring "Ole!" at each touch. Two minutes after opening the scoring they had a second goal chalked off after a linesman dubiously ruled that the ball had gone out of play.

It didn't matter, with just seconds left and the Brazilian defence posted as missing, Saul Martinez delivered the coup de grace. The pass across the penalty box for him to score was cheekily pushed through the defender's legs. It was the third time that night a Honduran had nut-megged one of their more illustrious opponents.

It is true that Brazil were without players like Romario, Rivaldo and Ronaldo, who coincidentally made his comeback for Inter Milan on the same day, scoring two goals in the process. But this was not France or Argentina Brazil were up against. It was Honduras, an irrelevant little country of six million that was only invited to the tournament a week before it started because Argentina pulled out.

Brazil have enough strength in depth that they were able to field players like Denilson, the most expensive player in the world less than three years ago, and Emerson, the anchor of Roma's scudetto-winning side.

Emerson, captain on the night, even managed to get himself sent off.

Even ex-Middlesbrough midfielder Juninho, the only player who looked interested in taking on the Honduran defence, was unable to make much of an impression.

In truth, Brazil were unrecognisable from the teams which took them to an unprecedented four World Cups. Even the determination that carried them to their last triumph in the US in 1994 was missing.

The team lacked creativity and inspiration and what is most shocking, basic ball skills. Half a dozen times full backs and wide players hit the end line only to balloon crosses behind the goal.

What they have to do now is pick themselves up before the August 15th World Cup qualifier against Paraguay at home. Already struggling in fourth place in the 10-team group, Brazil must take something from Paraguay, a solid, if uninspiring side, who sit second in the table.

The tie following the Paraguay game is against runaway leaders Argentina in Buenos Aires, and if Brazil cannot beat Paraguay at home, it is hard to see how they can take something from their fiercest rivals. No points, or even one point, from their next two games will make securing one of the four automatic qualifying spots all but impossible.

Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, appointed to the job just last month, stood by his players and said he would maintain essentially the same squad for the Paraguay game, adding only the absent European-based stars like Rivaldo, Cafu and Roberto Carlos and maybe one or two other "technical players". Unlike the 170 million Brazilians who watched the game, Scolari said he had faith in his players.

"The players did everything they could and I have 80 per cent of my squad ready," said Scolari. "This is a good group. Losing to Honduras is no shame."

That's not what they said on the news.