Rio de Janeiro: Former Brazil striker Romario made his coaching debut on Wednesday but was unable to stop Vasco da Gama being knocked out of the Copa Sudamericana.

Vasco, with Romario taking a player-coaching role on an interim basis, beat Mexico’s America 1-0 in the quarter-final second leg, but went out 1-2 on aggregate.

The former Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven player was appointed on Monday after Celso Roth became the second coach this year to be fired by the club.

Romario, 41, brought himself on as a second-half substitute for his first game in four months and wasted a chance to level the aggregate scores when he mistimed a free header.

Leandro Amaral gave Vasco a 10th-minute lead following a corner but, despite creating a wealth of chances, the Brazilians were unable to find a second goal.