Santos still hot in Mexico, Boca cools Independiente

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -- Surprise team Santos Laguna maintained its 100 percent record in the Mexican championship by coming from behind to beat Guadalajara 2-1.

Santos, which escaped relegation on the final day of last season, stayed top of Group Two with 15 points from five games.

Sergio Santana headed Guadalajara into an early lead but Ecuador forward Christian Benitez levelled in the 36th minute with a long-range shot and Argentine Matias Vuoso fired the winner with seven minutes left.

Guadalajara, the only team in the championship who do not field foreign players, played the second half of Wednesday's game with 10 men after Edgar Mejia was sent off for a tackle on Benitez in the 43rd minute.

Pumas UNAM remained winless after being held 2-2 at home by promoted Puebla, which is also without a win, while America lost its unbeaten record in a 2-1 defeat at Morelia.

Cruz Azul scored three late goals to beat Jose Pekerman's Toluca 3-1 despite having former Paraguay coach Sergio Markarian sent off for dissent.

Christian Gimenez put Toluca in front in the 14th minute while the Blue Machine replied with goals by Miguel Sabah, Cesar Delgado and Richard Nunez in the last 20 minutes.

Argentina

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) -- Independiente's 100 percent record in the Argentine championship ended on Wednesday when it lost 3-2 to South American champion Boca Juniors.

River Plate broke its duck, scoring two late goals to beat Estudiantes 4-2, although its win was marred by fighting among fans at a supermarket car park before the game.

Independiente, with four straight wins under their belt, went ahead after only three minutes when prolific striker German Denis tapped-in his seventh goal of the championship.

Boca leveled in the 23rd minute when Uruguay defender Guillermo Rodriguez turned Rodrigo Palacio's cross into his own net.

Stalwart striker Martin Palermo headed Boca in front two minutes after halftime and Leandro Gracian added a superb third.

The midfielder collected Ever Banega's pass in the center circle, eluded two defenders and then ran half the length of the pitch to score.

Carlos Matheu pulled one back in the 74th minute. Independiente stayed top with 12 points from five games.

Boca, which has 10 points, leapt from seventh to second place after its third successive win.

River Plate suffered an early setback when Leandro Benitez put Estudiantes ahead after two minutes.

Daniel Passarella's team hit back through Marco Ruben and Fernando Belluschi to lead 2-1 after 24 minutes and the score remained unchanged until late in the game.

Belluschi turned villain when he was sent off in the 78th minute and Juan Salgueiro equalized three minutes later.

But River snatched its first win of the championship thanks to late goals from Chilean teenager Alexis Sanchez, his first since his move from Colo Colo, and Colombian forward Radamel Falcao Garcia.

Police said that eight fans were arrested after rival factions of the River Plate supporters fought among themselves outside a supermarket before the game.

River has been plagued by internal feuding in the supporters group known as Los Borrachos del Tablon since the start of the year.

Velez Sarsfield missed a chance to go second when it lost 2-0 to Newell's Old Boys, where Paraguayan forward Alejandro da Silva and Martin Seri scored in the first half.

Newly-promoted Huracan beat Argentinos Juniors and now boasts the only unbeaten record in the championship.

Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) -- Coachless Corinthians suffered more misery in the Brazilian championship on Wednesday when they were thumped 5-2 by a Atletico Mineiro led by a man they fired earlier this year.

Atletico coach Emerson Leao, who last year saved Corinthians from relegation, said he had no sympathy for his former club, who sacked him in April.

"No, I don't belong to them anymore," former Brazil coach Leao told reporters. "The only thing that worries me about Corinthians is that they pay me what they owe me."

Leao, who has claimed that Corinthians breached his contract, was replaced at the club by Paulo Cesar Carpegiani, who himself was fired after a 3-0 home defeat by Cruzeiro at the weekend.

On Wednesday, hapless Jose Augusto was in charge on an interim basis.

Atletico raced to a three-goal halftime lead through Vanderlei, Danilinho and Marquinhos. Vanderlei added a fourth in the 55th minute.

Finazzi and substitute Clodoaldo pulled two back for Corinthians but Eder Luis added a fifth for Atletico in the 71st minute.

Corinthians, champions in 2005 and one of Brazil's most popular sides, dropped to 15th in the 20-team table with 27 points. The bottom four go down.

Leader Sao Paulo won 1-0 at archrival Palmeiras to stretch the gap at the top, midfielder Jorge Wagner finishing off a superb move, with the defending champions making it 14 wins in 22 games.

Wagner collected Dagoberto's pass on the edge of the area, played a one-two with Aloisio and flicked the ball past Palmeiras goalkeeper Diego Cavaleri before halftime.

Sao Paulo went eight points clear of Cruzeiro, which twice led at Parana but was held 2-2 after the hosts equalized with a controversial penalty.

Wagner and Marcelo Moreno scored breakaway goals for Cruzeiro while striker Josiel replied each time for Parana.

The second came from a penalty awarded for a foul on Everton, whose legs crumpled with the barest of touches from a Cruzeiro defender.

Botafogo stayed one point behind in third place after coming from behind to draw 1-1 with Flamengo.

Flamengo striker Souza had a 76th minute penalty saved by Max and was jeered off the field by his team's fans when he was substituted two minutes later.