Ecuador club offers venue for Chivas, San Luis

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Football officials in another Latin American country -- this time Ecuador -- are proposing to host Mexican clubs Chivas and San Luis for their Copa Libertadores last 16 matches.

The governing bodies of football in Colombia and Chile last week offered their countries as venues, but those proposals were turned down by their health officials in fear of the spread of swine flu from Mexico.

On Wednesday, it was second-division Ecuadorean club Aucas stepping forward with an offer.

San Luis is to face Nacional of Uruguay, and Chivas Guadalajara is up against Brazil club Sao Paulo in the home-and-away matches. Play in the round of 16 began this week, but the Mexican clubs' home matches are being delayed in the search for a venue.

Away legs don't seem to be a problem, with South American football officials demanding guarantees the delegations undergo thorough medical exams before arriving.

South American football officials are not expected to announce a decision until next week.

Aucas president Ramiro Montenegro said he was trying to show solidarity with Mexico and its people.

"The directors of the club are putting our stadium at their (San Luis and Chivas) disposition," Montenegro said.

The modest stadium outside the Ecuador capital Quito seats only 20,000.

Officials at the country's health ministry did not offer an immediate response to the proposal. However, Ecuador is one of several Latin American countries banning flights from Mexico.

All weekend pro games in Mexico's football league -- first division to third -- will be played in shuttered stadiums. The continued shutdown of many sports events in Mexico came as the country ended a five-day moratorium -- on dining out and large group gatherings -- designed to contain the virus.

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