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Latin American roundup Boca Juniors lose Copa Mercosur game, 18-game streak
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) -- South American champions Boca Juniors lost an 18-match unbeaten run, Brazilian champions Corinthians crashed to their eighth defeat in a row and Universidad de Chile striker Pedro Gonzalez reached a landmark in his career in the midweek soccer action. COPA MERCOSUR South American champions Boca Juniors lost for the first time since the midseason break when they were beaten 2-0 away to Brazil's Atletico Mineiro in their Copa Mercosur quarter-final first leg on Wednesday. Boca had played 12 matches in the Argentine championship and six in the Copa Mercosur without losing. It was also their first defeat since lifting the South American Libertadores Cup in June. Atletico won with a goal in each half by Brazilian international Marques and defender Capria. In Wednesday's other tie, Palmeiras beat Cruzeiro 3-2 in an all-Brazilian clash which pitted Cruzeiro coach Luiz Felipe Scolari against the club he led to the South American title in 1999. On Tuesday, Argentina's River Plate beat Brazil's Flamengo 2-1 in Rio de Janeiro, handing the latter their first defeat under veteran coach Mario Zagallo, while Vasco da Gama (Brazil) beat Rosario Central (Argentina) 1-0 at home. The competition is a made-for-television event featuring the 20 biggest clubs, hand-picked by the organizers, from the southern half of the continent. BRAZIL Brazilian and world club champion Corinthians crashed to an eighth consecutive defeat when it lost 1-0 at Internacional and faces almost certain first stage elimination in the Joao Havelange Cup. Central defender Lucio, included in Brazil's squad for this month's World Cup qualifier against Colombia, scored the winner as Internacional moved up to 12th in the table and Corinthians remained a dismal 23rd. The top 12 progress to the more lucrative knockout stage of the competition, which has replaced the Brazilian championship this year following a legal dispute. BOLIVIA Real Potosi, whose stadium stands at nearly 4,000 meters above sea level, lost at home for the first time in just under a year when it was beaten 5-3 by The Strongest. Captain Antonio Vidal Gonzalez scored a hat trick for the visitors. Bolivian international Julio Cesar Baldivieso also scored a hat trick as Bolivar, who have struggled this season, hammered Atletico Pompeya 5-0. Oriente Petrolero extended its lead in the championship's second stage with a 2-1 win away to relegation-threatened Independiente Petroloro. Union Central, second at the start of the day, lost for the second time in four days in a 4-2 defeat at Wilstermann. CHILE Leaders Universidad de Chile hammered bottom club Osorno 5-2 to maintain a nine-point advantage over second-placed Cobreloa. Striker Pedro Gonzalez scored twice, taking his tally in the tournament to 25 and his career total in the Chilean championship to 150. The other goals came from Cristian Castaneda, Pablo Galdames and Argentine Diego Rivarola. Cobreloa beat Santiago Morning 2-0 while third-placed Colo Colo, the country's biggest club, came from behind to beat Union Espanola 2-1 with a controversial injury-time penalty converted by Marcelo Barticciotto. ECUADOR El Nacional regained the lead it had lost in the boardroom on Monday by beating Macara 1-0, overtaking Emelec who lost 2-0 to Aucas. Emelec had briefly gone top of the championship's second stage when El Nacional had three points deducted for fielding an ineligible player in their 2-1 win over Barcelona. MEXICO America, Mexico's richest and most powerful club, remained third in their group after a 1-1 draw away to Atlas. Colombian international Frankie Oviedo equalized for America from a free kick after Diego Osorno had put Atlas in front. America is one point behind UAG in group four of the Invierno (Winter) championship. Only the top two qualify for the quarterfinals.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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