|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Boca blowout Libertadores champion ousted from Mercosur Cup
Updated: Wednesday November 08, 2000 12:31 PM
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- South American champion Boca Juniors crashed out of the regional Mercosur Cup after Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro held it to a 2-2 draw in the quarterfinal second leg. The Argentine team needed a two-goal victory after a 2-0 defeat in the first leg last week. Despite leading for most of the game on Tuesday, an understrength Boca never quite did enough to overturn that first-leg result. Boca, whose league form has been mixed, rested several star players ahead of the climax of the Argentine championship and the club's showdown with European champion Real Madrid in the Intercontinental Cup later this month. However, the Argentine league-leader started the game well, pressing forward determinedly in the opening minutes. After just nine minutes, unmarked Boca striker Antonio Barijho headed in a cross from teammate Guillermo Schelotto to put the home side a goal up. Having scored once, Boca smelt blood, running Mineiro's jumpy defense ragged with attack after attack. Boca might easily have gone two-up after Barijho seemed to be upended in the area, but the referee waved the game on. Minutes later, Barijho was again denied by the officials after his header was disallowed after an apparent foul. However, Mineiro, 18th in the Brazilian league, began to regain its composure, closing down Boca's previously rampant midfield and beginning to threaten through Marques. And in the 38th minute, the Brazilians drew level when midfielder Caico broke down the right-wing and laid off a perfectly timed pass to Mineiro defender Claudio Cacapa who tucked it home. Boca regained the lead seconds later. Countering after a dangerous Mineiro attack, Boca's Martin Andrizzi ran half the length of the pitch before releasing Barijho for his second of the night with a powerful drive from the edge of the area. Boca started the second half in the same vein, pressing Mineiro back with some penetrative attacking play. Barijho and Scheletto each went close as Mineiro's keeper Velloso was forced to work overtime to keep Boca out. As Mineiro hung on, Boca grew increasingly desperate, throwing more men forward in search of an elusive third goal that would have taken the game to penalties. This gave the Brazilian side space to counterattack, something that Atletico substitute Andre used to good effect threatening the Boca defense every time he received the ball. But Boca never gave up hope as coach Carlos Bianchi threw on several more experienced players in a bid to keep Boca in the game. With tempers flaring and the referee forced to book a string of players, Boca threw everything at the Brazilians, hitting the bar with one attack and going inches wide with another. But in injury time, with all 11 Boca players in the Mineiro half for a corner, it was the Brazilians who snatched a goal after the ball rebounded to Andre, who dribbled past two Boca defenders before dispatching it into an empty net. After the match, Boca coach said his team had played well but that in the end the first leg had cost them dear. "Over the 90 minutes, the team showed its determination to get through, but Mineiro made the most of their home game when they played well and we didn't," Bianchi said. Mineiro will face the winner of the Palmeiras-Cruzeiro match in this month's semifinal.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
