Latin American Roundup

Five injured, two games interrupted in Argentina

BUENOS AIRES (AP) -- Five people were injured and two Argentine league soccer games were interrupted Sunday after fights broke out between police and local fans.

A match between Banfield and Lanus was interrupted twice before it was finally stopped while Lanus fans and police fought in the stands.

Twenty-five people were eventually arrested and one supporter was shot in the eye with a rubber bullet, reports said.

The violence started when police tried to remove a huge Lanus flag from the visiting fans' stand. Such banners are forbidden.

"There were blows, [rubber-bullet] shots and a complete mess," Lanus Vice President Nicolas Russo said.

Also, Estudiantes' clash with River Plate was stopped with River leading 5-0 at the end of the first half.

Estudiantes fans, furious with their side's display, tried to pull down the fencing that separates fans from the pitch, according to local news agency Diarios y Noticias.

Police used rubber bullets to control the crowd.

The game was eventually restarted and River won 6-0 to stay top of the table.

Soccer violence has been commonplace in Argentina with more than 150 people killed in and around stadiums since 1930. In March, the soccer season was almost suspended after a series of clashes left several people dead.

River Plate thrash Estudiantes to go top of the table

Two goals from Esteban Fuertes, one each from Alejandro Dominguez, Luis Gonzalez, Eduardo Coudet and Esteban Fuertes, and an own goal handed River its fourth win in the season's first five games.

The result leaves River top with 13 points, one ahead of Rosario Central, who beat Racing Club 4-0. On joint third, with 11 points, are Independiente and Newell's Old Boys, who tied 1-1 Saturday, and Boca Juniors, who came from two down to tie San Lorenzo 2-2 Sunday.

Fan violence marred the weekend's action once again. The match between Banfield and Lanus was suspended after 25 minutes when fighting broke out between Lanus fans and the police.

River's win at Estudiantes was also suspended temporarily after incidents in the Estudiantes stand. Five people were injured and 49 arrested at the two games.

On the pitch in La Plata, River produced by far its best performance of the season, with a first-half display that made even the visiting fans feel sorry for the ragged Estudiantes defense.

With almost every attack, River sliced through the Estudiantes' backline, with the away side's potent young strikeforce of Dominguez, Fuentes and Gonzalez, looking formidable.

Dominguez made it 1-0 in the sixth minute with a low shot from 25 yards. Gonzalez drove into an empty net after Fuertes' shot was saved by the keeper in the 17th minute and six minutes later, Fuertes slammed an angled shot past hapless Estudiantes goalie Juan Carlos Docabo from the right corner of the box to make it 3-0.

Eduardo Coudet made it 4-0 in the 27th minute and assisted Fuertes in netting his second in the 33rd minute.

River relaxed the pace in the second half, scoring just one more, when Coudet's cross from the right was headed into his own net by Pablo Quatrocchi. But coach Manuel Pellegrini was not complaining.

"The result is very important for the team and the coaching staff because Estudiantes is a tough test for any side. It shows the work we're doing is good. Our side is ordered and has a sharp eye for goal," he told reporters.

Meanwhile Rosario Central were also on potent form, beating 2001 Apertura champions Racing 4-0.

Central, coached by former Argentina World Cup winning coach Cesar Menotti, took the lead through a 35th minute Paulo Ferrari penalty and doubled the margin just before the interval when Luciano de Bruno flicked in a volley from six yards out.

The third came from Cesar Delgado's 62nd minute solo-run, which saw him run through three challenges before sliding the ball inside the left post. Luciano Figueroa made it 4-0 in the 78th minute and Racing ended the game with ten men after Julio Maidana was dismissed for elbowing Gustavo Arriola in the face.

Though Racing has now lost its last three games, new coach Osvaldo Ardiles refused to bow to growing pressure for him to resign.

"Tomorrow I'm going to speak with Fernando Marin [president of the company that manages the club] but I'm not even thinking of stepping down," the former Argentine international told reporters.

One coach who did go this weekend was Huracan's Miguel Brindisi, who quit after his side's 1-0 home loss to Chacarita left the side with one point from five games. His post could be filled by former Racing coach Reinaldo Merlo.

In the weekend's other big game, Boca and San Lorenzo fought out a top quality 2-2 tie.

San Lorenzo's Jose Chatruc drove home from a tight angle to put San Lorenzo 1-0 up after 40 seconds and talented young playmaker Leandro Romagnoli made it 2-0 in the 23rd minute, skipping around marker Nico Burdisso and curling a right-footed shot into the Boca net.

But two sweetly taken goals from Boca's rising star, Carlos Tevez -- in the 26th and 38th minute -- drew the home side level. Both sides missed chances aplenty in the second period to secure the points.

The weekend's other results were: Arsenal 2-3 Colon; Nueva Chicago 2-2 Olimpo and Union 2-1 Gimnasia.

Toluca dominates Universidad; Morelia tops Atlas

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Toluca cruised past Universidad de Mexico 4-1 Sunday to remain perfect four weeks into Mexican league soccer.

Brazilian Zinham opened the scoring for Toluca, netting a rapid-fire shot from close range that motored past sprawling Universidad goalie Sergio Bernal. The goal all-but silenced the crowd that had packed Mexico City's Olympic stadium to cheer on Universidad's Pumas.

Jose Saturnino Cardozo made it 2-0 with a goal from the left side in the 30th minute. Universidad's Rafael Marquez kept things interesting with a goal to cut Toluca's lead in half in the 57th minute, but the visiting team dominated the rest of the game, getting goals from Rafael Garcia in the 63rd and Vicente Sanchez six minutes later.

With the win, Toluca earned its 12th point and solidified its place atop the league's Group 1.

Other Sunday action saw Chilean Reinaldo Navia score in the 11th and 39th minute to lift the "Tecos" of the Universidad de Guadalajara over Pachuca 2-0.

Guadalajara's other squad, the "Chivas," salvaged a 1-1 with Cruz Azul. Urugyan Sebastian Abreu put Cruz Azul ahead with a goal in the 11th minute, but Guadalajara's Joel Sanchez evened the score by finding the net in the 89th.

Atlante outlasted the "Blancos" of Queretaro 2-1. Argentinean Josemir Lujambio put Queretaro up 1-0 with a goal in the 13th minute, but Chilean Fabian Estay tied the game in the 35th. Paulo Serafin put Atlante ahead to stay with a goal in the 79th minute.

Also on Sunday, Mexico City's America beat Santos 1-0 on the strength of a goal by Cuauhtemoc Blanco in the 86th minute. Necaxa topped Puebla 2-0, on first-half goals by Braulio Luna and Miguel Acosta.

On Saturday night, Morelia got first-half goals from Ismael Iniguez and Alex Fernandes, then hung on to beat Atlas 2-0. Iniguez scored five minutes into the game and Fernandes added a goal in the 32nd minute.

The win gave Morelia nine points, enough to grab sole possession of first place in Group 3.

Other Saturday action saw the Chiapas Jaguares top Real San Luis 1-0. The game's lone goal game in the 60th minute, when Lucio Filomeno controlled a blocked shot and fired it from the left side past sprawling goalkeeper Hugo Pineda.

In the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz the home team battled to a 1-1 draw with Monterrey. Argentinean standout Carlos Casartelli scored for Veracruz in the 57th minute, but Omar Avilan evened the score in the 86th.

Saturday's most lopsided game saw Universitario de Nuevo Leon crush an ill-prepared Celaya squad 6-1.

Hugo Chavez opened the scoring in the ninth minute and Argentinean forward Walter Gaytan made it 2-0 in the 32nd. Brazilian Irenio Soarez added a goal in the 37th and Gaytan gave his team a 4-0 halftime lead, getting his second goal of the game in the 56th minute.

Jesus Olalde added goals in the 68th and 82nd minute for Universitario's "Tigres." Argentinean Diego Latorre netted Celaya's lone goal in the 77th minute.

 

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