Latin American Roundup

Gremio, Fluminense and Santos take last spots

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) -- The Brazilian championship's regular season came to an end Sunday with Gremio, Fluminense and Santos picking up the last three available playoff spots.

Past champions Palmeiras and Botafogo lost and were relegated from the first division. Gama and Portuguesa also moved down.

Veteran striker Romario put Fluminense in the postseason by scoring the game-winning goal in the team's 3-2 come-from-behind win against Ponte Preta in Campinas. Fluminense -- which had been in danger of being relegated -- was the only Rio de Janeiro club to reach the playoffs.

Gremio, of Rio Grande do Sul state, advanced by defeating Atletico Mineiro 1-0 in Porto Alegre. Anderson Lima scored on a penalty kick in the 29th minute.

Santos picked up the eighth and last playoff spot despite a 3-2 loss to Sao Caetano in Sao Paulo. The team was favored by Gama's 4-0 routing of Coritiba.

Palmeiras and Botafogo -- two of the country's top teams -- did not avoid relegation. Palmeiras could have stayed in Serie A with a win against Vitoria, but the four-time champion lost 4-3 in Salvador.

Botafogo needed to beat Sao Paulo in Rio de Janeiro and hope that several other teams lose. The 1995 champion lost 1-0 and finished in last place in the championship. Portuguesa lost 4-2 to Bahia in Mogi Mirim and also was demoted.

Sao Paulo finished the regular season in first place and will have home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The three-time champion will face Santos in the first round of the playoffs. Second-place Sao Caetano will play Fluminense.

Corinthians tied Vasco 1-1 in Sao Paulo and will face Atletico Mineiro. Gremio will play Juventude, which lost 4-0 to defending champion Atletico Paranaense in Coritiba.

The playoffs -- which start Nov. 24 and end Dec. 15 -- will be played in two-game series, with the top four teams in the regular season being able to advance with two ties.

Independiente lose, have lead cut to three points

Boca Juniors beat Talleres 1-0 at home with an early goal by striker Marcelo Delgado and cut Independiente's lead to three points with two matches to go.

Both sides finished with 10 men after Boca defender Hugo Ibarra Cesar La Paglia of Talleres were sent off.

Independiente are at home to Boca next weekend when the Apertura title could be decided.

Federico Insua put Independiente ahead in the 18th minute from a pass by Daniel Montenegro.

But Banfield scored twice in the last 12 minutes through Adrian Gonzalez and Walter Jimenez, who beat keeper Leo Diaz with a low shot for the 87th-minute winner.

If Independiente can take four points from their remaining two matches they will win their first domestic title for eight years.

If they end up level on points with Boca the two sides will meet in a championship playoff.

Clausura title holders River Plate continued their downward slump when they lost 2-0 away to Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata, their fourth defeat in five games.

River had midfielder Guillermo Pereyra sent off.

Midfielder Ruben Capria converted penalties in the 88th and 90th minutes to give Union a 3-2 home win on Saturday over Rosario Central, who finished the match with only eight men.

Central goalkeeper Hernan Castellano and defender Guillermo Rivarola were sent off in the 89th minute when the visitors protested against the second penalty.

They were followed by midfielder Cristian Pino, shown the red card a minute later.

Nueva Chicago were 1-0 up at home to Estudiantes de La Plata when the lights failed three minutes into the second half and the match was suspended.

The Argentine Football Association will set a date for the remaining 42 minutes to be played.

Independiente's Avellaneda area rivals Racing Club won 3-2 at home to Colon on Friday.

Osvaldo Ardiles's side had a brilliant spell early in the second half when they scored all three of their goals.

But they ended up desperately defending a narrow lead after two goals by Colon striker Cesar Carignano in the last nine minutes.

Argentina's Riquelme to miss Japan friendly

BARCELONA (Reuters) -- Argentine international Juan Roman Riquelme will miss his country's friendly against Japan next week after he remained in Barcelona to recover from a leg injury on Sunday.

The 24-year-old midfielder, who was forced to sit out Saturday's league match against Deportivo Coruna because of pain in his right leg, stayed in Barcelona for treatment after the club had informed the Argentine Football Federation of the situation.

"We did not believe it was advisable for him to play against Deportivo because of the risk of aggravating the pain and tearing the muscle," the club said in a statement on their website.

"We believe that it is best that the player remains in Barcelona for treatment and does not travel to Japan so that he can make a full recovery."

Riquelme, who was recalled to the squad together with club colleague Javier Saviola after missing out on Argentina's disappointing World Cup campaign, did not join his team mate on Sunday's flight to Tokyo.

Barcelona, who lost 2-0 to Deportivo in Saturday's game, will be anxious to field a full-strength side when they face arch-rivals Real Madrid in next weekend's league match.

Zico to miss Argentina game after family tragedy

TOKYO (Reuters) -- Japan coach Zico is to return to Brazil after the death of his mother and will miss Wednesday's friendly against Argentina in Saitama, the Japan Football Association (JFA) said on Sunday.

Assistant coach Masakuni Yamamoto will take charge of the Japan team for what was to be Zico's second match since replacing Frenchman Philippe Troussier after the World Cup in July.

Zico, whose mother, Matilde Dasilva Coimbra, died from multiple organ failure at a Rio hospital on Saturday, told reporters at Narita airport that his family came before football.

"You cannot think of football at a time like this. Right now, I have to be with my family. Everything I achieved in football and in life is thanks to my parents," said Zico.

Japan drew 1-1 with Jamaica in Tokyo in Zico's first match as coach last month.

Pumas win 4-1, qualify for final round in Mexico

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -- Uruguayan striker Rodrigo Lemos hit a hat-trick as UNAM Pumas beat Atlante 4-1 on Sunday to qualify for the final round-robin in the Mexican first division Apertura championship.

Lemos scored in the 24th, 40th and 73rd minutes after compatriot Alvaro Gonzalez had put Pumas ahead early in the match. Chilean Sebastian Gonzalez pulled one back for Atlante seven minutes from time.

Pumas join Toluca, America and Morelia, who have already qualified for the eight-team round-robin to decide the title.

Paraguay's Jose Saturnino Cardozo, meanwhile, scored yet again for Toluca in their 3-1 home win over San Luis, taking his tally to a record 28 in the championship.

Injured Juan drops out of Brazil match against S. Korea

LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) -- Bayer Leverkusen defender Juan has dropped out of Brazil's upcoming match against South Korea with a thigh injury, his German club announced Sunday.

Leverkusen coach Klaus Toppmoeller said the 23-year-old will also miss a Bundesliga match against Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday as well as Brazil's Wednesday match.

Juan joined Leverkusen this season from Flamengo Rio de Janeiro and has earned a starting job at the German club. He played most of Brazil's qualifying matches leading up to the World Cup.

 

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Reuters contributed to this report.