Latin American Roundup

Mexico's Cruz Azul sacks coach, entire squad

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -- Cruz Azul, one of Mexico's most popular teams, fired its entire squad and the team coach on Tuesday in a desperate bid to turn around its flagging fortunes.

The club, known as "The Cement Makers" after the Cruz Azul cement brand, will offer their players new contracts for the remaining games of the Mexican championship, where they have not won a match in nine league outings.

Normally one of the strongest teams in the league and with huge popular support in their base in Mexico City, Cruz Azul are languishing in 18th place in the 20-team league with six draws and three defeats.

"The club has made a decision to rescind the contracts of the entire squad and we have presented the players with new proposals for the 10 matches that remain," club president Guillermo Alvarez Cuevas told a news conference.

Those players who had not agreed to new terms by the end of Tuesday would be out of contract and ineligible to play but would receive compensation, Alvarez Cuevas said.

Coach Mario Carrillo has been sacked and the club has started talks with a possible replacement to be named this week.

Cruz Azul have also made a poor start to the Libertadores Cup, with one victory and two defeats in Latin America's top club tournament.

Last week, they were crushed 6-1 by Uruguay's Fenix.

Corinthians hammer error-prone Strongest in Libertadores

The Brazilian team, who have never won South America's top club competition, stayed top of their group with a maximum nine points from three games after pouncing on a flurry of defensive mistakes.

The Strongest, whose poor distribution from the back created countless Corinthians attacks, have three points from three outings.

Rogerio opened the scoring for Corinthians in the 15th minute with a soft shot which was deflected into his own net by a Strongest defender.

The visitors were level three minutes later when Costa Rican striker Froylan Ledezma found a gap between goalkeeper Doni and the near post to score from an acute angle.

But more poor defending allowed Corinthians to regain the advantage in the 32nd minute as Anderson outjumped his marker to head in a Rogerio free kick.

The Strongest defence was again in generous mood after halftime.

Midfielder Jorge Wagner was allowed ample time and space to score the third in the 59th minute and Liedson added the fourth after Eduardo Jiguchi headed a clearance straight to him.

Penarol tame Mexico's Pumas for first Libertadores win

The win sent Uruguay's most popular team into second place in group five with four points from three games, behind Brazil's Gremio on goal difference.

UNAM, coached by former Real Madrid and Mexico striker Hugo Sanchez and nicknamed the Pumas, are bottom with three points but play two of their last three remaining matches at home.

Penarol, despite a meagre 7,000 attendance in Montevideo's historic Centenario stadium, took the early initiative and were rewarded in the 31st minute when striker Fabian Estoyanoff fired home following a series of rebounds.

The Pumas began to win more possession but it was Penarol who struck again when defender Marcelo de Souza scored direct from a free kick in the 59th minute.

Paysandu beats Universidad Catolica 3-1 in Libertadores

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) -- Striker Robson netted a pair of goals Tuesday as newcomer Paysandu of Brazil defeated Chile's Universidad Catolica 3-1 in Group 2 of the Copa Libertadores.

The result keeps Paysandu in first place, ahead of Paraguay's Cerro Porteno, Peru's Sporting Cristal and winless U. Catolica.

The Chilean side got on the board first at Mangueirao stadium with a goal from defender Alvarez in the 10th minute.

Robson scored the equalizer with a penalty kick in the 45th minute and midfielder Welber netted the go-ahead goal in the 48th. Robson, also known as Robgol in Brazil, sealed the win in the 83rd.

Universidad Catolica, which has lost all three of its matches and is all but eliminated from the tournament, was without defender Tapia and midfielder Naranbueno, who are out due to injury.

In the next round, Paysandu hosts Sporting Cristal while Universidad Catolica faces Cerro Porteno in Chile.

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Lineups:

PAYSANDU: Ronaldo, Rodrigo, Jorginho, Sergio, Denis, Sandro, Vanderson, Welber (Lecheva, 74), Iarley, Balao (Ze Augusto, 67), Robson.

UNIVERSIDAD CATOLICA: Cauteruchi, Lencia, Alvarez, Ramirez, Bayas, Segovia, Ponce, Gonzalez, Ormazabal (Jorge Campos, 61), Rubio and Verdugo (Gioino, 57).

Referee: Felipe Russi (Colombia).

Mexican club San Luis protests over fine

"We have a letter from the player assuring us that the [Costa Rican] federation authorised him to not take part in that match," a San Luis spokesman told Reuters on Tuesday.

The Costa Rican federation Fedefutbol said on Tuesday FIFA had sent a letter informing them that San Luis would be fined $7,500 for refusing to release Wallace for the game against Ecuador on Oct. 16.

"The Mexican club will be punished for having maintained its rebellious conduct," said Fedefutbol on its Web site.

San Luis, who drew 2-2 with Atlante in the Apertura championship on the same day, would also be deducted the point.

Although that decision would not alter the outcome of the Apertura, which finished in December, it could have an effect on the relegation battle which in Mexico is divided over the last three seasons.

Cubilla takes over at struggling Talleres

"On Wednesday, I'm starting a new phase in my career," he said in a radio interview on Tuesday. "It's a pleasure to return to Argentina after almost one decade."

Cubilla, who played for River Plate between 1964 and 1968 and has coached River, Newell's Old Boys and Racing Club in Argentina, replaces Sergio Batista, who resigned after less than six months in the post.

Talleres, based in the provincial city of Cordoba, have four points from four games in Argentina's Clausura championship and are in danger of relegation, which is divided over three seasons.

Cubilla twice led Paraguay's Olimpia to the Libertadores Cup.

 

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