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Latin American roundup Puebla wins after buying back in; Portuguesa wins in Brazil
Posted: Monday August 16, 1999 06:47 PM
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) -- Mexican club Puebla, relegated at the end of last season but which managed to stay in the first division by buying the club promoted in their place, began the championship with a 1-0 win over Atletico Celaya on Sunday. In Brazil, Portuguesa beat Sao Paulo 2-1 as Mario Zagallo, Brazil's coach at the World Cup last year, emerged victorious over Paulo Cesar Carpegiani, who coached Paraguay. MEXICO Puebla, whose presence in the first division is hugely controversial, began the new Mexican season with a 1-0 win over Atletico Celaya. Puebla managed to stay in the top flight despite being relegated at the end of last season thanks to an unprecedented deal in which club directors bought Union Curtidores, which was promoted from the second division, and then switched the latter club to the city of Puebla. The move was approved by the Mexican federation, and Puebla has been able to carry on almost as if nothing had happened. Champions Toluca began the Invierno (winter) championship with a 2-1 win away over UAG, Paraguayan Jose Cardozo scoring the winner. The Invierno is the first of two championships in the Mexican season, which has no overall champion. BRAZIL Portuguesa beat Sao Paulo 2-1 in a Brazilian championship match that brought two coaches from the World Cup face to face. Portuguesa's Mario Zagallo was in charge of Brazil last year while Sao Paulo's Paulo Cesar Carpegiani led Paraguay. Carpegiani, who this month turned down an offer to return to Paraguay, was left with an uncertain future in his current job. He was repeatedly jeered by Sao Paulo fans who chanted "donkey, donkey" every time the coach made a substitution. Portuguesa striker Da Silva scored the winner in the 80th minute. Three players were sent off -- Evandro of Portuguesa and Carlos Miguel and Edmilson of Sao Paulo. Champions Corinthians, which did not play at the weekend, lead with a maximum nine points from three games. The 22 teams play each other once with the top eight qualifying for the knockout stages. ARGENTINA San Lorenzo and River Plate both have a maximum six points from their two games in the Apertura (Opening) championship after winning at the weekend. San Lorenzo, coached by former Argentina World Cup captain Oscar Ruggeri, overcame Velez Sarsfield 4-2 on a bad afternoon for Velez goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert. The volatile Paraguayan was repeatedly let down by his defense and let a penalty by Paulo Quatrocchi slip under his body after initially appearing to have saved the shot. River Plate beat Rosario Central 2-1 with goals by teenagers Pablo Aimar and Javier Saviola. The Apertura is the first of two championships played in the Argentine season, both won last year by Boca Juniors. CHILE Leaders Universidad de Chile extended their unbeaten league run to 20 games with a 2-1 win away to Audax Italiano, the goals coming from Peruvian international Flavio Maestri and Chilean reserve international Esteban Valencia. Universidad Catolica stayed eight points behind in second place with a 2-0 win away against Cobreloa. Both goals were scored by striker Sebastian Rozental, who has taken his total to 10 in eight games after returning from an injury that caused his move to Scotland's Glasgow Rangers to fall through. The top eight teams go into the play-off stage of the championship. BOLIVIA Real Potosi, in a stadium that lies at nearly 4,000 meters above sea level, won their third straight game as they beat Destroyers 3-1. It leads group A in the Clausura, the second stage of the championship, while Independiente Petrolero leads group B. The top three teams in each group will qualify for the decisive stage of the Clausura, and the winners of that will in turn play-off against champions Blooming, who won the championship's Apertura (first stage), in the end of season final. In Blooming win the Clausura, they will take the title automatically. URUGUAY Liverpool, which failed to win a match in the first stage (Apertura) of the championship, stayed top of the second stage (Clausura) with a 2-0 win over Huracan Buceo. Penarol is second after a 4-2 win over Rampla Juniors, its third successive match in which it has hit four goals. The winner of the second stage meets first-stage winner Nacional in the end-of-season final. Nacional, which beat Tacuarembo 1-0 on Saturday, will take the title automatically if it also wins the second stage. PERU Alianza Atletico, who drew 1-1 away to Union Minas, lead the second stage (Clausura) of the championship on goal difference from Sport Boys, 2-1 winners over Alianza Lima. Sporting Cristal ended a recent poor run with a 6-0 hammering of Municipal. The eventual winners will meet Universitario, winners of the first stage (Apertura), in the end-of-season final. On Sunday, Universitario had two players sent off in a 2-0 defeat away to Melgar. ECUADOR Army club El Nacional won the first stage of the championship with a 2-1 win over Macara. They finished six points clear of Emelec, whose 2-1 win over Audaz Octubrino was in vain. Asprilla submits to discipline at PalmeirasMaverick striker Faustino Asprilla, seeking to rescue his sagging career, has promised to submit to the hard-work ethic of new club Palmeiras and renowned discipline of coach Luiz Felipe Scolari. "I've already learned that I will have to do some marking, that's what the boss wants," said the Colombian after training with his new club on Monday. "No striker likes to mark, but I'm determined to do what the coach asks." Scolari, best known as Big Phil, is one of Brazil's top coaches and has a reputation for imposing rigid tactics and discipline on his players. Asprilla, who could make his debut in the Brazilian championship match against Botafogo-Ribeirao Preto on Wednesday, left Italy's Parma to join South American champions Palmeiras last month. He had joined Parma last season from England's Newcastle but failed to hold down a regular first team place. Breaking his silence for the first time since arriving in Brazil, the forward admitted that no major Italian or Spanish club had wanted to take him on. "The only clubs interested in me in Spain and Italy were ones without chances of winning a title. So I accepted a move to Palmeiras. This club is going to fight for titles, that stimulates me," he said. Asprilla has proved a handful for opposing defenders and his own coaches alike, thanks to his brilliance on the field and his tendency to get into trouble off it. He was thrown out of the Colombia team at last year's World Cup after publicly criticizing team mates and has been involved in several unsavory incidents in his own country. In the most recent last May, witnesses said that was thrown out of a hotel discotheque by security men in the city of Cartagena after drinking too much and then going on stage to try and sing with the band. He was taken to a police station but not charged. In July, he missed the Copa America anyway after suffering an injury to his left knee. Asprilla has kept a low profile since arriving in Sao Paulo, insisting that his lack of Portuguese prevents him from talking to the media. Palmeiras is considered among the favorites to win the Brazilian championship. It is also taking part in the Copa Mercosur, a South American super-leauge, and in November meets England's Manchester United in Tokyo for the unofficial world club championship. Asprilla hopes to emulate compatriot Freddy Rincon, who has revived his career with Sao Paulo club Corinthians after a difficult period in Europe and is now one of the most respected players in Brazil.
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