Argentine sides make home advantage count
Reuters - Friday 18 May 2012, 08:48
Argentina's Boca Juniors and Velez
Sarsfield took 1-0 leads in the first legs of their Libertadores
Cup quarter-finals against Brazilian opposition in Buenos Aires.
Striker Pablo Mouche scored in the 51st minute to give
six-times champions Boca their victory over 10-man Fluminense at
La Bombonera on Thursday night.
Flu, who had defender Carlinhos sent off just past the half
hour for a second booking for handball, were missing injured
striker Fred and midfielder Deco and failed to repeat their 2-1
win at La Bombonera in the group stage.
Boca coach Julio Cesar Falcioni made a key change at
halftime bringing on striker Nicolas Blandi for midfielder
Cristian Erbes, freeing Mouche to attack on the wings where he
is more comfortable than in the middle.
Within six minutes of the restart, striker Dario Cvitanich
passed to Mouche on the left and he scored with a low diagonal
shot that beat goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri.
Flu coach Abel Braga, angry at being denied a penalty for
handball by Boca defender Facundo Roncaglia in the first half,
told reporters: "They had two players more, the one we had one
sent off and the referee."
Velez beat holders Santos with a first-half strike from
Mauro Obolo at their Fortin ground at the other end of the
Argentine capital.
Obolo headed past goalkeeper Rafael at the near post from
left-back Emiliano Papa's cross.
Young midfielder Gino Peruzzi kept a tight rein on Santos
ace Neymar and the South American champions rarely troubled
goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero.
Velez coach Ricardo Gareca, looking ahead to the second leg,
said: "We had to win and not concede a goal, two fundamental
things. With a team of Santos' standard nothing is certain
whatever difference [in score] you take."
Wednesday's matches were draws with Universidad de Chile
taking the upper hand against Libertad of Paraguay coming away
from Asuncion with a 1-1 result.
In an all-Brazilian tie, Corinthians drew 0-0 at Vasco da
Gama in Rio de Janeiro.