South America Roundup: Ball boy fury in Peru
Reuters - Monday 06 October 2008, 13:42
BUENOS AIRES - Ball boys attempted to delay a Peruvian championship match by deflating the balls on Sunday, sparking a brawl between officials from the two teams.
In another game, Sport Boys supporters attempted to attack their own goalkeeper after he conceded a late goal.
PERU
The match between defending champions Deportivo San Martin and Universitario descended into chaos as the hosts, reduced to nine men after having two sent off, attempted to hold out for a point.
As Universitario pressed for a late winner, their officials complained that the home team's ball boys were deliberately deflating the spare balls to hold up play.
The San Martin bench reacted, prompting a brawl in which a number of officials traded blows and Univeristario players also joined in, holding up play for five minutes.
San Martin, who lead the championship's second stage by two points from Sporting Cristal, went ahead with a controversial first-half penalty converted by Jose Luis Diaz but had Wilmer Carrillo and Pedro Garcia sent off for violent play in the second half,
Carlos Galvan headed Univeristario level eight minutes from time as the game ended 1-1.
Table-propping Sport Boys, whose players on Friday received part of the five months' wages they said they were owed, were held 2-2 by Atletico Minero when Alejandro Fajardo scored in the 87th minute.
A group of angry Sport Boys fans managed to get onto the field at the end and tried to attack goalkeeper Michael Sotillo, who was caught off his line, before police intervened.
Sport Boys players did not train for most of last week because they said they could not afford taxi fares or buy petrol to get to practice.
The team have four points from 14 games.
CHILE
Argentine striker Lucas Barrios scored in each half to give Colo Colo a 2-0 win over arch-rivals Universidad de Chile in the Santiago derby despite having defender Luis Mena sent off in the 61st minute.
Universided de Chile's unhappy afternoon was complete when Marcelo Salas had a late penalty saved by Cristian Munoz.
Universidad Catolica gave new coach Mario Lepe an impressive start by winning 5-3 away to Universidad de Concepcion.
Lepe replaced Fernando Carvallo, who quit last week.
O'Higgins won for the first time in eight outings when they came from 3-1 behind to beat champions Everton 4-3.
COLOMBIA
Champions Boyaca Chico continued their dismal run when they lost 1-0 at Deportes Tolima, where Jorge Perlaza scored the only goal.
Boyaca, winners of the Apertura tournament in the first half of the year, are 17th in the 18-team table with 11 points from 12 games.
The weekend's nine games produced a respectable tally of 27 goals, a big improvement in a tournament which had previously averaged a paltry 2.1 goals per game.
PARAGUAY
Guarani thumped Cerro Porteno 3-0 to go level on points with champions Libertad at the top of the Clausura championship
Midfielder Jonathan Fabbro converted a 13th-minute penalty and completed the scoring in the 68th minute to take his tally in the competition to nine goals while Javier Gonzalez completed the scoring in between.
Bolivian international Lorgio Alvarez gave Libertad a 1-0 win over Silvio Pettirossi.
URUGUAY
Nacional twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Defensor Sporting and go one point clear at the top of the Apertura championship.
Diego de Souza scored both goals for Defensor while Nacional replied with a Pablo Gaglianone own goal and an 85th minute striker from Alexander Medina.
Danubio, previously level on points with Nacional, slumped to a 3-1 defeat at home to Racing.
VENEZUELA
Promoted Zulia went top of the 2008/09 championship's first stage with a 2-2 draw at Estudiantes de Merida, ahead of Deportivo Italia on goal difference.
Italia's game at home to Estrella Roja was called off early in the second half because of torrential rain with the visitors leading 1-0.
Champions Deportivo Tachira came from two goals down to win 4-2 at Deportivo Anzoategui.
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