Palermo plunders leveller in derby draw
Reuters - Monday 26 October 2009, 03:01
BUENOS AIRES - Striker Martin Palermo
continued his knack of scoring crucial goals when he equalised
to give Boca Juniors a 1-1 draw in the "superclasico" against
River Plate on Sunday.
Palermo, who scored Argentina's winner against Peru in a
World Cup qualifier two weeks ago, wore a mask in the first
half to protect his broken nose and was rarely involved.
In the second half, having taken the mask off, Palermo
received a flicked pass from Juan Roman Riquelme and hit a low
shot into the bottom left corner out of Daniel Vega's reach in
the 63rd minute.
Palermo had also headed the winner from nearly 40 metres in
a 3-2 victory over title holders Velez Sarsfield three weeks
ago that launched improved Boca on their present run of four
matches without defeat.
Midfielder Marcelo Gallardo had put River ahead after half
an hour, curling a brilliant free kick over the wall and into
the top left corner past Roberto Abbondanzieri.
Both sides finished with 10 men after River left back
Cristian Villagra was sent off a minute into the second half
for a second booking, and Boca's Paraguayan defender Julio
Cesar Caceres followed in the 50th after upending Ariel Ortega.
Ortega, one of River's three over-33 musketeers with
Gallardo and Matias Almeyda, had a penalty saved by
Abbondanzieri in the 23rd minute and busy midfielder Matias
Abelairas might have snatched victory for the home side but hit
the post in the 73rd.
"I think we pardoned them their lives. But the good thing
is no one gave anything for us and we played a great match,"
Abelairas told reporters.
With 15 points after 10 matches, Boca are in 10th place,
six points behind new leaders Colon, who beat last week's
leaders San Lorenzo 2-1 in a top of the table clash at their
Elephants' Cemetery ground in Santa Fe.
LOST MOMENTUM
River, who have only seven points, had the better of the
first half but lost momentum in the second when Boca held the
upper hand.
It was second "superclasico" in a row to finish 1-1, with
both scorers the same, and the fourth without a River win since
their last victory two years ago.
A draw was a fair result in a derby that lived up to its
billing as the biggest on the Argentine calendar with a 55,000
crowd at the Monumental creating a wall of sound for long
spells to a backdrop of red and white banners and streamers,
River's colours.
Colon striker Federico Nieto scored both goals as San
Lorenzo dug their own grave in Santa Fe.
Saints team mates Renato Civelli and Pablo Pintos argued in
the tunnel, Uruguayan Pintos hit Civelli and the referee sent
him off.
Nieto, who had opened the scoring with a diving header in
the fifth minute, stunned San Lorenzo within two minutes after
the restart when he rifled a cross from the right high into the
net.
Colon's German Rivarola was sent off in the 57th minute for
a bad foul and defender Marcelo Goux scored an own goal in the
75th but they held on for victory.
Velez Sarsfield went down to their first home defeat this
year, 2-1 against Newell's Old Boys, who with Estudiantes and
Banfield are a point behind Colon.