Late Veron strike sends Estudiantes through
Reuters - Wednesday 21 April 2010, 07:13
BUENOS AIRES - Estudiantes captain Juan
Sebastian Veron grabbed a dramatic winner in the fifth minute
of stoppage time to give the holders a 1-0 home win over
Alianza Lima on Tuesday, putting them into the Libertadores Cup
knockout phase.
Veron netted the rebound after Alianza goalkeeper George
Forsyth saved his penalty to put the Argentine side top of
Group Three with 13 points from their six matches.
Alianza had defender Walter Vilchez sent off three minutes
into stoppage time for a foul on winger Enzo Perez to give away
the penalty.
The Peruvian team, who had crushed Estudiantes 4-1 when the
teams met in Peru in February, finished second with 12 points
which they hope will be enough to see them through as one of
the six best second-placed teams in the eight groups.
Another Peruvian side, Juan Aurich are third with six
points after losing 2-0 against bottom team Bolivar in La Paz.
The Bolivian side, winning for the first time, finished with
four points.
"I feel bitter because we deserved to draw. Football is
like that and it's over," goalkeeper Forsyth told reporters.
The Estudiantes players were full of praise for Alianza.
"It cost us a lot to win. We played against a great team
who beat us well in Lima," said midfielder Rodrigo Brana.
With Argentina coach Diego Maradona looking on, Estudiantes
came up against a well organised and tactically astute Alianza
team, whose winger Wilmer Aguirre was a handful on the
counter-attack. Aguirre had scored a hat-trick in the teams'
first meeting.
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