Ten-man Boca slump against San Lorenzo
Reuters - Sunday 05 September 2010, 00:24
BUENOS AIRES - San Lorenzo sent 10-man
Boca Juniors crashing to a 2-1 home defeat on Saturday to put
coach Claudio Borghi right back in the hot seat.
Tall Uruguayan striker Sebastian Balsas headed one goal and
laid on the other to sink Boca, whose 2-1 home win over title
favourites Velez Sarsfield last weekend appeared to have given
Borghi some breathing space.
Boca, also beaten at home by Racing Club, have managed just
four points from five matches, while unbeaten San Lorenzo have
11 points, one less than new leaders Arsenal, who beat title
holders Argentinos Juniors 1-0.
Juan Sebastian Veron's Estudiantes are level with River on
10 points after a 2-1 away win over Godoy Cruz on Friday night
and they have a game in hand.
MEDEL OFF
Boca, who saw a first-half header by three-goal striker
Lucas Viatri come back off the bar, had Chile midfielder Gary
Medel sent off in the 40th minute for a second booking.
Borghi had no complaints about the red card but told
reporters San Lorenzo's Colombian midfielder Leo Lopez should
have been sent off earlier for a foul on Medel.
Balsas, 1.97 metres tall, rose to central defender Jonathan
Botinelli's cross from the left to head the opening goal in
52nd minute with goalkeeper Cristian Lucchetti managing to
divert the ball but not enough as it went in off his right hand
post.
Boca central defender Matias Caruzzo might have equalised
for Boca two minutes from time but goalkeeper Damian Albil
brilliantly saved his header.
From the counter-attack, Balsas raced down the left and
squared to Juan Menseguez who placed his shot perfectly inside
the base of Lucchetti's left post.
Argentina World Cup striker Martin Palermo ended his
four-match goal drought by pulling one back in the fifth minute
of stoppage time when Albil spilt a cross.
River Plate also have a wary eye over their shoulders at
the bottom end of the standings.
All Boys beat Olimpo 1-0 at home in a match between two
promoted teams and sent River, whose relegation average over
the last two seasons was among the lowest, into the drop zone.
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