'Mini Messi' Iturbe bags brace for Cerro Porteno
Reuters - Friday 18 February 2011, 01:29
BUENOS AIRES - Teenager Juan Iturbe,
nicknamed 'Mini Messi', scored twice as Cerro Porteno of
Paraguay crushed Chile's Colo Colo 5-2 in South America's
Libertadores Cup on Thursday.
The 17-year-old, who helped Argentina's youth team finish
third in the South American under-20 championship in Peru this
month, came on in the second half and scored a brilliant goal in
the 46th minute to put Cerro Porteno 3-1 up.
Iturbe, who has been compared with Barcelona's Lionel Messi
and is also referred to as Pulguita (little flea), scored again
five minutes from the end of the match in Asuncion.
Buenos Aires-born Iturbe, who has been linked with a move to
Portugal's Porto when he is 18, is being courted by Paraguay and
his native Argentina at senior international level.
Argentine striker Roberto Nanni also scored twice for the
Paraguayan side, in the first minute and with a 68th-minute
penalty.