Champions Estudiantes beaten by Banfield
Reuters - Monday 28 February 2011, 01:43
BUENOS AIRES - Paraguay striker Jorge
Achucarro headed the winning goal as Argentine title holders
Estudiantes were upset 1-0 at home by Banfield at the Ciudad de
La Plata stadium on Sunday.
River Plate went joint top with Olimpo on seven points from
three matches after an 88th-minute goal from burly striker
Mariano Pavone gave them a 1-0 win at Independiente. River have
yet to concede a goal.
Estudiantes, still trying to settle into a more attacking
style sought by new coach Eduardo Berizzo, were exposed in a
quick counter-attack on the hour.
Midfielder Marcelo Carrusca crossed high from the left and
Achucarro rose between two defenders to head past a static
Agustin Orion in the Estudiantes goal.
Estudiantes, winners of the Apertura championship in the
first half of the season, have six points from three matches in
the Clausura. Banfield have four after their first win.
Velez Sarsfield, runners-up to Estudiantes in the Apertura
in December and among the favourites for the Clausura, have yet
to win after being held 1-1 away by 10-man Argentinos Juniors at
the Diego Armando Maradona stadium.
The home side, having fallen behind to an early goal by
David Ramirez, had midfielder Mauro Bogado sent off on the hour
for a second booking but hit back through striker Franco Niell
in the 67th minute.
BOCA HELD
Boca Juniors' poor start to the season at their Bombonera
('Chocolate Box') home continued when they were held 0-0 by All
Boys without dropped playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme on Saturday.
Coach Julio Cesar Falcioni believed Riquelme's stop-start
style in midfield unbalanced his side and sought extra fitness
work from the fans' idol while he fielded his favourite 4-4-2
line-up with two holding midfielders.
Falcioni, whose team had lost their opening match 4-1 at
home with Riquelme and won 1-0 at Racing Club last weekend while
he was out injured, was slated by fans who chanted Riquelme's
name throughout the match.
Racing went from the despair of losing their Colombia
playmaker Giovanni Moreno for six months with damaged knee
ligaments two weeks ago to renewed hope in compatriot Teofilo
Gutierrez's two-goal performance on Saturday.
Newly-signed striker Gutierrez scored with a diving header
on the stroke of half-time and a close-range volley as Miguel
Angel Russo's side came from a goal down to win 2-1 away to San
Lorenzo.