Leaders Velez stunned by lowly Quilmes
Reuters - Sunday 24 April 2011, 02:41
BUENOS AIRES - Godoy Cruz climbed to
second in the Argentine championship on Saturday after a
surprise win at River Plate while leaders Velez Sarsfield were
stunned at home by lowly Quilmes
The team from Mendoza came from a goal down to beat River
2-1 at the Monumental, while Velez barely clung to their lead in
the standings after going down 3-2 to relegation-threatened
Quilmes at the Fortin.
Velez remain top with 21 points, Godoy Cruz are second on 20
and River have 19 after 11 rounds of a tight Clausura
championship.
Title holders Estudiantes were also upset, 2-0 by Colon in
La Plata, and are on 17 points.
At the Monumental, defender Jonatan Maidana headed River
into the lead eight minutes before half-time but left-back Zelmar
Garcia equalised early in the second when he beat Argentina
goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo with a shot from close range at
the near post.
Substitute midfielder Mariano Donda stunned a crowd of more
than 40,000 five minutes from time when his free-kick from 25
metres took a deflection and went just inside the stranded
Carrizo's left-hand post for the winner.
"River were better than us," said Godoy Cruz's Uruguayan
coach Jorge da Silva, a former River player. "We didn't have
much possession and we had trouble getting the ball.
"I'm happy with the players' commitment. We played against
the team with the least goals against (in the Clausura). The
team showed that in difficult stadiums they have personality,"
he told reporters.
In fact, River have the second best defensive record having
conceded six goals in the Clausura compared to only four in 10
games by Argentinos Juniors.
Velez, who went top with a 2-0 win over San Lorenzo in
midweek, were level at 1-1 with Quilmes going into the final 10
minutes, but then Pablo Vazquez scored twice in three minutes
for the visitors six minutes after coming on as a substitute.
Quilmes, one place off the bottom with nine points after
their second successive win, had midfielder Pablo Garnier sent
off for a second booking with seven minutes to go but Velez only
managed to pull one goal back in added time.
Newell's Old Boys' new coach Javier Torrente made a losing
debut when his side went down 1-0 at home to Banfield, who
climbed to fourth with 18 points.