Penarol hold Internacional in Libertadores
Reuters - Friday 29 April 2011, 04:10
BUENOS AIRES - Brazilian champions
Fluminense scored two late goals to beat Libertad 3-1 while
holders Internacional were held 1-1 by Penarol in the first leg
of their Libertadores Cup last 16 ties on Thursday.
After kick-off at the Engenhao in Rio de Janeiro had been
delayed for an hour due to a floodlighting failure, Fluminense
took a fourth-minute lead through striker Rafael Moura.
A corner from the left was flicked on at the near post by
midfielder Edinho and Moura headed home at the far post with
goalkeeper Tobias Vargas clawing the ball out in vain.
Paraguayans Libertad equalised just past the hour when
Ricardo Berna came out poorly to a long, high ball into the box
and midfielder Rodolfo Gamarra headed over the stranded
goalkeeper into the net.
Fluminense hit back with two brilliant goals in less than
three minutes, midfielder Marquinhos with a low shot from
outside the box in the 72nd and Argentine playmaker Dario Conca
curling a free-kick into the bottom corner.
AWAY DRAW
Internacional's away goal at the Centenario in Montevideo
gives the Brazilian team the upper hand against Penarol, who won
the last of their five South American titles in 1987.
Winger Matias Corujo put the Uruguayan side ahead eight
minutes before half-time when he curled a left-footed shot inside
goalkeeper Renan's right-hand post from Argentine forward
Alejandro Martinuccio's cross.
Midway through the second half, Brazil striker Leandro
Damiao ran onto substitute Oscar's forward pass and edged
between two defenders to hit a rising shot from 20 metres that
dipped over goalkeeper Sebastian Sosa and in under the bar.
Penarol were lucky not to have Carlos Valdez sent off early
in the match for bringing down Leandro Damiao in an Inter
breakaway in which the defender looked like the last man. Suarez
was booked.
"It's not such a bad result, we can play a good match there
(in Brazil)," Corujo said of next week's second leg in Porto
Alegre.
"They are great rivals, the last champions, but Penarol have
to go out to play them as equals," he told Fox Sports.