Estudiantes eliminated by Cerro Porteno
Reuters - Friday 06 May 2011, 04:56
BUENOS AIRES - Four-times South American
champions Estudiantes were knocked out of the Libertadores Cup
by Cerro Porteno after a penalty shootout in Asuncion on
Thursday.
Fellow Argentine side Velez Sarsfield qualified comfortably
for the quarter-finals 5-0 on aggregate after a 2-0 away win
over LDU Quito in the second leg of their first knockout round
tie.
Despite their poor form in the Mexican championship, Chiapas
came from behind three times to draw 3-3 with Colombia's
Atletico Junior in Barranquilla and advanced on the away goals
rule 4-4 on aggregate.
With captain Juan Sebastian Veron missing through illness,
Estudiantes again drew 0-0 with Cerro before the Paraguayan side
triumphed 5-3 on penalties. There is no extra-time in the
competition.
Goalkeeper Diego Barreto saved the Argentine side's fourth
penalty from Facundo Roncaglia before Javier Villarreal
converted Cerro's fifth.
Estudiantes have suffered an alarming loss of form having
gone eight matches in the Argentine Clausura championship and
the Libertadores Cup without a win.
At high altitude in Quito, after an interruption of 17
minutes due to a lighting failure, LDU hit the woodwork twice in
a brief spell of complete dominance.
LDU striker Hernan Barcos shot against the bar and less than
two minutes later Velez keeper Marcelo Barovero saved from
midfielder Luis Bolanos and Enrique Vera hit the rebound against
the post.
Velez stunned the Ecuadorean side before halftime with a
goal from midfielder Ricky Alvarez, who took a pass from
substitute David Ramirez, rounded a defender and beat goalkeeper
Alexander Dominguez.
Ramirez delivered another fine pass 10 minutes from time for
substitute Ivan Bella to score Velez's second, tucking the ball
behind Dominguez from a tight angle.
LDU defender Jorge Guagua was sent off in the dying minutes
and Velez midfielder Augusto Fernandez came off after the final
whistle with a wound near his left eye from an object thrown
from the crowd.
Colombia striker Jackson Martinez did not make a popular
return to his home country, scoring two equalisers for Chiapas
at the Metropolitano on the Caribbean coast.
Chiapas, held 1-1 at home in last week's first leg, scored
their crucial third equaliser with a shot from outside the box
four minutes from time through midfielder Edgar Andrade.
The teams were both down to 10 men at that stage following
red cards for Martinez and Junior left-back Cesar Fawcett for
fighting in the 78th minute.