Penarol leave it late to reach Libertadores semis
Reuters - Friday 20 May 2011, 04:01
BUENOS AIRES - Substitute Fabian
Estoyanoff scored five minutes from time to send Penarol of
Uruguay into the Libertadores Cup semi-finals for the first time
in 24 years on Thursday.
Paraguay's Cerro Porteno also reached the last four with a
1-0 home win over Chiapas of Mexico in the second leg of their
quarter-final tie to qualify 2-1 on aggregate.
Penarol, who last reached the semi-finals in 1987 when they
won their fifth title, lost 2-1 away to Chile's Universidad
Catolica in Santiago but advanced 3-2 on aggregate.
Catolica took the lead in the 18th minute when striker Lucas
Pratto shook off a challenge and laid the ball off to midfielder
Fernando Meneses, who raced through to fire into the net.
Substitute Roberto Gutierrez levelled the aggregate score in
the 69th minute when he turned central defender Guillermo
Rodriguez and unleashed a low shot into the bottom corner.
As the match looked set for a penalty shootout, with no
extra-time in the competition, former Uruguay midfielder
Estoyanoff ghosted in on the right to tap in a cross in the 85th
minute.
"We were the better team but we made two mistakes over there
(in Montevideo) that lost us the tie," Argentine Pratto,
Catolica's top scorer with six goals, told Fox Sports.
"This win is doubly gratifying because Catolica are a great
team, they play really good football," said Penarol striker Juan
Manuel Olivera.
Penarol advanced to meet Velez Sarsfield of Argentina in the
semi-finals.
Velez, who completed a 7-2 aggregate victory over Libertad
of Paraguay on Wednesday, will be at home in the second leg as
they aim to claim a second title after previously winning the
tournament in 1994.
In Asuncion, central defender Pedro Benitez headed the only
goal 20 minutes from time following a poor clearance at a corner
to put Cerro Porteno in the semi-finals for first time since
1999.
Chiapas' Chilean international defender Ismael Fuentes was
sent off eight minutes from time for his second booking in six
minutes.
In the semi-finals, Cerro face twice champions Santos of
Brazil, who drew 1-1 at home to Colombia's Once Caldas on
Wednesday to go through 2-1 on aggregate.