Fan shot ahead of Avellaneda derby
Reuters - Monday 03 October 2011, 09:09
BUENOS AIRES - Argentina's volatile
Avellaneda derby between Racing Club and Independiente exploded
on Sunday when a fan was shot during fighting between rival
supporters.
The shooting took place in the street three hours before the
start of the high-risk match, for which some 1,200 police
officers were on duty. La Nacion reported on its website that the fan had been taken to hospital
but his life was not in danger. The match ended 1-1.
Boca Juniors continued their march towards the league title
with a 1-0 win over Tigre at the Bombonera thanks to an own goal
from defender Diego Castano, who turned the ball into his own
net in the 15th minute.
With the Apertura championship just past the halfway mark,
Boca are five points clear of promoted Atletico Rafaela, who
beat Lanus 2-1 at home on Saturday, and six in front of Racing.
"It's been a long time since the Boca people were [as happy
as] this," playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme told reporters after
the home side extended their unbeaten run to 20 matches.
"We scored early and then controlled the second half better
than the first."
Boca, who last won the league title in the 2008 Apertura,
have conceded only two goals and taken 24 points in their 10
matches so far. They are 10 points ahead of title holders Velez
Sarsfield, who won last season's Clausura championship.
Racing took a first minute lead through striker Gabriel
Hauche in the "clasico de Avellaneda" which has become the
season's biggest derby in the absence of the "superclasico"
between Boca and relegated arch-rivals River Plate.
Striker Facundo Parra equalised for Independiente at the
Cilindro, Racing's ground in the Buenos Aires suburb of
Avellaneda.