Lanus triumph at Independiente to go top
Reuters - Monday 20 February 2012, 01:05
Lanus took sole lead
of the Clausura championship with a 1-0 win at Independiente on
a disappointing day for the four big clubs in Argentina's first
division on Sunday.
Lanus are the only team with a maximum six points after two
rounds of the season's second championship, while champions Boca
Juniors drew 0-0 at Union, Racing Club and Independiente both
lost 1-0 and San Lorenzo were held 1-1 at home by Estudiantes.
Boca have conceded a mere six goals in 21 matches this
season, 19 in the Apertura championship they won in December,
but Sunday's performance failed to dispel concerns even among
their own players about a lack of sparkle in attack.
An internal squabble midweek almost ended with coach Julio
Cesar Falcioni resigning after a slanging match with leading
players over the team's poor 0-0 draw with modest Zamora in
their opening Libertadores Cup match.
"It's past, the coach and the captain [Juan Roman Riquelme]
have spoken," Boca goalkeeper Agustin Orion said as he tried to
put the conflict behind Boca.
"Let's hope the result will be good for us in the long run
(but) we have to improve," he told reporters with a phrase often
used by playmaker Riquelme, the team's biggest critic.
Racing began the championship full of hope with former
Argentina coach Alfio Basile in charge but have taken only one
point from two matches and not yet scored after Sunday's 1-0
away loss to 10-man Godoy Cruz in Mendoza.
Godoy Cruz had midfielder Juan Carlos Falcon sent off in the
38th minute for pushing Racing's Colombian playmaker Gio Moreno
in an off-the ball incident but scored through defender Leonardo
Sigali six minutes from time.
Independiente's home match with Lanus appeared to be heading
for a scoreless draw until former River Plate striker Mariano
Pavone ran onto a ball through the middle of the defence to
steer it home three minutes from time for his third goal in two
league games.
Relegation-threatened San Lorenzo played better than last
weekend when they were crushed 4-1 at Lanus but only managed a
1-1 draw with 10-man Estudiantes at their Nuevo Gasometro
ground.