MEXICO CITY, 22 March 2005 — America effectively ended archrivals UNAM’s hopes of reaching the Mexican championship quarterfinals by beating them 3-2 away in their derby on Sunday.
Oscar Rojas set the Eagles on their way when he scored from close range in the 13th minute and Brazilian striker Kleber scored with a left-foot shot on the turn from outside the penalty area to make it 2-0 early in the second half.
The Pumas, who have won the last two championships, pulled one back when Uruguayan Diego Alonso scored with a looping header in the 63rd minute.
But seven minutes later, volatile Mexico striker Cuauhtemoc Blanco weaved his way past several defenders in a 40-meter run to set up America’s third goal for striker Claudio Lopez.
Jaime Lozano set up a nail-biting finish for the 70,000 crowds when he pulled another back from a free kick in the 74th minute.
In other matches, Mexico striker Jared Borgetti scored a hat trick as Pachuca beat Atlas 3-1 while Guadalajara’s all-Mexican outfit continued their revival by hammering Santos Laguna 5-1.
Borgetti opened his account with a powerful right-foot shot in the first half as the Tuzos followed up Wednesday’s 3-1 defeat of Boca Juniors in the Libertadores Cup.
His second, from close range early in the second half, appeared to be turned into the net by a defender but there was no doubt about the third as Borgetti produced a brilliant left-foot shot from a difficult angle which crashed into the goal off the crossbar.
Guadalajara scored four second half goals as they crushed Santos to climb to second in Group Two, which is still led by Cruz Azul after they won 2-0 at Toluca.
River Lose Lead, Unbeaten
Record in Argentina
In Buenos Aires, River Plate lost their unbeaten record and the leadership in Argentina’s Clausura championship when they were surprisingly beaten 2-1 at Estudiantes on Sunday.
River’s shock defeat allowed Rosario Central, coached by 76-year-old Angel Zof, to go top following their 3-1 win at San Lorenzo on Friday.
River, showing no early signs of fatigue after their midweek trip to the Colombian Caribbean coast where they beat Atletico Junior 2-0 in the Libertadores Cup, took a 17th minute lead through midfielder Luis Gonzalez.
River, with former Monaco midfielder Marcelo Gallardo returning after a three-match suspension, continued to dominate but also survived a let-off when Estudiantes’ Marcelo Carrusca missed a penalty.
The second half was a different story as Estudiantes turned the game around with two Marione Pavone goals. He headed them level in the 49th minute and then sent a rasping left-foot drive past Argentina’s Olympic gold medal winning goalkeeper German Lux, midway through the second half.
In other matches, Boca Juniors handed Cesar Luis Menotti’s Independiente another defeat as they continued their climb up the table. Independiente’s last win at the Bombonera was in 1996 in Menotti’s previous stint at the club and the Red Devils were hoping the 1978 World Cup winning coach could inspire them to a repeat. Instead, Boca went ahead in the 37th minute when defender Rolando Schiavi beat his marker to head home from a corner.
Andres Guglielminpietro scored a second in the 56th minute, Javier Munoz Mustafa pulling one back with six minutes left. Boca moved to ninth with 10 points while Independiente, who have won only one out of six games, are 14th with six. Champions Newell’s Old Boys kept their unbeaten record but were held to a 1-1 draw at home by Argentinos Juniors in a match delayed for 15 minutes by a floodlight failure.
Claudio Marini put the visitors ahead against the run of play in the 63rd minute before Newell’s equalized through Nicolas Spolli in the 75th to stay eighth with 10 points.
Marini was later sent off after clashing with Newell’s striker Fernando Belluschi, who was also dismissed.
Uruguayan forward Marcelo Guerrero scored both goals as Racing Club beat coachless Gimnasia-La Plata 2-1. Peruvian striker Juan Cominges scored twice and his compatriot Juan Vargas added a third in Colon’s 5-0 win at Almagro.
