By Brian Homewood
RIO DE JANEIRO, May 7 - Paraguayan champoinship
leaders Cerro Porteno squandered a two-goal lead as they lost
3-2 to Sportivo Luqueno in a controversial match which produced
12 yellow cards, one red and two hotly-disputed penalties.
Jorge Sampaoli resigned after 16 matches as coach of
Sporting Cristal following their 3-0 defeat to Deportivo San
Martin in Peru.
PARAGUAY
Cerro Porteno stayed top of the Apertura championship
despite losing to Luqueno in their first match under Brazilian
coach Valdir Espinoza, who replaced Gustavo Costas.
Luqueno were awarded the first of two controversial
penalties in the 11th minute while Cerro had defender Lorgio
Alvarez sent off for protesting the decision. However, Caceres
Canete's shot was saved by Hilario Navarro.
Victor Ferreira and Oscar Gamarra scored for Cerro but Jorge
Nunez pulled one back for Sportivo before halftime.
Canete atoned for his penalty miss by equalising in the 63rd
minute before Sportivo were awarded another penalty in the 83rd
minute amid more Cerro protests. Nunez converted for his second
goal of the match.
PERU
Surprise leaders San Martin demolished Sporting Cristal 3-0
with two goals from Pedro Garcia and one from Mario Leguizamon
in a match played Saturday.
San Martin have 30 points from 16 games, three ahead of
Cienciano, who won 1-0 at Sport Boys, and Melgar, who went down
to a shock 3-2 defeat against their smaller Arequipa neighbours
Total Clean.
Cristal coach Jorge Sampaoli resigned on Sunday morning
after his side were left ninth in the 12-team table with 18
points from 16 games.
CHILE
Leaders Colo Colo drew 2-2 at Cobreloa to remain unbeaten in
the Apertura championship after 15 games, although their lead
was cut to three points by Universidad Catolica's 1-0 win over
Union Espanola.
Ariel Salinas gave Colo Colo the lead, Jose Luis Diaz and
Lucas Barrios hit back for the Desert Foxes and Edison Gimenez
saved Colo Colo's unbeaten record with a 75th minute equaliser.
The Chieftains have 37 points from 15 games, three more than
Catolica who won their match with a 79th minute penalty
converted by Roberto Gutierrez.
COLOMBIA
Millonarios beat arch-rivals Santa Fe 2-1 to boost their
chances of qualifying for the semi-final group stage in the
Apertura championship.
Carlos Castro and Juan Carlos Quintero put Millonarios 2-0
ahead before Luis Yanez pulled one back.
With one round of matches to go, Deportivo Cali, Cucuta,
Chico and Atletico Nacional have already qualified.
Atletico Huila, Millonarios, Bucaramanga, Santa Fe and
Medellin are fighting for the remaining four places.
URUGUAY
Leaders Danubio beat third-placed Defensor Sporting with
goals from former Colombia striker Hamilton Ricard and Brazilian
Marcos Tora in a game which ended with red cards for Ignacio
Gonzalez (Danubio) and Maximiliano Pereira (Defensor).
With one game each to play in the Clausura tournament,
Danubio are three points ahead of Penarol who surprisingly
slipped up against modest Tacuarembo and as they were held 3-3.
Nicolas Vigneri gave Penarol a seventh-minute lead but
Tacuarembo replied through Hector Vazquez and Nicolas Nicolay to
lead 2-1 at halftime.
Luiz Nunez equalised in the 56th minute, Nicolay scored
again four minutes later and Sergio Perez equalised in the 66th
minute.
ECUADOR
Provincial club Olmedo went top of the championship's first
stage, coming from behind to beat defending champions El
Nacional 2-1.
David Quiroz headed the army club ahead in the 38th minute
but his team-mate Cristian Benitez put through his own goal
before halftime and Hernan Barcos notched a 78th minute winner
for the Riobamba team.
Olmedo overhauled Deportivo Azogues, who lost 2-1 at LDU,
while Emelec and Barcelona drew 1-1 in the Guayaquil derby.
VENEZUELA
Caracas FC beat UA Maracaibo 1-0 away in the first leg of
the two-match final which decides the 2006/07 championship.
Ronald Vargas silenced the 35,000 crowd when scored on the
break in the 63rd minute while Caracas goalkeeper Javier Toyo
repeatedly foiled the hosts.
BOLIVIA
Champions Wilstermann went top with a 1-0 win over local
rivals Aurora in Cochabamba, Sacha Lima scoring the only goal
with a left-foot shot in the 73rd minute.
Wilstermann moved two points clear of La Paz FC, who were
held to a 0-0 draw at home by Oriente Petrolero.