Argentina’s Velez Sarsfield got their Copa Libertadores campaign off to a winning start on Tuesday with a 3-0 victory over Defensor Sporting of Uruguay in Group 7.
In an occasionally bad-tempered Group 4 clash, three red cards were flashed as Fluminense of Brazil beat Argentina’s Arsenal 1-0.
Velez playmaker David Ramirez scored the first goal of the competition when he rifled in a shot from the edge of the box past goalkeeper Yonatan Irrazabal in the 41st minute in Montevideo.
Photo: Reuters
New signing Mauro Obolo made it 2-0 in the 81st minute when he volleyed home from close range and defender Sebastian Dominguez completed the win with a goal many of the world’s top strikers would have been proud of, steering a free-kick from outside the box into the top corner with five minutes left.
Asked if it was his best ever goal, man-of-the-match Dominguez told Fox Sports: “Probably, I’ve scored so few.”
Arsenal could have used their former striker Obolo, who was transferred to Velez last month, as their finishing was poor in the Group 4 match in Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil striker Fred netted the only goal after two minutes and Fluminense clung on with nine men at the end.
Fluminense’s Wagner and Nicolas Aguirre of Arsenal were sent off after some pushing among the players after a tackle in the 74th minute. Fluminense defender Leandro Euzebio was also shown the red card in the final minute after he struck Arsenal’s Damian Perez in the face with his heel after both went down in a tackle.
Mexico’s Guadalajara Chivas were held to a 1-1 home draw against Ecuadoran champions Deportivo Quito in Group 7.
Deportivo Quito took the lead against Chivas through Argentine Matias Alustiza, who struck a left foot shot into the bottom right corner of the goal from the edge of the penalty area in the eighth minute.
Chivas, in last position in the Mexican league with just one point from five games, had the majority of the possession against the Ecuadorean side and they were finally rewarded two minutes into stoppage-time when Omar Arellano beat the goalkeeper to a left wing cross and headed in.
Holders Santos make their Group 1 bow away to Bolivia’s The Strongest at high altitude in La Paz next week.
Boca Juniors return to the competition for the first time since they lost to Defensor Sporting in the round-of-16 in 2009 with a visit to Venezuelan newcomers Zamora in Group 4.
SS Lazio on Monday fired the far-right sympathizer who handles their eagle mascot after he posted online a series of videos and pictures of his erect penis. Falconer Juan Bernabe, who has been present at Lazio home matches with Olimpia the eagle since the 2010-2011 season, posted the footage on social media after having surgery on Saturday to implant a penile prosthesis to improve his sexual performance. Lazio said that they had “terminated, with immediate effect” their relationship with Bernabe “due to the seriousness of his conduct,” adding that they were “shocked” by the images. The Serie A club added that Bernabe’s dismissal
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
Dubbed a “motorway for cyclists” where avid amateurs can chase Tadej Pogacar up mountains teeming with the highest concentration of professional cyclists per square kilometer in the world, Spain’s Costa Blanca has forged a new reputation for itself in the past few years. Long known as the ideal summer destination for those in search of sun, sea and sand, the stretch of coast between Valencia and Alicante now has a winter vocation too. During the season break in December and January, the region experiences an invasion of cyclists. Star names such as three-time Tour de France winner Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe
AGING WELL: Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, 22, was sent packing after being dispatched by world No. 97, Laura Siegemund, the second-oldest player in the draw at 36 Novak Djokovic yesterday created a slice of Grand Slam history on his way into the Australian Open third round, but last year’s women’s finalist Zheng Qinwen was knocked out in the biggest shock so far. Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, in-form Coco Gauff, two-time Melbourne winner Naomi Osaka and a rampant Carlos Alcaraz were all victors on a rainy day four. Play was suspended on the outside courts for a couple of hours in the early evening because of the wet weather. That led to the rescheduling of a women’s doubles match between wild-cards Tsao Chia-yi of Taiwan and Thailand’s Peangtarn Plipuech and 11th
RSS