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 Atlas rallies for 2-2 draw with Boca |
Late score gives Atlas draw with Boca Juniors
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) -- Jorge Torres scored an 88th-minute equalizer to give Atlas a 2-2 draw with defending champion Boca Juniors in the first leg of their Copa Libertadores quarterfinal on Wednesday.Torres' header stunned a crowd of 42,000 at Velez Sarsfield's stadium in Buenos Aires, employed by Boca after it was barred from using La Bombonera because of debris thrown onto the field that struck a linesman in an second-round match April 30 against Cruzeiro.The two sides face off again next Wednesday in Guadalajara, Mexico, with Atlas taking home two precious away goals.Atlas led on a header by Omar Flores in the sixth minute.Boca equalized in the 36th with an own-goal by Hugo Ayala. Boca forward Rodrigo Palacio drove a cross from the right side into Martin Palermo, who redirected it the ball toward the goal, off Ayala's back and into the net.Boca appeared more timid than its earlier round matches, with Palacio and Palermo failing to generate good scoring chances in the first while the Mexicans countered fiercely.The Argentines showed more determination in the second half, with Julio Cesar Caceres putting Boca ahead 2-1 in the 70th.This time Palermo crossed into the area, and Caceres scored with a right-footer. Boca appeared to be in control, especially when Juan Roman Riquelme hit the post. Palermo followed with another near miss soon after, sending a back-heeled shot just wide.Torres' goal capitalized on an error by Boca goalkeeper Mauricio Caranta, who found himself out of position on a corner kick.Next Wednesday's game will be the fourth meeting between the two clubs in three months. Boca won 3-0 in Buenos Aires and Atlas took a 3-1 victory in Guadalajara during the group phase |
| Beijing date for Messi |
Barcelona's Lionel Messi has confirmed he will play at the Olympic Games this summer after convincing the club's directors to let him join the Argentina team in Beijing. Messi is part of a preliminary list named by coach Sergio Batista to play at the Games in August.Messi told Radio La Red: 'I'm looking forward to flying to Argentina to start training with both the seniors and the Under-23 squad.
'I have already arranged everything with Barcelona to play in Beijing.' It is welcome news for Batista, who learnt this week that recently crowned Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich would not be releasing defender Martin Demichelis.Messi is part of the 17-man squad Batista has named to play Catalonia at the Nou Camp on 24 May as warm-up to the Olympics, alongside other high profile players such as Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero, Real Madrid duo Fernando Gago and Federico Higuain, and Birmingham winger Mauro Zarate. |  |
Messi also congratulated compatriot Carlos Tevez for winning the Premier League title with Manchester United at the weekend.'Carlitos is a great player and he has enough qualities to be in the national team,' Messi added. |
| TEVEZ TARGETS DOUBLE SUCCESS |
| Carlos Tevez is targeting a Premier League and Champions League double to cap an "extraordinary" first season at Manchester United. The Argentina striker joined United from West Ham last summer and helped them to domestic glory last Sunday with a 2-0 win at Wigan.While Tevez is celebrating, he is also focused on the Champions League final against Chelsea, to be played on May 21 in Moscow. "Winning both titles would be extraordinary in my first season here," he told Argentinian newspaper Ole. |  |
"I will do my best to take it. Finals must always be won. "I am very, very happy. It's been more than two years since I won the last title (with Brazilian side Corinthians) and I was getting used to that."This is a special title because of that. Winning again is good, especially if it is such an important title. Winning a title in Europe is not easy. "One of the first things I did after winning the title was to call my uncle to tell him I had him in my mind. He is suffering from cancer and I told him this title and the one coming up was for him. He was very happy and made me happy too." Tevez thanked United fans for showing him their support all season, and said: "I think English people love me because I do my best every weekend. I have always done my best, as well as in West Ham, Corinthians or Boca shirts. "I always do my best at the club I play for, so I am given a lot of affection." |
| Boca Juniors, Sao Paulo and America reach quarterfinals |
| Defending champion Boca Juniors won through to the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores on Wednesday, along with Brazil's Sao Paulo and Mexico's America, which pulled off a stunning comeback win. Boca, holding a 2-1 win from its first leg at home, won 2-1 at Brazil's Cruzeiro for a 4-2 aggregate win. It will meet Mexican club Atlas in the quarterfinals. Needing a victory, Cruzeiro pressed Boca from the opening kickoff and dominated early, but it was the Argentine club that took the lead, with international forward Rodrigo Palacio firing into the left corner of the net in the 36th minute.
That first goal did not change the equation for Cruzeiro, which still needed two goals to force the match into extra time, but when powerful striker Martin Palermo headed Boca's second a minute before halftime, the result was all but sealed, with the Belo Horizonte club left requiring four goals.Urged on by the 70,000 strong crowd, Cruzeiro did pull one goal back in the 56th minute through Wagner, but could make no further inroads into the deficit, and midfielder Ramires was sent off in the 70th minute to put the result beyond doubt. | 
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