Arsenal shock América

In front of 100,000 home fans, América took an early lead in the Copa Sudamericana final first leg, and it all looked like the dream of an upset was ending before it had really begun. But they reckoned without an Arsenal side playing with extraordinary solidarity and purpose, and as a result, Wednesday night’s second leg in El Viaducto will be a chance for the Sarandí side to make some real history.

Salvador Cabañas gave América the lead in just the fifth minute and the home fans went wild, but Aníbal Matellán levelled the match up on the half hour. Could the giant killers strike again? Surely not… and the hosts, with Argentine international Federico Insúa in their midfield, asserted control after the break, Alejandro Argüello putting them back into the lead in the 53rd minute. Still, there was respectability in that margin of defeat.

But Arsenal wanted more than respectability, and got it in magnificent fashion. Alejandro Gómez struck twice, first levelling the scores again just three minutes after Argüello’s goal, and then, in the 65th minute, sending the 23 travelling fans into raptures with Arsenal’s third. The final score América 2 – 3 Arsenal, one which puts the second leg hosts very firmyl in the driving seat come Wednesday. The only blot on an otherwise impressive performance was Carlos Casteglione’s sending-off with eleven minutes to go, which will mean the midfield hardman will miss the second leg. Another team display like this, and that might not matter, though.