Libertadores: Argentinos lose unbeaten record (video)

Argentinos Juniors started Tuesday still unbeaten in all competitions in 2011, and were seeking another win in the Copa Libertadores that would have ensured their qualification for the knockout stages with two matches to play. They were at home to Nacional of Montevideo, and after some of the visiting team’s 6,000 travelling fans had clashed with police in central Buenos Aires earlier in the day, Santiago García bagged the only goal of the night to end Argentinos’ unbeaten run, and throw Group 3 wide open. The goal, and the connotations for the group, are right here.

Copa Libertadores 2011, Tuesday 15th March, Group 3

Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors 0 – 1 Club Nacional de Fútbol (URU)

Apologies for the Portuguese (or rather Brazilian) commentary, but the picture on this video was by a distance the best of the few that have been put on YouTube so far.

This result leaves Argentinos top of the group on seven points, and Nacional third on four, both from four matches. The other two sides in the group, Club América de México and Fluminense, of Brazil, meet next week in Rio de Janeiro. América are currently second, on six points, and thus would leapfrog Argentinos into first if they win that game. Flu are bottom, with just two points, so a home win for them would put them third, on five points, and leave all four teams within three points of one another with two games to go.

Argentinos’ remaining games are away to América and at home to Fluminense. The former, on the sixth of April, looks like a critical clash assuming the Mexicans avoid defeat next week in Brazil.

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