Vélez Sarsfield weren’t allowed to play the home leg of their Copa Libertadores quarter-final in the Estadio José Amalfitani on Thursday, owing to incidents involving pyrotechnics during Monday’s Primera División match against Banfield, and as a result they played in an unimpressively-populated Bombonera against Libertad of Paraguay. The visitors were expected to offer stiff resistance, and did in fact make things difficult for the Liniers side, but such is Vélez’s quality this term that they coasted to a win in the end anyway, 3-0. Juan Manuel Martínez got two of the goals in the last fifteen minutes, after Maxi Moralez had opened the scoring 20 minutes in. You can see all three of them right here.
Copa Libertadores 2011, quarter-final first leg, Thursday 12th May
Vélez Sarsfield 3 – 0 Libertad (PAR)
For Libertad, Nicolás Pavlovich (an Argentine champion with Argentinos Juniors last year) and Ignacio Canuto were the only Argentines who featured; indeed, they’re the only Argentines at the club.
Elsewhere in the Copa this week, Jonathan Fabbro, formerly of Boca Juniors, scored for Cerro Porteño in their 1-1 draw away to Jaguares in Chiapas, Mexico. Juan Manuel Lucero, Mariano Uglessich and Roberto Nanni all also featured for Cerro in Thursday night’s late game. Earlier in the week, Chile’s Universidad Católica, featuring Marcelo Cañete, Lucas Pratto, Tomás Costa and Juan Eluchans lost 2-0 away to Peñarol.
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Hasta El Gol Siempre 