Riquelme Back At Boca

Boca Juniors held a press conference yesterday afternoon to announce the return of Juan Roman Riquelme to El Bombonera.

Riquelme has initially signed a three-year deal with Boca, but suggested that he wishes to stay with the club for the rest of his playing career.

The AFA are now lobbying FIFA to allow Riquelme to play for Boca in the World Club Championship, which Boca will leave for next Wednesday. FIFA initially rejected Boca's appeal, but with the weight of the Argentine Football Association behind the discussions, they seem relatively optimistic that Riquelme will be able to play in Japan.

Riquelme himself hopes that is the case:

"My dream is to play the World-wide championship in Japan, I have the belief. It is the first time that an Argentine team will participate and I want to help not only our club, but Argentine soccer as a whole. Hopefully, I will be allowed to play, but today only we must enjoy this return."

He may play some part in Boca's last game of the Apertura on Sunday, where they face league-leaders Lanus.

Ronaldo A Doubt For World Club Championship

It seems that AC Milan could be without Ronaldo for the upcoming World Club Championship in Japan after he felt a muscle pain during their game with Benfica in midweek.

There is a possibility that he has torn the muscle, which would rule him out for a few weeks, causing him to miss the trip to Japan.

Veron Set For MLS Switch With DC United

Reports from Argentina suggest that Estudiantes midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron could be on his way to DC United when his contract expires at the end of December.

DC United are thought to be keen to capitalize on the 'Beckham effect' that is sweeping across America and wish to bring in a star name of their own in time for the 2008 season.

Veron, 32, has enjoyed his spell back at Estudiantes and was instrumental in their 2006 Apertura victory. However, the promise of one last big paycheck, along with the opportunity to be part of an ever improving league, may be enough for Veron to consider the move to the United States.

If Veron does leave, then it seems that his coach Diego Simeone may follow suit, preferring to join River Plate than continue at Estudiantes without his main talisman.

Lanus and Tigre Remain in Title Battle as Boca Fall Out of Contention

Victories for Lanus and Tigre last night left the title race open, going into the final round of games this weekend.

Tigre defeated Boca Juniors 2-1, despite going behind to an early Martin Palermo strike after eight minutes. Second half goals from Leandro Lazzaro and Martin Morel turned the game in Tigre's favour and they were able to hold on for the victory that keeps them in the title challenge.

Lanus continued their ruthless home form, beating Argentinos Juniors 4-0 at La Fortaleza. Two goals from Jose Sand and single strikes from Diego Valeri and Nelson Benitez leave Lanus in pole position to claim their first ever Argentine title on Sunday.

Lanus lead Tigre by three points going into the last weekend. Tigre are away to Argentinos Juniors, with Lanus facing a tough away game at Boca. Lanus only require a draw to claim the title, but if Tigre win and they lose, there will be a playoff game to decide the Apertura 2007 Champion, as they will be tied on thirty-seven points.

Passarella On Venezuela Shortlist

Venezuela have begun their search for a new national coach following the resignation of Richard Paez earlier this week.

Former River Plate manager Daniel Passarella is thought to be amongst those considered, with ex-Ecuador coach Luis Suarez and Guatemala coach Bolillo Gomez also on the shortlist.

Ricardo La Volpe Heads Atlas Shortlist For New Manager

Former Mexican national boss Ricardo La Volpe is one of four candidates on the shortlist of Primera Division side Atlas, who are searching for a new manager.

He is joined by Darío Franco, Luis Fernando Tena and José Manuel de la Torre, with Atlas expected to open negotiations with their chosen candidate in the next couple of weeks.

Atlas finished bottom of the Mexican Apertura and are hoping that a new manager will bring around a change of fortune.

La Volpe is out of work after being sacked by Argentine side Velez Sarsfield following their poor performance in the Argentine Apertura.

No Hard Feelings As Riquelme Leaves Villarreal; Confirms Tottenham Approach

Although he was at pain to explain that he has made sacrifices in order to pull off his return to Boca Juniors from Villarreal, Juan Riquelme has confirmed that he has no hard feelings toward his former employers.

Speaking to Spanish daily Marca, Riquelme said:

"I do not keep resentment to anybody. Here they have treated me well, but things happen in life."

He also confirmed that he had received an offer from Tottenham Hotspur in England:

"[Juande] Ramos was interested in taking me to the Tottenham. But my family and I wanted to return home."

Argentina Torneo Apertura - Possible Title Deciders Tonight

Due to Boca Juniors participation in the World Club Championship, their fixture from the final round of the season has been moved forward to today in order to allow them more preparation time for the tournament.

In the interest of fairness, Lanus will also play their final round game tonight, meaning that next weekend's showdown between Boca and Lanus could very well be a title decider.

However, Boca play second placed Tigre, with Lanus hoping for a Boca victory or draw, as that will guarantee them the title if they can defeat Argentinos Juniors.

There is therefore, a very good chance that the Apertura 2007 championship could be decided this evening.

Richard Paez Resigns as Venezuela Manager

Richard Paez has resigned from his position as manager of the Venezuelan national team following jeers from the crowd during their 5-3 victory over Bolivia in the latest round of World Cup qualifiers.

Paez assumed the managerial position in 2001 and has overseen a massive improvement both on and off the field since his arrival.

Venezuela have made a decent start to the qualifying campaign and currently lie fifth in the ten team group after four games. Paez was aiming to become the first manager to ever take Venezuela to World Cup qualification, but it seems that the constant criticism from the crowd has made his job untenable.

"The football played by our beloved Red Wines has not been able to beat the inadequate atmosphere which surrounds the national team," Paez said in a letter to the Venezuelan football association. "This directly affects our professional responsibility to pick, lead and obtain results."

There is currently no word as to who is in line to replace Paez.

Cesar Delgado Set For Move to Europe

Reports in Argentina suggest that Cesar Delgado could be set for a move to Europe in January, with Lyon, Olympiakos, Espanyol and Benfica all thought to be interested in the forward.

Delgado, 26, currently plays for Cruz Azul in the Mexican Primera Division, where he has enjoyed a successful four year period after joining from Rosario Central in 2003.

'El Chelito' has been capped twenty times at full international level for Argentina and was part of the under-23 side that won Olympic gold in 2004.

River Plate Chase Simeone and Pekerman in Search for new Manager

Having already received knock-backs from Carlos Bianchi and Ramon Diaz, River Plate have now turned their primary attention to Estudiantes manager Diego Simeone, although they have also initiated contact with former Argentina boss Jose Pekerman.

As we previously reported, Estudiantes are requesting 500,000 dollars of compensation should Simeone leave them, with River seemingly unwilling to pay the fee. However, in light of the rejections they have received from other potential candidates, it seems that River may now be more open to a compromise, in order to secure Simeone in time for next year's Clausura.

Whilst negotiations are likely to re-open with Estudiantes over Simeone, River have formulated a back-up plan, which has seen them contact Pekerman, who is currently in charge at Club Toluca in Mexico. It is unknown whether Pekerman is open to a move to River, but the option has been put on the table for him should he decide to pursue it.

Eight Supporters Dead in Brazilian Football Tragedy

Eight supporters have died after part of the Fonte Nova stadium in Salvador collapsed during Bahia's 0-0 draw with Vila Nova on Sunday.

The elevated section of one of stands caved in with ten minutes of the game remaining, leaving a massive 40metre drop to the street below, which some supporters could not avoid.

Bahia state governor, Jacques Wagner, ordered the immediate closure of the fifty-six year old stadium, with an investigation pending to discover the cause of the tragedy.

Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A Round 37 Results

Santos and Flamengo confirmed their Copa Libertadores qualifying positions with victories during this weekend's games.

Santos defeated Parana Curitiba 3-2 away from home, with Flamengo recording a 2-0 victory over Atletico Paranaense at the Maracana.

The battle is now on for the final qualifying place, with Palmeiras lying a point ahead of Cruzeiro and Gremio going into the final round of games. Fluminense currently lie in fourth, but have already qualified for the tournament due to their Brazilian Cup win and are therefore out of the equation.

At the bottom of the table, Juventude join America Natal in Serie B after losing to Fluminense, with the final two relegation places to be decided on the final weekend.

The full results are as follows:

Fluminense 3 -2 Juventude
America Natal 0 -3 Gremio
Internacional 2 - 1 Palmeiras
Sao Paulo 2 -2 Botafogo
Flamengo 2 - 0 Atletico Paranaense
Sport Recife 1 - 0 Cruzeiro
Parana Curitiba 2 - 3 Santos

There are still three fixtures remaining from Round 37, all involving clubs in the bottom half of the table, which will be played on Wednesday:

Corinthians vs Vasco da Gama
Atletico Mineiro vs Goias Esporte Clube
Figueirense vs Nautico Recife

Argentina Torneo Apertura Round 17 Results - Still Tight At The Top

Boca Juniors and Lanus both dropped points at the top of the table, allowing Tigre to force their way into the title battle with two games to play in the Apertura.

Arsenal de Sarandi defeated Boca 2-1 on Sunday, with Lanus then only able to manage a 0-0 draw with Argentinos Juniors later in the evening. The results increased the gap between the sides to four points and means that Lanus just need to get a draw away to Boca next weekend to be guaranteed to finish ahead of Miguel Angel Russo's side.

However, a third team has entered the championship chase, after Tigre defeated Rosario Central 2-1 on Friday to move a point ahead of Boca and thus three points behind the leaders Lanus. A draw or a win for Boca next weekend, coupled with a Tigre victory away at Argentinos would put Ramon Cabrero's side in contention for their first championship since 1993.

Only the top three sides can now possibly take the title, after Independiente's 0-0 draw with Racing Avellaneda left them seven points off Lanus at the top of the table with only two games left to play.

Elsewhere, there was more pain for managerless River Plate, who succumbed to a 2-0 home defeat against Colon de Santa Fe, whereas Ramon Diaz, fresh from rejecting River's approach, led his San Lorenzo side to a 1-0 victory over Olimpo Bahia Blanca.

Full Results:

San Lorenzo 1 -0 Olimpo Bahia Blanca
Tigre 2 - 1 Rosario Central
Racing Avellaneda 0 -0 Independiente
River Plate 0 - 2 Colon de Santa Fe
Newell's Old Boys 1 - 0 Banfield
Velez Sarsfield 3 -1 Gimnasia La Plata
San Martin San Juan 3 - 2 Gimnasia de Jujuy
Arsenal de Sarandi 2 -1 Boca Juniors
Estudiantes 1 -1 Huracan
Lanus 0 -0 Argentinos Juniors

Tevez: Five More Years Then I'll Return to Boca

Carlos Tevez has told The Sun that he intends to spend five more years in Europe - preferably with Manchester United - before returning to Boca Juniors when he is 28.

"At 28, I want to be in Boca. I have another year on my contract with Manchester and I could extend it for four years more then return.

"But I want to return to Boca at my peak not as some fatso. Imagine if you cannot move - they'd scream insults at you. If I return it will be to get stuck in and play."

Like many ex-Boca players, Tevez has the club close to his heart, having supported them since he was a child and would like to return and repay his debt to the club who raised him as a footballer.

Chilean FA Show Faith in Bielsa

Despite their 3-0 home defeat to Paraguay on Wednesday, the Chilean FA have come out in support of national coach Marcelo Bielsa, although many in Chile are calling for his head.

In a statement released yesterday, they confirmed that they are more "than satisfied with the management of Bielsa."

Chile currently lie seventh in the qualifying group for the 2010 World Cup, with four points from the opening four games.

Werder Bremen Suspend Carlos Alberto After Training Ground Bust-up

Werder Bremen have suspended Brazilian forward Carlos Alberto for three days after he came to blows with Boubacar Sanogo in a training session yesterday.

Bremen manager Thomas Schaaf said:

"The players are an example for the population. We have to talk about this and resolve the situation, but a player who has an attitude like this needs to think about the consequences."

Despite the current injury crisis at the club, Schaaf believes that they could not ignore the incident:

"We are taking this measure despite the injuries, but we cannot accept this type of behaviour."

This is not the first time Carlos Alberto has caused trouble at a club. He famously fell out with Corinthians manager Emerson Leão in 2006 and refused to play for the club whilst Leão was in charge. This eventually lead to his move to Bremen this summer for a reported 7.8million Euros.

So far this season, Carlos Alberto has only made three appearances for his new club and is yet to get on the scoresheet.

Mystery Spanish Club Interested in Corinthians Keeper Felipe

Felipe has attracted the attention of an unknown Spanish club after a string of impressive performances in Corinthians' fight against relegation from the Brazilian Serie A.

Representatives for the entrepreneurs who own 25% of Felipe's economic rights will travel to Spain tomorrow to discuss a deal with the club, who are looking to sign the goalkeeper in the January transfer window.

It is thought that the total fee being discussed for Felipe is in the region of 4.6million Euros, to be split between Corinthians (50%), the entrepreneurs (25%) and his former club, Bragantino (25%).

Felipe, 23, has yet to be capped by the Brazilian national team, but is considered by many to be the best goalkeeper in the league and it was thought to only be a matter of time before a European club would make an enquiry about his services.

Breno's Father Thinks Bayern Would Be The Best Move

Breno has been linked with a number of top European clubs such as Real Madrid and AC Milan, but it seems that his father is set on a move to Bayern Munich after he was given a tour of their facilities.

Speaking to Lance!, Breno senior said:

"I'm ready to take the kid there. From what I've seen it's a great idea for Breno to join Bayern."

"That's no disrespect towards São Paulo, but they really have some incredible installations there and I also talked a lot with Zé Roberto [ex-Santos], and analysed everything that I had seen before coming to this conclusion."

It seems Breno is keen to get straight into first team football and Bayern are willing to offer that to the young Brazilian, whereas Real and Milan may not be able to do so.

According to Breno senior "the only concrete proposal that's come through has been from Bayern," which seems to suggest that Breno could to set for a move to the Bundesliga come January.

20k and Up

I just wanted to give a thank you to all the visitors of this site, as El Espectacular reached the 20,000 page views milestone today.

This may not seem like such a big number, but for a singularly run site I see this as quite an achievement and hope it is a sign of things to come.

So thank you all again and enjoy the site!

Ramon Diaz Will Stay With San Lorenzo

River Plate suffered another blow in their search for a new manager last night, when Ramon Diaz confirmed that he will be staying with San Lorenzo for the Clausura 2008.

Diaz had been River's first choice for the position, but after a meeting with the San Lorenzo board, he was persuaded to stay with Los Cuervos until next summer.

It is thought that Diaz was offered a contract of 1,700,000 dollars, plus an additional 500,000 if he can take San Lorenzo to Copa Libertadores glory in 2008.

As part of the agreement, San Lorenzo will not stand in Diaz's way if he wishes to move away from the club next summer.

Arsenal to Listen to Offers for Gilberto Silva

It seems that Gilberto Silva's future at Arsenal could be in doubt after reports in The Sun that Arsene Wenger is ready to listen to offers for the midfielder in January.

The Brazilian international has fallen down the pecking order at Arsenal this season, with Mathieu Flamini taking his position in the starting eleven. With players such as Abou Diaby and Lassana Diarra also at Arsene Wenger's disposal, it seems he will allow Gilberto to leave the club in the next transfer window.

Juventus are thought to be favourites to land Gilberto should he become available, with Valencia having also previously been linked with a move for the 31 year old.

Riquelme on the Verge of Boca Return

Reports coming out of Argentina suggest that Boca Juniors have agreed terms with Villarreal for the transfer of Juan Riquelme in January, with only a couple of loose ends to be tied up before the deal can be confirmed.

The primary concern seems to be the tax that Riquelme will pay on his earnings in Argentina. Although Boca are seemingly content to pay him the same as Villarreal, the greater income tax in Argentina will result in Riquelme losing one million dollars a year in comparison.

Riquelme himself has said that he wants the remaining issues to be resolved as soon as possible, with Boca hoping that Villarreal will pay the tax deficit in order for Riquelme to receive the extra money as a one off payment whilst still a Spanish citizen.

FIFA are thought to have denied Boca permission to use Riquelme in the upcoming World Cup Championship and he will instead move at the start of the January transfer window if the deal is completed.

Rosinei Signs for Real Murcia

Brazilian midfielder Rosinei has signed for mid-table La Liga side Real Murcia, after reaching the end of his contract with Corinthians.

Rosinei, 24, is thought to have signed a three year deal with the Spanish side and will start training with his new team mates on Friday.

Brazil, Ecuador and Uruguay Win In 2010 World Cup Qualifiers

Brazil were lucky to overcome an impressive Uruguay performance to win 2-1 in the Morumbi stadium.

Uruguay had the better of the first-half chances, taking the lead through Sebastian Abreu after eight minutes and continuing to push on for the rest of the half. Cristian Rodriguez twice saw decent efforts just miss the target, amongst a flurry of opportunities for the away side.

Despite being on the back-foot for the majority of the first half, Brazil sneaked an equaliser just before half time with former Sao Paulo favourite Luis Fabiano firing home from Maicon's thorugh ball.

The equalising goal was not enough to appease the Morumbi crowd, who made their feelings clear as the half-time whistle blew and then went on to boo Ronaldinho and Robinho when the two players were substituted in the second half.

Brazil did improve after the break and despite Uruguay having some more decent attacks, it was Fabiano who proved to be the difference between the sides, adding his second after sixty-four minutes to seal a somewhat fortuitous victory for Brazil.

In the first game of the day, Ecuador brushed aside Peru, recording their first win of the qualifying campaign with a 5-1 victory under the stewardship of their temporary manager Sixto Vizuete.

Double strikes from Walter Avoyi and Edison Mendez, along with a single strike from Ivan Kaviedes gave Ecuador a commanding 5-0 lead, with a late Andres Mendoza goal the only consolation for a Peru side who had held Brazil in their previous game.

Paraguay continued their excellent start to the qualifying campaign, defeating Chile 3-0 in a high tempo match in Santiago. Salvador Cabanas gave Paraguay the lead after twenty-six minutes, with Paulo da Silva adding a second in first half stoppage time. Da Silva got his second of the night, ten minutes into the second half and Paraguay comfortably held out for a well deserved victory.

The result means that Paraguay now lead the group on ten points from four games, with Argentina one point behind on nine, and Brazil and Colombia a further point behind on eight. Bolivia prop up the group with only one point and are one of two teams yet to record a victory, alongside Peru.

There is now a large break before the next round of qualifiers, which will take place in June 2008.

Flamengo Linked With Ronaldo Move

Flamengo have been linked with a move for AC Milan's Ronaldo, should the Brazilian side quality for the Copa Libertadores.

Whilst club officials have indicated they would rather concentrate on the remaining two games of the league season than answer transfer speculation, there is a growing consensus in Brazil that Flamengo will attempt to bring in Ronaldo on loan should they qualify.

Is is thought that AC Milan may be willing to loan out Ronaldo in order to facilitate his return to full fitness.

Colombia Shock Argentina and Venezuela Edge Out Bolivia

Colombia provided a shock result in the fourth round of South American World Cup qualifiers, defeating Argentina 2-1 in Bogota.

Argentina took the lead ten minutes before half-time through Lionel Messi, despite being down to ten men after Carlos Tevez was given a straight red card following a clash with Ruben Bustos.

Colombia came out after the break determined to make their man advantage count and got the breakthrough they were looking for on the hour mark with a brilliantly struck free-kick from Bustos.

They continued to press and got their reward ten minutes from time; Dairo Moreno breaking the Argentina offside trap and exchanging passes with Freddy Grisales, before tapping home from a yard out to send the home crowd into raptures.

The man advantage told for Colombia in the remaining minutes and they were able to keep possession of the ball enough to hold out for a famous victory.

In the other game of the night, Venezuela defeated Bolivia in an eight goal thriller in San Cristobal.

Bolivia held the lead three times, through a Marcelo Martins double strike and a single goal from Juan Carlos Arce, but Venezuela responded with two Daniel Arismendi goals and an Alejandro Guerro equaliser, eight minutes from time.

Venezuela left it late to get the winner, Giancarlo Maldonado heading home with one minute remaining, before adding his second in injury time with a well-placed lob over stand-in goalkeeper Luis Guttierez.

Rafinha: I am Prepared for Brazil Chance

Schalke 04 right back Rafinha believes he is ready to play for the full Brazilian national team, after impressing for his club side so far this season.

He told Placar:

"Already I go to dispute my third Bundesliga and am participating in the Champions League for the second time, always defending well and making goals.

"I am prepared. I am certain that the coach is observing my performances and I will soon have a chance..."

Rafinha, 22, is known to have been a massive fan of Cafu while growing up and the former Coritiba player is now looking to follow in his hero's footsteps by representing Brazil at right back.

Rafinha's age will make him eligible for Brazil's Olympic Games campaign next year, which could prove to be his path into the full squad if he is picked and performs well in that tournament.

In an interesting aside, Placar described Rafinha as playing "in the land of the beer." Nice to know that the German stereotype carries all the way to South America!

Atletico Madrid Look to Ward Off Interest in Aguero and Rodriguez

Atletico Madrid are looking to re-negotiate the contracts of Argentine pair Sergio Aguero and Maxi Rodriguez in a bid to increase their buy-out clauses, with many top European clubs circulating around the pair.

Maxi has become an important part of the Atletico team this season, recently taking over as captain of the side. His buy-out clause is currently set at 24million Euros, but Atletico are keen to increase this to 60million Euros in order to ensure he stays at the club.

The situation is similar for Aguero, who has started this season in scintillating form and has established himself as a full Argentine international. His buy-out clause currently lies at 36million Euros, but with Juventus thought to be preparing a bid for the January transfer window, Atletico will look to increase this figure to outside the budget of the Italian side.

South American 2010 World Cup Qualifiers: Round 4

The fourth round of qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup take place over the next two days in South America.

The fixtures are as follows:



20th:
Venezuela vs Bolivia (live on Sky Sports 1 from 10:30pm)
Colombia vs Argentina (live on Sky Sports 1 from 12:40am, 21st)

21st:
Ecuador vs Peru
Brazil vs Uruguay (live on Sky Sports 1 from 11:45pm)
Chile vs Paraguay

Tottenham Chase Julio Baptista

Spanish daily Marca reports that new Tottenham boss, Juande Ramos, has made Real Madrid forward Julio Baptista his number one transfer target for January.

Baptista enjoyed a good relationship with Ramos in the very short time they were together at Sevilla and could be keen to link up with the Spaniard once more. However, it is known that Baptista did not really enjoy his time in England - on loan to Tottenham's great rivals Arsenal - last season.

If Tottenham can persuade Baptista to join to Ramos revolution at White Hart Lane, they are likely to have to pay Real Madrid 15million Euros for his services.

Ramon Diaz Favourite For River Plate Job

San Lorenzo coach Ramon Diaz has emerged as the front-runner for the vacant managerial position at River Plate, after the River board asked permission from San Lorenzo to speak to their manager about the role last night.

Diaz, 48, enjoyed a successful spell in charge of River from 1995 to 2003, taking three Apertura and two Clausura crowns, along with a Copa Libertadores triumph in 1996. He joined San Lorenzo this year and delivered the 2007 Clausura, the club's first league title in six years.

Diego Simeone was originally thought to be the favourite for the position, but River were discouraged from pursuing him further, due to the large compensation that Independiente were asking for.

Americo Gallego, Leonardo Astrada and Claudio Borghi are also in the frame should Ramon Diaz not sign on.

Flamengo Join Sao Paulo in Race for Adriano

Flamengo are the latest Brazilian club to express their interest in signing Inter Milan's troubled striker Adriano.

Adriano started his career at Flamengo and it is thought that he is more open to a move to them rather than Sao Paulo, who are also thought to be interested.

Inter Milan are only interested in negotiating a permanent move away from the San Siro for Adriano and Flamengo may only be able to afford the transfer fee if they qualify for the Copa Libertadores. They currently lie third in the league with two games remaining. The top four sides qualify for the competition.

Adriano's agent Gilmar Rinaldi has played down reports of his client moving back to Brazil.

Draws the Order of the Day in 2010 Qualifiers

Peru held Brazil to a famous 1-1 draw in Lima, whilst a double strike from veteran striker Marcelo Salas earned Chile a 2-2 draw away to Uruguay.

In a surprisingly open first half, Brazil just about edged out a spirited Peru, with Kaka giving them the lead five minutes before half time after Vagner Love had spurned an earlier chance.

The second half looked like it would follow a similar pattern, with Ronaldinho and Luis Fabiano both forcing good saves from Peru keeper Penny. However, as the half continued Peru started to put Brazil under more pressure in the defensive third. They got their reward after seventy minutes when Juan Vargas' effort was deflected past Julio Cesar by Brazil defender Lucio.

Brazil rallied and could have won the game in injury time, but Juan's header crashed off the crossbar and behind for a goal kick. The game ended at 1-1, leaving Peru to celebrate a famous draw, whilst Brazil will now reflect on the ever growing gap between them and Argentina at the top of the table.

In the final game of this round of qualifiers, Uruguay took a late first-half lead against Chile in Montevideo through Luis Suarez. Only an exceptional performance by Claudio Bravo in the Chilean goal kept the score down to one in a first half that Uruguay dominated.

Chile started the second half in much better form, inspired by the skillful Carlos Villanueva and equalised after fifty-eight minutes; Marcelo Salas heading in from close range.

Salas added his second from the penalty spot ten minutes later to put Chile in front, but they could not hold on for the victory, with Washington Abreu equalising for Uruguay with nine minutes left on the clock.

Riquelme Pledges to Return to Boca

After confounding critics once more with a two-goal salvo in Argentina's win over Bolivia, Juan Riquelme has again stated his desire to return to Boca Juniors.

He is quoted in Spanish paper Marca as saying:

"I know that I will return to play with Boca Juniors, be it tomorrow, or within five months after my contract with Villarreal runs out.

"We're still talking about the same things, and in reality I hope that the issues will be resolved quickly.

"Boca Juniors is my home and I know that I'm going back at some point.

"Hopefully it'll be soon, because I want a solution in order to play every Sunday."

As reported yesterday, Boca are thought to have renewed talks with Villarreal in an attempt to bring Riquelme back to El Bombonera, but it remains to be seen whether Villarreal will be willing to let him leave at a price that Boca can afford. If not, it seems he is willing to sit it out until the end of the season if that is what it takes to return to his homeland.

Argentina, Paraguay and Colombia Win in 2010 Qualifiers

Argentina continued their one hundred percent start to the World Cup 2010 Qualifiers, defeating Bolivia 3-0 at El Monumental, while Paraguay and Colombia also celebrated victories in round 3 of the Qualifying schedule.

Sergio Aguero marked his first competitive international start with his first goal for Argentina, heading in from a yard out after Martin Demichelis headed the ball back across goal from a Carlos Tevez cross. Argentina controlled the first half, with Lionel Messi is scintillating form, but were only able to get the one goal, going in 1-0 up at half time.

Bolivia were slightly more adventurous in the second half, but still rarely threatened the Argentina goal as the hosts started to turn on the style. Early in the half, Juan Riquelme saw a free-kick tipped over by Carlos Arias in the Bolivian goal, but returned moments later to send a dead-ball curling in off the inside of the post, leaving Arias with no chance.

Riquelme got his second and Argentina's third with quarter of an hour to go, after a brilliant run from the half way line by Lionel Messi, who put the ball on a plate for Riquelme to calmly curl home and secure the victory.

Paraguay turned on the style, defeating Ecuador 5-1 to continue their impressive start to the qualifying tournament. A double strike from Christian Riveros, along with single goals from Haedo Valdez, Roque Santa Cruz and Nestor Ayala gave them a comfortable victory, with Ivan Kaviedes getting Ecuador's scant consolation effort. Ecuador coach Luis Fernando Suarez resigned after the game.

In the final game of the day, Colombia left it late to defeat Venezuela in Bogota, with a Ruben Dario Bustas strike, ten minutes from time, enough to give them victory in a tightly-contested match.

World Cup 2010 Qualifiers Round 3 Fixtures

The third round of qualifying games for the 2010 World Cup take place in South America this weekend.

The fixtures are as follows:



17th:
Argentina vs Bolivia (2nd half live on Sky Sports 1 from 8.00pm)
Colombia vs Venezuela
Paraguay vs Ecuador

18th:
Uruguay vs Chile (live on Sky Sports 1 from 7.00pm)
Peru vs Brazil (live on Sky Sports 1 from 9.00pm)

Boca Re-Open Talks With Villarreal Over Riquelme

Boca Juniors are once again in discussions with Villarreal to try and bring Juan Riquelme back to the club.

The dream of Boca is to have the mercurial playmaker on board for December's World Cup Championship in Japan, but it seems more likely that he will move at the end of the January transfer window, in time for Boca's defence of the Copa Libertadores.

Villarreal are thought to be keen to hold out until the end of that window, in the hope that an attractive financial proposition from another European club is forthcoming. If that is not the case, then they may be willing to negotiate a less expensive deal with Boca, just to avoid having Riquelme rotting in the reserves for another six months.

Tottenham and Newcastle in England are thought to have made Villarreal offers for Riquelme, but the player himself only wants to move to a country that speaks Spanish or Italian, as he does not want his children to have to learn another language at this stage in their schooling.

Tevez, Messi and Aguero Up Front for Argentina Against Bolivia

Despite recalling Hernan Crespo to his squad, Alfio Basile looks set to go with the three most in form strikers for Argentina's game against Bolivia this evening.

Carlos Tevez, Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero have all started the season in scintillating form for their respective club sides and it seems Basile is keen to go with three small, quick and skillful players up front for this game.

Juan Riquelme will sit behind the three forwards, with Esteban Cambiasso and Javier Mascherano doing the holding in midfield.

Basile is expected to stick with the same goalkeeper and back four as the previous qualifiers, with Javier Zanetti, Gabriel Milito, Martin Demichelis and Gabriel Heinze in front of Roberto Abbondanzieri in goal.