Argentine favorite Boca crushed

BUENOS AIRES - Boca Juniors' image as Argentine title favorite took a severe battering in a 4-1 home defeat by modest Godoy Cruz in its opening match of the Clausura championship on Sunday.

A series of good results and performances under new coach Julio Cesar Falcioni in friendlies in January had led to Boca being named as the team to beat after some good signings and the return to the side of Juan Roman Riquelme.

Riquelme missed virtually all of the Apertura championship in the first half of the season following knee surgery last May.