BUENOS AIRES, March 26 - Martin Palermo converted a controversial 89th
minute penalty as nine-man Boca Juniors snatched a dramatic 1-1 draw against
eternal rivals River Plate in their Argentine derby on Sunday.
Palermo sent River goalkeeper German Lux the wrong way after substitute
Guillermo Barros Schelotto had appeared to fall over in the area without being
touched.
River, playing away from home at Boca's imposing Bombonera stadium, took a
39th minute lead through Ernesto Farias, who caught goalkeeper Roberto
Abbondanzieri off his line and scored with a clever chip.
Abbondanzieri, Argentina's first-choice goalkeeper, continued his bad
afternoon when he was sent off for tripping goalward-bound Marcelo Gallardo in
the 66th minute.
In a match which pitted former Argentina coaches Alfio Basile and Daniel
Passarella against each other, Boca's fate appeared to be sealed when full-back
Juan Krupoviesa was sent off in the 83rd minute for an awful foul on Daniel
Montenegro.
But Boca were given new life two minutes later when River defender Cristian
Tula was dismissed for a challenge on Barros Schelotto.
"We had the game in our hands but we couldn't do it," said frustrated River
coach Passarella.
EXCELLENT CAMPAIGN
River had begun the weekend at the top of the table with Boca one point
behind in second place.
Their stalemate allowed Newell's Old Boys to leap-frog both teams and go top
with a 2-0 win at Olimpo.
Claudio Husain gave Newell's a first half lead and former Argentina forward
Ariel Ortega added the second with a 64th minute penalty.
Newell's have 23 points from 11 games, one ahead of River and two more than
Boca Juniors and Gimnasia-Jujuy.