Buenos Aires, Aug 12: Leaders Boca Juniors defeat Rosario Central 4-0 while Estudiantes de la Plata beat River Plate 3-0 in the Argentine soccer championship. South American champions Boca Juniors enjoyed scored four times in less than half hour to trounce Rosario Central 4-0 on Sunday (August 10). New Brazilian signing Larley and 19 year-old Carlos Tevez inspired Boca, who went ahead with a Guillermo Barros Schelotto penalty in the 54th penalty after Tevez was brought down inside the area. Schelloto added a second running a cross from Tevez three minutes later. Tevez scored the third after 79 minutes and full-back Clemente Rodriguez completed the scoring in the 82nd. Central, who beat Boca 7-2 on the last day of the previous championship, finished with ten men after Emiliano Papa was sent off.


Boca lead the table on goal difference from newly-promoted Quilmes, the only other side with maximum points after two games.

Argentine champions River Plate crashed to an embarrassing 3-0 defeat away to Estudiantes on the second weekend of the new Apertura (opening) season on Sunday (August 10).


The team led by Argentina's 1986 World Cup winning coach Carlos Bilardo flattened River with three goals in 20 minutes during a devastating first half spell.

River, without injured new signed Marcelo Salas after the Chilean international suffered a pulled muscle during training last week, fell behind after 14 minutes when Paraguayan defender Ricardo Rojas put through his own goal.


Estudiantes, who were fighting relegation when Bilardo took over last season, struck further blows. Ernesto Farias scored on the half hour from after a penalty was awarded to Estudiantes and Ezequiel Maggiolo added another three minutes later from a rebound after a partial save from River goalkeeper Franco Costanzo.


Match summaries: Estudiantes 3 - Ricardo Rojas own goal 14, Ernesto Farias 30, Ezequiel Maggiolo 33 River Plate 0 Halftime: 3-0



Boca Juniors 4 - Guillermo Barros Schelotto 54pen and 57, Carlos Tevez 79, Clemente Rodriguez 82 Rosario Central 0 Red card: Emiliano Papa (Rosario Central) 75 Halftime: 0-0


Results of other Argentine Apertura championship matches at the weekend. Velez Sarsfield 0 Banfield 3 Lanus 0 Colon 0 Atletico Rafaela 1 Arsenal 0 Newell's Old Boys 0 Independiente 0 Racing Club 1 San Lorenzo 0 Talleres 1 Olimpo 0 Chacarita Juniors 2 Gimnasia-La Plata 2 Nueva Chicago 0 Quilmes 2


Standings 1. Boca Juniors 2 2 0 0 5 0 6 2. Quilmes 2 2 0 0 5 1 6 3. Banfield 2 1 1 0 3 0 4 4. Independiente 2 1 1 0 3 1 4 5. Chacarita Juniors 2 1 1 0 4 3 4 6. Talleres 2 1 1 0 2 1 4 7. Racing Club 2 1 1 0 1 0 4 8. Estudiantes 2 1 0 1 4 3 3 9. Atletico Rafaela 2 1 0 1 2 3 3 10. River Plate 2 1 0 1 2 4 3 11. Rosario Central 2 1 0 1 2 5 3 12. Lanus 2 0 2 0 2 2 2 13. Colon 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 14. Newell's Old Boys 2 0 2 0 0 0 2 15. Gimnasia-La Plata 2 0 1 1 2 3 1 16. Olimpo 2 0 1 1 2 3 1 17. Arsenal 2 0 1 1 1 2 1 18. Nueva Chicago 2 0 0 2 1 4 0 19. San Lorenzo 2 0 0 2 1 3 0 20. Velez Sarsfield 2 0 0 2 1 5 0



Note: the Apertura is the first of two championships in the Argentine season. There is no overall champion.


Bureau Report