Buenos Aires, Feb 24: In Argentine soccer, River Plate and Boca Juniors win over the weekend while Salas makes scoring return from injury. In the Argentine Clausura championship, River Plate had a 3-0 home win over Estudiantes de La Plata and Boca Juniors won an away game 2-1 over Rosario Central Sunday (February 22). River Plate's win marked the return from injury of former Juventus striker Marcelo Salas who sent the home crowd at the Monumental wild with his goal midway through the first half. Fellow striker Fernando Cavenaghi, a member of Argentina's youth team, scored the other two goals either side of Salas's strike for River, Clausura champions last season.
Salas, on loan from Juventus, was plagued by injury throughout the Apertura championship won by arch-rivals Boca Juniors in December in the first half of the season.


The popular Chilean is in his second spell at River after playing for them in the late 1990s before his transfer to Lazio in Italy.


Estudiantes coach Carlos Bilardo will be looking to get former Parma and Newcastle United striker Faustino Asprilla fit as quickly as possible to boost his attack. The Colombian joined Estudiantes earlier this month.


Police at the stadium confronted Bilardo who had a champagne bottle at his side during the game. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited in Argentine stadiums but the coach said the bottle contained only water.

River is among a group of teams on four points after two matches.


Meanwhile. Boca played at Rosario Central, beating them 2-1. Seventeen-year-old midfielder Neri Cardozo scored both goals for Boca. While the first goal was at 44 minutes, the second-- where he finished off a play by teammate Fabian Vargas-- was at two minutes in the second half.


Rosario Central's goal was scored by Gonzalo Belloso at 76 minutes.


River: Franco Costanzo; Ariel Garc, Cristian Nasuti, Eduardo Tuzzio, Juan Fernndez; Eduardo Coudet, Claudio Husain, Rubens Sambueza; Daniel Montenegro; Fernando Cavenaghi and Marcelo Salas. Coach: Leonardo Astrada.


Estudiantes: Juan Carlos Docabo; Marcos Angeleri, Diego Colotto, Nstor Fabbri, Juan Krupoviesa; Marcos Gelabert, Diego Castagno Surez, Marcelo Carrusca; Jos Sosa; Rafael Maceratesi and Ernesto Faras. Coach: Carlos Bilardo.



Rosario Central: Julio Gaona; Paulo Ferrari, Horacio Carbonari, Leonardo Talamonti, Germn Rivarola; Gustavo Lorenzetti, Mariano Herrn, Emiliano Papa; Pablo Snchez; Gonzalo Belloso and Germn Herrera. Coach: Miguel Angel Russo.


Boca: Roberto Abbondanzieri; Pablo Jerez, Rolando Schiavi, Nicols Burdisso, Clemente Rodrguez; Matas Donnet, Ral Cascini, Fabin Vargas, Neri Cardozo; Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Carlos Tevez. Coach: Carlos Bianchi.


Results of Argentine Clausura championship matches played on Sunday: Rosario Central 1 Boca Juniors 2 San Lorenzo 0 Racing Club 4 Colon 3 Lanus 2 River Plate 3 Estudiantes de La Plata 0 Arsenal 3 Atletico Rafaela 2 Olimpo 1 Talleres de Cordoba 4


Played on Saturday: Quilmes 1 Nueva Chicago 1 Gimnasia-La Plata 6 Chacarita Juniors 1 Independiente 1 Newell's Old Boys 1


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


Bureau Report