Cruzeiro
SETE LAGOAS, Brazil (AP)—Cruzeiro striker Wallyson scored twice in a 4-0 home victory over Guarani of Paraguay on Tuesday as the Brazilian club continued its dominant start to the Copa Libertadores group stage.
Wallyson scored in the 30th and 74th minutes for two-time Libertadores champion Cruzeiro, with late goals from Ernesto Farias and Thiago Ribeiro sealing the win.
Cruzeiro thrashed Argentine champion Estudiantes 5-0 in its opening match last week and leads Group 7 with six points from two games.
In other group matches Tuesday, it was: Universidad San Martin 2, San Luis 0; Emelec 1, Jorge Wilstermann 0; Once Caldas 1, Libertad 1.
The Copa Libertadores is the top club competition in Latin America.
The 32 teams in the tournament are split into eight groups of four, with the top two from each section qualifying for the knockout round of 16. In each group, the teams play each other home and away.
The final is scheduled for June, with the winner earning a place in the Club World Cup to play against the other continental champions.
Cruzeiro striker Wallyson became the group stage’s leading scorer so far after his two goals against Guarani took him to four from two games.
Wallyson volleyed in his first after the Guarani defense failed to clear a corner and scored his second from close in after Walter Montillo’s left-wing cross in the second half.
Farias finished a pass from Dudu for Cruzeiro’s third goal in the 87th and Thiago Ribeiro hit a long-range shot to complete the scoreline just before the final whistle.
The match was played in the city of Sete Lagoas because Cruzeiro’s home stadium in Belo Horizonte is getting an overhaul ready for the 2014 World Cup.
The victory put Cruzeiro atop Group 7 with six points, three ahead of Deportes Tolima of Colombia. Tolima travels to Estudiantes on Wednesday.
Elsewhere on Tuesday, Eduardo Morante scored with a header from a corner in the 34th minute of Emelec of Ecuador’s win over Wilstermann of Bolivia in Group 6.
Emelec leads the group with four points ahead of further results.
Meanwhile, Gianfranco Labarthe gave Peru’s San Martin the breakthrough in the 85th minute against San Luis of Mexico in Group 1, with Carlos Marinelli adding a second in stoppage time.
In the same group, Dayro Moreno scored in the 29th minute as 2004 champion Once Caldas of Colombia took the lead against Libertad of Paraguay.
Moreno’s strike looked to have earned all three points until substitute Victor Ayala hit a low shot from 25 yards that leveled the score with the very last kick of the match.
The results put San Martin atop the group with six points, two clear of Libertad, with Once Caldas on one point and San Luis bottom on zero.
Group matches continue Wednesday and Thursday.
