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Til dem som ikke så kampen her er en ganske fair analyse af den chilenske superclasico.

Week 14 – Colo Colo 1-0 Universidad de Chile: Analysis

Munoz goes beserk

Without trying to upset fans of other teams there was only one game that stood out this weekend in the Clausura: El Superclásico. Colo Colo v Universidad de Chile.

The previous three games had finished with an aggregate of 9-2 in La U’s favour but as Colo Colo’s Felipe Flores point out their rivals have regressed since winning the Copa Sudamericana and reaching the Copa Libertadores semi-finals whilst Los Albos have improved immeasurably under Omar Labruna; unbeaten in 10 leagues games going into the game.

There was also the small matter of Universidad de Chile’s wretched record at the Estadio Monumental having not won in over 11 years.

In terms of quality it shaped up to be the tightest match between the two sides in 18 months or so.

What transpired didn’t surprise many with incidents, controversies, red cards, missed chances but not as many goals as one would come to have expected. And La U still can’t win in Macul . . .

Line-ups

Colo Colo had their strongest eleven available so lined up their normal 4-4-2. Mathias Vidangossy is a number 10 playing on the left so naturally drifts infield to link with the lively duo of Felipe Flores and Carlos Muñoz. Gonzalo Fierro provides balance and energy on the right wing.

Universidad de Chile has had injury problems throughout the Clausura with new signings Waldo Ponce and Luciano Civelli struggling for fitness. But in terms of recent line-ups they were only missing the suspended Matías Rodríguez which meant a slight change of shape. José Rojas and Osvaldo González played as centre-backs with Albert Acevedo and Eugenio Mena pushed further up in the full-back position, venturing into wing-back territory when Sebastián Martínez dropped back between the centre backs from his midfield position.

Counter-attack v Possession

Despite being at home and their fine recent form Colo Colo took up a reactive stance playing on the counter-attack as Universidad de Chile controlled possession; the game played at a break-neck speed.

Eugenio Mena set the tone for the opening half hour, marauding into the box and firing a cross-shot just wide of the far post.

As I briefly mentioned above La U were varying between a back four and back three; very similar to the way Barcelona played under Pep Guardiola. Martínez, the deepest of the midfield three, dropping in between Rojas and González which freed Mena to push high up on the left to combine with Gustavo Lorenzetti who, as a natural enganche, moves infield; a feature La U’s play in the Clausura and Copa Sudamericana.

On the right-hand side Albert Acevedo was more conservative, wary of the threat of Juan Guillermo Domínguez who has a partnership with Mathias Vidangossy similar to that of Mena and Lorenzetti. But with La U’s pressure the Colombian international was forced back, especially with Sebastián Ubilla playing from the right.

La U squeezed the game with the back three playing a high line which caught the eager Felipe Flores and Carlos Muñoz offside a few times.

Even though they were under significant pressure the combination of Rodrigo Millar and Fernando De la Fuente still left space behind them and in front of the centre backs. This was ideal for Lorenzetti who was able to drift into these spaces unmarked. Álvaro Ormeño, who was lucky to still be on the pitch after punching Ubilla, was ignored the temptation to follow Lorenzetti inside while the centre-backs, Luis Mena and Cristian Vilches, were concerned with Enzo Gutiérrez. Lorenzetti went agonizingly close with a shot that went inches past the post after collecting, turning and shooting on the edge of the box.

Red Card

Normally one of Los Azules’ most reliable players, Eugenio Mena was given his second yellow card just after the half hour mark changing the nature of the game – in terms of the red card there can be few complaints.

Sampaoli made a substitute immediately, taking off Ubilla and replacing him with Paulo Magalhaes who went to the left side to fill in where Mena was playing while Lorenzetti played more centrally behind Gutiérrez.

The red card and subsequent changes had a positive effect on Colo Colo who now had their full-backs free to support play further up the pitch. And as a direct result Los Albos should have went ahead twice before half-time as La U were clearly unsettled.

Ormeño crossing from the right and Domínguez from the left set up Muñoz for two glorious chances but he squandered both.

Second half

It was roles reversed in the second half with Colo Colo attempting to control possession while ten men La U focused their attacking efforts on the counter-attack. But unlike the first half the team on the counter-attack looked more threatening.

If there is one criticism that can be made of El Cacique, even in this excellent run of form, is that they move the ball too slowly through midfield at times. De la Fuente and Millar are good players but neither is as dynamic as Charles Aránguiz or inventive as Lorenzetti.

La U, by now in a rough 4-4-1 shape, were sharp and incisive with their passing and Lorenzetti still at the heart of most of their moves. Under Sampaoli La U will never sit in and refuse to attack; it’s their natural instinct to go forward. José Rojas moved to left-back and showed what an athlete he is despite Botafogo’s claims that he had issues with his heart after his move to Brazil broke down. Whenever he could he motored forward trying to support his attack and drive the team forward; played down the left by Lorenzetti he sent a teasing cross in which everyone watching in the stadium and at home gathered substitute Francisco Castro was just going to knock the ball home from within the six-yard box. But he contrived to miss the ball completely.

La U looked to break away with ten minutes remaining, Aránguiz collecting a pass from Lorenzetti on the half-way line out by the nearside touchline. However he was dispossessed easily by Domínguez before Mauro Olivi clipped a pass across the field to the edge of the Universidad de Chile box where Carlos Muñoz unleashed a ferocious dipping volley that looped over the diving Jhonny Herrera and came down over the line via the bar, prompting pandemonium within the Estadio Monumental.

La U tried to push for a winner but the stuffing had been knocked out of them by Muñoz’s goal and despite the goal scorers sending off for tangling with Herrera La U could not prevent Colo Colo from rising above them in the Clausura.

The final whistle brought about some unsavoury scenes as both sets of players and coaching staff clashed. Colo Colo goalkeeper Francisco Prieto gestured towards the Universidad de Chile support before making an obscene gesture to Jhonny Herrera who had confronted Prieto with an ‘aggressive’ chest bump. Pictures show Prieto challenging Herrera to a karaoke contest as Andres Solis amusingly suggested however I’ll leave it to your imagination as to what he was suggesting.

Herrera, Prieto and Gonzalo Fierro were all shown red cards after the final whistle

Alex Teixeira serves reminder of his talent in win over Chelsea

Former Vasco da Gama youngster Alex Teixeira offered a glimpse of his talents to a wider audience on Tuesday nigh, scoring the opening goal as Shakhtar Donetsk beat Chelsea 2-1 in the Champions League.

Alex, 22, struck in the opening minutes of the encounter to give Shakhtar the lead as the Ukrainian side went on to dominate the early stages, doubling their lead shortly after half-time through fellow Brazilian Fernandinho.

By the time a third Brazilian, Chelsea’s Oscar slid the ball home from Branislav Ivanovic’s cross to reduce the deficit for the Blues, it was already too late for a comeback and Shakhtar were left to celebrate a famous victory that puts them in a strong position for qualification.

It was Alex Teixeira, though, along with fellow attacking-midfielder Willian whose talents shone through. The former, also capable of playing wide or as a second-striker, made his breakthrough at Vasco in 2008, before starring in the Carioca side as a 19-year-old following relegation to Série B.

Following a move to Ukraine, his adaptation to the European game was slow but steady and in the 2010-11 season, his first full campaign at the club, he found himself a first-team regular. This year, though, Alex has raised his performance levels, scoring eight times across all competitions in 16 appearances.

The once much-hyped teenager is now showing that he can produce the consistency to match the moments of incisiveness that have always characterised his play.

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Atlético Bucaramanga rechaza la violencia contra sus jugadores

A través de un comunicado oficial, el club ´leopardo´ se pronunció ante los graves incidentes ocurridos luego del juego en el que ganó América de Cali 0-1 por el Torneo Postobón.

"La Junta Directiva en cabeza de su Presidente Oscar Córdoba, personal Directivo y Administrativo, Cuerpo Técnico y Jugadores del Atlético Bucaramanga RECHAZAN los actos vandálicos y las agresiones físicas de las que fueron víctima los jugadores ‘leopardos’ Jonathan Lara y Alexander Lozada, anoche a pocos metros del estadio departamental", dice la misiva.

Se explica que un grupo de personas amparadas bajo la camiseta del Atlético Bucaramanga interceptaron el taxi en el que se movilizaban los futbolistas hacia su casa y los golpearon, causándoles heridas de consideración.

"La familia ‘leoparda’ se solidariza con los jugadores Jonathan Lara y Alexander Lozada que se han caracterizado por su compromiso y entrega con la institución y reiteran su RECHAZO TOTAL a todo tipo de violencia contra hinchas, jugadores, cuerpo técnico, directivos, medios de comunicación y ciudadanía en general", concluye el comunicado.

El próximo partido de Atlético Bucaramanga en los cuadrangulares rumbo al Ascenso será el fin de semana siguiente contra Universitario de Popayán en condición de visitante

Young Guns XI

Lionel Messi and the rest of Argentina’s foreign legion are once more back on native soil, as they prepare for two key clashes on the road to qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The team skippered by the Barcelona whiz kid will take on Paraguay in Córdoba on Friday before travelling to Lima four days later to meet Perú, and the media has been whipped into a familiar frenzy by the return of the European greats.

Alejandro Sabella’s men come back to South America in fine form, and for a football bet six points out of six in the upcoming two fixtures certainly does not look too ambitious. But for fans of the Argentina game, even more encouraging news can be found in the local league. Often maligned for its lack of quality, the Primera Division has exploded in 2012 with an injection of young talent surely set for great things.

Using, of course, the classic local 4-3-1-2 formation with the mythical Enganche, Argentina Football World is delighted to introduce the kids that will be knocking hard on Sabella’s door in the not-too distant future.

Goalkeeper: Agustín Marchesín (Lanús). The oldest member of our team at 24, allowing for the fact that shot-stoppers tend to develop a little later than their on-pitch companions. Marchesín is already an international and has been included in several senior Albiceleste squads, and at the age of 20 was already a regular starter in a club known for putting their faith in the pibes. Not the most spectacular keeper, but very solid and makes very few mistakes.

Defence: Gino Peruzzi (Vélez), Lisandro López (Arsenal de Sarandí), Guillermo Burdisso (Boca Jrs.), Juan Sanchez Miño (Boca Jrs.)

The backline has without a doubt been the weakest part of the Selección in recent years, but this new generation may just change that. 19-year-old Peruzzi sprung into the public consciousness with a masterful display in the Copa Libertadores, doing as good a marking job on Neymar as any other right-back in the world. He has carried that form into the Inicial, and netted a fine effort last week against San Martin to set the ball rolling on a 3-0 victory.

In the centre we find the two men whose defensive talents were the cornerstone of Arsenal’s Clausura triumph earlier in the year. López and Burdisso both stand out for their aerial play, and regularly find the net to form an invaluable attacking option. They are no slouches on the ground either, and are more than happy to play the ball out from the back and set up the counter. The defensive quartet is completed by Sanchez Miño, who is also equally comfortable playing in the midfield. The 20-year-old has wowed observers with his bursts from deep and intelligent distribution, and a wonderful free kick against Independiente also demonstrated his goal-scoring potential.

Midfield: Ricardo Centurión (Racing Club), Ezequiel Cirigliano (River Plate), Guido Pizarro (Lanús).

Having played just two senior games prior to the start of the Inicial, ‘Wachiturro’ Centurión has exploded like a hand grenade onto the Primera scene, tormenting defenders across the country with his quick feet and lightning acceleration. More often than not the answer is to hit hard; in Monday’s clash with San Martin, three Verdinegro players saw a yellow card for their uncompromising treatment of the 19-year-old.

To complete the midfield we have opted for the classic doble cinco, essentially two in the centre whose principle job is to harry, recover the ball and move it forward. Cirigliano was one of the revelations of River’s Nacional B promotion campaign, and in the winter transfer window was linked to clubs all over Europe, notably Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, before eventually staying put. Pizarro, meanwhile, has gradually grown into a vital cog in the Lanús midfield, and was destined for Fiorentina at the turn of the year before passport issues frustrated the transfer.

Enganche: Lucas Mugni (Colón):

The obvious choice here would have been to delve into the ranks of the ‘big two’, and opt for either Manuel Lanzini of River, better than ever after a loan spell at Fluminense; or Leandro Paredes, who has impressed in the handful of appearances he has made in Boca and who was given Román Riquelme’s 10 shirt for the Copa Sudamericana campaign.

Coming a little out of left-field, however, we see Colón starlet Lucas Mugni carrying the 10 for our crack unit. The 20-year-old pushed into contention when Roberto Sensini took over in Santa Fe, and possesses brilliant passing vision as well as the pace to mean he has no trouble drifting wide left and attacking from the flanks. Tall for an Argentine Enganche at 1.82m, Mugni also possesses the strength to hold off defenders and has already notched a couple of goals – including the first in the Sabalero’s recent Sudamericana meeting with Racing.

Forwards: Luciano Vietto (Racing Club) and Facundo Ferreyra (Vélez Sarsfield).

Vietto was introduced to the Racing first team at just 17 by Diego Simeone towards the end of 2011, and has predominately figured from the bench at the Avellaneda club. Given a start this Monday against San Martin, however, the teenager grabbed his chance with both hands. Vietto netted with his right, left and his head for a memorable hat-trick, and as the so-called mediapunta (second forward) he brings intelligence, pace and a wicked shot to the team.

‘Chucky’ first came to prominence in the 2011 South American Under-20 Championships, when he displaced the much-vaunted Rogelio Funes Mori from the Argentine starting line-up and finished as the squad’s top goalscorer. His strike rate suffered in the past year from being in a dreadful Banfield team, but now a Vélez player his strong, direct play should work wonders as part of one of the most consistent, settled sides in the Primera.

Lunati dirigirá el Superclásico

BUENOS AIRES -- El árbitro Pablo Lunati fue designado este martes en la AFA para dirigir el Superclásico del domingo en el estadio Monumental entre River Plate y Boca Juniors, por la duodécima fecha del Torneo Inicial.

La Comisión Arbitral tomó la decisión luego de reunirse en la AFA y los otros postulantes a dirigir el partido más importante del fútbol argentino eran Néstor Pitana y Germán Delfino.

Pero, Lunati, de buen nivel en este campeonato, se impuso a sus dos colegas y el domingo tendrá la posibilidad de impartir justicia en el regreso del Superclásico, luego del descenso de River a la Primera B Nacional.

Este será el primer Superclásico de Lunati de manera oficial, ya que condujo uno en el verano de 2011, que terminó cn victoria de Boca por 2-0, con goles de Martín Palermo y Nicolás Colazo.

En la fecha última Lunati dirigió el triunfo de San Martín de San Juan sobre Unión de Santa Fe por 2-0.

Lunati tiene buenos antecedentes en este campeonato dirigiendo a Boca, ya que estuvo en las victorias frente a Unión (2-1) e Independiente (2-1).

En tanto, con River el juez deportivo tiene el recuerdo de haber dirigido la victoria de Racing Club en el Monumental por 1-0, en el marco de la octava fecha.

A ambos equipos Lunati los dirigió en total en 25 oportunidades. Con él en cancha, River ganó siete veces, y empató y perdió en nueve oportunidades.

Boca, en tanto, consiguió 18 triunfos, tres empates y cuatro caídas. El domingo, en el Monumental, se escribirá una nueva historia y Lunati tendrá su estreno oficial en un Superclásico

BUENOS AIRES -- Gabriel Amato, ayudante de Matías Almeyda en River, aseguró en "La Oral Deportiva" que lo que mueve el Superclásico argentino "no se compara con nada, se vive en todo el planeta".

"Al clásico se lo vive siempre con un sentimiento muy particular, se lo trato de inculcar a los jugadore", contó en su charla con ESPN Radio en Rivadavia. Y aseguró que hasta en Europa están al tanto de este partido.

El exdelantero, que pasó por River y Boca, afirmó que en ambos clubes se vive igual la previa y a la hora de elegir un clásico en el recuerdo, pensó en un 3-0 de River en 1994. "En el único que hice un gol, perdimos 4 a 1 con tres goles de Caniggia y Maradona erró un penal, aunque lo recuerdo de manera poco felíz por la dura derrota", agregó.

Sobre la trascendencia este Superclásico, pese a las coyunturas de los equipo, Amato aseguró que "este será recordado porque es el primero después de la vuelta de River a Primera. Lo que empezamos a inculcarle con Matías (Almeyda) después de lo vivido el último año es que lo disfruten a pleno".

Sobre la actulidad del equipo, aseguró que los "jugadores están más que preparados" y que Gabriel Mercado respondió bien en el fútbol reducido, pero con el correr de los días evaluarán si está en condiciones de reaparecer tras una lesión de rodilla.

El otro tema que preocupa a River es David Trezeguet, quien viajó a Francia por otra audiencia de su divorcio y recién llegaría el jueves por la mañana.

"Para el cuerpo técnico lo importante con David (Trezeguet) es pensar en la persona. Una vez llegado a la Argentina, veremos en qué condiciones está. Es nuestro capitán, un ejemplo para el fútbol argentino, por eso depende de él. El profe Bonini habló con Matías y por lo que nos comentó está muy bien".

Pensando un poco más a largo plazo, Amato espera que el delantero franco-argentino decida continuar en River, después de diciembre. "Quiero ser optimista con respecto a la continuidad de David. Pero primero tiene que estar tranquilo y bien en todo sentido, porque queremos tenerlo por mucho tiempo".

Finalmente, el ayudante millonario contó sobre su relación con el DT de Boca, Julio César Falcioni, quien lo dirigió en Banfield. "Con Falcioni terminé bien en Banfield, no tengo ningún problema. En su momento, me pidió jugar de enganche y después me sacó del equipo, algo que no compartí pero lo acepté como profesional. Tengo una buena relación con Julio. Me fui de Banfield por otras cuestiones y le dije que prefería irme para tener chances en otro lado".

La Gata ve la mejoría con Cagna

BUENOS AIRES -- El delantero de Estudiantes Gastón Fernández aseguró que el plantel se siente "muy cómodo" con el técnico Diego Cagna, de cara al partido del sábado contra All Boys, por la duodécima fecha del torneo Inicial.

La Gata Fernández analizó el momento del equipo y sostuvo: "Estamos en un buen camino, hay que seguir pisando fuerte, siempre desde la humildad. La pretemporada en Colombia, aunque fue un poco pesada, nos vino muy bien para el grupo".

"Hemos mejorado fecha tras fecha -siguió-. Encontramos una solidez defensiva y un mejor manejo de pelota. Solo nos falta ser más contundentes y no desperdiciar tantas situaciones de gol".

"Por eso me quedé con mucha bronca con la jugada que no aproveché en el primer tiempo ante Boca. Me demoré mucho. En la del segundo tiempo pateé muy exigido, de zurda y Agustín (Orión) estuvo muy bien. Estoy en deuda en ese sentido, porque le tengo que aportar goles al equipo", sostuvo Fernández.

LA PRÁCTICA DEL MARTES

El plantel pincha trabajó el martes en la parte física, y el técnico Diego Cagna tiene a esta altura una sola duda para el partido ante All Boys: la inclusión como titular del colombiano Duván Zapata.

Cabe recordar que Zapata convirtió un gol en el último cotejo como local ante Quilmes, que le dio la victoria a Estudiantes, y frente a Boca ingresó y cumplió un buen trabajo.

En caso de que el DT se decida por Zapata, el que tiene más chances de salir del equipo es Maximiliano Núñez.

Dominican Republic tops Gwada Boys

LES ABYMES, Guadeloupe - Jonathan Fana scored a goal in each half and led the Dominican Republic to a 2-0 victory over host Guadeloupe on Tuesday, the opening day of play in Group 7 in the second round of the CFU Caribbean Cup.

In the first game of the doubleheader, Cedric Sabin had two goals five minutes apart late in the first half and paced Martinique - which finished with 10 men -- past Puerto Rico 2-1.

Fana scored in injury time of both halves, in the 46th and 93rd minutes, to give the Dominican Republic a third straight victory in the Caribbean Cup and extend its unbeaten streak overall to seven matches. It has not lost since a 2-1 defeat to El Salvador in the second round of World Cup qualifying in July 2011.

It also was the second straight match that Fana had scored twice, having lifted the Dominican Republic past Dominica 2-1 a month ago to send it to the second round of the Caribbean Cup.

The match was the first competitive game for Guadeloupe since it lost all three matches at last year´s CONCACAF Gold Cup and extended its winless streak to five.

Earlier, Sabin converted a penalty in the 38th and added a second goal in the 43rd to stake Martinique to a 2-0 lead. Hector Ramos pulled Puerto Rico within a goal in the 55th. Martinique was reduced to 10 men with three minutes remaining when Steeve Penel was ejected for stomping on an opponent.

Alexis Rivera also was red carded, but after the match, for approaching St. Vincent referee Caswell Cambridge and berating him.

The victory kept Martinique, which began the Caribbean Cup qualifying with a 16-0 victory over British Virgin Islands unbeaten in the competition in its four games and five overall.

St. Lucia closes on Carib Cup second round

GROS ISLET, St. Lucia - Tremain Paul scored for a second straight match and put St. Lucia on the verge of the second round of qualifying in the CFU Caribbean Cup with a 1-0 victory over St. Vincent & the Grenadines on Tuesday.

The result left St. Lucia atop Group 2 with six points, three better than St. Vincent and Guyana, which beat Curacao 2-1 in the first game of Tuesday´s doubleheader.

Two teams will advance to the second round. Thursday´s group finale will see St. Vincent face winless and already eliminated Curacao, and St. Lucia against Guyana.

Paul, who had the first goal in St. Lucia´s 5-1 victory over Curacao on Sunday, had the lone strike in the 69th on Tuesday. The goals in St. Lucia´s last two matches contrast with its previous run, in which it went winless in six games, and scored only one goal in its previous four games.

In the earlier game, Gregory Richardson converted a penalty for a second consecutive game to give Guyana the victory.

Vurnon Mills put Guyana ahead within 60 seconds after kickoff and Richardson doubled the lead three minutes before halftime.

Guyana damaged its own cause when Colin Nelson put a ball in his own net in the 53rd, but Curacao couldn´t must much more and then had striker Quinston Bartholomeus ejected in the 89th.

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Colón denuncia agresiones

BUENOS AIRES -- El club argentino Colón de Santa Fe denunció el miércoles que la delegación y los hinchas que acompañaron al equipo que el martes perdió en Asunción ante el Cerro Porteño (2-1), en los octavos de final de la Copa Sudamericana, fueron víctimas de agresiones y discriminación por parte de la policía paraguaya.

Debido a los encontronazos entre hinchas de ambos equipos en los graderíos del estadio Pablo Rojas, del Cerro Porteño, el partido estuvo suspendido durante 18 minutos.

"Nos trataron como a los delincuentes, nos agredieron y nos discriminaron, y lo peor lo vivimos después del partido, cuando nos llevaron a una comisaría, nos desvistieron, y nos dijeron que no teníamos derecho a nada porque no estábamos en Argentina", dijo el vicepresidente del Colón, Rubén Moncagatta.

"Nos agredieron, nos empujaron, fue un avasallamiento total, teníamos un sensación de impotencia... La policía tuvo animosidad, hasta el fiscal nos agredió verbalmente. Les dijimos que éramos dirigentes y no les importó. Había periodistas santafesinos que vieron todo", dijo el dirigente a la agencia estatal argentina de noticias Télam.

Mocagatta agregó que la salida de Asunción fue complicada. "A nuestro autobús y a otro nos acompañó una custodia mínima hasta la salida de Asunción y nos pasearon por una avenida en la que nos rompieron todos los cristales a pedradas", indicó.

"Por suerte, al menos hasta la hora en que salimos de Asunción, no me consta que haya personas heridas o internadas en hospitales de Asunción", agregó

Mocagatta comentó que una vez que pasó la frontera se sintió "un poco más tranquilo" y comentó que mantuvo contactos con la Gendarmería argentina, ante la cual hizo "la denuncia de todo lo ocurrido".

"Estoy seguro de que no es el pueblo paraguayo el que causó todo esto. Pero afirmo que la policía y la justicia de ese país nos odian. Se repitieron viejas historias negras que vivimos los argentinos en otras épocas. Nos hicieron sentir que para los argentinos no existe la justicia en Paraguay y no hay seguridad", aseguró el dirigente deportivo.

"Es increíble, cuando ellos vinieron a nuestro estadio no hubo problemas, los tratamos muy bien y merecíamos otro tipo de trato en Paraguay, especialmente de parte de la policía, no somos delincuentes", afirmó.

Informaciones publicadas el martes en Buenos Aires indican que entre 35 y 38 hinchas del Colón están detenidos en Asunción y que han pasado la noche en la comisaría números 2 Metropolitana de la capital paraguaya, tras el partido, a la espera de ser interrogados por la justicia.