Football followers around the world enjoyed a weekend to remember with changes at the top and goals galore, including a 6-1 win for South Africa's SuperSport United and a 7-0 success for Rio de Janeiro form side Botafogo. Stay with FIFA.com as we bring you right up to date with action from across the globe, where crowd trouble in Argentina was the only blot on a thrilling round of league football.
Argentinian Clausura: Boca and River move joint
top
Crowd violence reared its ugly head once more in Argentina at
the clash between Racing and Estudiantes de La Plata. With the
visitors leading 2-1, the home fans' violent reaction to the
sending off of a third Racing player forced the referee to suspend
the match. With this result still pending, River Plate and Boca
Juniors moved top with four wins and three draws so far. The
Millonarios ended Velez Sarsfield's unbeaten start
with a 2-0 success while the
Xeneizes edged out Colon 2-1. Meanwhile, San Martin de San
Juan held firm at home to win 2-0 against an Independiente side
struggling for consistency.
Big game: Tigre, one of last season's surprise packages, beat Gimnasia Jujuy 2-0 to move into fifth spot, level on points with third place. The defeat spelt the end for Jujuy coach Carlos Ramacciotti, who resigned after the match.
Headline-grabber: Nicolas Pavlovich scored the 2,000th goal in Banfield's history with his side's consolation in the 2-1 away defeat to Rosario Central.
Mexican Clausura: Guadalajara stay out front
Guadalajara cemented their place at the top of the
overall standings with a 2-1 win over Pachuca,
Chivas' goals coming from Omar Bravo and Sergio Avila
with Luis Gabriel Rey reducing the deficit for the
Tuzos. Meanwhile, a closely fought contest between Pumas
and Santos ended 1-1, and second-bottom Tigres continue to flirt
with the drop after defeat against Jaguares. Veracruz were unable
to take all three points against an Atlante side now without a win
in seven games.
Big game: Ten-man Tecos fought back from 3-1 down to salvage a point against Atlas, Sebastian Gonzalez the hero with a last-minute equaliser.
Headline grabbers: San Luis extended their unbeaten run to eight games with a 2-1 win over struggling Puebla, for whom the spectre of relegation looms ever larger.
BrazilianState Championships: Third time unlucky for Vasco
After previous derby defeats against Botafogo and Flamengo,
Vasco da Gama lost their third Rio de Janeiro
clássico of 2008 after crashing 2-1 to Fluminense at the
Maracana. The night belonged to
Flu star Thiago Neves, who scored his side's first and
set up the second for Washington. Edmundo reduced the arrears from
the penalty spot for the
Cruzmaltinos, but it was not enough to stop the
Tricolor ending a nine-game winless streak against their
Carioca rivals. Fluminense are top of Group A with a one-point lead
over Flamengo, while Botafogo's stunning 7-0 win over Macae
keeps them top of Group B.
Big game: Atletico-MG ended the only remaining unbeaten record in the Mineiro Championship with a 3-0 win over Tupi. The victory takes Atletico into third spot and enabled Cruzeiro to leapfrog Tupi into first place.
Headline-grabber: Botafogo striker Wellington Paulista was in lethal form in his side's seven-goal exhibition, the biggest win so far in the 2008 Carioca Championship. Wellington's four strikes took him to the top of the competition's scoring charts.
South African Premiership: SuperSport cut loose
SuperSport United stormed past Ajax Cape Town at the top of
the table after a 6-1 humbling of Free State Stars. The Stars'
heavy reverse enabled Santos to tighten their hold on third place,
a goal from promising youngster Erwin Isaacs enough for a 1-0
success over Bloemfontein Celtic.
Big game: Goals from Masina (2), Katlego, Mashego, Klate, Tefera and Khumalo propelled SuperSport into pole position in the table. Leading 2-1 at the interval, three goals in seven second-half minutes snuffed out the Free State Stars' resistance. Scorer of the Stars' solitary reply was Sthembiso Ngcobo.
Headline-grabbers: Jomo Cosmos remain deep in the relegation mire after they could only draw against Moroka Swallows, and are currently five points adrift of 14 th placed Thanda Royal Zulu. Propping up the rest are bottom side Black Leopards.
Elsewhere
Everton overtook Universidad de Chile at the top of
the Chilean Apertura with a 4-1 thrashing of Santiago Morning.
Universidad drop down to third after their 3-2 reverse against
Huachipato, Deportes Concepcion are second on goal difference after
their 3-1 win over Osorno and Colo Colo moved up to sixth with a
win over Antofagasta.
Waitakere United and Auckland City stay top of the New Zealand standings with 2-1 and 2-0 wins over Heart Manawatu and Waikato FC Hamilton respectively, though Waitakere have a game in hand on their rivals. Wellington meanwhile kept up the pressure on the leaders with a 2-0 victory over Canterbury United.
Over in Uruguay, Tacuarembo were taught a 5-0 lesson by Clausura leaders River Plate, scorers of 25 goals in six games thus far. River's victory keeps them a point clear of second-place Nacional, 2-1 winners over Juventud.
