Copa Sudamericana Week 3

1st Stage 1st Legs

Deportivo Lara 2-0 Santa Fe
Universitario 2-0 Colo Colo
Guaraní 2-0 River Plate Montevideo

Deportivo Lara of Venezuela gained themselves a second leg buffer after a 2-0 victory over Santa Fe of Colombia on Tuesday night. Both goals came in the first half, Aquiles Ocanto put Deportivo ahead with 12 minutes on the clock and Mauricio Chalar made it two on the stroke of half time. Despite playing against ten men after Cristian Nazarit was sent off for Santa Fe with 20 minutes to go Deportivo Lara couldn't get what could have been a killer third goal. In the other Tuesday game, Universitario of Bolivia also got themselves a two goal cushion with victory over highly rate Colo Colo of Chile. Both goals this time came in the second half, Roberto Galindo with the first just short of the hour and Sacha Lima with the second ten minutes from time. The second leg for both of the Tuesday night ties are next week.

Guaraní put themselves in good shape after a 2-0 victory over River Plate of Montevideo. Jonathan Fabbro put Guaraní ahead halfway though the second half and they doubled their advantage six minutes later through Rodrigo Teixeira. The second leg for this one takes place in two weeks time.

2nd Stage 2nd Legs

Avaí 0-1 Santos
3-3 on points, Avaí advances on goal difference
Palmeiras 3-0 Vitória
3-3 on points, Palmeiras advances on goal difference

After being upstaged on "home soil" last week Santos could not rescue their Copa Sudamericana campaign as they crashed out to Avaí despite winning the second leg in Florianópolis. Santos were clearly stunned by their first leg defeat and rolled out the big guns in Neymar and Ganso in an attempt to rescue the tie. They took the lead with 24 minutes on the clock when Zé Eduardo put them ahead but Avaí dug in and held on advance to face the winner of the Emelec and Universidad San Martin tie.

Late drama in the Thursday tie as Palmeiras made it back to back wins as they grabbed a place in the round of 16 with victory over Vitória. After a poor first half the tie sprung to life two minutes into injury time when Tadeu put Palmeiras ahead on the night and halved the aggregate deficit. That got the Palmeiras fans believing and Tadeu levelled the tie 12 minutes after the break. With the tie heading for penalties, Marcos Assunção's marvellous free kick won the tie for Palmeiras a minute from time where potential dengerous opposition in Cerro Porteño could lie in wait.