Inspirational Riquelme sends Boca to semi-finals (26 May 2007 02:40 GMT)
Midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme scored an individual goal to set Boca Juniors on the way to a 2-0 win over Libertad and a place in the Libertadores Cup semi-finals on Thursday.
Boca's win in the quarter-final, second-leg tie against the Paraguayan champions sent them through 3-1 on aggregate and earned them a place against Cucuta of Colombia in the last four.
Despite playing more than 1,000 kilometres away from their base in Buenos Aires, Argentina's most popular club had the majority of the support at the Defenders of the Chaco stadium.
Libertad, who held Boca to a 1-1 draw away last week and needed only a goalless draw to progress, paid for an over-defensive approach and failed to muster a single shot on goal.
Boca, however, still had to wait until the last half hour to settle the game against last year's semi-finalists.
Riquelme, on loan from Spain's Villarreal, made the breakthrough in the 62nd minute.
The elegant playmaker collected the ball with his back to goal just inside his own half, turned inside Victor Caceres, cut inside a defender, worked an opening and scored with a low shot from the edge of the area.
Rodrigo Palacio added another 11 minutes later, turning the ball in from close range after a Martin Palermo ball back across goal following a corner.
source : Reuters