Newell's takes Argentine league lead

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Newell's Old Boys took the lead in Argentina's first division Sunday after Maxi Rodriquez scored in injury time for a 4-3 win over Racing Club.

Newell's improved to 25 points, three ahead of Lanus which plays Monday against Atletico Rafaela and could claim a share of the lead with a victory.

River Plate drew with Quilmes 1-1 to stay in third place with 21 points.

Milton Casco and Ignacio Scocco gave Old Boys a 2-0 first-half lead before Racing's Luciano Vietto drew one back in the 44th minute and then leveled in the 46th.

Pablo Perez put Old Boys back in front two minutes later with Vietto equalizing again in the 61st, setting the stage for Rodriquez's winner.

Eder Alvarez Balanta scored in the 54th minute to give River Plate a 1-0 lead, but Quilmes' Martin Cauteruccio leveled it in the 89th on a rising shot from 12 meters (yards).

In another match on Sunday, Independiente defeated Argentinos Juniors 3-1 with second-half goals from Leonel Galeano, Daniel Montenegro and Adrian Fernandez.

Boca Juniors continued their terrible run, extending their winless streak in the league to 10 matches with a 1-0 loss to Estudiantes. The poor run matches a club record set in 1957.

Carlos Bianchi, a club great who was named coach in December for this third stint in charge, has been largely a failure so far.

"You have to believe the bad run will end," Bianchi said after Saturday's defeat.

Boca has only nine points in 11 matches.

In other matches on Saturday it was: San Lorenzo 1, Godoy Cruz 1; Colon 1, Arsenal 0; San Martin 3, Union 0.

The round ends with two matches Monday — Belgrano vs. All Boys and Lanus vs. Atletico Rafaela — and one match on Wednesday — Velez vs. Tigre.

Five people, believed to be members of a Quilmes supporters' gang, were injured in a shootout prior to Quilmes' match at River Plate. The incident took place in the southern part of Buenos Aires province as fans prepared to travel to the match in central Buenos Aires, the state-run Telam news agency reported. All five were hospitalized, one in critical condition.

Violence is endemic in Argentine football. The nonprofit group "Let's Save Football" says more than 270 people have died in football-related violence in the South American country since records have been kept starting in 1922.