New Boca Juniors coach Julio Cesar Falcioni should be bracing for a difficult week.
His team is off to a slow start, managing only a 0-0 draw at the weekend against All Boys at Boca's Bombonera stadium - and he must decide what to do with popular midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme.
Riquelme was out of the squad that played All Boys, but fans chanted his name throughout the match, putting pressure on Falcioni - who moved from Banfield two months ago - to bring him back.
Riquelme is a crafty but slow-moving playmaker, and he seems out of favor with Falcioni who will have to decide quickly what to do in the next two matches against Velez and San Lorenzo.
Riquelme injured in Boca's season-opening match two weeks ago, a 4-1 loss at home. The injury kept him out of the next match, a 1-0 victory over Racing. He was healthy for Saturday's match, but Falcioni decided he was not needed.
While Boca has only four points from the first three matches, Buenos Aires archrival River Plate has seven and it tied atop the Clausura standings with Olimpo.
Mariano Pavone scored in the final minutes Sunday to give River Plate a 1-0 victory over Independiente and a share of the Argentina's Clausura lead.
Pavone broke down the left side, got around keeper Hilario Navarro, and stroked the ball into the open net in the 89th minute.
''We are just taking it game by game and not trying to go crazy,'' Pavone said, downplaying his goal.
Olimpo drew 3-3 with Godoy Cruz on Friday.
Defending champion Estudiantes dropped their first points of the season, losing to Banfield after a 61st-minute header by Jorge Achucarro.
Estudiantes won its first two matches in the new Clausura season, but seldom looked threatening against Banfield.
Achucarro scored with a spectacular header, slipping between two Estudiantes defenders to find the net from eight meters (yards).
''It is a big victory because Estudiantes are very difficult to beat at home,'' Banfield's Jonathan Gomez said.
In Brazil, Ronaldinho converted a second-half free kick for Flamengo to beat Boavista 1-0 on Sunday to win the Guanabara Cup, the first stage of the Rio de Janeiro state championship.
Ronaldinho lifted his first trophy with Brazil's most popular club after curling in a right-footed shot over the wall in the 71st minute. The goal gave Flamengo its 19th Guanabara Cup title and a chance to play for the state title against the winner of the Rio Cup, the tournament's second stage.
It was only Ronaldinho's sixth match with Flamengo, which dominated but had difficulties creating scoring opportunities against lowly Boavista, a team that reached the final after stunning Brazilian champion Fluminense in last week's semifinals.
''I've always dreamed about this,'' Ronaldinho said. ''These fans are wonderful.''
The two-time world player of the year joined Flamengo at the beginning of the year, transferring from AC Milan after 10 years in European football.
He said he wants to keep winning titles with Flamengo to secure a spot in Brazil's national team.
''My goal is to return to the national team as soon as possible,'' the 30-year-old forward said. ''I'll keep working hard.''
In Mexico, The UNAM Pumas thrashed the Guadalajara Estudiantes 5-1 on Sunday to remain the only undefeated team in the Mexican Clausura football championship after eight rounds.
Israel Castro opened the scoring in the 7th minute and Dario Veron found the net nine minutes later for Pumas. Javier Cortes extended the lead in 74th minute and Dante Lopez (83rd) and Carlos Orrantia (90th) got the other goals for Pumas, who took the overall lead in the standings with 18 points.
Tigres is one point behind on the standings, while Morelia is a further two points back after rallying for a 2-1 win over Atlante.
Also Sunday, America broke a two-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over Toluca.
Israel Lopez scored from a header in the 69th for Estudiantes who suffered a fifth straight loss that might cost the job to manager Jose Luis Sanchez Sola.
