Chivas held as Libertadores kicks off

GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP)—Mexico’s Guadalajara Chivas were held to a 1-1 home draw on Tuesday against Ecuadoran champions Deportivo Quito as the group stage of the 2012 Copa Libertadores kicked off across Latin America. In Tuesday*s other matches, Fluminense of Brazil won 1-0 at home against Argentine club Arsenal, and Uruguay’s Defensor Sporting lost 3-0 at home against Velez Sarsfield of Argentina.

Seven more games are set for this week with the group stage of the 32-team tournament wrapping up in April. The final is in July.

Deportivo Quito took the lead in the Group 7 game against Chivas through Argentine Matias Alustiza, who struck a left foot shot into the bottom right corner of the goal from the edge of the penalty area in the 8th minute.

Chivas, in last position in the Mexican league with just one point from five games, had the majority of the possession against the Ecuadorean side, and finally got rewarded two minutes into stoppage time when Omar Arellano beat the goalkeeper to a left wing cross and headed in.

In Group 4, striker Fred scored just three minutes into the match for Fluminense, which held on to the one goal lead against Arsenal.

The Argentine side had the better chances over the 90 minutes but could not find a way past Fluminese goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri, who was named man of the match.

Players got into an altercation in the 75th, prompting the match to be stopped for a few moments. Fluminense midfielder Wagner and Arsenal forward Nicolas Aguirre were sent off.

Fluminense also had defender Leandro Euzebio red carded in the 90th for a foul.

In the other Group 7 game, David Ospina opened the scoring for Velez Sarsfield against Defensor Sporting three minutes before halftime, with Mauro Obolo adding the second in the 82nd.

Sebastian Dominguez wrapped up the game in the 86th, curling a direct freekick from 30 yards (meters) into the top left corner of the net.