BUENOS AIRES, March 21 (Reuters) – Argentina have discovered new respect for Venezuela, once South America’s whipping boys, and know a win against them in Friday’s World Cup soccer qualifier is no foregone conclusion.

The only team to beat Argentina in the nine matches so far, Venezuela have grown into a confident side who believe they could also defeat the group leaders on their home patch.

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Independiente boosted their fight to avoid relegation for the first time with a 2-0 home win over Racing Club in a passionate Argentine derby on Sunday.

Teenager Leonel Miranda gave the Red Devils the lead after two minutes and substitute Jonathan Santana made sure in the third minute of stoppage time at the Libertadores de America ground in the suburb of Avellaneda.

BUENOS AIRES, Feb 24 (Reuters) – Independiente boosted their fight to avoid relegation for the first time with a 2-0 home win over Racing Club in a passionate Argentine derby on Sunday.

Teenager Leonel Miranda gave the Red Devils the lead after two minutes and substitute Jonathan Santana made sure in the third minute of stoppage time at the Libertadores de America ground in the suburb of Avellaneda.

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Boca Juniors fans’ dreams that their team would march straight into a new glory era under record title-winning coach Carlos Bianchi have been dealt another blow in a 2-0 defeat at modest All Boys.

Two goals in 10 minutes early in the second half from All Boys midfielder Oscar Ahumada and striker Angel Vidozo, who converted a penalty, left Boca with four points out of a possible nine in the “Final” championship after Saturday’s match.

BUENOS AIRES, Feb 24 (Reuters) – Boca Juniors fans’ dreams that their team would march straight into a new glory era under record title-winning coach Carlos Bianchi have been dealt another blow in a 2-0 defeat at modest All Boys.

Two goals in 10 minutes early in the second half from All Boys midfielder Oscar Ahumada and striker Angel Vidozo, who converted a penalty, left Boca with four points out of a possible nine in the “Final” championship after Saturday’s match.

BUENOS AIRES, Feb 8 (Reuters) – Boca Juniors have welcomed back midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme seven months after he walked out of the club due to differences with former coach Julio Cesar Falcioni.

“After two and a half hours with Riquelme, the board has decided unanimously that given the player’s will to resume training with the squad he should be part of (Boca’s) professional squad from Monday,” club president Daniel Angelici told a news conference on Friday.

BUENOS AIRES/LA PAZ (Reuters) – A European police investigation into a huge soccer match-fixing and betting ring has reopened questions about an under-20 friendly between Argentina and Bolivia two years ago.

The game, played in the Argentine city of Cordoba in December 2010, was mentioned in the European investigators’ inquiry. It raised eyebrows at the time after the Hungarian referee let play continue for an extra 13 minutes before blowing the final whistle.

BUENOS AIRES/LA PAZ, Feb 6 (Reuters) – A European police investigation into a huge soccer match-fixing and betting ring has reopened questions about an under-20 friendly between Argentina and Bolivia two years ago.

The game, played in the Argentine city of Cordoba in December 2010, was mentioned in the European investigators’ inquiry. It raised eyebrows at the time after the Hungarian referee let play continue for an extra 13 minutes before blowing the final whistle.

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Diego Maradona’s chances of becoming Iraq’s coach hung in the balance on Friday as the Middle East country’s soccer federation also studied options to sign Sven-Goran Eriksson instead.

The Swedish former England manager’s name came into consideration as some 30 federation members met to discuss who would replace departed Brazilian Zico as Iraq’s coach, said Hernan Tofoni, the agent representing Argentine great Maradona.

BUENOS AIRES, Dec 21 (Reuters) – Diego Maradonas chances of becoming Iraq’s coach hung in the balance on Friday as the Middle East country’s soccer federation also studied options to sign Sven-Goran Eriksson instead.

The Swedish former England manager’s name came into consideration as some 30 federation members met to discuss who would replace departed Brazilian Zico as Iraq’s coach, said Hernan Tofoni, the agent representing Argentine great Maradona.