Soccer-S.America roundup-Player arrested for punching fan

By Brian Homewood

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 31 (Reuters) - A player was sent off for attacking a ball boy and then arrested for punching a fan during a Chilean championship match at the weekend.

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CHILE

Huachipato defender Gustavo Semino was arrested and taken to a police station after lashing out at a fan at the end of his team's 2-1 defeat to La Serena. The supporter was also arrested, local media said.

The incident happened after the Argentine defender was sent off for a pushing a ball boy who delayed returning the ball.

As Semino walked to the dressing room, the fan ran onto the pitch to insult him and Semino responded by punching him. One report said the fan had a tooth knocked out.

Goalkeeper Gaston Losa converted a penalty for La Serena in the 36th minute. Leonardo Monje equalised six minutes later and Roberto Castillo scored the winner in the 51st minute.

Colo Colo were held 2-2 at Deportes Concepcion in their first match under new coach Fernando Astengo. Astengo replaced Claudio Borghi who quit last week after winning four successive Chilean titles with the club.

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URUGUAY

Free-scoring River Plate won 3-0 at Progreso to stay top of the Clausura tournament. River, under flamboyant former Uruguay coach Juan Ramon Carrasco, have taken 19 points from seven games, scoring 28 goals.

Henry Gimenez set them on the way by converting a seventh minute penalty for his ninth goal of the tournament.

Jonathan Urretaviscaya, 17, added the second in the 62nd minute, taking his tally to six, and Jorge Zambrana made it 3-0 four minutes later.

Nacional stayed one point behind by beating Central Espanol 1-0 with an early goal from Bruno Fornaroli.

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COLOMBIA

Atletico Huila striker Adrian Aranda was knocked unconscious and taken to hospital after a clash with an Independiente Medellin defender in a match that ended 1-1. Aranda initially got up but then passed out.

"When he got to hospital he was conscious but very disorientated, he said he didn't known anyone," Atletico doctor Juan Carlos Wilches said, adding that Aranda would be kept in hospital overnight as a precaution.

La Equidad and Santa Fe both won to stay level on 20 points at the top of the Apertura championship. Santa Fe beat Envigado 3-0 and La Equidad won 2-1 at Pasto.

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PARAGUAY

Two coaches resigned after their teams lost on Sunday.

Francisco Sosa quit 3 de Febrero after they went down 4-2 at home to Tacuary and Oscar Paulin threw in the towel at Sol de America following their 3-1 loss away to Guarani.

Titleholders Libertad went six points clear at the top of the Apertura championship after beating Olimpia 1-0 with a second half goal from midfielder Victor Caceres.

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PERU

Sporting Cristal and Melgar both won 2-0 away to stay level on 16 points at the top of the championship's first stage.

Two goals from Uruguayan Miguel Ximenes gave Cristal the points at Coronel Bolognesi while second half goals from Richard Mercado and Hilden Salas helped Melgar beat Sport Ancash and end the hosts' unbeaten home record.

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ECUADOR

Titleholders LDU went three points clear at the top of the championship's first stage by beating 10-man Universidad Catolica 2-0 after the visitors had Javier Chila sent off in the 14th minute.

Former Ecuador striker Agustin Delgado and midfielder Patricio Urrutia scored the goals, both from headers.

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BOLIVIA

Oriente Petrolero drew 1-1 away to Bolivar to stay top of the Apertura championship thanks to a second-half equaliser from Eduardo Melgar.

The hosts took an early lead through Nahuel Fioretto, wasted various chances and had Ariel Juarez sent off after halftime. Oriente midfielder Jhasmany Campos was also dismissed in the 84th minute.

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VENEZUELA

Deportivo Tachira went five points clear at the top of the second stage, beating Atletico El Vigia 1-0 in front of a 30,000 crowd in San Cristoba thanks to a first-half goal from Jose Torrealba l.

In contrast, the day's worst attendance was at Llaneros were only 227 fans paid to watch the 2-0 home defeat by Aragua.

(Editing by Padraic Halpin)