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A round-up of all the weekend's news in South America including a comeback for former Colombia striker Anthony de Avila aged 46.

COLOMBIA

The 5' 2" De Avila, America's all-time top scorer with 201 goals who retired in 1999 playing for Barcelona of Ecuador, came on as a substitute in the 76th minute of America's 1-1 draw at home to Pasto.

"Pitufo (Smurf), you're great" read one of the banners displayed by America fans.

Teofilo Gutierrez hit a hat-trick and was later sent off as Atletico Junior beat champions Once Caldas 4-2.

Gutierrez, who struck in the ninth minute and twice in four minutes in the second half, was sent off near the end for fighting with Peru's Johan Fano, who scored both goals for champions Once Caldas.

Junior's win in Barranquilla gave them some revenge for their defeat by the same rivals in the Apertura tournament final in June when Caldas lifted the trophy at the same ground.

Caldas had John Valencia sent off in the 80th minute. Atletico Huila drew 1-1 away to Millonarios to remain top of the Clausura standings after four matches one point ahead of Independiente Medellin, who beat Boyaca Chico 1-0 at home.

Envigado had three players sent off in their 3-2 home defeat by Independiente Santa Fe, goalkeeper Roberto Mosquera in the 42nd minute and Juan Leal and Carlos Alvarez, who had scored both their goals, in the last 11 minutes.

BRAZIL

Title holders Sao Paulo confirmed their improved form after a dismal start to the Brazilian championship when they beat Vitoria 1-0 for a third successive victory.

Sao Paulo, winners of the last three championships, have won four and drawn one of their last five matches to climb to eighth with 24 points, two outside the top four places that guarantee a berth in the 2010 Libertadores Cup.

Leaders Palmeiras, under former Sao Paulo title-winning coach Muricy Ramalho, have 34 points after 16 matches following a 1-0 win away to Sport Recife. They remain three points ahead second-placed Atletico Mineiro, who beat Coritiba 3-2 at home.

Sao Paulo, who appointed former Monaco coach Ricardo Gomes to replace Ramalho in June, handed seventh-placed Vitoria their first home defeat with a goal from forward Dagoberto in the 74th minute.

Dagoberto attacked from the left after a poor clearance by the Vitoria defence, exchanging a one-two with Hugo and shooting into the top far corner for his third goal in two games.

"We didn't want to be in the situation we were in...We were getting a lot of stick but we knew that at some point it would change. Now it has changed," Dagoberto, who scored twice in the 2-1 midweek win over Gremio, said.

Sao Paulo made a poor start to the previous three championships while they were also involved in the Libertadores Cup, only to recover after their elimination from the South American tournament and lift the domestic title.

"We have a very talented squad that didn't start the Brazilian championship well because they prioritised the Libertadores," coach Ricardo said.

"That's normal. Now, we are regaining our rhythm, coming into contention."

Cruzeiro, who lost this year's Libertadores Cup final to Estudiantes of Argentina last month, had two players sent off and went down 4-1 away to Gremio.

Full back Jonathan was sent off after 19 minutes but Cruzeiro still took the lead when striker Wellington converted a penalty after he was fouled five minutes before halftime.

Six minutes into the second half, Cruzeiro forward Thiago Ribeiro was sent off for elbowing Tulio.

Gremio took full advantage of their two extra men, scoring through defender Rever, playmaker Tcheco and strikers Jonas and Argentine Maxi Lopez.

Atletico Paranaense, whose coach Waldemar Lemos quit in midweek, beat Fluminense 1-0 to send them to the bottom of the standings.

The 2008 Libertadores Cup runners-up, who sacked former Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira last month, have not won in 11 matches.

BOLIVIA

Bolivar, stripped of the league title in midweek after fielding an ineligible player in their last match of the Apertura championship last month, beat 10-man The Strongest 2-1 away in their La Paz derby in the Clausura tournament.

The home side had Jorge Ortiz sent off in the 54th minute with the score 0-0 before Uruguayan William Ferreira and Brazilian-born midfielder Charles Da Silva, with a free kick, scored for Bolivar, who will appeal the decision to strip them of the title. The Strongest pulled one back through Carlos Saucedo.

Real Potosi, who were declared champions having finished the Apertura in second place a point behind Bolivar, celebrated by winning the mining city derby 2-0 away to Nacional Potosi.

San Jose, who climbed to second in the reshuffled Apertura standings above Bolivar, shocked La Paz 5-1 away in a match between two sides down to 10 men each before any goals were scored.

The Santa Cruz derby between Blooming and Oriente Petrolero ended 1-1 even though the visitors had three players sent off, Sebastian Molina, Hector Gaitan and Wilder Zabala, in the last 20 minutes after Jaime Robles of Blooming had been dismissed in the 52nd.

CHILE

Audax Italiano, down to 10 men for the last half hour, went top of the Clausura championship with an upset 1-0 away win over Colo Colo, who have not managed to beat them in their last eight meetings.

Midfielder Marco Medel headed the only goal from Boris Rieloff's right cross in the 28th minute for Audax, who had forward Renzo Yanez sent off and were kept in the game by Johnny Herrera's brilliant goalkeeping.

Champions Universidad de Chile, who won the Apertura with victory over Union Espanola in the final last month, beat the same rivals 2-1 at home with goals by Edison Puch and Uruguayan striker Juan Olivera.

Union Espanola's Argentine forward Gustavo Canales missed a penalty early in the second half with his team already 2-0 down.

He scored seven minutes from time but it was too little too late.

Uruguayan Ivan Guillauma was hero and villain as Cobresal upset Cobreloa 1-0 away in the 'Copper classic' between the northern mining town rivals for their first win in Calama for 22 years.

The former Cobreloa midfielder scored the only goal in the 27th minute but was sent off five minutes from the end along with Cobreloa defender Victor Osorio for fighting.

O'Higgins' Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli had his resignation accepted by the club after his side's 2-0 home defeat by Universidad de Concepcion.

PERU

Forward Mauricio Montes scored a hat-trick as Cienciano crushed second-placed Juan Aurich 5-1 in Cuzco to dash their hopes of catching leaders Universitario.

Midfielder Heiner Chavez scored the other two Cienciano goals before being sent off in the 65th minute.

Juan Aurich, who scored a late consolation goal through Franco Mendoza when they were already five goals down, had Jesus Alvarez sent off in the 67th minute.

Universitario clung to their one-point lead despite going down 1-0 to Colegio Nacional in Iquitos as their Lima arch-rivals Alianza could only draw with 1-1 at home with Cesar Vallejo.

After 25 matches, Universitario have 46 points, Juan Aurich 45 and Sport Huancayo and Alianza 43.

PARAGUAY

Former South American champions Olimpia continued their good start to the Clausura tournament with a 2-0 win over Sol de America, having beaten Tacuary 1-0 in their opening match last weekend.

Title holders Cerro Porteno, who won the Apertura tournament last month but lost 2-0 to Nacional last weekend, were held 1-1 at home by Tacuary.

Digno Gonzalez scored their opener in the 55th minute but was sent off in the 76th. The forward, booked for taking his shirt off to celebrate his goal, was shown the red card for faking a penalty.

Tacuary equalised with a twice taken Jorge Ortega penalty six minutes from time. Keeper Ezequiel Medran was deemed to have moved to soon when he saved Ortega's first effort from the spot.

ECUADOR

Paraguayan Juan Samudio, newly-signed from Libertad in his home country for the second phase of the Ecuadorean championship, scored twice in the first half of Barcelona's 3-1 win over Macara.

Barcelona's arch-rivals Emelec, who finished top of the first phase, beat Tecnico Universitario 2-0 away.

Reuters