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LDU's 17-match unbeaten run was snapped and giants Barcelona slipped closer to relegation in Ecuador at the weekend.

The head of Peru's referees' association was under fire after a controversial late equaliser gave Alianza a 1-1 draw with Sporting Cristal.

ECUADOR

Deportivo Quito ended LDU's 17-match unbeaten run in the league with a 3-0 victory in the capital's derby, Argentine striker Ivan Borghello scoring twice.

Guayaquil's shipyard derby between Barcelona and Emelec, the biggest in Ecuador, ended in a boring 0-0 draw.

This did little to help Barcelona, the country's most popular club, in their fight against relegation with three matches to go in the group phase of the championship.

Striker Nicolas Lopez scored a second-half hat-trick in seven minutes to hand Manta a 3-2 win over Liga de Portoviejo.

PERU

Nerves have been getting frayed in the second phase of the championship with midfielder Nolberto Solano saying this was why Group B leaders Universitario, held 0-0 by title holders San Martin, were playing poorly.

"Our anxiety is playing us up, we need better finishing," Solano said.

Sporting Cristal are demanding sanctions for linesman Winston Reategui, who is president of Peru's referees' association, after Alianza's controversial stoppage time equaliser by Argentine defender Leandro Fleitas in their 1-1 derby draw.

Reategtui later recognised he had made a mistake. "Fellow referees have phoned me to say the goal was offside and should have been disallowed. I assume responsibility," he said.

Group A leaders Juan Aurich were upset 2-1 at home by Jose Galvez, who scored their winner with a 74th-minute penalty by substitute Paul Cominges after the home side's defender Luis Guadalupe had been sent off a minute earlier.

URUGUAY

Champions Nacional went top of the Apertura when they came from a goal down to beat Liverpool 2-1 with goals from central defenders Matias Rodriguez and Alejandro Lembo.

Penarol also won, 1-0 against Tacuarembo, in their first match under hastily appointed caretaker Victor Pua, Uruguay's 2002 World Cup coach, who was quoted as saying: "It looks like I'm the fireman."

Julio Ribas was sacked and former Uruguay and Penarol midfielder Pablo Bengoechea looked set to take over last week before turning the job down because he does not yet have a coach's badge.

"Penarol do not deserve a coach who can't go on the pitch," Bengoechea said.

COLOMBIA

Defender Samuel Vanegas scored the only goal as Independiente Medellin beat La Equidad 1-0 at home to remain top of the Clausura championship with 21 points from 10 matches.

They are a point ahead of Atletico Huila, who lost two players killed in a car crash hours after their 2-1 home win over Pereira.

CHILE

Universidad Catolica are top after crushing Curico Unido 7-0 with Argentine forward Damian Diaz completing a hat-trick when he curled the ball in at the far post direct from a corner.

Second-placed Audax Italiano were held 2-2 by Huachipato and are a point behind.

Colo Colo, Chile's most popular club, continue to languish in the bottom half of the table nine points off the pace after a fourth consecutive league match without victory. They needed an own goal by bottom team Municipal Iquique's Ruben Taucare for a 1-1 draw.

Venezuela defender Jose Manuel Rey, 34, made his debut for Colo Colo following his move from Caracas FC.

VENEZUELA

Caracas snatched the lead in the Apertura championship with a 6-1 rout of El Vigia to go one point ahead of Deportivo Italia, held 0-0 by Estudiantes de Merida, after six matches.

Fouth-placed Deportivo Tachira, who had gone five matches without conceding a goal, lost 3-2 at Zulia, who won for the first time.

BOLIVIA

All three matches in the first legs of the championship playoffs were drawn. Bolivar and Oriente Petrolero were down to 10 men apiece before halftime in their 1-1- draw in La Paz.

Bolivar had Brazilian Charles da Silva sent off in the 19th minute and Petrolero defender Ariel Ribera followed in the 43rd.

PARAGUAY

Nacional beat 10-man Libertad 2-0, their sixth win in a row, to open a four-point lead over second-placed Guarani in the Clausura championship. Libertad had forward Javier Gonzalez sent off after an hour.

Champions Cerro Porteno were held 0-0 by Guarani. They are ninth 12 points off the pace after 10 matches.

Reuters