Santos take lead in Group A of Libertadores Cup

Rio de Janeiro, March 23 (IANS) Santos took the lead in Group A with a 2-0 victory over Peru's Juan Aurich in the fourth round of the group phase in 2012 Libertadores Cup.

Santos first goal came in the 15th minute. Neymar attempted to head in a corner kick, but Juan Aurich keeper Penny swatted the ball away. An opportunistic Edu Dracena was in the right place at the right time to pounce on the loose ball and slot in home for an early lead.

The start of the second half was delayed by nearly 30 minutes due to malfunction in two of the stadium's light posts, Xinhua reported.

Returning to the second half, Santos increased its lead in the 58th minute when Paulo Henrique Ganso won the ball in midfield. Ganso quickly rolled the ball off to Borges who drove down the field and passed it to Neymar who angled the ball past Penny and into the back of the net.

With the win, Santos has 9 points with a record of three wins and a loss. The team stands in first place of Group A, followed by Internacional with 7 points, third place The Strongest with 7 points and Juan Aurich in last place with 0 points.

The top two teams to finish the group phase advance into the round of sixteen. In the penultimate match of the group phase, Santos will travel to face Internacional April 4.