CHILE: SOCCER / FOOTBALL - Chilean soccer club Colo Colo steps up security ahead of match against Argentina's River Plate as part of the Copa Libertadores tournament

Fans from the Argentine club River Plate will be greeted by heightened security in Santiago when they arrive for an upcoming match against Chile's Colo Colo, soccer officials said on Wednesday (February 21). The stepped up security is the result of recent violent incidents between River Plate fans and another Argentine club that led to games at the stadium being suspended and the expulsion of several River Plate fans. Colo Colo player Hernan Gallardo said he hoped the game would go over without incident. "Let's hope they are calm, because here I don't think they will be provoked. So let's hope that this a quiet game, normal so they don't suspend the stadium again, and that Colo Colo wins," Gallardo said. Colo Colo's coach, Argentine Claudio Borghi, said the match-up pitted two of South America's top clubs. "For me, an Argentine familiar with the history of River (Plate), it would be very good and very important to beat them. I think if you start to name clubs in South America, you name Colo Colo, River, Boca, Flamengo, Corinthians. They are teams that traditionally demand a lot of respect, so for me it would extraordinary beat them," Borghi told reporters. Osvaldo Lara, the head of security and operations for Colo Colo, said there will be plenty of security for the match. "Because it's a game that pulls in a lot people, there will be guards at the doors, metal detectors, x-rays," Lara said. Lara went on the say that River Plate's section of the stadium will have guards and police officers. "The Argentine fans are going to have all the security measures. In their sections there will be our guards, police and obviously organizers of the event," he said. The match, part of the Copa Libertadores tournament, will take place on Thursday. Officials are expecting a large contingent to be crossing the Andes for the game, saying they had already pre-sold 1200 tickets for the Argentine section.

ITN Source | February 23, 2007

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