The death of a fan at the match between San Lorenzo and Velez following violence inside and outside Velez stadium overshadowed the Argentina Clausura championship on Sunday. Police officials say the San Lorenzo fan, described as a male "about 40," might have died of a heart attack at the game in Buenos Aires, which was abandoned after seven minutes due to the violence. There have been about 250 deaths in football-related violence in Argentina since the sport became professional in 1931. In a key match later, defending champion Estudiantes beat Racing 1-0 after an 85th-minute goal by Hernan Rodrigo Lopez. Racing and Estudiantes lead with 12 points from six points. Lopez scored for Estudiantes with a clever shot, chipping the ball in a high arc from 20 meters (yards) that lobbed goalkeeper Jorge De Olivera. Racing had appeared to take the lead from Teofilo Gutierrez's shot in the 61st, but he was judged to be offside. A TV replay showed it was very close but suggested the call was correct. Argentinos Juniors defeated Newell's Old Boys 2-0 following goals from Ciro Ruis and Mauro Bogado. Boca Juniors, with only four points in five matches, faced Olimpo in a late game. Boca midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme was expected to start after missing four matches due to injury. The disturbances at Velez stadium seemed to be set off when San Lorenzo goalkeeper Pablo Migliore was struck by an object thrown from the stands. He fell to the ground as Velez was preparing to take a free kick. Almost immediately, San Lorenzo fans began to tear at the fence surrounding the pitch, attempting to rip it loose as others tried to climb the barrier. It was not clear when the death occurred, but police and firefighters were forced to use fire hoses to quell the angry scenes. At least four police officers were reportedly injured. "There is going to be an autopsy, but there seems to be no evidence the man died of a blow or being hit," federal police spokesman Nestor Rodriguez said. "It could be a question, perhaps, of a situation of stress or some underlying cause." Rodriguez said the stadium was equipped with closed-circuit television. "Everything is subject to revision with cameras that were monitoring the area," he said. The death recalled that of a 21-year-old Velez fan who died in 2008 after being shot on the way to a match at San Lorenzo. It was never ascertained if he was shot by an opposing fan. There is believed to be no connection between the two events. Deaths at Argentine football matches are relatively unusual, but many club games are marked by rival fans fighting inside and outside the stadium. The violence usually takes place between organised fan groups _ hooligans in the English sense _ who attend matches and often control parking and vending services around the stadiums. The Argentine Football Association and its president Julio Grondona have been repeatedly criticised for not doing enough to stem the violence, often accused of looking the other way.
