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Riquelme's double lifts Argentina

  • Story Highlights
  • Argentina beat Bolivia 3-0 in South American qualifier for 2010 World Cup
  • Juan Roman Riquelme nets twice as Argentina win third successive match
  • Ecuador coach Luis Fernando Suarez quits after 5-1 loss against Paraguay
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BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Juan Roman Riquelme scored twice as Argentina beat Bolivia 3-0 to notch a third successive victory in the South American qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup on Saturday.

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Juan Roman Riquelme celebrates after scoring his first goal in Argentina's win against Bolivia.

The midfielder followed up his brace of spectacular free-kicks in the opening 2-0 victory against Chile to help put his country five points clear of second-placed Brazil, who play Peru in Lima on Sunday.

Riquelme again shrugged off his lack of club action with Villarreal, where he has fallen out with the Spanish side's management, to net twice in the second spell after Sergio Aguero gave the home side a first-half lead.

The 19-year-old scored his first goal at international level five minutes before the interval after starting in a three-man attack with Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi.

He headed home after Martin Demichelis nodded a cross from Manchester United striker Tevez back across goal.

Riquelme added the second 11 minutes after the break with a dipping free-kick which beat Carlos Arias from 25 yards, having been superbly denied by the keeper's one-handed effort shortly beforehand.

And he finished off the scoring in the 73rd minute with a cool sidefoot finish after being set up by Messi to cap off a match in which captain Javier Zanetti made a record-breaking 116th appearance for Argentina.

Argentina next travel to Colombia on Tuesday, when winless Bolivia have an away clash with Venezuela.

In other South American qualifiers, Colombia beat Venezuela 1-0, and Paraguay routed Ecuador 5-1.

Ecuador coach Luis Fernando Suarez, a Colombian, quit after his team's loss saying: "I have taken the irrevocable decision to resign." E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend

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