RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Uruguayan defender Gaston Martirena scored a second-half equalizer as Racing Club earned a 2-2 draw at Corinthians in the first leg of their Copa Sudamericana semifinal on Thursday.
Maximiliano Salas gave the Argentine side an early lead before Yuri Alberto struck twice in 22 minutes for the hosts.
Martirena put his side back on level terms with a long-range effort after combining with Agustin Almendra.
"I'm not satisfied with just scoring goals, even though they help the team. I also want to contribute in other ways," Martirena said after the match at Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo.
"We are more united than we've ever been. The important thing today was to give the best possible account of ourselves, and I think we did that. This is a very valuable point."
The decisive second leg will be played in Buenos Aires next Thursday. ■
