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Latin America Sports Daily for Thursday, March 12, 2026

By Oliver Mason
The World Baseball Classic’s pool stage ended Wednesday with LATAM heartbreak and fireworks in equal measure: Mexico was eliminated after a 9-1 demolition by Italy — powered by Vinnie Pasquantino’s historic three-homer night — while the Dominican Republic edged Venezuela 7-5 in a slugfest that saw four DR home runs. In San Juan, Canada beat Cuba 7-2 to win Pool A, ending Cuban hopes. Five LATAM nations advance to the quarterfinals while Mexico, Cuba, Brazil and Colombia go home. In football, Boca Juniors drew 1-1 with San Lorenzo in a fiery Bombonera clasico as coach Claudio Ubeda faced fan fury, Atletico Mineiro earned their first Brasileirao win with a second-minute Cuello strike against Internacional, and Gabigol rescued Santos with two late goals in a 2-2 draw at Mirassol — all while Neymar watched from the sidelines amid fresh injury controversy. The Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 began with nine-man San Diego FC stunning Toluca 3-2, Nashville and Inter Miami drawing 0-0, and LA Galaxy cruising past Mount Pleasant 3-0. This is part of The Rio Times’ daily coverage of Latin American sports, providing comprehensive Latin America coverage across football, baseball and continental tournaments.

01

Pasquantino Makes WBC History as Italy Destroys Mexico 9-1 to End El Tri’s Tournament

Baseball

Mexico’s World Baseball Classic campaign ended in humiliation at Daikin Park in Houston, where Italy cruised to a 9-1 victory that eliminated El Tri from Pool B. Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, who had entered the game hitless in 12 at-bats through three tournament games, launched three home runs — the first three-homer game in WBC history — to lead the Italian offense.

Aaron Nola pitched five shutout innings for Italy while Mexico’s starter Javier Assad struggled through five frames. Jon Berti added a solo homer in the fourth and Jakob Marsee contributed a two-run single in the fifth to build an insurmountable 5-0 lead. Pasquantino hit solo shots in the second and sixth innings before completing his historic night with a blast off the right-field fence in the eighth.

Italy finished pool play 4-0 — becoming the first team ever to go unbeaten through a WBC pool stage — and will face Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals on Saturday. Mexico’s elimination means El Tri, who had steamrolled Brazil 16-0 earlier in the week, exit after just four games. The result also rescued the United States, who advanced as Pool B’s second seed despite their stunning 8-6 loss to Italy on Tuesday and will face Canada in Friday’s quarterfinals.

KEY STAT: Pasquantino’s three homers made him the first player in WBC’s 20-year history to go deep three times in a single game. He has never hit three home runs in a major league game.

02

Dominican Republic Mash Four Homers to Edge Venezuela 7-5 and Win Pool D

Baseball

In a heavyweight clash at loanDepot Park in Miami before 36,230 fans, the Dominican Republic overpowered Venezuela 7-5 to claim first place in Pool D. The DR’s feared lineup launched four home runs — Juan Soto opened the scoring with a two-run shot in the first inning, Ketel Marte and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added solo blasts in the third, and Fernando Tatis Jr. crushed a three-run homer in the fourth to blow the game open at 7-3.

Venezuela mounted a spirited ninth-inning rally, scoring twice to bring Salvador Perez to the plate as the potential tying run. But Elvis Alvarado induced a game-ending double play — fielded cleanly by Manny Machado at third base — to seal the Dominican victory. The DR now have 13 home runs through four pool games, the most by any team through pool play in WBC history.

Both teams had already clinched quarterfinal berths before the game. The DR (4-0) will face Korea on Friday in Miami, while Venezuela (3-1) draw a daunting matchup against defending champion Japan on Saturday. Maikel Garcia went 4-for-4 for Venezuela, and Luis Arraez drove in two runs with doubles, but the Venezuelan pitching staff — Eduardo Rodriguez, Erasmo Bazardo and Antonio Senzatela — could not contain the Dominican power.

KEY STAT: The Dominican Republic’s 13 home runs through four pool games set a new WBC record for the most homers by any team through its first four tournament games.

World Baseball Classic 2026 — LATAM nations competing in quarterfinals
The WBC quarterfinals begin Friday with five LATAM nations still alive. Image: WBC / The Rio Times

03
Canada Beat Cuba 7-2 to Win Pool A and Reach First WBC Quarterfinal

Canada Beat Cuba 7-2 to Win Pool A and Reach First WBC Quarterfinal

Baseball

Canada made WBC history of their own at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, beating Cuba 7-2 to claim Pool A’s top seed and reach the quarterfinals for the first time in the tournament’s six editions. Cal Quantrill pitched five strong innings of one-run ball, while Abraham Toro launched a mammoth 420-foot solo homer in the fifth — the longest seen at Bithorn all week — to extend Canada’s lead to 4-0.

Cuba’s fielding fell apart in a decisive sixth inning: second baseman Yiddi Cappe dropped a routine pop-up, starter Yariel Rodriguez fired a wild pickoff throw, and catcher Andrys Perez committed interference. Bo Naylor (RBI double) and Otto Lopez (two-run single) capitalized on the errors to put the game out of reach. James Paxton, who came out of retirement for the tournament, fanned Yoan Moncada with the tying run at the plate in the seventh to preserve the lead.

Cuba finished 2-2 in third place and are eliminated. Canada (3-1) earned the top seed thanks to their head-to-head win over Puerto Rico on Tuesday. The Canadians have won more WBC games this year than in all five previous tournaments combined.

KEY STAT: Canada’s three victories in 2026 exceed their combined total from all five prior WBC tournaments. They will face the United States in Friday’s quarterfinal in Houston.

04

WBC Quarterfinals Set: Five LATAM Nations Still Alive as Pool Play Wraps Up

Baseball

With all four pools now complete, the WBC quarterfinal bracket is locked in. Five LATAM nations remain in the hunt: the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba’s conqueror Canada — and none from Mexico or Brazil, who both failed to advance. Italy’s perfect 4-0 pool run makes them the tournament’s most compelling dark horse, while defending champion Japan went unbeaten in Pool C with four dominant wins including a 13-0 demolition of Chinese Taipei and a 9-0 shutout of the Czech Republic.

The quarterfinal matchups are: Friday — Korea vs Dominican Republic (6:30 PM ET, Miami) and USA vs Canada (8 PM ET, Houston). Saturday — Italy vs Puerto Rico (3 PM ET, Houston) and Japan vs Venezuela (9 PM ET, Miami). The semifinals are Sunday and Monday in Miami, with the final on Tuesday, March 17 at loanDepot Park.

For LATAM baseball fans, the Dominican Republic’s juggernaut offense and Venezuela’s deep lineup provide the strongest hopes. Puerto Rico, led by Seth Lugo’s pitching and Carlos Correa’s leadership, face the toughest quarterfinal draw against unbeaten Italy. The DR remain favorites with the most prolific offense in the tournament.

KEY STAT: Of the eight quarterfinalists, five are from the Americas — Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Canada and the USA — making this the most LATAM-heavy knockout stage in WBC history.

05

Boca Blow Lead Against San Lorenzo as Ubeda Faces Fan Fury at La Bombonera

Football

Boca Juniors squandered a second-half lead and drew 1-1 with San Lorenzo at La Bombonera in a tense Fecha 10 clasico that ended with fans whistling at coach Claudio Ubeda. Santiago Ascacibar broke the deadlock at 55 minutes with a strike that left him bloodied in the celebration, but substitute Gregorio Rodriguez equalized just ten minutes later to silence the home crowd.

The result extended Boca’s winless run at home to four matches, leaving the Xeneize sixth in Zona A on 13 points — seven behind leaders Velez Sarsfield. Ubeda drew particular ire for making his first and only substitution in the 92nd minute, a decision that provoked an angry reaction from supporters who felt the team lacked urgency in the final stretch. It was the 214th meeting between the two sides, with San Lorenzo maintaining their historical advantage.

In the other Fecha 10 results from Wednesday, Gimnasia La Plata beat Banfield 2-1 in the early kick-off, while Argentinos Juniors and Rosario Central played out a goalless draw. Independiente Rivadavia hosted Barracas Central and Atletico Tucuman faced Aldosivi in the late matches, with Julio Cesar Falcioni making his coaching debut for the Tucuman side.

KEY STAT: Boca have now gone four consecutive home matches without a win. Velez lead Zona A on 18 points, while Independiente Rivadavia top Zona B with 17.

06

Cuello Strikes in Two Minutes as Atletico Mineiro Earn First Brasileirao Win

Football

Atletico Mineiro finally broke through in the Brasileirao with a 1-0 victory over Internacional at the Arena MRV, courtesy of a lightning-fast second-minute goal from Thiago Cuello. Hulk found Cuello on the right flank, and the Argentine winger drove into the box before firing a low cross-shot past Rochet — giving Galo the lead before the match was barely underway.

Internacional dominated possession and created numerous chances throughout, holding 65 percent of the ball and generating 14 corner kicks to Atletico’s two. But goalkeeper Everson delivered a commanding performance, pulling off multiple crucial saves to preserve the clean sheet. The Colombian striker Alan Rodriguez missed a golden opportunity in stoppage time, firing over the bar from close range, before Kayky’s last-second effort was palmed away by Everson.

Eduardo Dominguez’s side climb to 11th on five points, escaping the relegation zone after picking up just two draws from their first four matches. Internacional remain 18th with only two points and are still winless in the competition this season, adding to the misery of their Gauchao final defeat to Gremio last week.

KEY STAT: Internacional had 65% possession, 14 corners and 7 shots on target but lost 1-0. They are now winless in five Brasileirao matches this season (0W 2D 3L).

07

Gabigol Rescues Santos With Two Late Goals While Neymar Watches From Sideline

Football

Gabriel Barbosa produced a dramatic eight-minute rescue act as Santos came back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Mirassol in Brasileirao Rodada 5 — with Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti watching from the stands. Igor Formiga opened the scoring at 21 minutes with a close-range finish from Alesson’s cross, and the hosts dominated the first half as Santos struggled to create chances.

Mirassol doubled their lead at 71 minutes through Negueba, who received Shaylon’s pass at the edge of the box and hammered a cross-shot past Gabriel Brazao. Santos looked beaten, but Gabigol had other ideas. At 80 minutes, the striker received a lofted pass into the area, cut past his marker and drilled a powerful shot to make it 2-1. Eight minutes later, he was fouled in the box — confirmed via VAR review by referee Raphael Claus — and converted the penalty himself to complete the comeback.

The match carried extra intrigue: Neymar was absent due to what Santos described as a physical issue, though the timing coincided with his sister Rafaella’s birthday on March 11 — a date he has famously missed games around throughout his career. Neymar dismissed speculation on Instagram, saying he was simply taking care of his body. Ancelotti had included Neymar on a preliminary list for Brazil’s upcoming friendlies.

KEY STAT: Gabigol scored twice in eight minutes (80′ and 88′ pen.) to rescue a point for Santos. Neymar, pre-selected for Brazil’s squad, missed the match under Ancelotti’s watchful eye.

08

Nine-Man San Diego Stun Toluca 3-2 as Champions Cup Round of 16 Begins

Football

The Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 delivered drama across three first-leg matches on Wednesday night. The headline result came from Snapdragon Stadium, where expansion side San Diego FC overcame two red cards to stun reigning Liga MX champions Toluca 3-2. San Diego went a man down early after Marcus Ingvartsen’s straight red card gave Toluca a penalty, which Jesus Gallardo converted. But the expansion club fought back to take a shock first-leg lead despite finishing with nine men.

At GEODIS Park in Nashville, Inter Miami and Nashville SC played out a cautious 0-0 draw in their first leg. Lionel Messi started and had Miami’s best chance, but Nashville goalkeeper John Schwake made a key save. Messi remains stuck on 899 career goals as he continues chasing the milestone 900th. Nashville dominated statistically but could not break through Stefan Cleveland in the Miami goal. The series remains wide open for the second leg in Fort Lauderdale on March 18.

LA Galaxy completed Wednesday’s card with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Jamaican side Mount Pleasant FA at Dignity Health Sports Park, all but securing their quarterfinal spot. The second legs are scheduled for March 17-19. Thursday brings FC Cincinnati vs Tigres UANL and Vancouver vs Seattle Sounders.

KEY STAT: San Diego FC, in their inaugural Concacaf Champions Cup campaign, beat Liga MX champion Toluca 3-2 despite finishing with nine men. They eliminated Pumas UNAM 4-2 in Round 1 as well.

09

Argentine Apertura Fecha 10 Returns After Strike as Velez and Rivadavia Lead

Football

The Argentine Apertura resumed this week after the AFA-organized four-day strike in early March that wiped out the entire Fecha 9. Fecha 10 began Tuesday with a wild 4-4 draw between Independiente and Union — Juan Fedorco equalized at the 99th minute — plus Velez extending their lead atop Zona A with a win over Tigre, and Sarmiento losing to Racing.

Wednesday’s five matches produced mixed results: Gimnasia La Plata beat Banfield 2-1, Argentinos Juniors and Rosario Central shared a goalless draw, and the Boca-San Lorenzo clasico ended 1-1. The late fixtures featured Independiente Rivadavia against Barracas Central and Atletico Tucuman hosting Aldosivi in Julio Cesar Falcioni’s debut as coach. Fecha 10 continues Thursday with five more matches including Huracan vs River — the debut of new River coach Eduardo Coudet — and Talleres vs Instituto.

The standings after partial results show Velez Sarsfield leading Zona A on 18 points, three clear of Estudiantes (15). In Zona B, Independiente Rivadavia (17) hold a slim edge over Tigre and Belgrano (15 each). The Apertura’s compressed schedule — which skipped Fecha 9 entirely — means the table remains tightly packed across both groups.

KEY STAT: Fecha 9 was cancelled due to the AFA strike, meaning Fecha 10 is the first action since early March. Eduardo Coudet makes his River Plate coaching debut Thursday against Huracan.

10

Looking Ahead: WBC Quarterfinals, Brasileirao Rodada 5 and Fecha 10 Continue

Preview

Thursday, March 12
Concacaf Champions Cup R16: FC Cincinnati vs Tigres UANL (8 PM ET) — Vancouver vs Seattle Sounders (10 PM ET)
Argentine Apertura Fecha 10: Defensa y Justicia vs Central Cordoba (5 PM) — Talleres vs Instituto (7:15 PM) — Huracan vs River (9:30 PM, Coudet debut)

Friday, March 13
WBC Quarterfinals: Korea vs Dominican Republic (6:30 PM ET, Miami) — USA vs Canada (8 PM ET, Houston)
Argentine Apertura Fecha 10: Estudiantes vs Lanus (8 PM)

Saturday, March 14
WBC Quarterfinals: Italy vs Puerto Rico (3 PM ET, Houston) — Japan vs Venezuela (9 PM ET, Miami)
Brasileirao Rodada 6: Vitoria vs Atletico Mineiro — Botafogo vs Flamengo — Internacional vs Bahia

Sunday, March 15
WBC Semifinal 1 (8 PM ET, Miami)
Brasileirao Rodada 6: Santos vs Corinthians — Palmeiras vs Mirassol — Fluminense vs Athletico-PR

Brazil Sports News Today — Brasileirao Rodada 5 and WBC 2026 Quarterfinal Preview

Wednesday Scoreboard — March 11, 2026

COMPETITION RESULT NOTE
WBC Pool B Italy 9-1 Mexico Pasquantino 3 HR; Mexico eliminated
WBC Pool D Dominican Rep. 7-5 Venezuela Soto, Marte, Guerrero Jr., Tatis Jr. HR
WBC Pool A Canada 7-2 Cuba Toro HR 420ft; Cuba eliminated
Brasileirao R5 Atl. Mineiro 1-0 Internacional Cuello 2′; Everson heroics
Brasileirao R5 Mirassol 2-2 Santos Gabigol 80′, 88′(p); no Neymar
Apertura F10 Boca Juniors 1-1 San Lorenzo Ascacibar 55′; Rodriguez 65′
Apertura F10 Gimnasia LP 2-1 Banfield Zona B
Apertura F10 Argentinos 0-0 Rosario Central Zona B
CONCACAF CC R16 Nashville 0-0 Inter Miami 1st leg; Messi starts
CONCACAF CC R16 San Diego 3-2 Toluca 1st leg; SD finish with 9 men
CONCACAF CC R16 LA Galaxy 3-0 Mount Pleasant 1st leg

 

Latin America sports today, Brazil sports news today, Latin American financial news, LATAM market analysis, Brazil financial news English, emerging market intelligence Latin America, comprehensive Latin America coverage, WBC 2026, Brasileirao Serie A 2026, Argentine Apertura 2026, Concacaf Champions Cup 2026

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