Player Dies after Collapsing on the Pitch in Argentina

Atletico Parana defender Cristian Gomez died on his way to hospital after collapsing on the pitch during a match on Sunday, the second such death to hit Argentine soccer in 10 days.

Matches in all divisions had resumed this weekend after being suspended last weekend following the death of a 21-year-old player on May 14.

The 27-year-old Gomez stumbled several times before falling unconscious after half an hour of the second-tier Primera B Nacional match against Boca Unidos in the northeastern city of Corrientes.

"It was a case of a syncope (collapse) and sudden death. We tried to revive him and he died on the way to hospital," Miguel Darre, doctor of home side Boca Unidos, told reporters.

When Gomez collapsed, team mates and opponents immediately took off their shirts to fan him and cried for help.

"He was dead when he arrived ... the doctors told us they couldn't resuscitate him. This is totally unexpected, unbelievable ... he'd never had anything wrong with him," match supervisor Ramon Gomez said.

Emanuel Ortega, a defender with San Martin de Burzaco, died in hospital 10 days ago after failing to come out of a coma since sustaining injuries when he smashed his head on a concrete wall surrounding the pitch during a match 11 days earlier.