BUENOS AIRES, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Juan Roman Riquelme struck twice in the second half, including an exquisite free kick, to help Argentina beat Bolivia 3-0 in their World Cup qualifier on Saturday.

Teenager Sergio Aguero also scored his first international

goal four minutes before halftime while Javier Zanetti made a

record-breaking 116th appeance for Argentina.

Argentina have a maximum nine points from their three games

in the South American group. Bolivia have one point and have

yet to score. It was also their 11th successive defeat in

Argentina.

'Bolivia made things complicated in the first 20 minutes

when the game was boring and tedious,' said Argentina coach

Alfio Basile. 'But when we scored the first goal, the game

opened up and it was finished.'

Bolivia coach Erwin Sanchez said: 'Argentina's individual

qualities were fundamental and made the difference in the

match.

'They scored their first goal at a key moment.'

Aguero, 19, was surprisingly included in Argentina's team

by Basile who picked him in a three-man attack with Carlos

Tevez on the left and Lionel Messi on the right.

The hosts struggled against a packed Bolivia defence for

the first 40 minutes and only Messi worried the visitors.

Bolivia goalkeeper Carlos Arias was forced to dive at

Messi's feet as he burst into the penalty area and the

Barcelona player also had a shot deflected wide in the 26th

minute.

Messi went close again after a move involving Riquelme and

Aguero before Argentina broke through in the 41st minute when a

Martin Demichelis header back across goal was nodded in by the

unmarked Aguero.

Riquelme came to life after halftime, one of his free kicks

producing a superb one-handed save from Arias in the 51st

minute.

The keeper was powerless six minutes later as Riquelme

converted a pinpoint 25-metre free kick which dipped into the

top left-hand corner.

Riquelme, sidelined at his Spanish club Villarreal after

falling out with coach Manuel Pellegrini, made it 3-0 with a

stylish, sidefooted finish after another run by Messi in the

74th. He has scored four goals in three games in the group.