Alfio Basile can cheer up a bit. A good few weeks in advance of Argentina’s opening World Cup qualifier against Chile, it’s become apparent that Lionel Messi’s injury which kept him out of Barcelona’s 0-0 draw away to Osasuna on Sunday really isn’t too bad – La Pulga is back training with the squad now. But it gets better. Because – and I can think of at least one regular reader who will love this – Ariel Ortega could be joining Leo in the selección very soon. At least according to himself.
Ortega was in the papers on Monday talking about two incredible chances he had which both went begging against Lanús in River’s 3-1 win on Sunday, either one of which would have been a peach of a goal had it gone in. But on Monday he announced that there was something he wanted more than for either of those attempts to go in: a return to the national team.
Orteguita has had problems in the last year or two with an alcohol addiction, as has already been well documented. Last season he looked, on numerous occasions, like he was getting over it once and for all, only to then go missing again. More than a few River fans were starting to lose a bit of patience – but he’s started this season in stellar form, his recuperation appearing to be going better than ever, and there hasn’t been one unexplained absence from training yet.
It’s lifted the team, as well, because one thing that’s becoming evidently clear is that if River can just carry some of their home form (played four, won four) over to their away matches (played five, drawn three, lost two), they’ll be serious challenges to the early leads of Independiente and Boca in the table. El Burrito won’t be travelling to Rio de Janeiro for the first leg of River’s Copa Sudamericana tie with Botafogo on Wednesday, due to fitness work apart from the rest of the squad, but his place in the domestic side is virtually nailed-on.
And at the end of his press conference on Monday, a message for Basile: ‘My dream is to play for the selección. It’s one of the best things that’s happened in my life. You watch – Basile is going to give me a call-up.’ Another former River man may get a call before long as well – now that France coach Raymond Domenech has had time to calm down from his hissy fit earlier in the year, Gonzalo Higuaín, back to playing and scoring for Real Madrid after injury, could be Basile’s thoughts…
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Now, I wonder to which regular reader you could possibly be referring … ;)
Well, we’ll see if el Burrito’s prediction comes true … I’m not quite as certain as he seems to be, but he’s never lacked for brashness, after all! In any case, it’s been great to see him burning up the pitch again, and may it continue!
Cheers to Higuain, too!
I know this is a non-sequitur, but I thought it was funny: I went to the MLS game on Saturday and I noticed one player on the away team that struck me as having a good game. (That’s not the funny part – LOL!) Now, I don’t follow MLS, and am not familiar with too many of the players, so I looked the guy up online when I got home. He turned out to be from Buenos Aires! I guess being an Argentina fan gets to inherent or something …
Just one more thing: I want to take a minute to thank you wholeheartedly for all the time and effort you spend on this site, keeping us up to date and feeding our appetite for Argentine futbol news. It’s very much appreciated, even if we don’t always remember to say so.
Love – Lex
And comments like that are very much appreciated too, Lex, it’s nice to know I’m of some use to people. Hopefully the slightly lesser frequency of posts in the coming weeks won’t be too off-putting…