At long last, we’re within a week of the return of proper domestic football to the Argentine top flight. The curtain is coming down on the summer tournaments with a bad-blooded Copa Ciudad de Mendoza (AKA Copa Revancha) in which Boca Juniors outclassed River Plate, and plenty of other sides were in action over the weekend as well.
Lanús drew 2-2 with hosts Talleres to take the three-team Copa Ciudad de Córdoba (Vélez Sársfield were the other participants) thanks to two penalties from José Sand. Sebastián Cobelli and former River defender Federico Lussenhoff scored the two equalisers for Talleres.
In Mar del Plata on Saturday, Gimnasia La Plata beat Independiente by a solitary goal to lift that city’s summer invitational trophy. Juan Vuevas, the 20-year-old sub, scored a fantastic goal after some good passing interplay, slamming the ball into the top corner with his left foot.
Huracán hosted Chacarita Juniors and lost 3-0 after being comfortably outclassed by the B Nacional outfit, with goals from Juan Manuel Arostegui, Matías Alustiza and Adrián Romero, to end a pretty rubbish pre-season for the Quemero. In Rosario, Central played poorly and had to settle for a draw against Atlético Rafaela. Santiago Molano put the visitors ahead but they were pegged back near the end by an ‘invented penalty’ from Ezequiel González.
And in Victoria, Tigre continued an improvement in form during their pre-season, but still lost; 3-2 to All Boys, in an 80-minute match. Jonathan Ferrari headed All Boys ahead and after Daniel Islas in the Tigre goal had worked well to prevent them going further ahead before Matías Giménez equalised. Leandro Lázzaro made it 2-1 to Tigre 25 minutes after the break, but All Boys came back, equalising through Ariel Zárate (one of Mauro’s brothers) and then getting a winner in the final minute through Emmanuel Gigliotti.
In the super on Sunday night, Boca comfortably brushed River aside 2-0. Having put out a team largely made up of kids, Boca won a bad-tempered match thanks to goals from Pablo Mouche right on the stroke of half time, and Facundo Roncaglia made it 2-0 towards the end of the second half. By that point River were playing with ten men, Nicolás Domingo having been sent off for an ugly attempt at a tackle midway through the second period.
Hasta El Gol Siempre 
I gotta tell you, I almost felt sorry for River about halfway through the second period. They were really struggling and their fans looked shell shocked. It could be another tough season for River. Boca, of course, is loaded. Pretty strange to watch Pato hoist a trophy his first match back, as well as sing with a bunch of kids, some of whom he is almost old enough to have fathered.
he probably did. Saviola going to liverpool. he will be the spark we need to clinch the title. guaranteed.
“Clinch” the title? You make it sound like Liverpool are top. I’ll be shocked if Manchester United don’t win the title by at least 7 points.
River weren’t THAT bad last night–they had a couple of excellent chances to equalise before the sending off ended the match as a contest. I saw promising signs the last two Verano games. I wish they’d made a move for a better goalkeeper though.
Saviola move didn’t happen anyway.
How does that make it sound like liverpool are top?? we dont need him anyway. Weve got ngog who will strike fear into any defence.
Maybe it’s an American thing. We use the word “clinch” to mean putting the finishing touches on something that’s already almost done.
You’re right about Ngog tho! ;)
i meant a love clench