The two clásicos served up just three goals, with River losing yet another derby in spite of a one-man advantage, something that’s become something of a tradition since HEGS was born. River’s attacking play was highly impressive in every respect except for actually remembering to stick the ball in the net. Most of the weekend was in binary, with the exceptions of Vélez beating Banfield in Liniers, and Lanús’ thrashing of Independiente, Pepe Sand scoring four on Sunday evening in a match which left Independiente #10 Daniel Montenegro seething at referee Saúl Laverni. All the heroes and villains are right here…
Primera División A Torneo Clausura 2009, eighth round:
Arsenal Fútbol Club (L. Leguizamón 3) 1 – 1 San Lorenzo de Almagro (N. Silvera 65)
Huracán 0 – 1 Colón de Santa Fe (A. Ramírez 12)
Racing Club (P. Lugüercio 17; P. Caballero OFF 77) 1 – 0 River Plate
Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy (R. Gómez 87) 1 – 1 Tigre (C. Luna 46; J. C. Blengio OFF 76)
Newell’s Old Boys (D. Armani 52) 1 – 1 Argentinos Juniors (I. Canuto 75)
Vélez Sársfield (H. López 44; M. Moralez 82) 2 – 1 Banfield (N. Bertolo 55; S. Fernández OFF 83)
Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata (J. E. Cuevas 71; D. Villar OFF 90) 1 – 1 Estudiantes de La Plata (C. Sanchez Prette 90+6; L. Benítez OFF 90)
Boca Juniors (O. Gaitán 36) 1 – 1 Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba (L. Caruso 60)
San Martín de Tucumán 0 – 1 Rosario Central (J. Anchén OG 67)
Lanús (D. Valeri 12; J. Sand 42, 79, 89, 90+3) 5 – 1 Independiente (F. Mancuello 22)
As usual, check back tomorrow for the goal videos, and the updated league tables.
Hasta El Gol Siempre 
I managed to find quite a long video of the Lanús-Amargos game as I didn’t watch it live, and I am astonished to compare how Lanús can cut through teams in this league as if they were the Holland 1974 Total Football side, yet their performances are so totally anaemic and boring in the Libertadores?
Lanús could easily have had eight or nine goals in this game, they obliterated Independiente. To be honest, it was good fun to watch, Sand’s perfoemance alone was great entertainment. Like controlling the ball on the edge of the area and popping it over the keeper’s head to create a golden chance – which he then missed – but converting a more difficult chance that came his way such as the fourth goal.
It seems that whenever they step out on the pitch, Lanús are either going to be fantastic, and play World Cup winning style football, or be really terrible and be beaten out of sight, there is no middle way with them.
But it must make them the most entertaining side to watch in football today?
(When they are playing well, I should have added! I wouldn’t rush out to buy DVDs of any of their Libertadores matches…)
And before I finish, a quick word to all those J*st*in TV users out there… how annoying is that advertising pop-up??!
NO, I DO NOT LOVE MARCH MADNESS!!! I had to look it up on Wikipedia to find out what it even was, kids playing netball, what the…? And also, it’s now APRIL!
AND NO, I DO NOT USE BLINKING TWITTER!!! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE TO WATCH THE BLINKING GAME!!
Just wanted to get that off my chest : )
Ha Ha ! C’mon Matt, you have to indulge all those pathetic, losing their shirts companies in their time of dire need !! You can be put in the hoosegow for not knowing what March Madness is in the states !
As for Lanus, I am on the “Why the hell isn’t Pepe Sand on the NT ?” bandwagon. Well, actually there may not be a bandwagon, but there ought to be.:) Pepe is a scoring beast. Is it his age that is keeping him off the NT ? I think he is 29.
You’ll be pleased to know “March” madness is about 10 minutes from ending, as I write this. North Carolina are about to win the championship game. I am lol-ing at “kids” tho Matthew: they are all nearly 7 feet tall!
Hmm… forgive me for my almost total lack of knowledge and interest in North American sports (with the exception of ice hockey)… I really never ‘got’ basketball, and am even more mystified that people take such an interest in college basketball. Maybe everyone gets excited about their old alma mater doing well in sports, but I wouldn’t be getting too fussed if Stockport College were winning something lol, I left over ten years ago!!
Actually, I just like coming online and seeing the number of Americans taking a serious interest in soccer these days, people who know that Guillermo Barros Schelotto has been more valuable to the MLS than David Beckham! ;-)
Back to the ad, if people really loved March Madness, I would’ve thought they’d be looking for more involvement than updates on Twitter!
I mean, I love Racing, but if all I knew of Saturday’s match had been a dry read-out of ‘RACING 1 RIVER 0’, I would have missed out on the explosion of Luguercio’s goal and then the heart-crushing agony and tension of the second half, the relief of the net-less tightrope walker at Migliore’s saves, the sufrimiento that is the whole point of being a Racing fan! : )
Racing is just something you don’t get the point of if all you’re doing is following on Twitter!
University basketball is more fun than the NBA for many purists though, Matthew. I used to follow basketball when I was younger (the Orlando Magic side of Shaq and Penny Hardaway in case anyone’s wondering), and ocassionally read the odd bit about it now.
The best assessment I could make is that ‘college’ basketball is where the raw, unfinished talents are who are in as much for enjoyment of the game as to win anything. It’s not the same as following university sports leagues in the UK at all…