The news this week

HEGS has lost a little of its news value lately due to diminishing spare time on my part, so as of today I’m going to try and remedy that slightly. As Thursday turns into Friday at the start of each round from now on, I’ll be giving a quick rundown of some of the main stories affecting the forthcoming weekend’s action. There won’t be much detail (these things take time to write after all, and I have a life and, moreover, a bed and a dayjob), but this should give readers a better idea of what’s going on day-to-day. This week, there’s been a victory for Boca Juniors’ girls over their River Plate counterparts, and not one but two weekend clásicos to prepare for…

First up, a mention for the girls. Wednesday saw River Plate take on Boca Juniors in the superclásico femenino on one of the artificial pitches near the Estadio Monumental. River took the lead with a free kick from captain Catalina Pérez, but eventually lost 4-2. Boca’s goals came from Rosana Gómez (also a free kick), national side defender Eva González, Yael Oviedo and another player which El Gráfico‘s match report sadly forgets to name. River’s second came from Pía Gómez.

In Boca’s male division, first team manager Alfio Basile met with the club’s general manager Carlos Bianchi to clarify a few things on Thursday. Boca are set to sign an agreement with Uruguayan giants Peñarol, and this combined with rumours about possible reinforcements in the summer (that’s December and January, northern hemisphere-dwellers!) to confuse Basile somewhat as to his own role. Bianchi has reassured Basile that the agreement with Peñarol is no different from any other affiliation between clubs, and is being dealt with by directors. An approach for Peñarol goalkeeper Sebastián was also denied by Bianchi, and Basile said afterwards he was satsified with the explanations offered.

At national level, the AFA are considering – can you believe this? – appealing against the two month ban handed down by FIFA to Diego Maradona. Even though it was roundly viewed in the Argentine press as such a lenient punishment that Julio Grondona (a FIFA Vice-President) must have had a hand in it. The idea seems to be to get it suspended until at least January, allowing Maradona to attend the World Cup group stage draw in December, and perhaps direct the team in a friendly against the Catalán national side.

There are two clásicos coming up this weekend. In Rosario, Newell’s are at home to Central on Sunday, and the visitors’ manager Ariel Cuffaro Russo announced that this weekend’s game is, ‘one of the clásicos I’m most enjoying,’ due to the fact that both sides are enjoying good campaigns [Newell’s are 2nd, Central 6th]. There was time for a dig at the hosts, though: ‘they’re very strong in defence… they’re not a team which generates a lot of play, but they’re winning, and we have to respect that.’ Roberto Sensini, the Newell’s manager, is waiting for his part on the fitness of one component of that strong defence: national team centre back Rolando Schiavi is hoping to recover from an inflammation of his left aductor in time to play.

The other derby is on Saturday between Huracán, runners up in the Torneo Clausura but who are struggling so much now that manager Angel Cappa announced during the week that he’s resigning at the end of the campaign, and San Lorenzo. Huracán midfielder Mario Bolatti – the 24-year-old cinco who scored the goal in Montevideo which sent the national side to the South Africa 2010 World Cup – confirmed he might well follow Cappa out of the club when the current championship ends. ‘Things have happened since July, and it’ll be difficult to continue,’ he told TyC’s Sportia.

Los Santos boss Diego Simeone brings Agustín Orión back into the first team squad – the goalkeeper hasn’t played for the first team since picking up an injury in March – by placing him on the bench. Leandro Romagnoli will also be kept on the bench.

And finally, San Lorenzo’s 21-year-old playmaker Alejandro Gómez has shaken up the news wires prior to his side’s derby. He announced on Wednesday that, following a falling-out with the fans after he was sent off in his team’s heavy defeat at home to Independiente last weekend, he was considering retiring from football and returning to his studies. He explained that his red card came when on seeing he was about be shown a yellow card, he told the referee; ‘It’s harsh [to book me], we’re losing 3-0 already.’ He did insist, though, that he’d been right to put the ball out of play when he saw opposing forward Andrés Silvera was injured; ‘I felt it was the thing to do in that moment, I have my standards and I’d do it again.’