There was of course no action in Europe’s major footballing leagues during the weekend just gone, due to the international break. In Mexico though, football continued as normal, and so Tom Clark (whose blog you can read here) is as ever right here to give us the lowdown on the Argentine action there.
The weekend in Mexico saw goals by Argentines on Friday night and Saturday; in the three matches played on Sunday Argentines came up with a goal total equal to that of all other top division players combined: that is, none; something that has not happened on a match Sunday during a Mexicantorneo in three years.
Nicolás Pavlovich fuffled one over the line at home against Puebla in the week’s Friday night match; it was the only goal of the night, providing another much-needed boost to relegation-shy Necaxa.
On Saturday 9th October a twenty-sixth minute header by the redoubtable Alfredo Chango Moreno helped his club Atlas to a useful 2-1 home victory over San Luis.
Elsewhere on the same day there were outstanding Argentine performances in critical wins for two clubs making a late run at classification in the liguilla.
Pachuca, playing at home, came from behind to take down Pumas (UNAM) 3-2. The figura of the contest was Darío Cvitanich, who scored his fourth (in seven appearances) and also showed surprising strength and fortitude in fighting his way to the end line to supply a perfect delivery for the decisive goal (scored by Victor Mañón).
(Side note, Cvitanich, born and raised in Argentina, bred in Banfield green, currently the property of Ajax, on loan to Pachuca until the end of this year, does not get his name in bold type on HEGS because he made the regrettable if understandable decision in August 2008 to take a Croatian passport, an action made possible by the fact his great grandfather was Croatian. ‘It would be like a dream to play in the qualifiers and the World Cup,’ he said at the time. ‘With Argentina that was almost impossible. I look at it as if I am going to play for another team, but the emotion will remain the same. I will die as a fan of my country.’ Four months later, though, FIFA ruled that Cvitanich’s great grandfather connection was not good enough, leaving the player in international limbo. This reporter believes Cvitanich’s spiritual loyalty to his homeland has always remained intact… even if he does not rate a typeface to match his recent bold play.)
Also on Saturday, Tigres of Nueva León, looking unusually comfortable in their mountain sanctuary, punished Estudiantes Tecos 5-0. Essential efforts came from HEGS darling Lucas Lobos, who supplied the first of two goals on the day by the big Brazilian striker Itamar Batista, and then notched one of his own, a 27th minute golazo; and the exciting Damían Alvarez, who provided Batista’s second, and then in the 83rd minute put a final dashing Argentine punctuation on the day by scoring himself.
Tigres 5 – 0 Estudiantes Tecos
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Hasta El Gol Siempre 