Boca Juniors at long last claimed another win on Sunday with a 1-0 defeat of Quilmes in La Bombonera. After recent talk of veterans – including on the Hand Of Pod – it was 20-year-old Cristian Erbes who got the only goal of the game midway through the second half. Elsewhere on Sunday, Vélez Sarsfield kept the pressure on Estudiantes with a 4-0 away tonking of Godoy Cruz. The hosts qualified for the 2011 Copa Libertadores all the same though, courtesy of Newell’s Old Boys dropping points in a 0-0 away draw to San Lorenzo. Highlights from these and the day’s other two games – a 3-1 win for Tigre over Huracán, and a 0-0 draw between Lanús and Independiente – are here right now, as are all the weekend’s scores and scorers.
Primera División Torneo Apertura 2011, seventeenth round
Club Olimpo (N. Bareiro 27) 1 – 1 Arsenal Fútbol Club (M. Alustiza 10)
All Boys (F. Segovia OG 10; M. Matos 31) 2 – 1 Banfield (G. Méndez 68)
Racing Club (G. Hauche 20; P. Toranzo 60) 2 – 0 Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata (M. Casco OFF 68)
Estudiantes de La Plata (G. Fernández 36; M. Núñez 58; G. Mercado 74) 3 – 1 Argentinos Juniors (C. Rius 31)
Colón (I. Moreno y Fabianesi 41) 1 – 2 River Plate (E. Lamela 55; M. Pavone 90+3)
San Lorenzo de Almagro 0 – 0 Newell’s Old Boys
Tigre (D. Stracqualursi 5, 30; L. Altobelli 37) 3 – 1 Huracán (R. Zárate 28)
Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba 0 – 4 Vélez Sarsfield (S. Silva 31, 51; M. Moralez 55; J. Cristaldo 82)
Boca Juniors (C. Erbes 72) 1 – 0 Quilmes
Lanús 0 – 0 Independiente
San Lorenzo 0 – 0 Newell’s
Tigre 3 – 1 Huracán
Godoy Cruz 0 – 4 Vélez
Boca 1 – 0 Quilmes
Lanús 0 – 0 Independiente
On a personal note, there will be no Argentines Abroad this week, because I’ve got a busy couple of days of podcast recording/producing, packing and saying good bye to people to do – on Wednesday I head back to England to celebrate Christmas and the new year with my family, and see some of the friends I left behind back in April. I’ll be back in Buenos Aires before the start of the Clausura though, and on a one-way ticket. If you’ve enjoyed the improvement in HEGS since I came out to Argentina in April, I hope to be able to keep making it better throughout 2011. If you’re reading this and you’re one of the many people I’ve met this year who’ve made my first spell in Buenos Aires so thoroughly enjoyable, thank you very much for your part in it.
You can follow the daily ins and outs during the 2010 Apertura, as well Argentine clubs in the Copa Sudamericana, the country’s vast foreign legion and the latest news from the selección during the 2010-2011 season direct from Buenos Aires with HEGS on Twitter. If you’ve not signed up yet you can do so here. You can also join the official HEGS Facebook group, to keep up to date with the latest posts on the blog and discuss things with other fans. You’ll find it here. Also remember to bookmark Hand Of Pod, our home to a brand new Argentine football podcast (or subscribe to it on iTunes here)
Photo taken from ole.clarin.com
Hasta El Gol Siempre 
finally boca win i watched the game and am really disappointed with them. They lack cohesion and team spirit it just doesn’t seem to be working. As a isaid before i reckon they need to get back rodrigo palacio from genoa who isn’t really getting a lookin there. But one swallow doesn’t make a summer lots of overhaulin needed in the attacking areas. Sam whats your take on the fracas between insauralde (instigator) and mendez (innocent bystander) during a cancelled training session. Not sure pompei knows what he’s doin surely he should have not played insauralde in sundays game instead he drops mendez what message does that send out to the rest of the team???? Finally just want to say have enjoyed every minute of this site and the contributions loving it keep up the good work and have a safe journey back to blighty. Make sure you buy a parka jacket b4 u leave BA as its minus 10 over here dependent on where u live!!!!!