After a few days off the blog due to food poisoning, lethargy after attending San Lorenzo v River Plate (see above) and work (that’s my Saturday, Sunday and Monday for you, in order, in case you were wondering), I’ve now got a few spare minutes so here, dear HEGS readers, are all the goals scored in the eight games since my last domestic post, which rounded up Friday’s two matches. Lanús top the Torneo Final table after a goalless draw with Racing combined with previous joint-leaders River Plate losing in the clásico against San Lorenzo. Colón and Estudiantes provided the weekend’s second 3-3 draw, Vélez Sarsfield beat San Martín on Monday night, and on Sunday evening, Unión ended a run of 26 league games without a win stretching back ten months… by beating Boca Juniors. In La Bombonera. In Juan Román Riquelme’s comeback match. For this and more hilarity, step this way.
Colón 3 – 3 Estudiantes de La Plata
After Quilmes and Rafaela’s thriller on Friday, we had another six-goal haul as the first match on Saturday, with Estudiantes seeming to have finally discovered their mojo as they raced into a 2-0 lead after just eleven minutes, with goals from Maxi Núñez and Román Martínez. Emanuel Gigliotti got one back for Colón halfway through the half, and Estudiantes led 2-1 at the break. Duván Zapata’s penalty just after the hour mark appeared to wrap up the win for Estudiantes, but Colón dug deep, and with two great goals in the last ten minutes, from Facundo Curuchet and Hernán Bernardello, they managed to rescue a point.
Arsenal de Sarandí 1 – 0 Independiente
Arsenal brought Independiente crashing back to earth after last week’s clásico win over Racing, and in so doing became the first side to have been involved in midweek Copa Libertadores action and then subsequently win a Torneo Final match. Lisandro López’s header in the forty-first minute was the difference between the sides, and Independiente didn’t have much response, though young defender Gonzalo Contrera might have been a little unlucky to be sent off late on.
Godoy Cruz 0 – 0 Argentinos Juniors
I said in my preview for this one for the Hong Kong Jockey Club that Argentinos’ performances so far in 2013 have been better than their results, and that I thought they’d draw here. I didn’t expect them to do so with only nine men, though; Lucas Rodríguez and Aníbal Matellán were both sent off in the last 15 minutes; Luis Ojeda saved a penalty from Mauro Óbolo after Matellán’s red card.
Tigre 2 – 1 All Boys
This game was played in front of an empty stadium after trouble with Tigre’s barra brava before last week’s game with River Plate led, eventually, to one of the men shot dying in hospital during the week. In the match itself, all the goals came in the first half; two from Matías Pérez García of Tigre, and one from Santiago Montoya Múñoz for All Boys. Matías Escobar’s red card was the only black spot on Tigre’s performance.
San Lorenzo 2 – 0 River Plate
I was at this one, in the home end, with Mariano of Argentina Previews (that’s him in the photo). San Lorenzo took the lead through Denis Stracqualursi just seconds in, and Mauro Cetto’s header from a dreadfully defended free kick in the 19th minute made it 2-0. River did almost nothing in the first half, and improved after the break, but not by nearly enough.
Racing 0 – 0 Lanús
Racing put in a performance that was far better than their awful clásico loss to Independiente in round 3, and Lanús got through their first four games of a campaign without conceding a single goal, for the first time ever. This result combined with River’s defeat (the games were played simultaneously) leaves Lanús alone at the top, with ten points from four games.
Boca Juniors 1 – 3 Unión de Santa Fe
Riquelme returned to action after eight months off for Boca, who were unbeaten at home in the league in ten matches. They were playing Unión, a side whose last competitive win was in May 2012. What could possibly go wrong? Well, they could put in a defensive performance that would put an under-12 side to shame. Unión had already had one goal wrongly ruled out (by Andrés Franzoia) before Damián Lizio gave them the lead in the 26th minute. Bianchi, of all people, plunged Boca into further misery – that is, Bruno Bianchi, the Unión defender who headed their second goal. In the second half, with Boca pressuring, Unión had a breakaway and Pablo Magnín added a third an hour in. Santiago Silva’s late consolation was barely celebrated by Boca.
Vélez Sarsfield 3 – 0 San Martín de San Juan
San Martín were better than three draws in their first three games suggested, but nothing went right for them in Liniers on Monday night. A headed goal from Fabián Cubero put Vélez ahead 21 minutes in, and minutes later – while the TV people were still replaying Cubero’s goal – Darío Insúa doubled the lead. Andrés Alderete was given a laughably unfair red card six minutes before the break, and Ezequiel Rescaldani made it 3-0 just over an hour in. Young substitute Federico Freire’s red card late on wasn’t quite as bad as Alderete’s had been for the opposition, but it was pretty inexplicable.
Hasta El Gol Siempre 