Friday brought three matches to kick off the twelfth round of the 2013 Torneo Inicial, and four goals. The first was in Quilmes, were the hosts were well outplayed by Atlético de Rafaela, but came away with a 1-1 draw thanks to a spectacular shot from Arnaldo González. After the game, Quilmes manager Nélson Vivas (the former defender for Arsenal, of the English Premier League) got into an argument with a fan and, after hitting him a few times, had to be escorted away by police; his future at the club is now in doubt. Later, Argentinos Juniors ended a run of five games without a win, beating Estudiantes de La Plata 1-0 with an even more spectacular goal from Daniel Villalva. In the evening’s late kick off, Vélez Sarsfield visited Racing, who were celebrating Reinaldo Merlo’s return to the club for his third spell as manager. Vélez spoiled the party, winning 1-0 thanks to Mauro Zárate’s first half goal.
Quilmes 1-1 Rafaela
Cristian Canhué scored just over half an hour in to give Rafaela a deserved lead at the break in a poor match, and whilst their superiority just about continued in the second half, they had to settle for a draw thanks to González’s fine shot from just outside the penalty box. Vivas’ attack on a fan who’d insulted him after that match, though, was the big talking point afterwards. The manager’s future at the club has been in doubt for a couple of weeks, and there’s a very real chance that he’ll now be fired.
Argentinos Juniors 1-0 Estudiantes de La Plata
Daniel Villalva’s 30-yard rocket in the 32nd minute separated these sides in a match largely notable for the complete confusion caused by how similar the colours of both teams were.
Racing Club 0-1 Vélez Sarsfield
Mauro Zárate scored for the third straight game for Vélez, but for a change his side were the victors at the end (in each of the last two weeks, he’s scored early only to see the opposition – first Gimnasia and then Olimpo – come back to win 2-1). Reinaldo Merlo’s return to Racing didn’t bring them luck, as they slumped to their tenth defeat in twelve league games this season. Two points from the opening twelve games is a record low tally previously matched only by Argentino de Quilmes, back in 1939, who went on to finish the season with four points from thirty-four matches.
Hasta El Gol Siempre 