The eighth episode of Hand Of Pod looks at the ongoing feud between Carlos Tevez and Argentina's national team coach Sergio Batista, as well as taking in our thoughts on the Racing vs Boca Juniors clásico last Saturday and much more besides. You can get it, as ever, on the HOP blog, or subscribe on... Continue Reading →
A youngster leaves Argentina, and a legend returns
It's been a week of big name moves in Argentina's footballing landscape, with three of the deals in particular standing out. On Friday it was confirmed that Diego Buonanotte will move from River Plate to Málaga of the Spanish First Division at the end of the season (he'll remain at the Núñez club for the... Continue Reading →
Ariel Ortega leaves River Plate
River Plate legend Ariel Ortega on Monday confirmed his exit from the Núñez club, remarking that he'd felt 'uncomfortable' ever since J.J. López was given charge of the giants on the eve of the superclásico against Boca Juniors. A few days ago, López informed Ortega that he didn't fit in with his plans for the... Continue Reading →
Hand Of Pod episode 3
The third episode of Hand Of Pod, featuring myself and the Dans English and Australian, is online now. We discuss Cristian Fabbiani's girth, Martín Palermo's slowness, Juan Sebastián Verón's lack of pace and reveal just how little we know about Goiás, Independiente's opponents in the Copa Sudamericana final. You can listen to it here.
River Plate vs Boca Juniors: starting lineups
The superclásico will be upon us in around four and a bit hours, at 7pm local time (10pm Greenwich Mean Time) with Argentina's two biggest clubs doing battle in what has become a mediocre middle-of-the-table clash, but which will grab all the attention of the country's football-watching public anyway. The latest indications are that each... Continue Reading →
Floating down the river
My latest piece for ESPN Soccernet takes a look at what's becoming an increasingly deep rut for Ángel Cappa and his River Plate team, even as the fans have been adjusting to finally having a president they don't mind being in charge at the club. Diego Buonanotte and Rogelio Funes Mori are discussed, as well... Continue Reading →
Thoughts from the weekend: River Plate 1 – 1 Quilmes
River Plate only managed a draw in the final match of the eighth round of the Torneo Clausura. They were playing Quilmes, a newly-promoted side and as such key opponents in River's own battle against the relegation promedio as well as supposedly easy targets for three points in the chase for the title. River were... Continue Reading →
Mixed news for River: Ortega returns, but Sand won’t
River Plate welcomed Ariel Ortega back to their training ground on Wednesday after he hadn't turned up on Tuesday owing to an ankle injury. The press had doubted the veracity of this claim - Ortega was sent off for elbowing Marcos Brítez Ojeda of Huracán on Sunday and hadn't been in any apparent pain on... Continue Reading →
Copa Libertadores 2010: Estudiantes go through
Copa Libertadores holders Estudiantes de La Plata went through to the quarter-finals of the competition on Wednesday night with an easy 3-1 home win over Mexican strugglers San Luis in Quilmes, to add to the 1-0 advantage the champions' substitutes had already secured in the first leg in Potosí last week. Estudiantes took an early... Continue Reading →
Clausura 2010 round 16: the fallout
The biggest winners of the weekend just gone were undoubtedly Racing Club, who took an enormous step towards securing their place in the Primera División next season as their rivals fell by the wayside. On Sunday night Ariel Ortega had a car accident (he, and the occupants of the other car, are fine), Seba Verón... Continue Reading →
Hasta El Gol Siempre 