More fútbol argentino than you can shake a mullet at
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 →
There's no point doing this any more, is there? It's the same every week. It really is most tedious. Carlos Tevez impressed for Manchester City on Sunday, Gonzalo Higuaín scored again for Real Madrid, Lucas Barrios got another two for Borussia Dortmund, there were Argentine scorers aplenty in Italy and Mexico, and Greece also saw... Continue Reading →
At long last, after a summer of transfer bore-stories and ridiculous friendly matches which are only 70 or 80 minutes long, real league football returns to the Argentine Republic on Friday night. Following the most closely-fought championship in short tournament history, the defending champions are a familiar name, but that's no reason to assume it'll... Continue Reading →
There was a summit meeting tinged with sadness in Liniers on Sunday afternoon, as Vélez Sársfield, top with 13 points but having lost a fan a week ago to the ongoing violence in the country's footballing climate, hosted River Plate for the right to top the table as the first third of the 2008 Clausura... Continue Reading →
No fewer than four clásicos this weekend, two between 'Big Five' clubs - Racing host San Lorenzo and Independiente visit Boca - one sort-of derby, an all-Santa Fé Province clash between Central and Colón, and a proper derby between two of the clubs from the zona Sur of Gran Buenos Aires, with Banfield visiting champions... Continue Reading →
Following the piece Pitch Invasion published by me earlier in the week, the excellent Soccer Lens have been kind enough to feature another article by me. The Pitch Invasion piece dealt largely with Racing - this one looks at Vélez's good start to the Clausura, and the mixed beginnings Argentine sides have enjoyed in the... Continue Reading →
River Plate were the only one of the 'Big Five' to win on the opening weekend of the Clausura, with Racing and Boca both drawing and San Lorenzo and Independiente both crashing to defeats. Carlos Ischia's introduction to competitive action was spoiled by a club he used to manage, as Central proved ungenerous hosts to his... Continue Reading →
Hugo Tocalli's debut as head coach of Vélez Sársfield could have gone a little better - his side could have kept a clean sheet - but one thing's for sure: it couldn't have been much more exciting for the fans. In front of a home crowd, the Liniers side raced into a 4-1 lead against... Continue Reading →
It's only an invitational tournament, so it doesn't matter in the slightest, but Lanús, it seems, are developing a taste for silverware after claiming their first ever championship last month. On Monday, the Granate won the Copa Ciudad de Buenos Aires without even playing, as Vélez Sársfield beat Estudiantes de La Plata 2-1 in the... Continue Reading →
Lanús showed their first card of the year on Tuesday in a triangular tournament against Vélez Sársfield in the José Amalfitani. The Apertura champions continued where they left off the league season, playing well and running out 2-0 winners against the hosts, who were playing their first match of former Under-20 selección head coach Hugo Tocalli's reign.... Continue Reading →
Hasta El Gol Siempre 