More fútbol argentino than you can shake a mullet at
Sunday afternoon was bright and sunny in Buenos Aires, but there's a metaphorical black cloud hanging over the Estadio Monumental as, against what everyone expected back at the start of the Apertura, the unthinkable has actually come to pass: River Plate, the most successful club in the history of Argentina's domestic league, are relegated. They'll... Continue Reading →
There's only one topic for this week's Hand Of Pod, and we make no apologies for that. Dan, Dan, Seba and River fan Sam try to make some sense of what none of us quite thought would come to pass: the news that River Plate endured the worst day in their 110-year history on Saturday,... Continue Reading →
Wednesday saw two key clashes in the relegation struggle in Argentina's Primera División. First, in La Bombonera, Huracán and Gimnasia La Plata faced off in a one-match, winner-takes-all (or rather, loser-gets-nothing) tie-breaker to decide who was relegated and who gets another chance in the relegation playoff. This was because both ended 2010-11 on exactly the... Continue Reading →
Monday saw River Plate's squad travel to Córdoba for the first leg of their relegation playoff against Belgrano de Córdoba. River will be without Diego Buonanotte, who was given a plaque by president Daniel Passarella before Saturday's game in what seemed a calculated snub to the manager who all but froze him out of the... Continue Reading →
Saturday's goals from the 2011 Torneo Clausura are online now, including Godoy Cruz's 1-0 win over All Boys in the day's late game. There were seventeen goals in all over the six matches played, and if you're not sure where this leaves everyone then I'd direct you to this post, though the essence is that... Continue Reading →
A dramatic afternoon's action in the Primera División has left Quilmes relegated, Gimnasia La Plata and Huracán having to play a tie-breaker to decide who goes down and who gets a crack at the relegation playoff, and River Plate in the other playoff spot, thus disqualifying the Núñez giants from Copa Sudamericana qualification. The details... Continue Reading →
The final round of the 2011 Torneo Clausura is upon us in Argentina, and with it an historic day. Never before since the short championships were introduced in 1992 have we gone into the final day without a single one of the relegation places decided. Quilmes, Gimnasia and Huracán fight between one another for one... Continue Reading →
If Saturday wasn't already going to be a maddening enough day for fans of all the clubs involved in the relegation dogfight in Argentina, events on Friday made sure it would become just a little more nail-biting for fans of two clubs in particular. They were, of course, the two clubs in the fight who... Continue Reading →
In the 24th episode of Hand Of Pod, Sam, Dan and Dan discuss Vélez's title win on Sunday, and offer their commiserations to Lanús. Sam gives an impromptu history lesson about Alumni, the first side to dominate the Argentine top flight, English Dan tells us about an amazing comeback from Godoy Cruz away to Racing,... Continue Reading →
The eighteenth and penultimate round of the 2011 Torneo Clausura ended on Monday night with Racing storming into a 2-0 lead courtesy of two goals from the Clausura's new top goalscorer Teófilo Gutiérrez (his first came after just 43 seconds), but Godoy Cruz overturning them to win 3-2 with a last-gasp penalty from Mariano Donda.... Continue Reading →
Hasta El Gol Siempre 