Argentina advanced to the semi-finals of the Olympic Football Tournament in China on Saturday, after beating the Netherlands 2-1 after extra time in Shanghai. Barcelona star Lionel Messi was the key man for an Argentine side who found it hard, at times, to get out of first gear, but who still created more good chances... Continue Reading →
Olympic Football Tournament: Argentina 2 – 0 Serbia
Argentina rounded off their Olympic Football Tournament group campaign with an academic defeat of Serbia on Wednesday. Having already qualified for the quarter-finals, Sergio Batista rested Juan Román Riquelme, Javier Mascherano and (to the disappointment of a Chinese crowd who'd turned up specially to see him) Lionel Messi, and was rewarded with a 2-0 win... Continue Reading →
Two setbacks
The sporting security authorities suffered a blow on Tuesday, when it was announced that Javier Castrilli, 'El Sheriff', Subsecretary of Sporting Events Security, had resigned from his post. Disagreements with Aníbal Fernández, the Minister of Justice and Security, led Castrilli to feel that, 'the most healthy and least traumatic option [for me] was to resign.'... Continue Reading →
Independiente 2 – 1 Estudiantes, and Olympic problems
After a horrible, endless wait since, oh, a month-and-a-half or so ago, competitive football returned to Argentine soil on Tuesday night as Independiente met Estudiantes de La Plata in the first round of the Copa Sudamericana. It was looking pretty good for Estudiantes, who had an away goal to push them slightly ahead thanks to debutant... Continue Reading →
Olympic preview number two
So you've read the Argentina squad profile for the Olympic Games that I wrote for Soccerlens, and still want more? You're in luck, because I was very busy this weekend. Another one has now gone up on new Australian online magazine The 84th Minute, edited by ocassional HEGS commentor Neil Zimmerman, who wanted to me... Continue Reading →
Olympic preview number one
The Olympic Football Tournament kicks off on Thursday (yes, that is before the official start of the Games, which is on Friday), and Argentina, as the defending gold medalists from four years ago in Athens, will be red-hot favourites to retain the title, thanks in large part to an attacking lineup that would terrify most... Continue Reading →