Argentina's qualifying campaign for the 2014 World Cup hit another bump in the road on Friday afternoon where, in the glorious Monumental sunshine, Bolivia took the lead and eventually held the hosts to a 1-1 draw in the third round of qualifiers. Marcelo Martins opened the scoring in the 56th minute, only for Argentina -... Continue Reading →
World Cup qualifying 2014: Argentina v Bolivia starting lineups
In under two hours, Argentina and Bolivia will be contesting their third 2014 World Cup qualifying match in the Estadio Monumental, and these are the teams that will be doing it. A late injury in training yesterday to Sergio Agüero means that, at long last, Javier Pastore will have a chance to impress in a... Continue Reading →
A qualification campaign to remember
Argentina's 2010 World Cup qualification campaign isn't likely be forgotten easily by anyone who followed it from beginning to end. For anyone who wants to read a little about the likely fallout from the decision to give the managerial job to a certified nutter, without (too much) mention of crotch-grabbing in press conferences, you can... Continue Reading →
World Cup 2010 qualifying: Uruguay 0 – 1 Argentina
It's been a qualifying campaign no-one who followed it from start to finish will ever quite manage to forget, but eventually, somehow, in spite of their manager, their opponents and - let's face it - their own often atrocious performances, Argentina have qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. And given the complaints... Continue Reading →
Confirmed Argentina starting lineup vs Peru
Argentina's starting XI for the crucial World Cup qualifier against Peru kicks off at 7pm on Saturday (11pm UK time), and the starting eleven is exactly the same as the one manager Diego Maradona has used in training for most of the week. Newcastle winger Jonás Gutiérrez is at right back due to the injury... Continue Reading →
Returning downriver
Well that was a brief road trip. Diego Maradona's and the AFA's protracted falling-out with River Plate over the state of the Estadio Monumental pitch led to River putting up posters proclaiming '16 years unbeaten at the Monumental...' in the wake of the 3-1 defeat to Brazil in Rosario last week. On Tuesday it was... Continue Reading →
The Enganche talks to Mario Kempes
You thought you'd read everything worth reading in preview to this weekend's World Cup qualifying matches, didn't you? Well you're wrong (unless you've already read this). Because this week, in our second interview, The Enganche have been talking to Mario Kempes, and asking him about making his Argentina debut at altitude away to Bolivia, what... Continue Reading →
Treading new ground
After falling out with River Plate over the appalling pitch surface for the recent World Cup qualifier at home to Colombia, the AFA have submitted a request to FIFA that Rosario Central's stadium, El Gigante Del Arroyito, be accredited as an alternative venue. It's possible the qualifier against Brazil could be played there if the... Continue Reading →
Argentina vs Colombia: a small preview
Argentina host Colombia tonight at 6pm Argentine time (10pm British Summer Time) on the kind of pitch that even Wembley Stadium Ltd. would be embarrassed to see England play on. After Argentine rock band Los Piojos played in El Monumental last Saturday, the AFA have - wait for it - painted bits of the pitch... Continue Reading →
Falling from a great height
Honestly, this is the very last you'll hear from me about Wednesday night's Bolivia match. It was just too big a result not to write about for a wider audience, and thus it is that you can read a little about the whys, wherefores and historical highlights of Bolivia's football and La Paz's geographical location... Continue Reading →