Argentina 1 - 3 Brazil

In the end it didn't really matter, it didn't matter that the crowd were closer to the action, it didn't matter that the playing surface was perfect, it didn't matter that Argentina were slick and incisive going forward (at least until they ran into Brazil's defence), what did matter was the home side's glaring inability to defend and in particular mark the opposition players at set pieces. Argentina's attacking prowess merely highlighted their defensive failings - Brazil held the line, stuck together and formed a wall of yellow to blunt the frequent forays forward. In contrast Argentina were pulled to pieces by Brazil's counter attacks.


For the first two goals (Luisao's header and Luis Fabiano's strike) Argentina's defence were so far away and their reaction so tardy they may well have been back in Buenos Aires. At 2-0 down the fans admirably stuck with the players. Very much like the first half Argentina started the second half well although all of their efforts were concentrated through the centre where they slammed into the Brazilian wall. Midfielder Jesús Dátolo provided a small window of hope when on 65 minutes he shot fast and straight from long range as Brazil stood off him. Dátolo's celebration was a lot more restrained than that which followed his goal in Moscow, a indication of the seriousness of the situation. Less than a minute later the counter attack which finally killed off the game - Kaka's run and pass through to Luis Fabiano to chip at an angle over an advancing Andujar, as cool as you'll ever see. Game over.


And what of Messi on the return to the city of his birth? He worked tirelessly and searched for openings, made probing runs and was a constant threat without any notable support - his second half jig into the penalty area was only halted by accurate Luisao tackle. The main talking point will be Maradona's decision to throw the inexperienced Velez Sarsfield pair of Sebastián Dominguez and Nicolás Otamendi into the into the defence for such a high profile game against the arguably the best team in the world.


Brazil have secured their place in South Africa, for Argentina the battle is only just beginning. Can Diego win this fight?

Off to Paraguay on Wednesday.


Hasta luego!

Lies, Damned Lies and Relegation Statistics

Coach Caruso Lombardi of Racing has an awful lot on his mind at present. With his team still not mathematically safe from a second relegation playoff in two years against a Primera B side many of his players have been struck down by the flu, reports speak of around twelve players in the sick-bay including Marcos Cáceres, Lucas Castromán and José Shaffer all of whom failed to train yesterday. Hope is high that many of these will recover sufficiently to make the trip upto the North West for Saturday's clash against already relegated Gimnasia Jujuy. It really wasn't supposed to be this way, Argentina's Promedio relegation system where average points per game are worked out using results from the preceding three seasons (both Apertura and Clasura) is supposed to protect the 'Big Five'. Surely none of these grand institutions could have 6 bad campaigns in a row? Perhaps the AFA didn't factor in the farce that has beset Racing Club over the last few years [see earlier posts]. A win against Gimnasia will be enough to steer them clear of the playoff this time round. As for the other teams in the mix San Martín de Tucumán are relegated bar divine intervention whilst any 2 from 4 could sink into the playoffs (Gimnasia de LA PLATA, Godoy Cruz, Rosario Central, Racing). I think this is correct but I don't have a degree in Statistics and the permutations are endless, so if this is blatantly wrong please feel free to put me right.

Lombardi is also not very happy with the schedule of this Saturday's games, with la Academia's kicking off 6.20pm whilst relegation playoff rivals Rosario Central's game at Tigre kicks off at 9.10pm. His thinking behind this is logical enough, Central will know what they have to do against Tigre. As we all know logic and formula go out of the window and TV executives are responsible for dictating the times of many games.

The final monkey on his back is ex-President and husband of current incumbent, Néstor Kirchner who being a Racing fan has been turning up at training in recent weeks for photo shoots with the players. He visited in the week preceding their victory against Boca Juniors (3-0), perhaps it was the promise of LCD TV's which inspired the team's win? Not wanting to miss a photo op Sr. Kirchner turned up earlier this week to deliver the aforementioned televisions.......but only four of them???? Surely he could have stretched to one each???

At the other end of the table things are getting almost as exciting as last December only with different teams. Huracán who are looking for their first title since 1973 take on Arsenal who were unlikely 4-1 winners last weekend against other title contenders Lanús. This Sunday top of the table Veléz are away at Lanús where a defeat for the home side will see the end to their championship hopes.

Hasta luego!

Comings and Goings

'Today, I shall mostly be coaching San Lorenzo' Simeone takes over. Photo: La Nacion.

Even by modern hire 'em and fire 'em standards this weeks managerial changes in the Primera Division take some beating. Miguel Angel Russo resigns from San Lorenzo, Reinaldo Merlo resigns from Rosario Central (their 2nd coach since January), Russo travels west to take the job at Rosario and Diego Simeone replaces Russo at San Lorenzo. Following that? If my calculations are correct 7 clubs have changed coaches since the start of the Clasura with Rosario now on their third. Both Russo and Reinaldo 'Mustard' Merlo (just love those Goodfellas style nicknames) resigned - whether this was done under duress or not is open to interpretation. For Merlo the end came after only 5 games and was put down to criticism aimed at him from midfielder Ezequiel
Gonzalez 'I don't feel comfortable in the dressing room' after 13 jobs in 20 years across South America maybe it was just a case of itchy feet.

For Russo the 'resignation' followed his sides failure to make the knock-out stages of the Copa Libertadores. On returning from the 2-0 defeat to San Luis of Mexico rent-a-mob met them at the airport shouting 'mercenaries'. San Lorenzo are one of Argentina's Big Five but after making last December's triangular Apertura play-off they are currently treading water in 15th place. The goals also seem to have dried up with the previously on-fire Bergessio and others only having found the net 5 times this campaign. Poor form on the field and internal wrangling are only part of the problem as it was revealed this week that the club has debts of around 13 million Sterling - small by English Premier League standards but there are a distinct lack of billionaires wanting to buy-in. Plans to reduce expenditure are proposed which will inevitably focus on the players, Bergessio is rumoured to be tickling the fancy of both River and Boca. Many of the players at the Neuvo Gasómetro are on loan from Europe and will most likely be heading back in June amongst these are Cristian Ledesma from Olympiakos and both Bruno Fornaroli and Jonathan Bottinelli from Sampdoria. The Players Union has also been alerted in case the club default on wages, a representative in Argentine daily La Nacion commented that 'the club is under obligation to honour all payments and contracts regardless of results'. With the resignation of Russo and the arrival Simeone San Lorenzo have already significantly reduced their wage bill. Fans will be hoping for the dramatic turnaround he engineered at River without the subsequent slump.



This weekends fixtures may see more 'resignations' - if the Superclasico is as dull as last October's perhaps both Ischia and Gorosito will fall on their swords.



Hasta luego!