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Tuesday night saw the return of football hooliganism to England after stabbings outside the West Ham United vs Milwall League Cup match, but there's been a small step forward in the battle against violence in Argentine football. You've probably not heard of Rodrigo Silvera if you're not Argentine. Back in November (the 1st, to be [.

If you can remember new year's day, you'll remember that Juan Sebastián Verón was recently named South America's Footballer Of The Year for 2008 by El País of Montevideo. Well now, on Soccernet, you can read more about why I was pleased to see him take the award. 'Footballers produced by South America come in all shapes [.

I've looked at 2008 as far as the action between the touch- and goal lines is concerned already - if you're struggling to remember, the Clausura review is here, and the Apertura one is here. It's time, though, to take a look at how each of the clubs lived up to the suggestions I put forward for new year's [.

Hopefully all HEGS readers had a good few days off for Christmas (those who had days off for it, at least). After a couple of days away from the keyboard myself (you only need a mouse to play Football Manager), I hope I've now got things straight enough to look back on what was a [...]

In the end it was the most nail-biting of finishes, as Tigre tried and tried to break down Boca's resistance, but the most incredible of titles wasn't to be. Boca lost the match, 1-0, to a Leandro Lázzaro header midway through the second half - but with all three sides tied on three points in [...]

By the end of today, Argentina will have a new champion. San Lorenzo are out of the running due to the goal difference mathematics, so it's a straight race between Boca Juniors and Tigre. Boca have won twenty-eight titles (amateur and professional), whilst Tigre have finished second, once - and that was a year ago.

The AFA's incompetence in organising a playoff system that might have either rendered the final match meaningless, or ensured that one team would go into it without any motivation to win, has been papered over by Boca Juniors, who on Saturday evening beat San Lorenzo de Almagro 3-1 in Racing's stadium.

The goals from the first title playoff match between San Lorenzo and Tigre at Vélez's stadium are online now. Here they are. Tigre 1 - 2 San Lorenzo de Almagro, Torneo Apertura 2008 playoff first match: Posted in 2008 Torneo Apertura, Argentine football, Argentine league, Domestic, Football, Football clubs, Goal videos, Primera A, Results, San Lorenzo, Tigre Tagged: [.

On the day the US Federal Reserve announced an astonishing rate cut, things at the other end of the Americas also begin to look a bit less interesting. San Lorenzo met Tigre in the first match of the title-deciding triangular, and it was the Cuervo who came out on top, meaning that if they beat [...

The goals from the nineteenth round of the Torneo Apertura aren't being put on the TN website this week, because they're going on the assumption that all you want to see is the goals from the matches involving the 'finalists'. If you'd like to see all the goals, you'll have to do so right here, [...]

So it comes to this. The 2008 Torneo Apertura title will be decided by virtue of a three-way 'mini-league' (new Spanish word alert: that's 'liguilla')between San Lorenzo, Boca Juniors and Tigre, who've all finished the normal season on 39 points. The fixtures were drawn up on Sunday night at the AFA headquarters.

It's not over just yet. The Torneo Apertura proper came to a conclusion this weekend but so far we only know the order of things at one end of the table. Yes that's right, it's official: River Plate are rubbish. The top four all won - in Lanús's case in vain - so the title [...]

Boca Juniors, San Lorenzo and - who'd have thunk it? - Tigre will have to play a three-team playoff to decide the 2008 Primera A Torneo Apertura title, after all three won their last matches of the campaign on Sunday to finish on 39 points. Lanús, who beat San Martín de Tucumán, are out of [...]

The destination of the 2008 Torneo Apertura title probably won't be decided today - that would require only one of the top three to win - but those who aren't able to watch any of the matches can follow it here. I won't be doing live match reports (if you're wondering why, you try watching [...]

River Plate will finish bottom of the 2008 Torneo Apertura when the final standings are drawn up following Sunday's matches. Only once in the history of the short championships has a team gone from top to bottom in the space of six months - Newell's did it in 1992 - but River now join that [...]

The total of 25 points that Racing were aiming for in the Apertura hasn't been met, but they weren't far off. They ultimately have to settle for 22, after a disappointing performance in El Coloso Del Parque saw them end their Torneo Apertura with a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Newell's Old Boys. For [.

The Torneo Apertura 2008 ends this weekend, and whatever happens now, it's been a good one. All of the matches featuring title contenders - and also, for some reason, Independiente vs. Arsenal - are taking place at the same time on Sunday. Friday sees a key relegation clash in Rosario, whilst the meaningless matches are [.

... Tigers. Estudiantes de La Plata visited Mendoza on Wednesday night to play their postponed match away to Godoy Cruz, needing a win to keep Copa Libertadores qualification in their own hands. They took the lead, but were pegged back in the second half and, deep into stoppage time, Godoy's Iván Borghello got his second [.

The four - yes, four - matches involving championship contenders on the final weekend of the Torneo Apertura 2008 will all be played simultaneously, on Sunday afternoon. The AFA announced on Tuesday that the games would kick off at 5:20pm, bringing them forward almost two hours for security reasons. It'll be an interesting afternoon for [.

The goals from the penultimate round of the Torneo Apertura 2008 are online now, and you can either click here to watch them on the TN Sportblog, or just open this post to watch them on HEGS thanks to the kind soul who uploaded them to YouTube. You'll also find the running order of the [...]

Lanús won; Boca drew; Tigre and San Lorenzo were both victorious, and the race for the Torneo Apertura title this year will go to the last weekend, with four teams still involved. River Plate lost in Vélez's stadium to Godoy Cruz, and are two adrift at the bottom. Get the full lowdown from all the [.

The Argentine title race is closer than it's ever been. Two years ago, Boca Juniors lost their last two matches to set up a playoff - the first ever - against Estudiantes which the La Plata side won. On Sunday this weekend, Boca drew away to Gimnasia La Plata, at the same time as Tigre [...]

After Lanús had kept themselves in with a slim hope of the title on Friday night with a 2-0 win away to Vélez (their first win away to the Liniers side in 49 years), the focus shifted to the relegation battle on Saturday afternoon as Racing took on Gimnasia de Jujuy. A win would take the [...]

The penultimate weekend of the Torneo Apertura 2008 might see the title race decided, but it's unlikely. Lanús get things going away to Vélez; win and they'll crank up the pressure on the sides above them. The other contenders all play on Sunday. If Boca win away to Gimnasia La Plata, and Tigre (away to [.

1-0 down from the start of the clásico 'away' to Huracán in La Bombonera, it took San Lorenzo three whole days to equalise. When Aureliano Torres eventually got that equaliser, though, three minutes into the second half of 37 minutes, the floodgates opened. El Cuervo battered their local rivals and came away from Boca's stadium [.

Having fallen slightly behind over the weekend, it's worth mentioning briefly here now that discussions were going on on Sunday between José María Aguilar and Ramón Díaz to solve River's current crisis by bringing back the most successful manager in the club's history. His contractual situation with América de México is the sticking point at [.

At the time of writing, TN haven't got round to putting this week's Show de Goles onto their blog yet, so instead, I'm embedding it directly into this page. Read on to see the goals, and the normal running order, as well as a couple of links to the TN videos of goals from the [...]

Boca Juniors edge closer to the title but Tigre, after ensuring River Plate remain bottom, are still right on their heels. Gimnasia La Plata climbed to the top of the Promedio relegation zone and dragged Colón towards it, should the sides below them have a run at some point. The other relegation clash, in Jujuy [.

Two matches now remaining, and Boca Juniors are keeping their noses just in front in the championship race. On Sunday they completed their clásico against Racing in La Bombonera - unlike Huracán against San Lorenzo in the same stadium the day before - and the result gave them another three points to once more overtake [.

It's getting closer to the end now. There's a clásico which will prove important at both ends of the table(s) in La Bombonera on Sunday, which will be the second derby of the weekend in the stadium: Huracán aren't allowed to use the Tomás Ducó after all following the death of Rodrigo Silva on Sunday [.

This week, I've written for ESPN Soccernet on the murder of Daniel López in Colón's stadium during their match against Banfield on Saturday, along with the death, early on Sunday morning, of Rodrigo Silva, the Huracán barra who was shot three-and-a-half weeks ago by members of San Lorenzo's firm. There's also a look at the [.

The goals from the sixteenth round of the Torneo Apertura 2008 are online now and you can watch them on the TN Sportblog - here's the link. If you don't know which teams are wearing which shirts, or if you just like reading lists of team names, then read on for the full running order [...]

This weekend's matches produced 23 goals, and haven't done a lot to make it any clearer who the eventual champions will be. Boca have a slim lead now thanks to their victory, whilst Tigre lost, and Newell's are now out of the running, but Lanús are closing. For all the results, step this way... Primera División [.

With three matches remaining, Boca Juniors have taken the summit of the Torneo Apertura 2008 thanks to a 2-1 win in spite of Juan Román Riquelme having a penalty saved away to San Martín de Tucumán. Combined with Tigre's 3-1 loss to Estudiantes in La Plata, the result was enough to send Boca top - but just [.

That's how San Lorenzo's fans are seeing things after their team dropped yet more points on Saturday night. Lanús decided to have one of their good days and completely overran the joint leaders in the Nuevo Gasómetro. Boca can overtake San Lorenzo by winning on Sunday, whilst if Tigre win they'll be all on their [.

The end is nigh. The title won't be decided this weekend but Newell's, Vélez and Colón could drop out of the running if they lose. Things might look muddier by Saturday night: that's when San Lorenzo take on Lanús in the Nuevo Gasómetro - an away win would catapult last year's Apertura winners into the [.

No, it's not the creaking of the shelves in their trophy room. Nor (since the demolition men did their stuff at the Dell) is it a tightly-packed stadium whose stands almost reach the touchlines. And whilst the Boca faithful would no doubt have loved Matt LeTissier, the current playmaking situation on England's south coast isn't [.

The goals from the fifteenth round of the 2008 Torneo Apertura are online now, and you can see them right here on the TN Sportblog, as usual. Read on for the running order, for those who don't know which teams are wearing which shirts. Running order for TN Show de Goles: Newell's (white) vs. San Lorenzo (red [.

Hard to say what was the biggest surprise this weekend: River winning after twelve matches; Argentinos vs. Estudiantes producing a performance (from one side at least); Vélez beating Boca in the Monumental, or the upshot of that score, which means the leadership of the table is now shared between San Lorenzo and Tigre with four [.

San Lorenzo's slump was momentarily halted last weekend, but it's not been enough to prevent the other challengers from creeping up behind them, and on Saturday night Tigre - whose second-place finish in last year's Apertura was the highest in their history - are joint top of the league, after their win at home to [.