The title race gathers pace. At the top, joint leaders Banfield visit Independiente, who will move
to within three points with a win. Fellow pace-setters Newell's Old Boys are at home in the
clásico rosarino, perhaps the country's most passionate. Third- and fourth-placed sides both play
tonight: Colón are away to Lanús, prior to which [.
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HEGS has lost a little of its news value lately due to diminishing spare time on my part, so as of
today I'm going to try and remedy that slightly. As Thursday turns into Friday at the start of each
round from now on, I'll be giving a quick rundown of some of the main [...]
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In probably the most unexpected development of the domestic league's fourteenth round, River Plate
played with spirit and intelligence to overturn a deficit and actually win a football match on
Sunday afternoon. 1-0 down after only two-and-a-half minutes at home to Atlético Tucumán, it
looked like the same old story for River.
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Due to the AFA's complete inability to comprehend that some of us are running blogs about their
league in our spare time from a time zone three hours ahead and rather enjoyed having not much to
do on a Monday evening, Monday afternoon and evening matches begin in earnest this week. Rodrigo
Archubi, found guilty [.
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The thirteenth round of the Torneo Apertura sees the first weekend round to hang over to Monday
night (not counting the twelfth round which lasted through til Tuesday due to the previous round
only having finished on the Thursday before). Joint leaders Newell's and Banfield are at home River
and away to San Lorenzo respectively, [.
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The twelfth round of the Torneo Apertura 2009 got underway on Saturday, and I'm afraid to say,
following the midweek round of matches and the fact I was out on Friday night, that it caught me
out. On Saturday, champions Vélez hosted and brushed aside Godoy Cruz, before Racing Racing! gave
Atlético Tucumán [.
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Barely has the dust settled from the tenth round, so full of action that the superclásico was all
but forgotten about by anyone reasonable, than the next round of matches is starting. It's a big
round for both Avellaneda clubs: Newell's host Racing on Tuesday afternoon for some reason Racing's
new manager, Lothar Matthäus [.
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One fixture will dominate the weekend in Argentina in terms of the international attention, but
although it probably pushes Liverpool vs Manchester United into second place on the list of Really
Big Rivalries in the football world this weekend, River Plate vs Boca Juniors won't mean anything
at either end of the table this time.
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Here we are already, halfway through the season. Champions (and currently second-placed) Vélez
have a Friday evening match away to Lanús, basement-proppers-up Chacarita are away to third-placed
Independiente on Sunday, and leaders Estudiantes are away to Newell's in the weekend's last game. A
week ahead of what might be the least consequential superclásico in living [.
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With Saturday featuring Argentina's must-win World Cup qualifier at home to Peru, the AFA have
brought forward most of the eighth round of the 2009 Torneo Apertura, rather than opt for a
two-week gap between matches. River Plate confirmed on Tuesday that former defensive lynchpin and
title-winning boss Leonardo Astrada is their new manager, and [.
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Ricardo Caruso Lombardi's Racing visit Huracán in what could be the manager's penultimate match in
charge of the Avellaneda side. If he doesn't see a big improvement from his players by the time the
next round's game against Boca Juniors concludes, Caruso Lombardi says he'd 'prefer to leave home'
and let someone else step in.
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Sunday sees the clásico de Avellaneda in El Cilindro, as Racing host Independiente with both sides
desperate for a win to get their seasons kick-started. Earlier that same afternoon, we've got the
treat of a replay of the Clausura's final, title-deciding match, although it's unlikely to be as
decisive this time round, given Huracán's form [.
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This weekend sees the first clásico of the season between members of the 'Big Five', with San
Lorenzo hosting Racing Club on Sunday afternoon as Argentina finally bids farewell to winter.
Saturday sees Tigre visit Gimnasia in a match which should see both sides hopeful of getting some
points on the board, but Friday sees [.
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Racing play Gimnasia La Plata in another crucial relegation encounter; Vélez play San Lorenzo in a
clash of potential title contenders; Lanús are at home in the clásico del Sur and... what's
this?... Boca Juniors are playing on a Saturday?! The world has gone mad. If you love Argentine
football and want to forget the [.
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'Where's my week gone?!' I can hear you inwardly asking. Don't worry you've not been in a coma
since Monday. Due to the upcoming World Cup qualifiers (notably that between Argentina and Brazil
in Rosario on Saturday) the AFA have moved the third round of the Torneo Apertura to midweek.
Rosario Central vs River [.
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The second round of the 2009 Torneo Apertura takes in at least two channels (América will
broadcast four matches exclusively, with the rest on Canal 7 and possibly Canal 9) and an early
clash between two teams who could potentially be propping up the table come December River Plate
host Chacarita Juniors.
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At last, after much coming and going, it's confirmed: the 2009 Torneo Apertura will begin this
coming Friday (and in time for the new season, we've got a bit of a surprise for you, of which more
later in the week...). A discussion on Saturday at the AFA saw a planned schedule for the weekend
[...]
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The final weekend of the 2009 Torneo Clausura is upon us at last, and it's going to be a dramatic
one. Racing and Newell's celebrate having nothing to play for to kick things off on Friday night,
whilst Saturday sees Central take on Godoy Cruz in a match that could be vital to next season's
[...]
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The final round of matches in the Torneo Clausura 2009 gets underway on Friday, prior to the
elections which will paralyse Argentina sufficiently over the rest of the weekend for most of the
matches to be played next week. AFA President Julio Grondona's two favourite clubs play today, and
will then go off on their [.
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The penultimate round of Torneo Clausura matches is played this weekend, after which we've got a
fortnight's gap due to next week's Argentine elections. Vélez Sársfield would win the league on
Sunday if they beat Lanús and Huracán lose against Arsenal (two matches which will be played
simultaneously).
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Back to the league after the thrills and spills of the international break. Three matches remain,
and this weekend the endgame gets going with two clásicos on Sunday one in La Bombonera, where San
Lorenzo will be the 'home' side, and one in Avellaneda between Racing and Boca. The clash between
River and Tigre [.
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Leaders Lanús host Diego Simeone's San Lorenzo in a clash of ideologies on Saturday.
Independiente's slimmed-down squad take on Rosario Central in a match that could be key to the
relegation fight, especially if El Rojo decide to lie down in order to make things tighter for
rivals Racing (mind you, how will we tell [.
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Two clásicos this weekend, with Banfield hosting Lanús and River Plate at home to Independiente
in a meeting of two sides who both badly need a win at the moment. Vélez second in the title
running - are at home to Boca, who'll be desperate to get back to winning ways after Thursday
night's Copa Libertadores [.
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Vélez Sársfield visit Gimnasia La Plata on Saturday hoping to extend their lead at the top of the
Primera División table, with second-placed Lanús set to host Rosario Central the night before, in
Friday's second match. Even when they're seventh in the table, every Racing match is a relegation
decider, but if they beat San [.
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In Ricardo Caruso Lombardi's world, Vélez Sársfield vs Racing this weekend is a title-deciding
match. Since he took over at the Avellaneda club they have, incredibly, picked up the same number
of points as the current league leaders. Something's got to give on Saturday. Elsewhere there are
clásicos in the Nuevo Gasómetro (whose predecessor, the [.
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The eleventh round of the 2009 Torneo Clausura pitches two of the title contenders against each
other in Santa Fe - the winner of Colón vs Vélez will finish the weekend on top of the table
(unless it's Colón and Lanús do something unspeakable to Godoy Cruz in Mendoza). Argentinos boss
Claudio Vivas is playing [.
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The tenth round of the 2009 Torneo Clausura gets underway tonight, and a match between two sides
who are off the pace in the race for the title has been taking up all the attention in the
Argentine media for days now, and will on Sunday give Argentina the chance to show its league off
[...]
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No clásicos this weekend - San Lorenzo hosting Vélez will be the closest we get, with the home
side having just been knocked out of the Copa and lost their manager as a result - but there are a
couple of crucial ties, not least in Rosario, where Central host Racing in a game that [...]
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Our Argentine readers will no doubt want to put the midweek international to the backs of their
minds as quickly as possible, and the AFA are obliging them by getting league action back underway
post haste. Friday night sees second-placed Colón visit fifth-placed Huracán, whilst Vélez vs
Banfield on Saturday should be a good one.
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There's a relegation clash on Saturday as Godoy Cruz host Gimnasia La Plata, and a potential needle
match between the champions and the minnows who came so close to upsetting them in December, when
Tigre and Boca meet in Victoria. Elsewhere, Racing midfielder Claudio Yacob insists his side's
match with Estudiantes this weekend is more [.
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The Primera A's two sets of 'Juniors' clash in La Bombonera on Sunday evening; league leaders
Lanús host Colón, who are only a point behind them but, thanks to the Promedio, have a
relegation battle as well as a title tilt to motivate them at the moment. Vélez host River on
Saturday. Any of those [.
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There's one clásico to look forward to this weekend, as San Lorenzo host River Plate in what
will be a bit of a revenge match for the Apertura game in the Monumental, when Sebastián
Méndez tried to kill Radamel Falco García. Independiente manager Pepe Santoro turned 67
on Thursday, and will be hoping his side [.
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The third round of matches in the 2009 Clausura begins on Friday night with both Gimnasias in
action, prior to Saturday's clásico de Avellaneda which, for a change, has an afternoon kick
off time. On Sunday Lanús host Boca Juniors, Marcelo Gallardo is expected to start on the
bench for River Plate at home to [.
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The second round of Apertura fixtures is upon us already. Apologies that this post didn't go out as
usual at midday GMT, but my internet providers have been having server issues and although I
thought I was online when I pressed the button to schedule this post last night, I'd evidently lost
my connection.
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Ah, it's been a while. Defending champions Boca begin at altitude in Jujuy on Sunday evening, a
situation Diego Maradona isn't happy about (the time, rather than the location); two of the
Apertura finalists give us the first match of the season as San Lorenzo visit Tigre, and
Independiente play their first 'home' match at [.
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