Stories in the Brazilian press at the start of the week had Corinthians, one of the country's
biggest clubs and the current employers of Ronaldo, planning to sign Juan Román Riquelme from Boca
Juniors in a bid to boost their Copa Libertadores campaign in 2010, their centenary year. I've
written about it for Soccernet, and [.
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Following Newell's Old Boys' victory over River Plate on Saturday, the other sides hoping to keep
up in the race for the title had to win on Sunday, and two of them managed it. Banfield overcame
San Lorenzo 1-0 in Boedo for their first win away to El Cuervo in 13 years, and Estudiantes brushed
[...]
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Diego Simeone's San Lorenzo travelled across the RÃo De La Plata on Wednesday night for the first
leg of their Copa Sudamericana quarter final against Uruguayan opposition Just like the national
team a week earlier, they came away with a narrow win, 1-0 over River Plate of Montevideo thanks to
a 71st minute header from [.
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One of the matches on Wednesday night featured a 'national' team playing Ghana in Córdoba. MartÃn
Palermo scored both goals and, as a result, has convinced everyone in the press that he'd be ideal
to play as the number 9 in the World Cup qualifiers against Peru, ahead of Diego Milito and Gonzalo
Higua'in.
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Both Lanus and San Lorenzo began their Copa Sudamericana campaigns proper during the last couple of
days, and they had very contrasting fortunes in their first legs. San Lorenzo battered Peruvian
club Cienciano 3-0 in the Nuevo Gasometro, whilst Lanus found themselves two goals down after six
minutes against Ecuador's LDU Quito, and chasing the [.
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I've been in Barcelona on holiday since Wednesday, hence the lack of action on HEGS during the past
few days, but before I left I still kept myself busy off-blog by writing a piece for ESPN Soccernet
on the managerial pressures at Argentina's two domestic giants, River Plate and Boca Juniors. If
you'd like to [.
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Another 1-0 win for the home side in the second all-Argentine Copa Sudamericana preliminary tie saw
domestic champions Vélez Sársfield progress to the first round proper after a 2-1 aggregate win
over Boca Juniors. MartÃn Palermo was sent off for the visitors for a violent challenge on
national side left back Emiliano Papa, and Jonathan [.
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It's only the Copa Sudamericana, but San Lorenzo seemed rather pleased at their 1-0 win over Tigre
on Tuesday night, which takes them to the second round on away goals after a 2-2 aggregate draw.
Fabián Bordagaray was sent on as a substitute with nine minutes of the ninety remaining, and
scored the winner in [.
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The first weekend of the Torneo Apertura provided plenty of talking points so much so that Seba,
Joel and I were up late on Monday night discussing it all for the first edition of The Enganche's
regular podcast. For surely the finest Argentine football podcast in the English language, just
click this link.
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With the new season comes a new website. Don't worry, HEGS readers this blog's not going anywhere.
But Seba GarcÃa, Joel Richards and I have been thinking it's silly of the three of us to run our
own blogs and not collaborate on something. So here it is. My thoughts on the Copa Sudamericana
[...]
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I can now embed the goals from Thursday night's Copa Sudamericana preliminary first leg between
Boca Juniors and Vélez Sársfield. Pablo Mouche opened the scoring early on for Boca, and VÃctor
Zapata got a late but deserved equaliser for Vélez to take the tie back to the Estadio José
Amalfitani all square.
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Boca Juniors hosted Argentine champions Vélez Sársfield in the final Copa Sudamericana
preliminary first leg for Argentina's sides on Thursday night, and took  a very early lead through
Pablo Mouche to get Alfio Basile's latest term at the club off to a flying start. They controlled
the game thereafter with Vélez looking rather off the [.
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The second Copa Sudamericana preliminary round in El Monumental on Wednesday night was Ariel
Ortega's fourth debut for the club, and things seemed to be going swimmingly when Cristian Fabbiani
scored a cracker just before the hour. That was all overshadowed, though, when Eduardo Salvio
popped up with ten minutes to spare to equalise [.
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Tuesday night saw the last pre-season match for two of the Primera División's teams, but for once
perhaps we'd better not make fun of the Copa Sudamericana. It serves its purpose after all, and
this was a richly deserved first-ever continental tie for Tigre, albeit against domestic rivals.
They adapted to their new surroundings rapidly: [.
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His fifteen year career took in ten titles: four Argentine leagues, one Copa Brasil, one French
Cup, one Copa Libertadores, one Supercopa Sudamericana, one Panamerican Games title, and one Youth
World Cup. He was part of the most successful River Plate team of all time, and played for ten
clubs in six different countries.
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So sang Manchester United fans in the Old Trafford stands when Verón played for our club. And with
a slightly altered headline, you can read all about La Brujita's latest trophy win over on ESPN
Soccernet. Want to relive that amazing pass on Wednesday night to Christian Cellay one more time?
Then check this link [.
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The dust has settled on the trophy presentation and Estudiantes' squad are preparing for their
triumphant return to La Plata on Thursday afternoon with the Copa Libertadores de América. If
you'd like to see how they came from behind to win their fourth continental crown, look no further
there's a ten minute highlight video [.
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The 50th edition of the Copa Libertadores has been won by Estudiantes de La Plata, who lift the
trophy for the fourth time in their history, after a 29 year wait. Winning in Belo Horizonte's
feared Minerão, where Argentine sides fear to tread (but have succeeded before all the same), Juan
Sebastián Verón emulated his [.
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As usual with a huge match involving an Argentine club, HEGS races to the aid of anyone who wants
to know what's going on but doesn't have access to a TV or internet connection. Except if you've
got the latter you're able to watch it. Whatever, you can follow it live here all the same. [...]
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The second leg of the final of the 50th Copa Libertadores de América begins in around half an hour
(that's the plan, anyway), and you will of course be able to follow it with almost-live text
updates  right here on HEGS. As we wait for the clock to tick down to kick off though, you [...]
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An entertaining match ended 0-0 in La Plata last night in the first leg of the 2009 Copa
Libertadores final, as Estudiantes dominated but couldn't find a way past the inspired goalkeeping
of Cruzeiro's Fábio. If you've read about it but would like to see some highlights, step this way.
Copa Libertadores 2009, final first leg: [.
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The Cruzeiro starting XI was (educatively) guessed at last night, but with the first leg of the
final of the 2009 Copa Libertadores de América now just twenty minutes away (theoretically), both
sides' teams are known. If you're not able to watch the match yourself, you'll be able to follow
almost-live text updates here on [.
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The first leg of the 2009 Copa Libertadores final is played on Wednesday night in La Plata, to a
full house tickets went on sale on Tuesday and all 40,000-plus of the home allowance had been sold
out by the evening. Brazilian club Cruzeiro are the visitors to the Estadio Ciudad de La Plata
[...]
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The Torneo Clausura now has just three matches remaining the final relegation clashes and the title
decider, a preview of which you can hear, if you've not already, over on the Mundo Albiceleste
podcast from earlier in the week. Argentina's representatives for the Copa Sudamericana are all
confirmed after Saturday's matches, and for once [.
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As I type this quick notice up, Estudiantes are about 20 minutes into their semi-final second leg
Copa Libertadores tie against Nacional in Montevideo. I've had a very late last couple of nights
and it will be getting on for 3:30 by the time I get to bed if I stay up to write a [...]
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On Wednesday night Estudiantes clinched a place in the final of the 2009 Copa Libertadores de
América, 38 years after they last lifted the trophy. A 2-1 win after a goalless first half saw
Estudiantes, Argentina's only representatives to make it past the second round, through to the
final 3-1 on aggregate.
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If you were wondering why I've not written much here on HEGS about the upcoming final weekend of
the 2009 Torneo Clausura season, including the 'finalÃsimo' between Vélez Sársfield and Huracán
and the relegation battles on Sunday, it's because I've been talking about them. Frequent HEGS
comment-botherer, journalist, and fellow webmaster over at Mundo Albiceleste [.
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Nacional were out of pocket after the first leg of their Copa Libertadores semi-final on Thursday
night. The match was only fourteen minutes old when Diego Galván played the smooth criminal,
stealing in ahead of Rodrigo Muñoz in the Uruguayan goal. In the second half both midfields were
working day and night, with Santiago GarcÃa [.
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Wednesday saw two birthdays in Argentine football: Juan Román Riquelme turned 31 (the fans turned
out in strength at Boca's training ground to wish him well) and Lionel Messi reminded us how
astonishing he is for his age by turning twenty-two. So it seems as good a time as any to remind
our readers that [.
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For those who aren't already aware, the 2011 Copa América will be played in Argentina, and on
Tuesday AFA President Julio Grondona met with Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
to start thrashing out the details. It's been agreed that the main venue for the tournament will be
La Plata's Estadio Municipal (currently home to [.
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Estudiantes (yeah, you see?) start their Copa Libertadores semi-final on Thursday night, and
they've got some frantic last minute preparations for the big exam still to come. After left back
Marco Angeleri and centre half Cristian Cellay were both ruled out with injury, Estudiantes have
got dispensation from CONMEBOL to sign an emergency defender to [.
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In spite of the dreadful showing by Argentine clubs in this year's Copa Libertadores, one of them
will be in the semi-finals, after Estudiantes beat Uruguay's Defensor Sporting on a
better-than-expected pitch in La Plata 1-0, to complete a 2-0 aggregate win in the quarter-final
tie. Waiting for them in the next round are Defensor's [.
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Estudiantes de La Plata might be paying on Thursday night for a decision very similar to that made
by River Plate shortly before Argentina's recent match against Colombia. The city government of La
Plata allowed rock band La Renga to play in the Estadio Municipal over the weekend (the reason
Estudiantes' home match with Godoy [.
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At the start of play this weekend, Arsenal de Sarandà were bottom of the Torneo Clausura, and
Lanús were top. In most leagues it would have been a foregone conclusion but this is Argentina.
Bottom beat top 4-1, and after Colón khad ept up what little heat they could add to the title
race with [.
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On a terrible pitch, Argentina played poorly on Saturday but took three points all the same from a
Colombian side who pressured them all the way and made them work hard for the points. Getafe
defender Daniel 'Cata' DÃaz made the breakthrough in the eleventh minute of the second half. It
wasn't a pretty performance, [.
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