At the end of a long, hard, terrible season, Racing Club can finally be sure of one thing that is,
at least slightly, positive. A Facundo Sava goal ten minutes before the break gave them a 1-0
victory over Huracán in El Cilindro, and with it the certainty that they won't be in the
direct [...]
Click to continue reading...
The penultimate round of the 2008 Torneo Clausura has arrived. The international break for World
Cup qualifiers next weekend means that the final round won't be played for two weeks, but whilst
relegation issues in the Promedio will go right to the wire, the title could be decided this
weekend. If River beat Olimpo in [.
Click to continue reading...
It wasn't all doom and gloom for Argentine representatives against foreign opposition on Wednesday
night. The selección kicked off against Mexico in San Diego minutes after the final whistle
was blown to end Boca's Copa Libertadores campaign, and made Alfio Basile's experimental 3-4-1-2
look like the most natural system in the world as they blew [.
Click to continue reading...
Copa Libertadores holders Boca Juniors crashed out of the tournament at the semi-final stage on
Wednesday night after a thrilling second half in the Maracanã which saw them take the lead
through Martín Palermo before hosts Fluminense hit back with a three-goal blitz in the closing
half hour. Fluminense, who've never got this far in [.
Click to continue reading...
Boca Juniors take on Fluminense in the second leg of the Copa Libertadores semi-final on Wednesday
night, needing to win or get an extremely high-scoring draw in the Maracanã (the first leg was
2-2). Much later - a midnight kick off Argentine time - the selección will be renewing their
rivalry with Mexico in San [.
Click to continue reading...
Two big matches on Wednesday: Argentina take on Mexico in San Diego in the first of their two
end-of-season friendlies (they'll play the United States at the weekend), and Boca Juniors walk out
at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro to take on Fluminense in the second leg of their Copa
Libertadores semi-final.
Click to continue reading...
By Thursday morning, we'll know the identities of the finalists in one of the most open Copas
Libertadores for years. On Tuesday night, Liga de Quito host Club América of Mexico in the
first semi-final, whilst Wednesday sees Copa holders Boca Juniors visit Brazil's Fluminense in the
Maracanã. Kick off times for both matches right [.
Click to continue reading...
With two matches remaining of the 2008 Torneo Clausura, River Plate edged narrowly ahead of
Estudiantes in the table, and with the opening of a two-point gap at the top of the table they can
keep alive their dream of claiming a first trophy in four years, in Diego Simeone's first campaign
in charge.
Click to continue reading...
The Avellaneda derby between Independiente and Racing won't be taking place in Avellaneda this time
round, on Saturday. In part that's because Independiente are the home side and, well, you can't
very well play the derby at home when you're renting out your rivals' stadium for the season, can
you? So instead, Diablos Rojos and [.
Click to continue reading...
A big weekend this. Promedio strugglers Colón host title-chasing River on Sunday, and lowly
Central are at home to Tigre in the weekend's first match, but the focus will be on Liniers on
Saturday afternoon, because it's in Vélez's stadium (more as to the reasoning behind that and
the problems it's causing on Friday during [.
Click to continue reading...
On Wednesday night Copa Libertadores holders Boca Juniors take on Fluminense of Rio de Janeiro in
the first leg of the higher-profile of the competition's semi-finals. Regular readers of HEGS will
have been able to follow Boca's progress through the tournament and indeed in Argentina's domestic
league this year, but may well be rather more [.
Click to continue reading...
The Copa Libertadores semi-finals begin on Tuesday night. The final will have one set of
participants from a relatively unheralded nation; either Club América will become only the
second ever Mexican finalists (after Cruz Azul lost to Boca in the 2001 tournament), or LDU Quito
will give Ecuador her third ever representation in the final, [.
Click to continue reading...
The endgame approaches in the Torneo Clausura. In the Promedio, Racing have to beat Gimnasia La
Plata no matter what, and even that probably won't make much difference to their fate. Frontrunners
Estudiantes host Independiente, whilst hot-on-their-heels River Plate are at home to Huracán.
There's even a Monday match this week - in El Coloso [.
Click to continue reading...
The second legs of the 2008 Copa Libertadores will be played on Wednesday and Thursday nights this
week, and both Argentine sides' hopes are resting on away wins (or at least, high-scoring draws).
Atlas of Mexico take a 2-2 fiorst leg draw with Boca back to Guadalajara for tonight's encounter,
whilst LDU Quito, who drew [.
Click to continue reading...
Sergio Batista has added another name to Argentina's squad for the Olympic Football Tournament in
August. Or, more specifically, for the friendly against Catalunya in Camp Nou on Saturday.
Nicolás Pareja, the young defender for Anderlecht of Belgium, joins up with the rest of the
squad, some of whom flew to Barcelona from Buenos Aires [.
Click to continue reading...
We've got a weekend full of derbies ahead. Colón and Newell's aren't in the same city but they
are both in Santa Fé Province, so theirs is a sort of half-rivalry to get us warmed up for the
main events. Saturday and Sunday have two clásicos each, the La Plata derby starting things
off before [...
Click to continue reading...
The Copa Libertadores quarter-finals are upon us tonight, and if you're after the kick off times
for all the ties - whether or not they involve an Argentine side - you'll find them right here.
Kick off times are all Argentine time, regardless of the city the match is being played in. Add
four hours for [.
Click to continue reading...
And that's the end of that. A pretty ho-hum victory over Sunderland. The only goal game from
Theo Walcott, who was played in by Gilberto. Great pass, great finish. Hopefully those two will be
have a consistent present on the pitche next season.
There isn't much to say from the game. Perhaps Abby will mention it - although I don't know of
many people who actually watched it.
Click to continue reading...
And that's the end of that. A pretty ho-hum victory over Sunderland. The only goal game from
Theo Walcott, who was played in by Gilberto. Great pass, great finish. Hopefully those two will be
have a consistent present on the pitche next season.
There isn't much to say from the game. Perhaps Abby will mention it - although I don't know of
many people who actually watched it.
Click to continue reading...
River Plate have to pick themselves up from a terrible weak as they host Gimnasia La Plata needing
a win to stay top of the table - yes, in spite of all the bad on-pitch news, they are still joint
top. Estudiantes, who River are sharing the summit with, clash with Boca, just one point [...]
Click to continue reading...
Tuesday night sees the start of the Copa Libertadores round of 16 second leg matches, and by Friday
we'll know who the quarter-finalists are. Can San Lorenzo keep hold of their one-goal advantage
over River Plate? Will Lanús and Estudiantes overturn first-leg deficits? And are holders Boca
Juniors going to find a potentially Riquelme-less trip [.
Click to continue reading...
And thank God he does, because otherwise I would have had nothing to talk about while watching
the game yesterday.
Because really, nothing happened. It was very much an end-of-season game where the team couldn't
quite be bothered to actually play. Everton weren't exactly inspiring, either, which was a bit more
surprising because they actually had something to gain from this game, unlike we did.
Click to continue reading...
With the news of Flamini leaving now coming from the foremost news source, Arsenal took care of
business in a particular unconvincing fashion. It was an interesting game more than it entertained,
with the only goal coming from a powerful header from Dane Nicklas Bendtner. That brings his tally
to nine on the season, a decent showing from him.
Click to continue reading...
Apologies for the lack of coverage of Saturday's matches - my phone line (and with it my
broadband) crashed on Saturday morning and was only fixed on Sunday - but the first competitive
superclásico of 2008 is now just a few hours away. I type during the first few minutes of the
Milan derby, but the [.
Click to continue reading...
One match above all springs out this weekend, with the AFA a little embarassed after rumours were
leaked on Thursday suggesting that Gustavo Bassi, the man chosen to referee Sunday's
superclásico in La Bombonera, is a boyhood Boca fan. Without actually denying the charge,
Bassi told radio show De Una on Radio La Red that [.
Click to continue reading...
Get yer superclásico previews! Fresh off the keyboard in time for the big match! I'll stop the
cockerknee nonsense now. The first competitive superclásico of 2008 is just three days away,
and the good folk at Pitch Invasion and Bill's Sports Maps have previews written by yours truly.
For Bill's I've sketched a brief historical [.
Click to continue reading...
If only we could play Derby ever week. The boss had nothing but praise, saying "we are now
back to our real level." A 6-2 win generally a time for celebration, but with the league
virtually out of reach, not much to really hope for or harp on. Instead of reading a lot of
nonsense I've written, have a look at the highlights:
Arsenal 6 - Derby 2 [Monday, April 28, 2008]
Uploaded by StillAG818
Click to continue reading...
The first knockout round of the 2008 Copa Libertadores begins on Tuesday, so here, for the
sake of anyone trying to find kick off times, are the start times for all the first-leg matches
(non-Argentine games as well). All kick off times are Argentine time - add four hours for British
Summer Time. 29th April: Lanús vs.
Click to continue reading...
Sadly, another meaningless game. Unless of course, both Chelsea and Man United lose all their
remaining games. If that happens (odds are about 1 in 10000000000000000), Arsenal wins the league -
assuming winning their remaining games. Since that isn't going to happen, I'll focus on today's
match against the already relegated Derby County.
Click to continue reading...
River Plate will be going into next weekend's superclásico looking down on Boca Juniors from
the top of the Primera A table, after they returned to winning ways against Argentinos Juniors
thanks to a spectacular performance from their teenage wunderkid Diego Buonanotte. El Enano scored
twice, was key in the third, and showed composure and [.
Click to continue reading...
Chelsea pummels United 2-1. United pummels groundsmen, stewards.
That was the scene at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, when the Red Devils were defeated and decided
to take it out on Blues employees. How rude?
First it was Rio Ferdinand who not only tried to measure up to Obi-Wan Mikel during the match,
but afterward swiftly kicked a steward on his way from the pitch.
Click to continue reading...
Chelsea pummels United 2-1. United pummels groundsmen, stewards.
That was the scene at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, when the Red Devils were defeated and decided
to take it out on Blues employees. How rude?
First it was Rio Ferdinand who not only tried to measure up to Obi-Wan Mikel during the match,
but afterward swiftly kicked a steward on his way from the pitch.
Click to continue reading...
With about a quarter of the match to be played, Chelsea won a free kick near the edge of
Manchester United penalty area. Sparks proceeded to fly between egomaniacs Didier Drogba and
Michael Ballack. Both wanted the free kick, neither wanted to buckle.
The two argued for a minute or so, eventually separated by Ricky Carvalho.
Click to continue reading...
