Torneo Apertura 2009, Discussion about 09 Apertura

Yes, he did, and many thanks! I notice from googling today that Talleres de Córdoba actually finished 10th and 3rd in the 2003-4 season but still went down due to bad results in the previous two seasons. Hard luck indeed! And that they suffered a further relegation soon after...

Thanks Sporting, you have more than paid me back with your link in the History thread to the Independiente-Talleres title game from 1977!

Independiente with a 2-0 win over a pretty hapless looking Huracan. Moves them withn 4 points of Newells in the race for the final Libertadores spot. Sorry rosarino and dafyd but I'm going to have to start pulling for Newell's opponents! Gandin with the game clinching goal as he remains the club's top goalscoring threat.

Central drew with Tucuman but lost goalie Jorge Broun for a long time with a knee ligament injury. Tough luck as Broun I think is one of the betetr goalies in the league. River and Estudiantes drew 1-1 today as Estudiantes are limping to their early end of their league season.

Banfield lose at home 2-1 to Racing! I don't believe it!

For most of the game, Racing had the better chances, and should have been up 2-1 in the first half. They had a goal called off for offsides, which the announcers picked apart explaining how the player had gotten back onsides before the ball was passed to him... but a win is a win, and that opens the door for Newell's, if they can win tomorrow.



Enganche, I almost feel guilty about Broun's injury. He is indeed a superb keeper, and deserves much of the credit for Central's play... It was all I could do to keep myself from wishing an injury on him before the clasico rosarino, and now this?

Lo Siento xeneize You boys are starting to look like Gallinas

For us, Xeneizes, it is very hard to see Boca doing so bad for so long, and on top of that being absent in the next Libertadores.

Today there's an article in Ole about Palermo's words on Coco Basile ("Lo veo golpeado"), and something I've been thinking about was actually written there under one of the images: "Llegó con la idea de repetir títulos y ni cerca estuvo".

This is the sad truth about Coco Basile. He was the one getting us our last trophy with the NT in Copa America '93, came back to the NT and resigned shortly after with bad results.
Same thing with Boca - from 2005 to 2006 Boca won not less than 5 trophies under Coco - came back to it and is experiencing one of the worst years of the club.

I don't know - i'm guessing that his future in Boca (and who knows, maybe soccer in general) is going to be over soon. Not sure if its bad luck or that he lost his mojo or something .. he's just not the same Coco any more.

Newells is the league leader! After 11 years Newells have won in Santa Fe, betaing Colon 1-0 with another goal from Boghossian, and one with his feet and done after a nifty move! And thanks to Peratta who came up with a big save to preserve the win. Only Barrientos stupid red card for kicking a ball away blighted an otherwise excellent performance by Newells. Of course that was nothing compared to Colon's Rivarola, an ex Central player kicking the ball directly at the referee at the final whistle! Don't expect to see much of him, if at all, the rest of this season.

Great pressure in midfield took a pretty good Colon team out of the match. And a big thanks to Racing for their unexpected win. Banfield beats the good teams but loses to one of the league's weaker ones! Figures doesn't it? Shows you this sport sometimes can be as much about attitude as it is skill.

Boghossian's goal, with some nice footwork for such a tall man:

http://www.ole.clarin.com/shared/v5/goles.html

To me Boca's problem is their team has gotten old. It is not so much Basile's deteriorating coaching skills as it is the player's deteriorating playing skills.

Impressive win for Newell's at Colon. Bad news for Independiente's Libertadores chase on two fronts yesterday with both Lanus and Newell's winning. Colon's loss helps a bit but they were I believe ahead of both Lanus and Newell's, and still are, in the combined points accumulated in the 2009 calendar year.

Looked like Boghossian at first lost the ball, but he quickly found it again at his feet and then did well to dribble and swerve past 3 Colon defenders. A nice move for any player, even more so for somebody his height.

About Boca, I agree with rosarino, the club are in trasition. It is just Coco Basile's bad luck that he is coaching them now. Did not the club miss out on the Libertadores around the time when Basile first took over Boca in 2005? After Bianchi left when Boca lost the 2004 Libertadores final to Once Caldas, neither Brindisi or Benitez had success coaching the team and they had a pair of poor league seasons so that by the time Basile took over they had not qualified for the Libertadores. I am thinking this was the 2006 Libertadores that Boca missed.

Corectamundo.....Not sure that is a word though You might remember Boca was in a bit of hot water for that match in La Bombonera vs Chivas in 2k5. Remember how Boca & the Coached acted & Boca lost 4-0 on aggregate????

Corectamundo.....Not sure that is a word though

if it is Simon will probably lay claim he coined it first!

Ok my memory did not fail me then. I recall 2005 is when Chino Benitez was coaching Boca and they had those incidents at La Bombonera against Guadalajara of Mexico in the Libertadores which ended with Benitez spitting at Guadalajara's Bofo Bautista!

Amazing news on Caceres, as he's now reported to be eating with out the aid of others. Considering it's only been a month, that's an amazing recovery.




And, yes, I'm still drunk with happiness over Newell's win at the Elephants' Cemetery.

Encouraging news about Caceres, I had read something a few weeks ago where one of his doctors said his great physical condition is what is helping him recover from wounds which the doctor said would have been fatal to most. But he still has a very, very long and difficult road ahead.

About Boca's current situation, I agree the club are in transition just as they were in 2005 when they also failed to qualify for the next year's Libertadores. I'd also add they spent so much money in reacquiring Riquelme they did not have any money to buy anybody else. Medel and Federico Insua arrived this year but I believe both came on loan. And then the club's big money player Riquelme has been hurt for a good portion of each of the past two seasons. I think Boca are soon going to have to make some big decisions about the futures of club icons like Palermo, Ibarra, Abbondanzieri and maybe even Riquelme and Battaglia.

As for the title race, three games remaining and let us see which of Newells or Banfield hold their nerve the best. Advantage Newells right now after they won perhaps their most difficult remanining game while Banfield flopped against a weak Racing. But momentum can be fleeting.

We are all wishing for a miraculous recovery for Fernando Caceres. Let us hope he continues getting better.

OK so with 3 games left this is the remaining schedule for Banfield and Newell's:

Here are the remaining games for Banfield and Newells:

Banfield (35 points):

vs: Huracán (A), Tigre (H) y Boca (A).

Newell's (36 points):

vs: Arsenal (H), Gimnasia (A) y San Lorenzo (H).

It is still more favorable for Banfield with Huracan, Tigre and a Boca likely with nothing at stake on the final day. Newells need to play Arsenal this week and they are an unpredictable bunch but don't have much to play for at the present, then there will be Gimnasia fighting to win points to get out of the relegation battle next may and finally home to San Lorenzo, a team still tyring to earn a Libertadores spot. To Newell's advantage is they are 1 point ahead and play 2 of 3 at home while banfield only have 1 home match remaining. It should be a nervy last 3 rounds of play but last weekend's big win at Colon combined with Banfield's slip up has to give the leprosos even more confidence.

Well said, rosarino, but let's hope that Sensini's boys stay confident, rather than getting cocky only to lose points due to over confidence.

I'm also wondering what will happen when Sanchez Prette, who's serving a 5 match suspension, returns. Does Sensini take Formica out to put Sanchez Prette back in? I wouldn't think so at this point, but...

I am a little late to this discussion but like some others here, I too think Boca's problems are more to do with this being a transitional period for the club. The club's leadership vacuum since the death of their previous president Pedro Pompilio has also I think played a role. And finally Riquelme's absences and even his less than remarkable play when on the field contributes too.

About Fernando Caceres, today the doctors have said his recovery has been a miracle but he does have a lot ahead of him. They don't know yet if he's lost his hearing, he's been blinded in one eye and his left side is paralysed.

Anyone else hear anything about this?

"Having starred in the scandal of the week in the match between Colón and Newell’s with allegations of insulting Colon’s players included, Javier Collado is thinking of his retirement from arbitration."

The site it's from uses some sort of automatic translator, so change "arbitration" to "refereeing."