Weekend Roundup
By: Jeremy |
Add Comments
Ok, the top four all won, so the top of the table still looks the same. With three games to go, only four teams mathematically still have a chance to win. Lanus leads Velez by 1 and Huracan by 2 with Colon trailing by 6 points. If Colon were second and down by six, I’d say slight chance. But with three teams ahead of them, the chances of all three of them monumentally screwing up over the final three weeks are mighty slim.
Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Uncategorized
Estudiantes Win and Friday Night Ties
By: Jeremy | Add Comments
Estudiantes return from Montevideo with a 1-0 lead over Defensor Sporting. While it’s far from a slam dunk to advance, it does give them a decent edge over the Uruguayan side.
Category: UncategorizedEstudiantes – The Great Argentine Hope
By: Jeremy | Add Comments
The sole remaining Argentine side in the Copa Libertadores travels to Uruguay to face the Montevideo side Defensor Sporting in the quarter finals. While not one of the traditional Uruguayan powerhouses (also known as Nacional and Penarol), Defensor saw off Boca Juniors in the round of sixteen, winning both ties. I know that La Bombonera hasn’t been such an impregnable fortress as of late, but winning there is still an accomplishment.
It’s not been an easy tournament for Argentine teams. I’m going to think about doing a little research to see when the last time only on Argy side made it to the quarter-finals, but I probably won’t actually get around to it. To make matters worse, arch rivals Brazil still have four teams in the contest to go with the two from Uruguay and one from Venezuela.
The match is scheduled for a 6:30 pm EST start tonight. Steaming here and here.
Category: UncategorizedHow Things Stand
By: Jeremy | Add Comments
Well, the games are over and only four weeks of matches remain. The top three all won, while fourth place colon only managed a draw against a Racing side desperate to pick up points.
Read the rest of this entry »
Category: UncategorizedThe Title Chase
By: Jeremy | Add Comments
Last time out we took a look at the relegation fodder. Now we turn out attention to the top of the table. With five games to go, only one team is mathematically eliminated – Gimnasia (J). That doesn’t mean that all the other are in the running, however.
Category: UncategorizedRelegation Race
By: Jeremy | Add Comments
With five matches to go, it’s time to start thinking about those teams that won’t grace us with their presence in the A next year.
Gimnasia (J) are rock bottom and only a miracle would keep them from direct relegation. At best they can rise to 18th and play the 3rd place finisher from the B. 17th place is out of the question, so the most they can hope for is a promotion play-off against the stronger of the two teams participating in the promotion play-offs from the B.
And by hope I mean they would need to pick up 12 points on Gimnasia (LP). Not likely to happen. Failing that, they would need to gain 13 points over San Martin de Tucuman. Stick a fork in them.
Gimnasia (LP) occupies the other direct relegation spot, but they only need to pick up 2 points to vault San Martin (T) into the first promotion playoff spot and then gaining 10 points over Rosario Central would see them to safety. They won’t make it to safety.
San Martin sits 18th, in the first promotion play-off slot, clinging to a one point lead over Gimnasia (LP) and trailing Racing (in the last safety spot) by 8 points. I’m thinking 18th is where the finish.
Central sit in the last play-off spot, a mere three points behind Racing, who lost a huge three points to San Martin last weekend. They are probably too far ahead of the teams behind them, so direct relegation is not looking likely. Worst case is finishing where they are at and playing the 4th place finisher from the B for the right to play in the A next season.
Racing Club hold a three point lead over Rosario Central with five games to play. They already played Central, winning 1-0. So they control their fate. I’m guessing Caruso Lombardi keeps them up.
Barring a complete meltdown, the team in front of Racing, Banfield is safe. They hold an 8 point lead over Central and 5 on Racing. There is probably the slightest bit of nerves going on there, but picking up any points will totally calm them down.
Everyone else is safe. While there are some mathematical possibilities left, the Moon, planets, stars and a few other things would all have to align, so no one else is worried.
The winner of this weekend’s match between San Martin and Gimnasia (LP) will most likely decide who gets the automatic drop and who faces a play-off. My gut says San Martin stay up, but what would the A look like with no Gimnasias?
Category: UncategorizedWhat Lies Ahead
By: Jeremy | Add Comments
Well, I thought I would wait a day to see if I could gain any perspective on the Massacre in La Paz. Maybe I would find some little nugget of comfort or two. But no. They aren’t there. Wednesday was what Wednesday was. There worst international defeat, ever. They lost by the same score in a World Cup about 50 years ago to the Czech Republic.
Maradona’s challenge has arrived. Luckily he has until June to do it, but somehow he has to put the pieces back together again. What was looking like a slam dunk qualification has now been put somewhat into doubt, as the albiceleste are in the fourth and final automatic slot. They lead Uruguay by two points, but have yet to play in Montevideo.
What remains for Argentina is six games.
- Home against Colombia, who are desperate for points as they currently sit fifth, three behind Uruguay.
- Away to Ecuador, who are also three points adrift of Uruguay and will present some altitude issues.
- Home against Brasil, who sit second and well it’s Brasil.
- Away to Paraguay, top of table.
- Home against Peru, should be an easy W but we’ll see.
- Away to Uruguay, circle this one.
While fifth place Uruguay play Brasil next, they have already played both matches against leaders Paraguay and third place Chile. With both Brasil and Argentina going to Montevideo, their schedule definitely appears to be easier than Argentina’s.
June’s match against Colombia has suddenly taken on a more urgent note for Argentina, as they will be looking to take maximum points from Colombia, and not doing so will be viewed as a large failure.
With six games still to go, it is hard to predict anything, but Argentina’s final match at Uruguay could well determine who makes it in and who has to play the fourth team from the CONCACAF.
Hopefully Diego will get it together and this past match will become an anomaly in an otherwise fine-ish qualifying campaign. If he fails to do so, he can’t blame Basile. The team was in third when Alfio left.
Category: UncategorizedWeekend Report
By: Jeremy | Add Comments
Not much going on down in Argentina, what with the club teams off and all. And while you may not have heard, a squat little fella seems to have had a good first day at the office.
Read the rest of this entry »
Category: UncategorizedBurruchaga Raises the Unemployment Rate in Argentina
By: Jeremy | 5 Comments
Yep, on the same weekend that Pepe Santoro won and quit, Banfield’s Jorge Burruchaga put an end to his tenure as coach today after beating Arsenal 2-0 yesterday.
Read the rest of this entry »
Category: UncategorizedSantoro Leaves On Own Terms
By: Jeremy | Add Comments
Despite soundly thumping (and this hurts to write) Newell’s Old Boys 4-1 at home on Friday night, Pepe Santoro stepped down as coach of Independiente after the game.
Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Uncategorized
Home 
