Match of the Week
By: Jeremy | February 20th, 2009The clasico between Independiente and Racing tomorrow has to be the biggest game of the week. I know others are fighting against relegation or for relevance, but this game could well mean the end of a manager.
Indpendiente’s Miguel Angel Santoro is feeling the heat, and a loss at home to their biggest rivals may prove to be to much for the leadership to withstand.
Racing’s Manuel Llop is in an even worse position. His team is leaking goals, going back to last season and is in a relegation dogfight this year. At least Independiente are mid-table in the relegation standings, so they aren’t worried as much about it. But Racing can ill afford to drop points this season.
From what I saw in the spanking they took at home to Huracan last week, this is team that has lost confidence in each other and in Llop. Relations between the coach and several players seem to be strained at best, and the general attitude of the team forced club president Rodolfo Molina to make a public appeal to the players before the clasico.
It is hard to see him making it past the weekend if his team doesn’t get some sort of result. There is a short list of coaching candidates right now for Racing, with ex-River DT Diego Simeone at the top, followed by Nestor Pekerman and Ricardo Caruso Lombardi.
Santoro might get a bit of a reprieve for a loss because the season is still young and Independiente’s situation isn’t quite as dire, so a loss may not be the final nail, but would be close.
I’m thinking Independiente wins this one 2-1 and Llop resigns ahead of a firing squad.
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