Saturday, November 14, 2009

Can't Lose For Winning

Sometimes you get out played, but somehow manage to find a way to score the winning goal. Sometimes that goal is served up on a silver platter, hand delivered, in fact put into the net by an opposing player who makes the biggest mistake of his career and doesn't realize that the goalkeeper that he's passing the ball back to isn't quite where he thought he'd be.

Newell's Old Boys get the created for beating Chacarita Juniors 1-0, but that's far from the truth. Newell's didn't so much win, as Chacarita lost, thanks to an own goal from Omar Zarif. Zarif put the ball past Cejas, who, having left his area to make a clearance rushed to get back into position, but was not in the right place to receive the midfielder's pass.

I didn't see much of this game, by the time I got home from work it was all but over. With five minutes left, I loaded up a feed, but they weren't working well for me last night, so all I got was bits and pieces. Based on the statistics from the game, it certainly looks as though Chacarita out played La Lepra, out shooting the team from Rosario 15-6, with those on goal being 7-3. Thing is, they couldn't put one past Peratta, and we couldn't get one by Cejas, but thanks to Zarif's gift Newell's are once again in sole possession of first, with Banfield yet to play Vélez Sarsfield.

With 5 games to play, Newell's now have 32 points, just 2 short of the total points the championship team from the 2004 Apertura had. After winning that title, many derided the accomplishment as is was won with so few points. Whomever ends up winning this one will not have to deal with such talk, and right now it certainly looks like Newell's will be in the race to the end, winning the types of games that it takes to be champions.

Up next, call them Los Canallas, Sin Aliento, or Sinas, Rosario Central come and visit El Coloso. Yes, it's time for the Clasico Rosarino, and it looks like this could be the best match in some time. Central are no longer the team that was in danger of being relegated, but a worth opponent. I look forward to seeing them fall at El Coloso.

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