A Giant Redeemed

He was constantly cut down by foul after foul, as if he were a redwood or pine, and defenders nothing more than lumberjacks... but he did not give up. He put the ball into the back of the wrong net while his team was ahead, evening things up at 1-1, but he fought on. In the end, it was "El Gigante" Boghossian who lifted Newell's to a 2-1 win over a struggling Tigre.

With Tigre sitting in last place one might have expected an easy win, but that wasn't the case. Sensini sent out an almost makeshift lineup to start the game, with four in the back to counter Schiavi missing the match due to an injury to his left leg. Ignacio Fideleff was back in the defensive mix, and showed flashes of the offensive threat he can bring to a game, blasting a shot over the bar, and narrowly missing on a header. He still showed some defensive shortcomings, but it wasn't that long ago that I could have said the same thing for Insaurralde. Insaurralde didn't have his best game tonight, but he's been a rock all through the Apertura, so who can complain? Machuca and Roselli rounded out the defense as the team started the game in a 4-3-3 formation.

In midfield we hand Barrientos in place of Mateo, while Bernardi and Vangioni retained their places in the starting 11. Formica started in place of the red card suspended Sánchez Prette, but playing as a forward, rather than an attacking mid. While he did disappear during much of the match, on his one real chance at goal he made no mistake, putting Newell's up 1-0 in the 66th minute. Achucarro and Boghossian rounded out the front line, with Peratta in goal.

The game itself was no thing of beauty, in fact it was uglier than the bullfrog the camera crew found sitting on the field during one of the breaks in the action. Play was physical, but what little quality play there was belonged for the most part to the team in red and black... it's been said in this strange land I live that to be a champion you have to win the ugly games, the ones that you have to grind out.

Tonight, Newell's did just that to climb back into a tie for first with Banfield.

Up next a friendly against River Plate's oldtimers team. Oh? What's that you say? That's the lineup River is actually using in the league? Really? Well, that certain explains why they only have 10 points, then, doesn't it? (Ariel Ortega 35, Matías Jesús Almeyda 35, Marcelo Daniel Gallardo 33.)