Saturday, October 2, 2010

Fórmica Proves He's No Samson

The best played match by Newell's Old Boys this Apertura paid off as Vélez Sarsfield fell 2-0 in front of a spirited Lepra home crowd.
Mauro Fórmica played perhaps his best game of the season. El Gato took the field a few inches of hair shorter than his usual mop top. A man of the match performance, perhaps, but in this game he had plenty of competition.

As Roberto Sensini was suspended due to his red card from last weekend's match, an assistant took the bench. I didn't catch the name during the broadcast, nor do I know the face off hand. Can anyone help out?

Mauricio Sperdutti scored the first goal late in the first half and it was a beauty. A pair of perfectly threaded passes put Sperdutti just ahead of a pair of defenders, just inside the penalty area on the right. His shot passed under the diving Marcelo Barovero to give Newell's a 1-0 edge. Problem is, even when Sperdutti lines up as a strkier he wants to come back and help out on defense... and isn't all that good at it. Still, job done, and El Gordo now leads Newell's scorers for the Apertura with three.

Early in the second half Newell's earned... well, the were awarded a penalty. There were a couple of Newell's players that went down off as a Sperdutti corner was heading into the area. Captain Rolando Schiavi scored on the ensuing spot kick, giving the game it's final score.

Seems it's never a competition for the man of the match with out keeper Sebastián Peratta being in the mix. Another fine performance by one, if not the best,goalkeeper in Argentina today. Newell's have only given up five goals in the nine Apertura games they have played, and Seba is a big reason for that.




Up next it's Copa Sudamericana action as San José of Bolivia come to Rosario in the first leg of another home and away match up, with Sensini back in control.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Peratta...the goalkeeper of the national team, how long we will wait for....?

The team played like a fine orchestra!!

Juan

David Phillips said...

The music was indeed beautiful, Juan.

There were a couple of notes that were a bit off, like Lucas Bernardi's yellow card when he felt a foul on Borghello should have gotten a card. Bernardi lost his cool, and had to be restrained by several team mates. I don't blame him as the infraction probably did deserve a card, but it was the first time in a long time, possibly ever,that I found my self yelling for a player to calm down even though there was absolutely no way he could hear me.

Anonymous said...

The Sensini's assistant is Marcelo Grioni, called "El pitufo"(the smurf, because he's short).Born a Cordoba,he was played like a midfielder(10), 4 games in Newells in 1986/87 season. Also played in Correcaminos (México), Almirante Brown, Platense, Atlético Tucumán, Gimnasia y Tiro (Salta), Deportivo Morón,Argentino de Rosario and Douglas Haig.
Gerardo(the italian-rosarino)

David Phillips said...

Marcelo Grioni... I'm going to have to remember that name. I liked that he, unlike Sensini, was very active on the sideline, shouting instructions.

I also have to admit he's the first Smurf I've ever liked...