A Leper In A Strange Land

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Elections

2012-01-22T13:18:00.000-05:00

Just a little over three years ago Guillermo Lorente took over as president of Newell's Old Boys. Elections are supposed to be held every four years, meaning that the team had best turn their fortune around quickly or Lorente will find it very difficult retaining his position with the club. That said, let us take a quick look at the man who held the position before Lorente took over.

For those who do not know, the previous president at Newell's was Eduardo Lopez. This bastard, by hook and by crook, managed to avoid having elections for some 14 years. Lopez did not leave office peaceably, the Barras Brava, who had been working as team security under the rat, took everything they could out of the clubs offices... computers, paper work, security cameras, desks, tables, and chairs. The only thing that seemed to remain was the building, and a few busts of team founder Isaac Newell, but even those were vandalized before the keys were turned over to the new president. The bank account was not only drained, Lopez left the team well in debt, the total figures took two years to sort out due to Lopez and his cronies leaving no records behind. The final figure was some 68 million pesos in the red, a figure that will take years to balance.

Sadly, the administration headed by Lorente seems to have gone backwards in terms of performance. The team Lorente took over did fairly well, players that were brought in early on did well. Since the disclosure of the debt, however, things have fallen apart. No one wants to sell or loan a player of quality to a team that is likely to not be able to pay a fair price. Hampered by his attempts to balance the budget has lead to some massive mistakes in player signing, and dare I say sales as well... the sale of Mauro Fórmica could have been handled far better, and the departure of Nacho Fideleff left the team with out a true left back...

And then there was the complete and total fiasco that was the attempts to sign Juan Manuel Cobelli. The young Cobelli was proving to be a force as a true 9 early on during the 2011 Clausura, which has been the area the team has been lacking since Joaquín Boghossian left for Europe. Problem was Cobelli was still on a youth contract, and it was not until he had scored three goals that the team tried to sign him to a full professional contract. This error was compounded when the player, on the advise of his agent and older brother Sebastián Cobelli, made his intentions to not sign known. Sebastián, who had played for Newell's himself, sighted interest from teams in Europe. Bad advise it would seem as Juan Manuel then sat out the rest of the Clausura, and is currently on loan to Chacarita Juniors in the National B.

So far I have not seen anyone step forward and state that they will be challenging Lorente for the top position with Newell's, but that does not change my feeling that he will soon lose that lofty position if the team on the field does not turn things around, and quickly. The opening of the 2011 Apertura had me praying for points so that Newell's would not be facing a relegation battle during the 2012/13 season. Not only did those points not come, but the team performed so poorly that now as the 2012 Clausura draws near there is the worry that the relegation battle may happen now... and Lorente will certainly not survive a drop to the National B.

Of Prolonged Absence

2012-01-10T21:39:00.001-05:00

Yes, yes... I know. I have been away from here for far too long. Considering how Newell's Old Boys preformed over the Apertura is that really surprising?

That is not to say I am a fair weather fan. I still watched ever game that I could, have been following the team news, but just could not bring my self to write anything because the state of the team was doing nothing short of pissing me off... and I would rather not write about something I am passionate about while angry with them. With the Apertura over, I had fallen out of the habit of posting. Shame on me for that.

Well, guess I should say something about the Apertura. Nineteen games played, one win, thirteen draws. What a disaster. Before the Apertura I had stated that we needed as many points as possible to avoid a relegation battle come next season. Instead we got so few that we may just be facing a relegation battle during the Clausura.

Enough about that... or I will get angry, and start ranting.

Gerardo "Tata" Martino has come in (old news now, really) as the new coach during the summer break. Tata is a legend at Newell's from his playing days with the club. The former midfielder played a total of 505 matches for the team, and in a 2010 poll of Lepra fans was voted the best player in the history of the club. He has had some success as a coach as well, though so far it has all come at the helm of teams in Paraguay, winning the league championship there four times, winning the South American Coach of the Year award in 2007 while directing their national team... Whether all this will translate to his being able to turn Newell's around is yet to be seen, but I have already seen many a Lepra posting on Facebook and Twitter proclaiming him a savior.

I pray that it will be so.

Violence After Draw With Olimpo

2011-10-31T15:25:00.000-04:00

Newell's Old Boys took a 2-0 lead and then sat back and allowed Olimpo to come back to end the game tied at two... and so the suffering continues for La Lepra. Thirteen games played, nine have ended in draws.

I have said it before, I will say it again. Newell's Old Boys need to start earning points, as in three at a time, or come next season we will be staring down relegation.

Adding to the problems was the on going issues between the team and the Rosario Police. After the match there were some fan problems, with 108 arrests made. The team released security camera footage that would seem to indicate that at least some of the problems were actually created by the police themselves (see below.)

While it may be true that some of the violence was due to over zealous police, the police are pointing their fingers back at Newell's administration. And there is no alternative but using them as security during matches in Argentina. This could create a bit of a problem for the team, as the police could end up refusing to work Newell's home matches.

Forget The Veterans... Bring In More 19 Year Olds

2011-10-27T21:29:00.000-04:00

I missed Monday's match up between hosts All Boys and Newell's Old Boys due to a bit of a cold that is still dogging me.

The match ended in a 1 - 1 draw (big surprise.) Bright spot of the night for Newell's was Fabián Muñoz scoring in his debut. And it was a beauty.

So was the goal scored by Juan Pablo Rodríguez that gave All Boys the early lead... a curving shot that tied Sebastián Peratta into knots. I do not think I have ever seen San Peratta get fooled this badly before, but can not fault him.

Still, have to wonder how La Lepra did not manage to take the full three points. Considering that All Boys spent the vast majority of the match down a man after Hugo Barrientos (who played with Newell's during the 2009/2010 season) was sent off during the 18th minute.

Torrente Stepped Down..

2011-10-05T08:50:00.000-04:00

Ok, I really need to pay more attention. Javier Torrente stepped down from the coaching position at Newell's Old Boys after the 1-1 home draw against Godoy Cruz. The intervening 2-0 loss to Banfield on the road saw the team under a caretaker manager. Sigh. This is what happens when I have too many other things going on in my life.

As of yesterday La Lepra have announced the signing of a new coach, Diego Cagna. After early success leading Tigre, Cagna's coaching career has been far from impressive, seeing Tigre to a bottom of the table 8 point 2009 Apetura. He then went to Colo-Colo in Chile, finishing the 2010 Chilean title in second after having lead the standings by as much as 7 points.

Joining Newell's at this juncture leaves Cagna with a daunting task. The team needs to turn around and start winning, or next season we will be fighting a relegation battle. Considering that Rosario Central are looking like they may just make a return to the top flight by the end of this season, I am envisioning a nightmare season next year if we do not start turning things around now.

Good luck, Cagna, our hopes and prayers lay firmly on your shoulders.

While I Have Been Away...

2011-10-04T21:21:00.000-04:00

Newell's Old Boys have played three matches since I last posted anything. In those games Newell's have managed to gain only one point. Is it any wonder I have not been writing much about them?

It is not that I do not care. In fact the opposite is true. I have watched every minute of every game that work and social commitments have allowed me. And almost every minute has been painful and heartbreaking.

I want the team to do well, but I do not see that happening from what I have seen, and the results so far offer no hope, either. Nine points after ten games is not what we need from this Apertura... but that is what we have.

The defense has improved over what we saw during the Clausura. Newell's have only allowed nine goals in the ten matches played. The offensive however continues to be, well, offensive, as in insulting. Six goals is all we have managed? Really? With the skills of the players we have, that is inexcusable. Sadly, I can only look at the style of play the team has been employing, and in saying that the finger gets pointed directly at the coach... Javier Torrente, what is it that you are trying to do here?

Cross after cross gets lofted into the enemy penalty box... and it has worked to little to no effect. I have always said the best way to run an offense is to mix things up, but that certainly did not happen much under previous coach, Roberto Sensini, and I have yet to see anything like it now.

Avoiding relegation next season starts now. Last season was dreadful enough. This one is looking much the same, if not worst. Even bringing Marcelo Bielsa will not be enough to save us if we do not start racking up points now... and I do not mean a point at a time, thank you.

Highlights: Newell's 1 Vélez 1

2011-09-21T05:54:00.000-04:00

A bit late, I'll admit... but I've been busy.

El Rey De Los Empates?

2011-09-18T15:15:00.001-04:00

Seven games played, five draws. That is the way I see Newell's Old Boys in this Apertura so far.

Let me start by mentioning the 0-0 draw against Atlético Rafaela, since I never got around to writing anything about it. I only saw the second half due to the match being played on a Friday. What I did see was not a boring 0-0 draw, but one in which both defenses were up to most of the challenges, and when they were not the goal keepers were there to handle things.

Today the match against Vélez Sarsfield ended 1-1, which is not a bad result for La Lepra, but I for one am still frustrated at the inability that Newell's continue to display.

Sure, Newell's scored a goal in this game, off a beautiful diving header from Carmelo Valencia, but it was the only truly dangerous play that the offense managed to create... well, that and the foul on Sperduti that should have resulted in a penalty that the referee apparently did not see.

Again, I only got to see the second half, but this time it was due to my forgetting the early kick off time, and getting involved in a bit of a musical project.

Ah, well. Another weekend, another draw for Newell's. This is almost getting predictable.

So far I'm not finding any video highlights... I will try again later.

Up next, Newell's travel to Avellaneda to face Racing Club.

What A Lousy Weekend

2011-09-04T12:35:00.001-04:00

First off, Newell's Old Boys hosted Colón de Santa Fe on Friday afternoon, which means I say not a second of this match as I was stuck at work. Because of that I have nothing I can say about the 0-0 draw.

I can say that it was not pleasant discovering that one of the tires on my car had a slow leak. Woke up Saturday morning to find it completely flat. I filled it up as best I could with my hand pump, and got it in and plug. No big deal, but not the way I imagined spending my Saturday morning.

The rest of the day went alright, until 9 PM, which is when a rather nasty storm came through, knocking down branches, and leaving us with out power... which won't be restored, by all estimates, until some time Monday evening. Even better was the fact that one of the branches that was down was blocking our garage door.

My crazy roommate / landlord took it upon himself to cut down the branch that was blocking the garage door (did I mention it was resting on a POWER LINE?) and once that was done I helped him clear it away from the door.

So, now I'm at a friend's house, who didn't lose power. I was already scheduled to be here to watch their dogs overnight as they are headed out of town to visit relatives.

With luck I've seen the last of the excitement for this weekend.

Newell's Pull One Out Of The Hat

2011-08-29T08:37:00.000-04:00

When Belgrano Cordoba defender Gastón Turus scored the first goal of the game in the eigth minute my thoughts were "here we go again." When midfielder Juan Maldonado put the home side up 2-0 some five minutes later I was sure that La Lepra were done, that this game was just going to be another painful reminder that the team just was not capable of scoring goals, and that the defensive lapses from last season were returning. On Twitter I called for Newell's to wake up...

Enter Pablo Perez in the thirty first minute, replacing defender Alexis Machuca. Perez positioned himself in midfield, with Cristian Díaz moving back to defense. It was as if the entire Newell's squad had pasted through the magical hat of Hijitus and become Super Lepra. Belgrano stopped getting as many chances. Ten minutes later and Sperduti placed a cross in to the area, Víctor Aquino heading a bouncing ball past Belgrano keeper Juan Carlos Olave.

Newell's were back in the game.

The second half belonged to Newell's and Newell's alone. In the sixty third minute Lucas Bernardi launched the ball forward to the feet of Ricardo Noir, who calmly took the ball and blasted it into the back of the net and the score was level.

Three minutes later and it was Noir again, this time with a header (after another cross from Sperduti.) Now after the game against Boca last week I stated that Noir had barely proved himself better than a player I have been known to call the Great Tree Stump. All I can say is I love it when any Newell's player proves me wrong.

Up next, the closest thing that La Lepra have to a clasico, as Colón de Santa Fe come to Rosario. There will actually be two mini-clasicos for Newell's this season, as Unión de Santa Fe have come up from the B. Just prior to the start of the Newell's Belgrano match these two teams played their true clasico, Unión taking a surprize 2-0 victory.

Newell's Still In Search Of A 9?

2011-08-23T19:11:00.000-04:00

Newell's Old Boys loss 1-0 at home to Boca Jrs on Sunday was a clear indication of one thing: you can not win matches simply by creating chances. You have to put them on net, and, eventually, you have to slip one or two past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

Both teams had the same number of shots taken with nine apiece. Problem is Newell's only managed to put 2 of their shots on target to compare with the 8 from Boca. Simply put, if not for the heroics of one San Peratta, this game could well have been a rout.

But that is not the only story here. One of the things Newell's do not have is a striker of any size... so why are we lobbing crosses into the box when the only player who have that has shown he can be dangerous with his head is defender Nacho Fideleff? The only time he gets up front is on corners and free kicks.

There were two players who did have chances with headers for La Lepra that I took note of. But neither Sperduti nor Vangioni have ever impressed me with their skill with balls in the air, though both are apt at delivering the kind of crosses to which someone who is able to use their heads to score might latch on to.

So, just like last year we are in search of a player to step up and score goals. Just like last years we are playing pretty much the same style. (The only real difference I have noticed is Peratta using a throw to a defender to get the ball up field rather than blasting it all the time.) It is funny... I thought we had changed coaches?

The only things I have seen from Javier Torrente since he took charge that are much different is Peratta throwing the ball, and that he is far more vocal from the bench. These are both good things. Problem is that offensively Torrente is short on quality in key spots on the field, and has failed to find a system to play to the strength of the team.

Ah well. Could be another long season.

So Close So Many Times...

2011-08-17T20:47:00.000-04:00

Any point gained from a game away from home is a point well earned. In Newell's Old Boys 1-1 draw against Argentinos Jrs the luck, from what I saw, was all with the home side.

Their goal came in the 29th minute off a misfortune that befell Newell's keeper Sebastián Peratta and defender Diego Mateo. J.J. Morales did get his low header on net, but Peratta was there to make the save, but could only block it. The rebound struck Mateo, who had no time to react, and the ball then ended up in the back of the net. Mauricio Sperduti evened things up in the 41st minute off a fine feed after some fine work by Víctor Figueroa and Leonel Vangioni.

In the second half Newell's had a number of close chances, and Ricardo Noir had a goal called off for offsides (which he was, by a considerable margin,) but ultimately both teams had to settle for a draw.

Up next La Lepra will be hosting Boca Juniors. Question is, which Boca will show up? The team that only managed a 0-0 draw against Olimpo de Bahía Blanca, or the team that exploded for four goals against Unión de Santa Fe?

Oh, and a side note. I also got to see the last bit of River Plate's 1-0 win over Chacarita Jrs. Only reason I bring this up is that Juan Manuel Cobelli came on as a late substitute for Chaca, and, not unexpectedly, looked very dangerous every time his team mates found him open in River's penalty area. So why was he not in the starting eleven? And how did he end up with a team in the National B rather than Europe as his agent/brother Sebastián said he would?

Anyone know?

Way Late - But No Games This Weekend...

2011-08-13T22:08:00.000-04:00

Newell's Old Boys opened the 2011 Apertura with a 0-0 home draw against Estudiantes. I'll take that as an encouraging sign for the new season. Was is not encouraging is that it has taken me a week to write anything about it, and as the news is a week old, I am not going to dwell on it.

I also never got around to writing much of anything about the happenings during the off season. Below is a list of in coming and leaving players, with a bit of notation on key figures.

New - returning players:

Víctor Aquino - Nacional
Victor Figueroa - Al Nassr - midfielder playmaker. Much is expected... but same could be said about Camacho before him.
Augusto Mainguyague - Independiente Rivadavia (Mza)
Ricardo Noir - Boca Juniors - striker
Hernán Pellerano - Almería
Pablo Pérez - Unión de Santa Fe - midfielder returning from loan. Should be a helpful sub, if nothing else.
Marcos Riveros - Nacional
Leandro Torres - Emelec - midfield playmaker returning from loan. I would have liked to have seen him given the chance as a starter. Perhaps if Figueroa does not work out he will still get his chance.
Carmelo Valencia - Ulsan Hyundai Motors
Santiago Vergini - Verona

Gone:

Claudio Bieler - Liga Dep.Univ.Quito - bye bye, Bieler. After all of praise you were given you really did not perform up to what was expected.
Alejandro Cascio - Olympiakos Volou
Rodrigo Chávez - Tiro Federal (Rosario)
Gabriel Cichero - Lens - played well in the Copa America, earning a trip to Europe to play in France. Hope Lens can deal with your defensive short comings...
Juan Manuel Cobelli - Chacarita Jrs. - after all the talk of interest from teams in Europe you end up with Chacarita? Excuse me while I roll on the floor laughing. You should have signed that contract, son.
Carlos Del Giorno - Guillermo Brown (Madryn)
Emanuel Dening - Guillermo Brown (Madryn)
Pablo Dolci - Chacarita Jrs. - Sorry to see him go. He was a solid midfielder who could fill various roles. Perhaps with Chaca he will be a starter?
Fabricio Fuentes - Defensa y Justicia - I did not thing he did all that badly in his return to Newell's. But the team had slow start to the Clausura, and he was soon no were near the starting eleven.
Cristian Lema - Tigre
Daniel Salvatierra - Atlético Tucumán - I am hoping this is a loan move to get Daniel some time playing as a starter. He has a lot of promise, and I hope he can return to Newell's a better player.
Mauricio Scaglia - Tiro Federal (Rosario)
Rolando Schiavi - Boca Juniors - too old, washed up? I do not think so... but Boca (or certain factions of their management) have been wanting El Flaco back ever since he left them to join Newell's.
Leandro Velázquez - Vélez Sarsfield - returns to Vélez after what they must consider a failed loan spell with Newell's. He barely got enough time to prove himself one way or the other with La Lepra.
Luciano Vella - River Plate

Meanwhile, Mauro Formica made his debut for Blackburn earlier today, and scored his first goal for his new club. Unfortunately they still managed to lose 2-1.

Promise For The Future

2011-07-12T21:35:00.000-04:00

Newell's Old Boys have announced the signing of three players from the Youth ranks to full professional contracts. More are expected before the end of the week. It is just a shame that it took the loss of Juan Manuel Cobelli to teach the current administration that signing players before they make an impression with the senior side might be a good idea.

Defender Jonathan Valle, 18, played in one match for the senior side, against Olimpo. Midfielder Guillermo Ferracuti, 19, has played in three. Enzo Beloso, 17, yet to make his debut with Newell's, but plays for Argentina's U-17 team.

Goalkeeper Dilan Nicoletti, son of Waldemar Nicoletti who played for Newell's first championship team in 1974, is also expected to be signed. A few other names were mentioned, but, frankly, my Spanish wasn't up to the task, and Babelfish translation only made things muddier.

Season Is Over, And I Am Late... Again

2011-07-04T12:02:00.000-04:00

Ok, ok... so I haven't gotten around to mentioning Newell's Old Boys final two games of the Clausura 2011. Can you really blame me? This has to be one of the most painful seasons we Lepra have had to sit though, ever. Even rosario3.com has the Olimpo 1-1 draw up as the last game played in their sidebar...

Newell's final two results were a rather dull 0-0 draw with San Lorenzo, and an uplifting 1-0 win over Colón de Santa Fe in the final match of the season. The win took La Lepra out of last place, two points ahead of Huracán, who were relegated. The only goal from the two matches was score by Mauricio Sperduti giving him four during the Clausura to lead the team in scoring.

Joining Huracán in the drop are Quilmes, who finished below Huracán in the relegation race, River Plate, who take the drop for the first time ever, and Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. Both River and Gimnasia lost play-offs against teams from the National B. (Please don't ask me to go into the rules about relegation in Argentina... it is complicated.)

The four teams that make the jump from the B up to the top flight are Atlético Rafaela, who won the B with 77 points from 38 matches, Unión de Santa Fe (which gives Newell's another provincial rival to go along with Colón,) San Martín (San Juan,) who beat River in their play-off, and Belgrano (Córdoba,) who took down Gimnasia.

More important to us Newell's fans, of course, is that Rosario Bentral (ok... for those who don't know, they're really called Central) are still in the B, having only managed 50 points on the season.

Soon after the season closed, Newell's announced that Rolando Schiavi was headed back to Boca Jrs in exchange for striker Ricardo Noir... as far as I can tell this was a straight up player swap, no money involved. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

It also looks as though goalkeeper Sebastián Peratta will be headed to Boca to join Schiavi, as an offer of $1.5 million has been made. Newell's are reported to be looking into bringing Justo Villar back to replace the man who replace him between the woodwork. (Crossing my fingers on that one... and wishing there was/is an option that does not cost the team any thing... we need the cash.)

There has also been talk of shopping Sperduti and Leonel Vangioni around. So far I have not seen any word on teams being interested. Considering that over the past year Vangioni has spent more time injured than on the field does not help. Neither does the poor season the team just finished.

Returning from loans should be Juan Quiroga, Pablo Perez, Diego Torres, and Leandro Torres. Leandro could well slide right into place as our playmaker. He did quite well in that role before. Diego Torres is a capable forward, and I really do not understand how he did not manage to break Quilmes starting 11 more often than he did... unless it was due to injuries. Quiroga never was convincing as a defender, in my opinion, but seems to have found himself while away. Same can be said for Perez, but unless the team finds a buyer for Sperduti.

After a long and trying season, there are reasons to hope for a better 11/12.

Yet Another Deadline Missed

2011-06-13T20:41:00.000-04:00

Yes, the deadlines I'm under are only set by me, myself, and I... but it has been very difficult writing about Newell's Old Boys this season. The team is just finally starting to play like a team again, but only goal at the moment are to escape the embarrassment of ending the Clausura in last place. So, my goal for today is to play catch up on what's been happening.

Two weeks ago Newell's were scheduled to play at home against San Lorenzo. That game was postponed due to a planned march by certain Lepra Barras Brava who got into a bit of a shooting match with local police. Originally Newell's officials announced the game, scheduled for Saturday, would be moved to the following Tuesday... that did not happen, and I see now where the game is set to be played this Wednesday with a 7:30 PM (local time) kick off.

This weekend just past Newell's did play, away to Olimpo, and managed to gain a point for their efforts. Considering Olimpo are in fifth place the 1-1 draw was a welcome one for La Lepra. The scoring opened early in the second half when Diego Mateo was called for a foul in Newell's area giving Olimpo a penalty. Watching the footage (below) over and over again I truly can not say if the call was a good one or not. At any rate, Martín Rolle placed a perfect spot kick into the left hand side of the net while Sebastián Peratta dove the wrong way. No blaming Seba on the goal, even if he had chosen the right way to dive I do not think he would have gotten to this ball.

Some fifteen minutes later Newell's drew level as a free kick turned pinball finally found Ignacio Fideleff who headed the ball past Olimpo keeper Laureano Tombolini who had been drawn a bit out of position for the final shot. It was the big blonde defender's second goal of the Clausura, and third of his young career. With his size and ability I am sure it will not be his last.

As mentioned above Newell's next match will be at home against San Lorenzo on Wednesday. If they manage a win they will place Huracán in last place by a mere point. Then comes the final weekend of the Clausura, with Newell's playing host to Colón de Santa Fe.

Huracán, meanwhile, will make a trip to Avellaneda to face Independiente, giving Newell's a slight advantage in the race to escape last place.

There is still the mathematical possibility that Newell's could jump past one more team as Gimnasia LP are only five points ahead of them...

Yes, Another Weekend Is Gone, And Newell's Lost Again

2011-05-31T22:22:00.000-04:00

Alright, going on the road to face Boca Jrs no reason to expect anything but a loss... still I was hoping that Newell's Old Boys could pull off a draw. At the half I thought that it might even come to pass.

At that point the score was still 0-0, despite Boca being awarded a penalty as a cross struck Rolando Schiavi's upper arm inside the box... but considering he was practically right on top of the play, he hardly had a chance to do anything but let the ball hit him where it might. Martin Palermo stepped up to the spot and placed a decent enough shot low to the left of Newell's keeper Sebastián Peratta, but San Seba choose the right direction and made the save look easy.

Once the second half started it did not take long for Palermo to make up for his missed penalty as he scored the lone goal in the 50th minute. Watching on in the stands was Carlos Tevez... you may have heard of him before. He was there to be presented with a plaque and jersey from his former club. I'm not sure exactly what it was all about, but it was one more thing working against La Lepra.

All things considered Javier Torrente can not be too upset with the result. Still, the fact that he had Newell's start out with a 5-3-1-1 formation was pretty much sign that he holds no confidence in the current squad's offensive abilities. Adding to the offensive woes was the fact that La Lepra's top three goal scorers were missing from the match. Juan Manual Cobelli will most likely never wear another Newell's kit as his agent (and brother) has declare the young striker will be moving to Europe as soon as the transfer window opens, Claudio Bieler has basically played his way out of the starting 11, and Mauricio Sperdutti (or is it Mauricio Sperduti?) due to having received his fifth yellow card of the season. All three players are on three goals for the Clausura, but it looks like only Sperdutti has a chance of added to his total.

So now there are only three matches left in the Clausura. Two of those matches are at home, but I fear Newell's will need more than luck to earn enough points to avoid landing in last place. They are currently tied with Huracán at eleven points each. Any hopes of passing anyone else would nearly take a miracle as there is a five point gap between the bottom two and the three teams, Arsenal, Quilmes, and Gimnasia LP.

Old Boys Beat All Boys (and the return of a friend)

2011-05-21T14:03:00.003-04:00

Fantasma Della B

Newell's Old Boys played their best match of the Clausura as they defeated All Boys. The final score was 1-0, but could have been more. All credit for keeping his team in the game goes to All Boys goalkeeper Nicolás Cambiasso who proved that he is worthy of playing in the Primera A. One of the highlights of the match had little to do with what happened on the field, but rather the return of an icon, as the Fantasma Della B was again released in celebration of Rosario Central's decent from the Primera A last year at the hands of Newell's opponents.


Schiavi's game winner

Javier Torrente put together a very different team for Newell's even though most of the names were familiar. Diego Mateo moved from midfield to defense. He was teamed with team captain Rolando Schiavi and young Ignacio Fideleff. Schiavi proved that he still has some futbol left in him. He played well in defense, and it was his header off a Sperduti corner that gave Newell's their 1-0 lead in the 27th minute.

In midfield both Vangioni and Estigarribia were operating on the left side (though Vangioni often drifted more toward the center.) Raúl Villalba had a fine match as the lone central midfielder, first dealing with Ariel Zárate, and then Ariel Ortega. El Burrito came on for Zárate in the 15th minute, and showed flashes of his former brilliance. For the most part, however, Villalba was up to the task and the aging Ortega looked fairly ordinary.

Up front Federico Falcone made his debut for Newell's senior side. While he has terrorized many a defense playing in reserve matches, in his first match at top level he looked a ways off from a finished product. Still, he did have his moments, and has plenty of time to prove what he can do.

In the 90th minute Fideleff got into a bit of a tangle with Emanuel Gigliotti, and both players were shown red cards. Frankly, I think yellows would have been fair, but what can be done. Nacho now faces at least one game on the sidelines.

Sebastián Peratta
Diego Mateo, Rolando Schiavi, Ignacio Fideleff
Cristian Díaz, Raúl Villalba, Leonel Vangioni, Marcelo Estigarribia
Maximiliano Urruti (Martín Tonso 23')
Mauricio Sperdutti (Lucas Bernardi 73'), Federico Falcone (Claudio Bieler 63')

After the match, Schiavi was interviewed and while the subject of the game just played he was more than willing to answer any question. When they switched to asking about his future he simply stated, if I understood him correctly, that it would be decided after the season was over. When the interviewer pressed him with a further question on that subject Rolando gave him a quick "Chao" and walked away.

Another Game, Another Loss

2011-05-15T17:34:00.000-04:00

After Saturday's 3-0 loss at Racing Club it looks like Newell's Old Boys are destine to remain in last place. Five games to go, and with the way the team has been preforming, none of them look winnable.

Next up La Lepra host All Boys, which in theory is the easiest of the remaining matches. I do not count on that, though, as All Boys has done well enough in their first year back in the Primera A that they are nearly certain of remaining in Argentina's top division when the Clausura is over.

After that it's Boca Juniors at La Bombonera. While Boca have not turned things completely around after years of struggling, they are still far better than Newell's have been. Playing at Boca's home will do nothing to make this game any easier.

San Lorenzo will be La Lepra's opponent in the 17th round, making three teams in a row that Newell's will face that currently sit mid-table. Just last year facing such opponents was nothing to be feared. Not so now.

Facing the team that currently sit in third place in the next to last game certainly isn't promising. Olimpo de Bahía Blanca, despite their current high standing in the Clausura are sitting in the top relegation play off position. The only way I see this match becoming easy for La Lepra is if Olimpo fate is sealed by the time it comes around.

Last, but not least is Colón de Santa Fe. With Rosario Central down in the B, this is as close as Newell's have to a Clasico. Of course, by the time this match comes around moral may be so low in the Lepra camp that even that thought will not bring the level of their play up.

Based on the way the team has been playing, I'd have to say we will be lucky if Newell's can manage three points out of the remaining five games.

Not all of Newell's losses this season appear in the standings. There's also Juan Manuel Cobelli... what would the Clausura have been had we had tried to get you to sign your full professional contract BEFORE your first senior level appearance?

Serious Lack Of Blog Action

2011-05-10T08:55:00.000-04:00

On Friday, Newell's Old Boys lost 3-1 at home to Godoy Cruz. That's really all I can say about that, as, while I tried to watch the game, I wasn't feeling well and ended up going to bed.

Yes, I know, it's Tuesday morning. I've had plenty of time sense then to put this post up... but other things have prevented me from doing so. One might say that I have too many interests to devote myself full time to this blog. Personally I blame my job... which I need to be going to right about now.

You see, when I started this blog, I was unemployed, and had a lot of time to work on it. Now, my time is dwindling away. I've been putting in an average of three hours of overtime at work every week, and a gaming hobby that eats up considerable time.

By no means do I intend on stopping writing about Newell's. It's just that between the lack of time to do everything I want to be doing and the fact that there has been very little positive Lepra news... but I really need to leave for work. More on this at a later date.

Finally, A Win

2011-04-29T21:36:00.000-04:00

The 3 point drought is finally over as Newell's Old Boys beat Gimnasia 2-1.

Can't say much more than that... I did not see the match due to the early start time. By the time I got home it was over.

I have seen the goals, and here they are:

After nine games with out a victory, this one feels like we just won a championship. It's a relief, a reason to celebrate, and, hopefully, a sign of things to come!

Up next, Godoy Cruz come to Rosario. With luck, I'll be able to see this one.

Improved Play, But Newell's Still Lose

2011-04-23T16:07:00.006-04:00

What can I say? Is it disappointing that Newell's Old Boys lost yet again, this time in the debut of new coach Javier Torrente? Sure it is. But there were signs that there is yet hope for the team that has only managed five points from eleven games. First off, they were playing a better team, Banfield, and held their own. The fact that the final score was only 1-0 alone says that they played far better than they had during any other game during the Clausura. Torrente had the team start out in a 4-3-3 formation, and, oddly enough, the midfield did a far better job getting to 50/50 balls than they have in some time... as both Vella and Cichero, as well as all three forwards, helped to support Dolci, Mateo, and Bernardi in midfield.

Here's Newell's full starting lineup:
Sebastián Peratta
Luciano Vella, Rolando Schiavi, Cristian Lema, Gabriel Cichero
Franco Dolci, Diego Mateo, Lucas Bernardi
Mauricio Sperduti, Claudio Bieler, Néstor Camacho

Torrente had the team playing more quick one, two touch passing. They kept the ball moving, which, once they get used to playing like that, will create more scoring chances. There were a few passes that went astray today, but the communication between the players seemed much improved, and that has been the biggest problem of late.

While I will not argue against Banfield deserving the win, I would say that Newell's really did not deserve to lose. Really, I'd break down the reason they did not get a better result to the fact that there were a few calls that did not go there way (this sort of thing happens, but twice, when Newell's were called for offsides the linesman was grinning as if laughing at some inside joke... one of which disallowed a goal,) and that the team played with out a real 9. Without a strong penalty area presence, the goal scoring chances just were not there. Sorry. Claudio Bieler... your a fine forward, but a 9 you will never make.

Sadly, the Newell's has such a player, but I have yet to hear any further updates on their attempt to get young Juan Manuel Cobelli signed to his full professional contract. Until he does, I suspect he will remain with the reserves. And the longer that goes on, the more I suspect that he will be with a different club as soon as the next transfer window opens.

The loan goal was scored by Jorge Achucarro, who only a year ago had been playing for Newell'sEven though he scored against La Lepra, many of the local fans applauded him when he was left the field in the 84th minute.

Up next Newell's are on the road to face Gimnasia in La Plata.

“Everything what I know I learned it of Bielsa”

2011-04-18T21:44:00.001-04:00

Javier Torrente made that statement after being announced as the new Technical Director (read: coach) at Newell's Old Boys. Learning from El Loco Marcelo Bielsa is one thing, using it to turn around the Clausura for La Lepra may well be far more difficult than any lesson Torrente had to learn from the master tactician.

I've found little on Torrente in my search, but can say that he worked as an assistant to Bielsa from 1996 through 2004, including a six year period at the end of that stretch when Bielsa was in charge of the Argentine National team. Sense then Newell's new coach spent time in charge with three teams, Cerro Porteño (Paraguay,) Coronel Bolognesi (Peru,) Libertad (Paraguay,) and then again at Cerro.

We will be able to judge how well he learned his lessons soon enough. I do not expect much at this stage, to be honest. To turn around a team that has plummeted from title contenders to last place in the league will not be easy. I do not expect miracles.

Still, dare I hope that the apprentice prove greater than the master? Only time will tell.

No New Coach Luck For Newell's

2011-04-16T16:21:00.000-04:00

Usually in Argentina when a new coach takes over a club they win his first match. Not so for Newell's Old Boys. Their poor play continued yesterday to Quilmes. Before the match Quilmes were in last place, two points below Newell's, having failed to gain a single win in nine Clausura games.

One could blame Ricardo Johanssen and his decision to play three young defenders who had no previous experience with the senior side, but they made no more mistakes than had been made during any of the other Clausura match up.

No, the real problem is in midfield, in my opinion. Quilmes midfield out played Newell's at every turn, did a far better job of anticipating while defending, and their passing game was far superior as well.

The final score was 3-1. Newell's goal was scored by Mauricio Sperdutti off a Claudio Bieler cross that was deflected an went into an open space that El Gordo was able to run onto and take his shot. This brings me to the problem with Newell's passing game. Too many passes going directly to the player they were intended for, and those that were placed into open space were slotted to close to the opposing players to be effective. When you play like that it makes it easy for the opposing team to predict, and gives them more than good chance to intercept the play before you can develop anything that looks threatening.

Do I expect anyone to listen to this? No. I have been preaching the same thing about the US National team for years now, and they still send pass after pass directly to the feet of there intended target. Against weaker opponents, you can win this way. Sadly, even lowly Quilmes are better than Newell's these days.

Caretaker Ricardo Johanssen Announces Lineup

2011-04-13T19:33:00.000-04:00

Ricardo Johanssen will be in charge of Newell's Old Boys at least until a permanent replacement for departing Roberto Sensini can be found. He will not have to wait long for his first game at the helm, as the team travels to Buenos Aires on Friday to face Quilmes, the only team with fewer points than Newell's in the current standings.

Johanssen moves up from coaching the reserve team, and he is bringing a few of his favorite players with him. Four of them will be in the starting lineup, and three are defenders who will be making their first appearance for the senior side. I consider this a bit funny, considering that there was a lot of talk about the plan being to work at bringing up players through the youth system, but Sensini always seemed reluctant to give young players a chance.

Here, then, is Newell's expected line up:

Sebastián Peratta
Gastón Guruceaga, Rolando Schiavi, Marcos Benítez, Carlos Del Giorno
Mauricio Sperduti, Diego Mateo, Lucas Bernardi, Cristian Díaz
Daniel Salvatierra, Claudio Bieler
(Players in BOLD making their first appearance)

Great to see Salvatierra being given another opportunity, something he was barely given by Sensini during the Apertura. I also like that we are looking at a 4-4-2 formation. I would have really liked to have seen the double 5 system dropped, but when you have both Mateo and Bernardi... hopefully the change in coach will see them regain their form.

Players that will be making the trip, but not expected to start are Nahuel Guzmán, Ignacio Fideleff, Mauricio Scaglia, Franco Dolci, Carlos Vaca, Fabián Muñoz, Néstor Camacho, Leandro Velázquez, Sergio Almirón, and Leonel Vangioni. Good to see Vangioni on that list. Hopefully he will be healthy enough to work his way back into the starting 11 sooner than later.

Former Newell's and current Quilmes coach Ricardo Caruso Lombardi has announced the following line up:

Emanuel Trípodi
Damián Leyes, Danilo Gerlo, Fabricio Fontanini, Claudio Corvalán
Pablo Garnier, Enzo Kalinski, Gervasio Núñez or Francisco Cerro
Miguel Caneo
Diego Torres y Martín Cauteruccio

Diego Torres? Where do I know that name from? Oh, yes, he was one of the players that the Senseless One drove away from Newell's...

Meanwhile, team president Guillermo Lorente has announced that Marcelo Bielsa has turned down the open coaching position because the legendary coach has other projects that he is working on. He went on to say that Bielsa would be willing to return to Newell's if the team “were in a difficult situation.”

The team is two points from last place half way through the Clausura... how difficult does the situation need to get?

Bye Bye, Sensini

2011-04-12T00:40:00.000-04:00

Another weekend has come and gone, and Newell's Old Boys lost yet again, this time 2-0 on the road to Vélez Sarsfield. Really, all things considered that is not a bad result. I am not going to dwell too much on the match, as the after effects are far more earth shaking... seems that the loss was one too many, and so now La Lepra are in search of a new coach. Yes, that is right, Roberto Sensini, the Senseless One, has walked away from the helm.

I am sure that there are many who celebrate this. I am saddened by it, to be honest. I did not always agree with the man, but can not but help from feeling sorry for him now that he has walked away. I am, of course, more disappointed that this had to happen in the middle of a championship... but considering the position the team is in, second from the bottom of the current standings, it is hardly surprising.

Now, of course, we already have a lot of speculation as to who will be the new coach. Ricardo Johansen, who was an assistant under Sensini, has the endorsement of his former boss. Dario Franco, Javier Torrente, even El Loco Marcelo Bielsa have been mentioned. For now, however, the only thing that is certain is that nothing is certain.

Also worth mentioning is the return of Juan Manuel Cobelli to the reserves. Last week management offered the young forward a full professional contract, apparently as he had reached a limit on appearances on the senior side under his youth contract (not sure on this... if anyone reading this understands the situation better, please let me know.) Thing is his play has earned him interest outside of Argentina, and so the promising youngster is weighing his options before he puts pen to paper.

Had Sensini and company really known how to gauge talent they would have gotten him signed to his professional contract before the season started, and not bothered chasing Claudio Bieler. Bieler, in my humble opinion, is no 9, where as Cobelli has convinced me already that he is indeed just that.

Better Effort

2011-04-02T22:38:00.000-04:00

Coming from behind to snatch a 2-2 draw at home, Newell's Old Boys showed signs that they may just yet come out of the tail spin they have been on.

For much of the first half Arsenal de Sarandí were not much of a problem, but La Lepra proved yet again that costly defensive errors can be deadly. The first Arsenal goal came when Newell's give up a free kick just outside of the penalty area. Luciano Leguizamón placed a perfect shot into the upper left corner. No faulting the wall, or Peratta, but the fouls in front of goal need to be avoided. The second was scored by Mauro Obolo off a perfectly placed cross... but one that the defense should have done better getting back to cover. Both goals came in the first half, no more than three minutes apart, shortly after coach Robert Sensini gave instructions from the sidelines for Luciano Vella to move up from defense to midfield, switching from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2 formation on the fly. Senseless.

Falling behind 2-0, Newell's could well have collapsed at that point, much as they had done the last two games. Instead, they came out fighting in the second half, and it paid off quickly as Juan Manuel Cobelli, making his first start, proved yet again that he is quite capable of being a true 9. Arsenal keeper Cristian Campestrini, who did well to keep Newell's off the score sheet in the first half, only managed to block a shot from Nestor Camacho, and Cobelli pounced on the rebound to tighten the gap. Not long after that Sergio Almirón scored Newell's second goal, and that is how the match ended.

Mauricio Sperdutti was sent off for a second yellow with a little over 20 minutes to go, and will miss the next match. Hopefully this is not the start of a trend, as both Claudio Bieler and Rolando Schiavi missed this match due to red cards last week.

Up next a trip to El Fortín to face title contenders Vélez Sarsfield.

Another Loss, Another Late Blog Entry

2011-03-28T20:03:00.000-04:00

Yes, Newell's Old Boys lost yet again over the week end, this time away to River Plate 2-1. That makes it three straight losses, and after coach Roberto Sensini had his resignation turned down, this week it seems to be Rolando Schiavi who is thinking of packing it in. He did, however make it quite explicit that he was making no announcement... just that the coming months will make the decision for him.

He certainly did not have his best game on Saturday, but even at 38 I still maintain that he deserves his place in the starting eleven at Newell's. Thing is, he will not be staring in the next match against Arsenal de Sarandí after receiving a direct red card for a mistimed tackle in the 79th minute. Claudio Bieler will also be missing the next game as he received a red card of his own some six minutes later, though I did not catch what it was for.

Both River Plate goals resulted from defensive mistakes made by Newell's once solid defense. No excuses, the team simply is not functioning as one right now.

Should He Stay Or Should He Go?

2011-03-24T21:22:00.000-04:00

So, Roberto Sensini turns in his resignation... Guillermo Lorente refuses to accept it. Where does that leave Newell's Old Boys? Still fighting to find any kind of form six games into their worst start to a championship sense Nery Pumpido was coach. If we include the last half of the Apertura the length of the run of poorly played matches could well match the, what was it, 18 games with out a win the team had with Pumpido in charge?

The difference is, of course, that Sensini has had some success over the past two seasons. But that was with a team that, due to fortune smiling on them, had quality players who could have won matches under all but the worst coach imaginable. That luck seems to have run out when the last two true 9s left the club. Last season was a season of riches, with both Joaquín Boghossian and Cristian Nuñez able to provide more than adequate penalty area presence at the attacking end.

When both left over the winter break, team management scrambled to bring in a single quality player to fill the role, and fail miserably. Thanks to the play of Mauro Fórmica and Mauricio Sperdutti in attack the first half of the Apertura went well, along with a very successful run deep into the Copa Sudamericana.

By the second half of the Apertura, however, the other teams in the league had learned that all they had to do to shut down La Lepra was keep close marks on both El Gato and El Gordo. During the summer break Fórmica was sold to Blackburn Rovers, leaving the team without a playmaker. Claudio Bieler was brought in as a new 9, but has been a bit shy of convincing in that role. Nestor Camacho was brought into the team as a late signing to take up the role of playmker, but is still shy of full match fitness, and has a ways to go before he is truly comfortable playing with his new teammates, something that should have been done during the pre-season.

So far, in my opinion, Juan Manuel Cobelli has been the forward who has shown the the qualities of a true 9. True, he has only come on as a second half substitute, but that is only because the Senseless One has failed to give him a chance as a starter.

But, while the offense may not be functioning as well as we Lepra fans may like, it has produced more goals in the first six games of the Clausura than it did during the last six of the Apertura. The biggest problem now has been the defense, and the question is why? As I have stated in previous postings the defense has not changed that drastically from the Apertura, save for the fact that they simply are not playing as a unit. Where once there was communication, now there seems to be none.

Something has changed, and it is not there for me to see. As coach, or Technical Director - as coaches are called in Argentina, it is the responsibility of one Roberto Sensini to not only see the problem, but to resolve it. This week his answer seemed to be to leave. I have to wonder if maybe that is not just the answer the team needs. It was not that long ago, after all, that the team lost two players of quality, Cristian Sánchez Prette and Diego Torres, who left the team after Sensini managed to give them the impression that they were not in his plans. Had both players stayed, this season could well have been much different.

When Will The Madness End?

2011-03-20T16:52:00.000-04:00

After the 4-0 loss to Independiente last week, Newell's Old Boys coach Roberto Sensini promised there would be changes to the team for the game at home against Agentinos Jrs. Sadly, those changes did little to set the team back on course, as La Lepra again fell to defeat, this time 2-0.

After six matches Newell's have given up 13 goals, 9 of those came over the last three games. Over the full course of the Apertura Newell's only allowed 12 goals. Yes, there have been changes to the team, but not enough to cause this total disintegration in defensive play... certainly Mauro Fórmica did not add that much to the defensive make up of the team, did he?

Again, Sensini, I call on you to prove me wrong, oh Senseless One. He certainly did nothing today to do that... receiving a red card by delaying the start of the match when he failed to have his team on the field on time.

The fact that Argentinos coach Pedro Troglio managed to receive the same carding before the start of the second half does nothing towards forgiving Sensini.

Guess I Should Say A Few Word...

2011-03-16T21:37:00.000-04:00

Seven goals in two games... from a defense that not that long ago was one of the toughest in the league.

Newell's Old Boys fell to Independiente on Monday night in a match so frustrating (for us Lepra) that I had to stop watching after the third Independiente goal made it past Sebastián Peratta. The final score was four nil.

I feel so sorry for San Seba... the goals have not been his fault. It's the team in front of him that is falling apart before our very eyes. Certainly there has not been enough change on the defensive make up of the team, and really I can not point a finger at one player to blame for this collapse. Futbol is a team game, and the team is not playing well at all at the moment. It is like the players no longer know how to communicate with each other. Particularly the defense.

And that is what does not make sense. Sure, Agustín Alayes left, but Fabricio Fuentes came in to fill that gap. All the other pieces to the defensive puzzle are the same, though Gabriel Cichero has missed the past two games. Ignacio Fideleff has played in his place, and while he has made an error or two, he is still young and his mistakes were no more dramatic than any of the ones made by some of the veterans over the same time period.

Perhaps it all boils down to some problems that have crept into the team that were hinted at by veteran defender and team captain Rolando Schiavi recently. He did not get into details, but said that there were things going on within the team during the preseason that have unsettled some of the players. He also talked about certain members of the media that called on him to retire, that he no longer had the ability to play the game at the age of 38.

Again, I say it is not one player, it is the team. Schiavi is still one of the best defenders in the league, even at his advanced age. But the team, oh my team... you are playing like a group of individuals who have never met... And this I can only blame on one man, Roberto Sensini, it is time to reunite the team you are supposed to be in charge of, or stand up and take responsibility for the current state it is in.

I am not calling for you to walk away, though I know many others that no doubt are. What I am calling on you to do is to prove to us that you are not the Senseless One.

Goals From Newell's vs Huracán

2011-03-06T12:20:00.000-05:00

I have nothing more to say about this game, but here are the goals:

Only One Point At Home (But signs of a brighter future)

2011-03-05T20:29:00.000-05:00

Sensini puckers up

When you go up 2-0 with in the first 25 minutes at home you should be able to breeze to an easy victory. Not so tonight, as Newell's Old Boys had to settle for a single point in a 3-3 draw against a struggling Huracán. In defense of the result Los Quemeros played well for a team that now has only three points from four matches. Newell's can not claim to be doing any better, really, having only earned four points, but some how I hope that coach Roberto Sensini is not happy kissing his sister (if you do not know there is an old saying that settling for a draw is like kissing your sister.)

Bieler

The first two goals in came in unexpected ways. The first, scored by Claudio Bieler, was set up by a nice cross from the right by Diego Mateo, who for all his value for the team defensively is not exactly the man you would think would be setting up a goal. I have always thought Mateo had it in him, his passing ability is very good, but he seldom ventures forward enough to be an offensive force. Bieler, on the other hand, is living up to expectations so far, with two goals in four games, but I have noticed that he has been coming back for the ball too much to really consider him a true 9. Still, as long as he scores, there is nothing to complain about.


Nacho

The second goal was scored by defender Nacho Fideleff. His scoring is not so surprising, he has demonstrated on numerous occasions that he his a goal scoring threat with a powerful header and a strong shot, but this time he barely managed to get his head to the ball, if fact it did more than merely grazed off his curly blonde locks on it's way into the net, deflecting just enough to evade goalkeeper Gaston Monzon. Nacho also showed signs in this match that he has improved his passing game, which could well turn him into a very valuable player in the near future.


Peratta

After that, La Lepra seemed to take their foot off the gas a bit, and Huracán made them pay for it. Cristian Maidana brought them with in a goal with a picture perfect free kick from a tight angle. Then, the unimaginable, Diego Mateo made a rare defensive mistake and his attempt to head the ball ended up in the back of the net. At this point keeper Sebastián Peratta sat up against the post with a look of shear disbelief, but the madness was not over. Carlos Quintana put the visitors ahead a few minutes before referee Juan Pompei blew the half time whistle.

Sperdutti

The second half saw Newell's play well through out. Mauricio Sperdutti scored the only goal of the second half to draw the score level, and had they made more of a few other chances Newell's could well have walked away with a victory. In the end, if La Lepra could put together a full 90 minutes playing like they did in the first 25 minutes, or even as they did during the entire second half, and they will give any team in the league a tough time. As long as they continue to have lapses of concentration like the last 20 minutes of the first half we could still be looking at a long and painful Clausura.

I also want to mention a couple of signs that the future may well be bright, as young Martín Tonso started in the midfield playmaker role and did well enough. He did make a few mistakes, but nothing that should not be expected from a young player. Then there was the debut of Nestor Camacho, who showed that, yes, yes, he is a capable playmaker, but still is new enough to the team that the communication with is team mates is not quite there.

Another debuting player was Lorenzo Faravelli, who came on late in the match for Tonso. He too looked good, though ten minutes of play is hardly enough time to judge a player.

(Have not found any video highlights... I will add them asap, if and when I find.)

Martín Tonso To Start... So Why Not Cobelli?

2011-03-03T22:24:00.001-05:00

With Newell's Old Boys set to host Huracán on Saturday coach Roberto Sensini has announced the following probable line up for La Lepra:

Sebastián Peratta
Fabricio Fuentes, Rolando Schiavi, Ignacio Fideleff or Cristian Lema
Luciano Vella, Diego Mateo, Lucas Bernardi y Marcelo Estigarribia
Martín Tonso
Mauricio Sperdutti, Claudio Bieler

Martín Tonso is nearly straight out of the youth squad. It will be interesting to see how well he does, and I will laugh myself silly if he proves that the signing of Néstor Camacho was not really necessary.

Meanwhile, I wonder why young Juan Manuel Cobelli is not being given the chance to start. Do not get me wrong, Bieler deserves his place on the field, as does Sperdutti, but certainly Sperdutti could be moved back to right midfield. If anything, playing up front has proven that El Gordo is more productive out wide, and with two goals in three appearances as a substitute Cobelli has shown that he can be dangerous.

But time will tell, and this line up is still only probably, not set in stone.

No Late Game Magic As Tigre Beat Newell's

2011-03-01T20:31:00.000-05:00

Luciano Vella. I hate pointing out a single player as the cause for a Newell's Old Boys loss, but, after having watched the replay of the lone goal from the game against Tigre over and over again, the misjudgment by Vella on the incoming cross was so poor that I have to wonder why he was not taken off at the half. Instead it was Gabriel Cíchero who exited from the defensive line as young forward Juan Manuel Cobelli made his third appearance for La Lepra.

Really, I could also blame Rolando Schiavi, who left Denis Stracqualursi alone in the middle of the penalty area in attempt to cover for the fallen Vella, but Schiavi did what he was supposed to do under the circumstances.

I only saw the second half... love these Monday night games. Do they not realize I have to work? What I did see, Newell's did looked good, really, except when it came down to getting their shots on target. That problem should be solved, or at least improved, once Vangioni and the last reinforcement, Paraguayan playmaker Néstor Camacho, are healthy enough to take the field.

The only decent video I could find of the goal combines both games from yesterday, starting with Huracán draw against Arsenal. Enjoy, well... if you can.

Up next Huracán visits Estadio Marcelo Bielsa on Saturday at 7:10 PM local time.

Cobelli Nets Another 90th Minute Goal

2011-02-19T23:31:00.001-05:00

I'm suffering from sever lack of sleep due to a cat that has been "singing" outside my window for the past three nights. I do not know, perhaps he misses Fórmica as much as I do.

That being the case, I am going to keep this brief. Newell's Old Boys beat Lanús 2-1 on goals from Claudio Bieler, and Juan Manuel Cobelli. For Bieler it was his first goal for La Lepra, but Cobelli looks like he's trying to make an name for himself as a super sub, opening the first two games of the Clausura with 90th minute goals, this time earning Newell's three points.

I am really happy to have found the video highlights. While I did watch the game, after only managing around three hours of solid sleep last night, I cannot say my brain was processing what I saw as well as I would like.

Now, off to try and get some much need sleep.

2011-02-12T11:50:00.000-05:00

Nothing makes shaking off the memory of Newell's Old Boys losing their opening match of the Clausura than the knowledge that Almirante Brown visited Rosario, defeating Ben... er, Central 1-0. Jorge Broun, a goalkeeper I will grudgingly admit is usually fairly solid, misplayed a ball into the area and Vera was there to easily place the ball into the back of the net.

Thank you, Almirante Brown. You have taken an otherwise unpleasant weekend and brought some joy to this Lepra.

I did not post any video from Newell's match against Estudiantes on my original report, as I could not find any at the time. There are a couple out there now, but I refuse to post all the goals, but here is young Juan Manuel Cobelli scoring for La Lepra:

With any luck, Cobelli will score plenty more. He certainly looked more of a 9 than Claudio Bieler did last night.

One Small Step Towards Finding A Goal Scorer

2011-02-11T19:34:00.000-05:00

I wish I could say I was not expecting this result, but when Newell's Old Boys opened the 2011 Clausura on the road to Apertura Champions Estudiantes... well, any one who predicted Newell's to win was almost guaranteed to be disappointed.

Cobelli

Really, in the end a 2-1 defeat does not look to bad, all things considered. Newell's midfield looked flat with out a playmaker. The best option, in my opinion, to take over that role, Mauro Sperdutti, played more as a traditional winger on the right side, seldom venturing back for the ball. Still, it was from this position that he managed to set up Newell's goal in the 89th minute. After a miscue from Estudiantes' defense, Mauro put in a low pass just in front of goalkeeper Agustín Orión that found Newell's new goal scoring forward. No, not Claudio Bieler, but young second half substitute Juan Manuel Cobelli, who had come on in the 55th minute in place of "Pulga" Luis Rodríguez.

Team captain Rolando Schiavi had a couple of headers that he could not put on target, but otherwise he had a solid match, based on what I saw, as well as the announcers stating he was the best Lepra on the field. New forward Bieler had an opportunity after an earlier poor pass by the Estudiantes defense put him in a position with only Orión to beat. Unfortunately, he proceeded to rush his shot and sent the ball some ten feet wide of the right post. He did nothing else that caused me to take notice of him either way.

Over all, I was not happy with the way Newell's played. The midfield seemed disjointed, not really playing as a unit, but as a group of individuals. Hopefully things will improve as the Clausura progresses. A healthy Vangioni certainly should help out the midfield situation. (Please, God, let him stay healthy.)

I can not say much about the first half of the game, during which Estudiantes scored both their goals, as by the time I got home from work the second half was about ten minutes old. Gastón Fernández scored the first goal in the 12th minute, followed by a Gabriel Mercado strike in the 23rd. Fernández then fail on a penalty in the 42nd.

Final Thoughts Before Friday's Opening Match

2011-02-07T22:13:00.000-05:00

Newell's Old Boys have said goodbye to Mauro Fórmica, and Agustín Alayes. Iván Borghello may be on his way to Barcelona of Ecuador, but I hope he stays, as I'd like to see him playing next to Claudio Bieler, who comes to Newell's on a six month loan from Racing Club. Even if Roberto Sensini does not see it that way, Borghello is still valuable coming off the bench.

With Mauro gone, Sensini is calling for another playmaker to be brought into the team. Personally I'd like to see Mauricio Sperdutti given the role, but we will see what happens.

Replacing Alayes was not too difficult, on another 6 month loan Newell's brought back Fabricio Fuentes, who started his carrier with La Lepra. The rumors about Boca Jrs wanting Rolando Schiavi proved, as always, more hot air than anything else. Yes, their are members in the Xeneize hierarchy interested in bringing El Flaco back, but not enough of them in high enough places to convince those that matter... and we Lepra are thankful for that.

I would love to have the optimism of Diego Mateo. The defensive midfielder has stated that, with the team only having one competition to play in, the Clausura should go better than the Apertura, when Newell's also had to contend with Copa Sudamericana fixtures. I hope he is right, but I am anticipating a long, difficult season... but nothing quite like Bentral are experiencing down in the B.

Yes, Rosario Central ended their summer break on Saturday, and could only manage a 0-0 draw at home to Defensa y Justicia, the team that is dead last in the National B. Sure, Bentral are only six points from the top of the B standings, but for how long? Do they really have any hope of climbing their way up the standings for a chance to get back up to the top flight?

The way I see it, if Central fail to gain promotion, we get another season looking down at them struggling in the lower division. If they do earn promotion, we get the Clasico Rosarino back. This is a win-win situation in my book.

Finally, The Long Ordeal Is Over

2011-02-01T08:06:00.001-05:00

After three deals that did not work out, and who knows how many inquiries that were not worth mentioning, Mauro Fórmica is formally under contract with Blackburn Rovers of the English Premier League. One thing that I do not like about this deal is that Rovers website will not allow anyone but paying members view the video of the signing they have posted. No, it is not that I blame them for doing this, more that I am wondering why Newell's Old Boys have not done anything similar with on their website. You can see their report on the transfer here.

But, back to the topic at hand. Blackburn announced the signing some 15 hours ago, complete with a picture of El Gato putting pen to paper. A similar shot can be found on Newell's website, so if both teams having such posted is not enough proof that this deal is done, short of Mauro actually playing in a match, I do not know what would be. (A fellow Newell's fan stated that he would not believe another transfer story until the player started training with his new teammates. Well, guess what? According to some sources Mauro HAD started training with Monaco before Blackburn reentered the scene with a better offer at the last minute.)

Now, let us go through the full list of teams that had expressed interest in Fórmica. First, I believe, was River Plate, but they are nearly as cash strapped as Newell's, so could not come up with a reasonable offer. Then there was a team from Brazil, the name of which I do not recall, but they were more interested in a player for player swap, and so was never given any serious consideration.

Galatasaray made the first serious inquiry, but could not come up with enough funds for a down payment. Genoa made a bid, but have a history of making deals and then not bothering to make payments on schedule. Blackburn were in the running previously, but in a deal that would have only been a loan through Red Star Belgrade, which turned Mauro away from the deal. Monaco then came into the picture, but as things looked like a deal would be struck the French team lowered their initial offer. And, finally, Blackburn proved that they were serious about wanting Fórmica by flying one of their private jets to France and steal the player (along with the Newell's officials that had traveled with him) away to England.

Blackburn coach Steve Kean has had high praise for Fórmica through all of this, though some of it is a bit off. He has compared the midfielder with another former Old Boy, Gabriel Batistuta (Happy Birthday, Bati! He turns 41 today.) Granted, he was talking about a young Batigol, but comparing an attacking midfielder to a out and out goal poacher is a bit of a stretch. Still, Bati had quite the team to play with when he first started with Newell's. La Lepra were in a golden age, winning championships with a group of players that were more than just teammates, they were friends who had spent years together getting to know each other.

While many of the current Newell's team are indeed friends, and the team did almost win the 2009 Apertura, a mere two points behind champions Banfield, few players have been with the team for years. Mauro himself made his debut on the first team back in 2006, but the number of players who have come and gone during that time is enough to fill two or three rosters.

And now, it is Mauro who has left. What this means, of course, is that I will be keeping a closer eye on the EPL, and do my best to watch any Blackburn match that comes along... provided it does not conflict with a Newell's match. It also means that Newell's will have to find a way to earn points with out a player who had been acknowledged as their best attacking player.

Confusing Cat Tales

2011-01-26T21:02:00.000-05:00

The sage of Mauro Fórmica and Newell's Old Boys attempts to market him to European teams continues to spin around enough to make one so dizzy that I am in danger of falling off my seat. The negotiations with Monaco continue, but they are having issues with some of the player's paperwork. Seemingly the passport El Gato carries does not meet their approval, if I understand things correctly.

Meanwhile, Blackburn has entered back into the picture and appear ready to make a deal of their own for the midfielder. Why they had the first deal set up through Serbia and Red Star Belgrade is up for speculation, but considering that it was that which kept Mauro from signing a deal in the first place... well, let us just wait and see what happens, shall we?

For Fórmica, I hope thing get settled soon... otherwise we may have one very confused Gato on our hands.

Galatasaray, Genoa, Blackburn... Monaco

2011-01-24T19:08:00.001-05:00

First there was Galatasaray, then Genoa came calling, Blackburn was interested, but only via a loan from Red Star Belgrade, and each time the reports were that Mauro Fórmica was heading to Europe, that the deal was done. Galatasaray and Genoa could not come up with enough money to satisfy Newell's Old Boys demands on a down payment. As for the Blackburn/Belgrade deal, Mauro did not want to sign for a second division team in Serbia in order to play for one in the English Premier League. That only proves that this Gato has a brain, and knows a thing or two about what he would have been getting himself into.

Step up Lucas Bernardi, the veteran who returned to Newell's from Monaco, a team that is located in the principality of the same name, but plays futbol in Ligue 1, the top flight of French futbol. After having a talk or two with the management of his former club to peek their interest, Mauro, his agent Fabián Basualdo, Newell's president Guillermo Lorente, and team secretary Pablo Morosano are off for a trip to France to finalize the deal.

Or so the story goes.

City Of Heroes, City Of Lepers

2011-01-23T17:33:00.001-05:00

Alright, so one might say that writing about a Superhero computer game on a blog dedicated to Newell's Old Boys is going way off topic, but bare with me. Yes, Newell's are in pre-Clausura training, and have been playing friendlies against various foreign club, but, having just picked up City Of Heroes/City Of Villians (COH) about a week ago, I have found myself spending far too much time kicking bad guy ass to write about than writing about another scoreless draw that really does not matter in the grand scheme of things. (Yes, there is more to me than just being a futbol/Newell's fanatic.) COH has been around for years, but I only just recently got a computer that was up to the system requirements for the game. (Hooray for refurbished computers!)

Of course, one of the first characters I generated in COH is one that I had created in Hero Games Champions, a pencil and pen Superhero role playing game, is Leproso (humm... wonder where I came up with that name?) The character creation system in COH is quit different from Champions, so more complex characters do not translate as well as simple ones. The Champions version of Leproso was simple enough that he is pretty much the same character type in COH.

It has take me some time to learn some of the basics of the game, but I am getting there. Yes, I am one of those people who do not read the instructions on these games... I learn better by jumping in and making mistakes. One of my first mistakes was not using Enhancements, which have to be assigned to your powers in order to be effective. The second was learning to pick up clues when you find them. As my highest level character right now is only eighth level (out of a possible fifty) I am sure there is plenty more I will have to learn.

Needless to say, I have been enjoying the game, though I have to agree with my nephew Mike on one thing. It seems that ever turn you make while out in the city streets there is a mugging, if not two or three muggings, in progress. If you are truly playing in the spirit of being a hero you can not just let that go with out helping the victims... and when you are on an assigned mission, well, you make just never get to where you need to get to start the mission for all the random bad guys you will find along the way.

I also find the idea that you can not have a starting character who wears a cape. Capes in COH requires the completion of a special mission which is not available until your character reaches a certain level, which, in my opinion, is ridiculous.

I should also note that it is an online game, so in addition to buying the game you also have to pay a monthly fee which is used to pay for maintaining the servers, and for programmers who continually add content to the game. Servers are located in North America and Europe, but can be assessed from anywhere in the world, or so I understand. Currently all my characters (I have about eight that I have been playing) are on the Champion server. Twelve characters are allowed per server, though more slots can be bought.

Alright, I think I have that all out of my system now. I promise my next post will be about Newell's.

Another Old Man Finds His Way Home

2011-01-22T15:19:00.000-05:00

Having pasted his medical exam 34 year old Fabricio Fuentes will be presented today as the first reinforcement at Newell's Old Boys for the up coming Clausura. Technically the player still belongs to Atlas, but he himself negotiated a six month loan deal to bring rejoin the team that gave him his start.

With the defender on board, Newell's are now concentrating on prying Claudio Bieler away from Racing Club. Reports are that the team have set a deadline of next week to bring Bieler into the squad. If that is not possible, they will turn their eye toward Darío Gandín, who is currently with Necaxa of Mexico.

No other additions are expected, though coach Roberto Sensini has made comments that with Mauro Fórmica gone a new playmaker is needed.

Gato Blackburn Bound?

2011-01-18T21:11:00.000-05:00

The story at rosario3.com sounds more promising that any of the others they have reported during this transfer window, but the thought of Newell's Old Boys dealing Mauro Fórmica to Blackburn Rover does not fill me with joy. It is not that I have anything against Blackburn exactly, but I do have a general dislike of the English, much as most Argentines do.

I also took a quick look at the Blackburn roster. There are only two Spanish speaking players on the team at the moment, Roque Santa Cruz, a Paraguayan striker who is only with the club on loan from Manchester City, and Spainish rightback Michel Salgado. That said, I hope El Gato has been studying up on his English.

Still, all the paperwork is not filled out and filed, and there is a matter of passing a medical exam, so nothing is really certain. To finish up those details Mauro will be flying to England on Thursday. I expect we will not get a full confirmation until after the weekend.

Third Time A Charm?

2011-01-15T19:04:00.001-05:00

With Galatasaray and Genoa out of the picture, the latest word is that Catania (Italy) are interested in Newell's Old Boy Mauro Fórmica. Newell's played two training matches (split squads,) and Mauro did not feature in either game as it was thought that a deal could be finalized with in hours.

Well, we have all heard this before, and full me once, shame on you. Galatasaray held my breath on, but Genoa suckered me in. This time not even Rosario3.com are giving it a full article. The mention it briefly at the end of their report on the two matches played.

Now, with that said, this will probably end up being the deal that goes through. Why? Well, the media is being cautious, Catania are the third team to be reported close to making a deal for El Gato... and, well, I will believe it when the Italian club introduces him to the press in Sicily. There is also the small matter of Catania having eleven Argentines already on their squad, and that the two teams have dealt with each other before, as Nicolás Spolli is still with the Italians. (Granted, that was a transfer from before Newell's current administration took over, but I doubt it will make much difference to their counterparts at Catania.)

Oh, and those training matches? Both we played against Unión de Mar del Plata, each team claiming a 1-0 win.

Fabricio Fuentes Close To Returning

2011-01-12T21:11:00.001-05:00

Fuentes returning?

Fabricio Fuentes is currently under contract with Atlas of Mexico, but, according to an interview with Radio 2 in Rosario, he is fairly certain that he can resign from the Mexican club and return to Newell's Old Boys.

The former Lepra defender, age 34, was in Rosario to discuss the move with Newell's officials. During his stay he was unable to meet with Roberto Sensini, but did meet with assistant coach Marcelo Grioni. "I spoke with Grioni and requested some more time to settle things with them (Atlas.)"

This is a similar situation that Lucas Bernardi experienced when he returned to the club. Bernardi was able to resign from French side Monaco, and thus Newell's did not have to pay a transfer fee. Sense returning to Newell's Bernardi has been playing very well. Hopefully the same will happen with Fuentes, provided he can arrange things with Atlas.

Still, I worry a bit about bring so many veteran players in their mid to late thirties onto the club. This, at least in part, what lead to the collapse of both River Plate and Boca Jrs.

He Is Going, Going... Maybe Not

2011-01-11T21:14:00.000-05:00

Just as suddenly as it was reported this morning that Genoa had come in to scoop up Newell's Old Boys Mauro Fórmica, it now appears that deal has fallen through. Seems that Genoa came with cash in hand, but not the full fee. This in fact is what was holding up the deal with Galatasaray as well. Guillermo Lorente and company have become wary of such deals because Almería of Spain made such a deal for Hernán Bernardello, and sense then they have fallen behind in their scheduled payments. I can not say I blame them, but frankly the odds of finding a buyer in futbol today who would be willing to pay a full transfer fee up front are slime to none.

Personally I feel a bit like someone has wrapped a string around me and spun me like a top. I am sure that this madness is even worst for Mauro. As things stand there is a month to go before the start of the Clausura, and in most of the world the transfer window extends a week or two beyond that. By the time it comes to a close we may all have been spun around enough times we will not know up from down.

Fórmica Finally Packing His Bags

2011-01-11T08:11:00.000-05:00

With Galatasaray (Turkey) dragging their feet, Genoa (Italy) swooped in and offered Newell's Old Boys 4 Million Euros (about 5.18 US Dollars) to claim Mauro Fórmica. The figure is less than what Newell's were asking from the Turkish team, I have to think that Genoa came carrying cash on hand.

I will certainly have more to write about this move, but I am pressed for time. Must head off to work!

Who Is Training, Who May Be Leaving, And Who Might Join In

2011-01-09T13:32:00.000-05:00

The list of players who are taking part in Newell's Old Boys summer training has been released. Originally reported as 32 players, two have already been sent back to the reserves. Emanuel Dening, and Federico Falcone, both 20 years old, were cut as coach Roberto Sensini feels that they are not in the running for a spot on the final roster.

Goalkeepers:
Sebastián Peratta
Nahuel Guzmán
Lucas Hoyos

No changes can be expected here. Peratta will remain first choice, with Guzmán on the bench.

Defenders:
Rolando Schiavi
Gabriel Cichero
Alexis Machuca
Cristian Lema
Ignacio Fideleff
Jonathan Valle

Schiavi, and no doubt Cichero, are locked into the starting defense. Fideleff might give Cichero a fight for a starting spot, but we will see. With the departure of Agustín Alayes the battle will be for his spot, though I expect, barring a new player being brought in, Machuca will be in the starting 11 in his place.

Midfielders:
Lucas Bernardi
Mauro Fórmica
Luciano Vella
Diego Mateo
Leonel Vangioni
Hernán Villalba
Mauricio Scaglia
Marcelo Estigarribia
Franco Dolci
Leandro Velázquez
Cristian Díaz
Juan Vieyra
Martín Tonso
Lorenzo Faravelli

Mauro Fórmica, and Marcelo Estigarribia are training with the team, but are not expected to be with the club much longer. Galatasaray have yet to reply to Newell's counter offer on the Fórmica transfer, a move that has been reported on the edge of taking place for over a week now. I can only imagine that El Gato is feeling a bit frustrated at this point. As I understand it, his contract with the Turkish club has been approved, but it cannot be official until both teams involved come to a final agreement.

Estigarribia, on the other hand, may be going to Racing Club as a part of the deal to bring Claudio Bieler to Newell's. Newell's officials have stated that Bieler is the only player that the team plan on bringing in, while Sensini has expressed the desire for another defender after Agustín Alayes left for Chilean team Colo-Colo.

Provided that Vangioni can remain healthy, the loss of Estigarribia will not be difficult to deal with. Vangioni, up until the Apertura, had been Newell's most consistent player over the past few years, and if he can recapture that form the left side of midfield will be in good shape.

Fórmica, however, will leave a big hole to fill. Velázquez is perhaps the obvious choice, but he did not show much in his few opportunities during the Apertura. There has been talk of Luis Rodríguez taking on the playmaker role, but whomever takes on this challenge is sure to fall short of what we have come to expect from El Gato.

The double 5 pairing of Bernardi and Mateo will be together for at least another year. Villalba is capable for filling in should either need a game off, for whatever reasons.

The right side of midfield would seem to belong to Vella, though Dolci may just give him a run. Sperdutti could possibly return to this position, depending on how the rest of the forwards shape up.

Forwards:
Mauricio Sperdutti
Iván Borghello
Luis Miguel Rodríguez
Juan Manuel Cobelli
Cristian González
Daniel Salvatierra
Maximiliano Velasco

Sperdutti, Borghello, Rodríguez, and Salvatierra. Those are the names from this list of forwards I expect to make it onto the final roster. Should Bieler arrive from Racing Club, that will give the team five forwards, or four if Sperdutti moves back to midfield. Cobelli, González, and Velasco are virtually unknown to me, so if one or more of them step up and claim a spot it is all to the better.

Noticeably absent from the forwards is one Sebastián Taborda. The Uruguayan forward was so ineffectual during his appearances in the Apertura lead me to call him "The Great Tree Stump."

Still, there is a month to go before the start of the Clausura, plenty of time for things to change.

Newell's Defender Heading To Chile

2011-01-05T21:42:00.000-05:00

Baring a failed physical, Newell's Old Boys are about to lose a defender to Colo-Colo of Chile. No, not Rolando Schiavi, for whom such a move has been talked about for weeks, but Agustín Alayes. According to the articles I have seen Newell's will not receive any fee from the move, but will be relieved of Alayes contract, one of the highest on the team.

As for Schiavi, he has broken his recent silence and made it known that he plans staying with La Lepra until he retires... "unless someone is crazy enough to offer me a fortune to leave for another club." Flaco, I would not blame you for leaving if someone was that crazy, but I do not see it happening. Fortunes, after all, are given to attacking players in their prime, not defenders nearing retirement, no matter how good they may be. Once you do retire, I hope you stay on with Newell's as a coach, working with young defenders. Who knows, maybe someday you can take the place of Roberto Sensini.

Speaking of the coach, today was the first day back at training for the club. According to reports Sensini had 32 players to work with, six of whom came from the youth team. So far I have not seen any of their names, but hopefully one or two will impress enough to make the squad for the Clausura, perhaps even a forward who has the ability to actually score from time to time. Or a playmaker to replace Mauro Fórmica, who was there for the first day, though the negotiations with Galatasaray of Turkey continue. El Gato may even be packing his bags as I write these words...

And, lastly, the club has stated that they will only be bringing in one player... if they can obtain forward Claudio Bieler from Racing Club.

Sensini Still On Board

2011-01-03T13:51:00.000-05:00

It has been almost a week sense the possible move of Newell's Old Boys playmaker Mauro Fórmica to Galatasaray broke, but no confirmation as yet. The latest report is that the two teams will try and finalize the transaction today. The Turkish club had offered 4 million Euros (that is 5.36 million in US dollars,) the counteroffer being 4.5 million (a fraction over 6 million.)

Meanwhile Rolando Schiavi has been linked to possible moves to Boca Juniors (same rumor, different transfer season) and Colo-Colo of Chile. Schiavi himself has expressed interested in Colo-Colo, as his former teammate with Boca Diego Cagna just took on the coaching job with the team. So far it does not look like Rolando is headed anywhere, as Newell's Old Boys have only acknowledged interest from Boca, a move that Schiavi has nearly laughed off every transfer season sense he came to Newell's.

On the incoming front, Newell's have been chasing Claudio Bieler, currently with Racing Club. Problem is, to get the money for this move someone has to be sold. Even then it looks like Marcelo Estigarribia may end up as part of the deal.

Still, all of this is speculation until confirmed.

Senseless?

The only solid piece of news I have seen sense the end of the Apertura is that Robert Sensini will be staying on as the Director Technico. There had been rumors at one point that the coach had demanded certain reinforcements in order to extend his stay with the club, but I never gave them much credence. I have been known to say a lot of things about Sensini, good and bad, my nickname for him is still "The Senseless One." But, the longer he has been with the club, the less I have had cause to use that name. The Apertura just past was difficult to get through, but that was due less to his tactics, and more to do with the lack of quality players brought in... which in turn was due to the club not having the money to attract the quality players needed for the team to continue the kind of success they had been experiencing last season.

There is a month and a half to go before the Clausura begins. By then, who knows, we may not have any players from the Apertura on the field.

Galatasaray Kedi?

2010-12-28T22:18:00.000-05:00

Word is that Mauro "El Gato" Fórmica may well be headed to Turkey. If, according to reports, Newell's Old Boys and Galatasaray can agree on just how much the young enganche (playmaker) is worth.

If this move does go through Mauro will have to deal with learning a new language, and dealing with cultural differences... but at least the country has a temperate Mediterranean climate, so the weather should not be too difficult to get used to.

New colors for El Gato?

Personally I see this as a good, if not perfect, fit for Mauro. Galatasaray is the top team in Turkey, and thus constantly qualify for either the Champion's League or EUFA Cup. The league in Turkey is no where near to being one of the the strongest in Europe, which will give El Gato every chance at breaking into the starting 11.

My only question at this point is, if this move goes through, will the Turkish announcers be calling him Mauro "Kedi" Fórmica, or will they stick with "El Gato?"

When Does The Developement of Futbol Skills Start?

2010-12-27T15:21:00.000-05:00

One of the subjects I have gotten into more arguments about is the development of young players and what is more important, the support they receive at home, or the training they receive from their coaches. It has always been my heartfelt opinion that it is at home that the greatest players of all time started their training. Here today, thanks to Sergio Aguero and a very young Lionel Messi, I bring you some proof of this.

Here, then, is Sergio Aguero playing at home with his young son Benjamin:

And here is Lionel Messi at age 3:

It is this sort of early, at home training that instills a love of the game, and knowledge of the basic skills that can be the difference between a good and truly great player. That's not saying that I recommend kicking a ball about inside the house at any age, unless, of course, one has a home large enough to put a room aside for such play.

What I do encourage for anyone who has a child who shows any kind of interest or talent in the game at an early age is to take the some time out of every day to play with them. The earlier you start, the better. It will not guarantee they will become as great as Lionel, or even Sergio. Not even young Benjamin can be given that, despite being Sergio's son, and the grandson of Diego Maradona.

Now, this is not to say that coaches do not have their place in youth development, they most certainly do. I have, however, never heard nor experienced a coach who could instill the love of the game. Nor has any coach ever been given any credit for the skills of players such as Maradona or Messi. What youth coaches do teach is tactics and discipline, and they can help a young player in harnessing their skills to be applied to working on a team. By that time, however, it is no longer fun and games.

And, to finish things off, here is Messi on one of his visits to Rosario training two defenders in the making:

68 Million Reasons Newell's Will Not Be Doing Any Buying

2010-12-17T21:02:00.000-05:00

68 Million Pesos. That is the final figure that Newell's Old Boys are reporting as the debt that former president/dictator Eduardo Lopez left the club in, give or take a few minor adjustments.

Could Bogho find his way back to Newell's?

That said, management is still looking for a solution to the biggest problem with the current team, the lack of a reliable goal scorer up front. Last season La Lepra had both Joaquín Boghossian, and Cristian Nuñez, both surprisingly good number 9s. Boghossian racked up 17 goals in 34 matches, while Nuñez scored 5 in 22, mostly as a second half substitute. Both players, however, were only with the team on loan, and at the end of the season Nuñez returned to Boca Unidos in the Primera B Nacional after a deal with Quilmes fell through due to an injury. Meanwhile, Cerro of Uruguay, who had loaned Boghossian to Newell's, decided the time was right to sell the big man to a team in Europe, namely Red Bull Salzburg. I have heard rumors that Bogho would be interested in returning to Newell's, but no matter how interested he may be, the club does not have the money to bring him back, not even on a loan... well, unless Salzburg decides that such a deal might somehow benefit them in some other way.

And, of course, Newell's are missing more than just a 9 who can score. Last season they also had Paraguayan Jorge Achucarro as the second striker. He managed 8 goals in 31 games played, but he too was only with the team on loan, from Atlas of Mexico. The only reason that loan deal was made was that Achucarro was coming back from an injury, and Atlas sent him to Newell's to work his way back to full match fitness.

Facing the facts, Newell's got lucky finding these three players last season. Trying to replace them for the Apertura that just finished, the club brought in Sebastián Taborda, Luis Rodríguez, and Iván Borghello, none of whom has a record a being great goal scorers. Rodríguez, and Borghello had their moments during the Apertura, while Taborda has been anything but effective. Looking at their Apertura numbers, Borghello scored once in 18 matches, Rodríguez 3 in 12, and Taborda made it onto the field 10 times and I never saw him come close scoring.

Doubling the current threesomes numbers give them a total of 8 goals, compared to 30 from the trio they had last year. Is it any wonder that the club management is looking to land a forward that can actually score during the January transfer window?

But the problem remains, a team that cannot buy has to look for players they can bring in on loan. And most, if not all, the teams with players that fit the role of goal scorer are looking to sell.

Making A Dent In The Debt Left By Lopez

2010-12-15T21:22:00.000-05:00

When Eduardo Lopez left Newell's Old Boys it was thought that the former president/dictator had racked up debts of some 100 million pesos. After taking a long hard look at the books, sorting out the legitimate debts from the fraudulent, we should know the full damage sometime tomorrow. According to sources close to the club the total will likely be between 65 to 70 million.

The Rat had fourteen years to rack up the figure, and the task of bringing the club out of the red is going to be a long, hard road. If current team president Guillermo Lorente is serious about then spending on bringing players in has to be watched... which is already being done as most, if not all, the players the team have brought in sense he took over have been loan deals.

With luck, and a whole lot of work, the youth development will have to be relied on to continue generate up and coming players. Mauricio Sperdutti and Mauro Fórmica are the two gems that have been starring for the team of late, Mauro sense he was inserted into the starting eleven when Roberto Sensini took over as coach. Sperdutti, on the other hand, had been in and out of a starting role until the just finished Apertura when he blossomed into a player who could well be just as valuable as Fórmica.

That brings us to the rumor mill that started before the Apertura had even ended. Both Sperdutti and Fórmica are expected to be sold, but that has been said about Fórmica before. There have been players sold, but the big sale that might put a significant dent in the debt has eluded Newell's. Will things be different during the January window?

And if so, how good a team will Sensini have to work with during the up coming Clausura?

And Newell's Old Boys Apertura Ends On A...

2010-12-12T23:40:00.001-05:00

Nothing like a stretch where your team ends a season with three goals scored in their last eleven games (including the Copa Sudamericana knock out by LDU Quito... I think I had that miscounted in a previous post.) It is at times like this that I wonder if I have stumbled into the Twilight Zone.

Yes, Newell's Old Boys failed to score again today, Colón de Santa Fe instead handed them a 1-0 loss. All this, and, if the rumors are to be trusted, both Mauricio Sperdutti and Mauro Fórmica, the teams only real offensive threats through out the Apertura will be gone before the Clausura starts.

Still, Newell's bank accounts have to get out of the red, and the sale of these two players will certainly help, provided, of course, we can get what they are worth. Thing is, with the Apertura ending with eight points from the final ten matches after starting the campaign with eighteen from the first nine... I cannot see that doing anything but lowering their price tags.

I was only able to keep half an eye on the match, as I was at my weekly Sunday night get together with friends, but did not see anything that I had not seen in the past few games. The defense was as good as one can expect, the lone goal was perfectly placed, so no blame on back up goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán. In fact I think Guzmán had an admirable game. Same can be said for the midfield.

The problem is still the forwards. The have seldom looked dangerous during the entire Apertura, including the first half of the season when the only loss was the first game against the winners of the Apertura, Estudiantes de La Plata.

Ah, well, there are good times, and bad times.

On a side note, the 2009/2010 jersey that I ordered arrived on Friday:

Who Will Play In Place Of Estigarribia?

2010-12-11T06:00:00.001-05:00

Having received a red card for perhaps the stupidest foul of the Apertura, the biggest question for Newell's Old Boys is who will play on the left side of midfield in place of Marcelo Estigarribia. So far there are three possible answers: Franco Dolci, Cristian Díaz and Federico Dominguez.

I have seen both Dolci and Díaz in action, and either one could do well enough. Dominguez, on the other hand, has only made two appearances off the bench for Newell's in the Apertura. Digging around a bit I did discover that the last game he played in was the 2-0 victory over Tigre, so perhaps tossing him into the line-up could bring the team some luck.

Another man facing suspension is Gabriel Cíchero, who earned his fifth yellow card against Olimpo, but his replacement is pretty predictable: Ignacio Fideleff.

The final change is at goalkeeper, as the team no longer can qualify for the Copa Libertadores there is no reason for Sebastián Peratta to continue playing with a fractured finger. Nahuel Guzmán will take his place between the posts.

So here then is Newell's probable starting eleven for the final match of the Apertura:

Nahuel Guzmán
Agustín Alayes, Rolando Schiavi, Ignacio Fideleff
Luciano Vella, Diego Mateo, Lucas Bernardi, ?
Mauro Fórmica
Mauricio Sperdutti, Daniel Salvatierra

Colón will most likely begin the match with:

Diego Pozo
Ronald Raldes, Ariel Garcé, Marcelo Goux
Ismael Quilez, Iván Moreno y Fabianesi, Cristian Ledesma, Juan Quiroga
Damián Díaz
Federico Higuaín, Joaquín Larrivey

Oh, and their coach? Our old friend Fernando Gamboa.

Where Have All The Good Times Gone

2010-12-09T17:57:00.000-05:00

One goal in the last eight matches, three in the last twelve (including matches in the Copa Sudamericana.) That sums up the current form Newell's Old Boys are in, a slump that today found the team losing 1-0 at home against Olimpio, a team that until today had only managed one point in nine previous road games.

I am not sure if I should call it fortune, or misfortune, but I was able to see the second half of the game. Turns out that today was the company Christmas Meeting/Party, and, sense I am working through a temporary employment agency, I was not invited.

Newell's spent nearly the entire second half looking for an equalizer (the lone goal came in the 38th minute, scored by Olimpo defender Christian Villanueva,) but Newell's continues to fire blanks. The best chance came when a cross found Diego Mateo at the far post with only keeper Laureano Tombolini to beat, but his header bounced harmlessly off the post.

One might say that La Lepra were playing with nothing to gain, but while the Copa Libertadores qualification slot was taken when Independiente lifted the Copa Sudamericana last night, Newell's still should be looking for points in the quest to qualify for the 2011 Sudamericana. Award for boneheaded play of the game goes to Marcelo Estigarribia. His late tackle in injury time earned him a red card. The tackle was so ill timed that I would not be surprised if it earns him more than the customary one game suspension.

Here is the red earned by Estigarribia:

And here, for those who can bare it, is the lone goal:

Ah, well. Guess we only have one more game to lose before the summer break... against Colón de Santa Fe in El Cementerio de los Elefantes.

Changes, Changes, And More Changes

2010-12-07T20:30:00.000-05:00

First off, I must correct myself. Newell's Old Boys next match is not being played tomorrow, Wednesday, December 8th, but on Thursday, the 9th, and the starting time is 5 PM local time, which means I have absolutely no chance of seeing a single minute...

That said, a home match against Olimpo de Bahía Blanca may just be what Newell's need to get out of the current poor form they have been in. Sure, they will miss Mauro Fórmica, who will miss the match after collecting his fifth yellow card, but I am a bit more optimistic than I was yesterday as Roberto Sensini is finally giving young Daniel Salvatierra a chance to start a match. Funny, I've been calling for that to happen sense I first saw him play.

Here is what has been released as the probable line-up for La Lepra:

Sebastián Peratta
Agustín Alayes, Rolando Schiavi,Gabriel Cichero
Luciano Vella, Diego Mateo, Lucas Bernardi, Marcelo Estigarribia
Mauricio Sperdutti, Luis Rodríguez, Daniel Salvatierra

So, Vella is back in, Salvatierra takes over for Borghello. It has been listed as a 3-4-3 formation, but I would not be surprised if either Sperdutti or Salvatierra spend time in the slot usually occupied by Fórmica in the usual 3-4-1-2 formation that Sensini has favored.

So far I have not seen any word on how Olimpo will take the field. It should not matter, though, as they have only managed one point from the nine away games they have played.

Oh, and have I mentioned? Rosario Central lost over the weekend to Gimnasia Jujuy at home, 1-0.

Fórmica Out, Velázquez Questionable

2010-12-06T20:48:00.000-05:00

As mentioned in my previous post Mauro Fórmica will be sitting out of the midweek match between Newell's Old Boys and Olimpio after having received his fifth yellow card of the season during the 0-0 draw against San Lorenzo yesterday. Making things even more complicated is that his logical replacement, Leandro Velázquez, is in doubt due to injury. With that being the case, I have some concern over just how much a result we can expect to get out of the game. As it is, the team has only managed one goal in their last seven matches.

Roberto Sensini is the currently the longest serving coach in the top flight in Argentina. With the possible final Copa Libertadores qualifying position hanging in the balance, could the coaching position also be at stake?

Adding to my own frustration, the match, which will be played on Wednesday, is scheduled for a 7:10 PM kick off. That will be 5:10 PM here, which means when I get out of work, at 6 PM, I will have to rush home in order to have any chance of seeing any significant portion of the second half.

Libertadores Dream Slipping Away?

2010-12-05T17:29:00.001-05:00

What can I say? It was a bright and sunny day in Buenos Aires, a beautiful day for futbol at San Lorenzo's Nuevo Gasómetro. The match that I just witnessed, however, was dull as could be. San Lorenzo 0 Newell's Old Boys 0.

Sure, both teams had a few chances, but fewer than a handful each. No last minute heroics were to be found, as Newell's continue to struggle to find the back of the net. They have only scored 13 times over the course of 17 matches in this Apertura, and if not for their solid defending they would be much further down the standings than their current seventh place. By the end of the 17th round, that could well be eighth place as Lanús could well jump past them with a win that in all likelihood they will get when they host domestically struggling, but Copa Sudamericana Finalists Independiente.

With the draw Newell's creep back with in one point of Racing Club, who won beat Gimnasia La Plata 2-0 on Friday, for a spot in the 2011 Copa Libertadores. That final qualification spot could disappear, however, should Independiente come from 2-0 behind in their home half of the Copa Sudamerica Final against Brazilian team Goiás.

Adding to the difficulty for Newell's to even have a chance of qualifying for the Libertadores is the fact that Mauro Fórmica received his fifth yellow card today, and thus with have to miss the midweek match at home against Olimpo de Bahía Blanca. Sure, Olimpo should be beatable, especially with the game being played at the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa... but only if La Lepra can find a way to score. That is not something that Newell's have been doing enough of this season.

Of Missing Time And Newell's Jerseys

2010-12-04T12:57:00.003-05:00

As is mentioned in my profile I became a fan of Newell's Old Boys many years ago, in the era when "El Mono" Adolfo Obberti, Mario Zanabria, and Santiago Santamaría were the team idols. I would have enjoyed the 1974 Metropolitano championship more had I still been living in the country... my father stayed behind in Rosario while my mother, myself, and my two sisters moved back to the USA. As it was, I only learned of Newell's first ever championship from a newspaper clipping that my father sent me. The details of the campaign I had to learn of decades later.

From 1974 until the early 1990's I had no idea what was going on with Newell's. That said, yes, I missed the entire golden age when La Lepra won three titles: 1987/88, 1990 Apertura (as well as the "final" between the 1990 Apertura/1991 Clausura winners Boca Jrs,) 1992 Clausura. Adding to that the team were runners up in the Copa Libertadores in 1988 and 1992.

Now, truth be told, I may have read a bit about that last championship in 1992, I'm not sure exactly when I first came across World Soccer magazine, but it could well have been that very year. As a monthly magazine that tries to cover everything that happens in the world of futbol, they do a good job of it. As a fan of a team from Argentina that is not River Plate or Boca Jrs... well, the only article I recall that was dedicated to Newell's Old Boys during the time that I could afford a subscription was during the 2004 Apertura. Once the title was decided, World Soccer declared them champions, and that was about it. No discussion on the quality of the team, no mention of who the players were... well, at least not that I recall.

It was shortly before the 2004 Apertura that I first got access to the internet. Back then, I discovered a website that allowed me to listen to Newell's radio broadcasts, which reignited my passion for the team. I have lost track of the site after finding ways to watch the matches from Argentina via web feeds, first via rojadirecta.com, and then through a website that I have been using to follow the Primera Division in Argentina ever sense I have been able to get on the internet: argentinesoccer.com.

Fernando Velarde, who runs argentinesoccer.com, is to be applauded for his efforts. I sincerely hope the man has help in running this operation, surely he must. Not only does the site keep track of Argentina's top division, but also the National B, First B, First C, and First D, though not in so much detail as the Primera División. Not too long ago, Fernando added a page entitled "Live TV", which is where I go when I cannot find a good feed at rojadirecta.

One of the first things that was added to Fernando's site was an online store, from which I have purchased three jerseys, as well as directing my sister and brother-in-law to the site when I included a Newell's jersey on my Christmas wish list some time ago. My latest I just ordered a week ago, a 2009/20010 Newell's jersey in the honor of our current 10, Mauro Formica, and as a Christmas present to myself. The only problem I have had with ordering jerseys through this site have been when what I have ordered has been out of stock, at which times Fernando has been quick to send me an e-mail explaining the situation, and offering alternatives, often more expensive than what I had ordered, but at no extra cost.

Fernando, thank you, my friend. I look forward to replacing my current profile picture with one of me wearing my newest Newell's shirt.

FIFA: Functionally Insane Football Association

2010-12-02T21:12:00.001-05:00

Well, the world knows by now (or at least anyone who cares to know) that FIFA have chosen Russia to host the 2018 World Cup, while the 2022 event will be played in Qatar.

Russia, I can grudgingly accept and see some logic to. Qatar, on the other hand, is sure folly. The stadiums will have to be built, and then discarded. Simply put, if the world's fans choose to visit Qatar in 2022 they could literally out number the country's current population. The World Cup's lowest average attendance, way back in 1934, was 23,235. That is more than the population of all but four of the country's cities, and two of those, from what I have found, barely have populations over 30,000, while the largest, Doha, is just under one million.

Then there is the matter of the stadiums, yet to be built, or in need of expansion. The idea is that they will utilize solar power to air conditioning, so the heat, in theory, will not be an issue. Once they are up and the World Cup is over, what then? Certainly Qatar does not have any teams that would warrant having such large structures, do they?

Just how with this Muslim state, granted one of the more liberal of such nations, deal with a bunch of foreign futbol fans descending on their country? My mind boggles at the thought. Where will the find the bodies to work as security before, during, and after the matches?

Will they allow these fans to drink alcohol? Yes, but only in specially designated areas set aside for fans...

Are there even enough hotels in the country to bare the even the journalists who will be attending, let alone the fans? I am not even going to get into the issue of what might happen should Israel qualify...

Sure, they have twelve years to resolve all of this, but I am placing my bet now that is will be the World Cup to be remembered as the lowest attended, worst played (players going from the heat into the cool of the stadiums causing various medical problems... it takes healthy players to make a good match, after all,) barring, of course, FIFA coming to what little senses they have and moving the event to another location.

Fractured Finger Be Damned, Peratta Will Play

2010-12-02T20:30:00.000-05:00

Having suffered a fractured ring finger on his left hand, Sebastián Peratta has let the world know: pain be damned, as long as Newell's Old Boys have a chance at qualifying for the 2011 Copa Libertadores, he wants to play.

While I admire his attitude on the matter, I also have to hope that a) he can play up to his usual standard, and b) does not further injure the wounded hand. Oh, and c) Newell's do manage to qualify for the Copa so that his time playing in pain are worth while.

That said, there is one change that is being made to the line up for the match against San Lorenzo on Sunday. Luciano Vella received his fifth yellow card of the season last weekend and will serve his one game suspention. In his place, Mauricio Sperdutti will move back to the right side of midfield, while Luis Rodríguez will be rewarded for his game winning goal against Boca and will start up front next to Iván Borghello.

Here, barring any further changes, is how Newell's will line up on Sunday:

Sebastián Peratta
Agustín Alayes, Rolando Schiavi, Gabriel Cichero
Mauricio Sperdutti, Diego Mateo, Lucas Bernardi, Marcelo Estigarribia
Mauro Formica
Luis Rodríguez, Iván Borghello

And for Los Cuervos, again, barring any forced changes:

Pablo Migliore
Sebastián Luna, Cristian Tula, Jonathan Bottinelli, Diego Placente
Salvador Reynoso, Juan Manuel Torres, Aureliano Torres
Leandro Romagnoli
Juan Carlos Menseguez, Gonzalo Rovira

From what I understand, the referee for the match will be Alejandro Toia, a man I have to admit I am not familiar with.

Meanwhile, I have it on good authority (a San Lorenzo fan) that Newell's will certainly have an easy win on their hands... and based on that, I am more worried about getting a result than I would be otherwise. Sure, Newell's opponents have not been having the best Apertura, but when someone from the other side tell me that his team is bound to lose to mine?

Thank You, Pulga

2010-11-28T17:46:00.000-05:00

After Racing Club beat hosts Banfield yesterday by a 2-1 score they took a two point lead over Newell's Old Boys for the final Libertadores qualifying position. That put added pressure on Newell's to get a win today against visiting Boca Jrs, and in the end La Lepra were up to the challenge... but barely.

Both Mauro Fórmica and Mauricio Sperdutti had chances in the first half where they were in against Boca keeper Hernán García, but failed to score. Sperdutti could not get control of the ball, and his first touch just rolled the ball to the waiting goalkeeper. Fórmica got a toe poke shot that García block, giving Fórmica another chance with the rebound, but that shot went wide.

Iván Borghello was replaced by Luis "La Pulga" Rodríguez in the 38th minute of the first half. Normally I have not been a big supporter of Rodriguez, and when I saw him coming on I was not exactly pleased with the decision made by coach Roberto Sensini. That continued as the team kept to the game strategy they came in with... lots of crosses into the box. If they were not working when the 5' 10" (1.78 meter) Borghello was in the box, what chance did they have with 5' 4" (1.62 meter) Pulga?

The answer came in the 85th minute of the second half when the Rodriguez received the ball at his feet not in the box, but just outside of it. He was given just enough room by the Boca defense to blast a shot towards the net that eluded García and give Newell's a 1-0 victory. Rodriguez celebrated by removing his shirt, earning him a yellow card, but considering the significance of the goal, Newell's first in, how long had it been, four games? I would take the card for the goal and three points myself.

Man of the match, in my opinion, goes to Sebastián Peratta. He really did not have any really difficult saves to make today, but he made all of them. No one else, on either team, had the kind of game that makes one stand up and take notice, so San Peratta earns the honors more through default... and the fact that I really like his new shirt. I hope to see him wearing it for quite some time... well, unless National Team coach Sergio Batista finally opens his eyes and gives him a look with the Albicelestes. Obviously when playing for one's nation sporting you domestic team's colors would be a bit cheeky to say the least.

So, Newell's remain in the hunt for a place in the Copa Libertadores. There are still more ways for Newell's to get knocked out than there are for them to qualify, including Independiente winning the Copa Sudamericana. (This is the first time that Copa Sudamericana winners will qualify for the Libertadores. Each South American nation has an allotted number of teams that can qualify for the Libertadores, and the winner of the Sudamericana will take up one of those slots for the country they are from.)

Next weekend Newell's will be in Buenos Aires to face another struggling team, San Lorenzo.

Who Will Host The World Cup In 2018 And 2022?

2010-11-25T21:12:00.002-05:00

I must admit, I've been putting this on the back burner for a bit too long. Way back in January I had done some research on the stadiums that had been submitted by each candidate for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups with the thought that I would put together this very article after the 2010 World Cup was over... what can I say, I am a lazy bastard sometimes. Between then and now Indonesia have withdrawn their bid, and each candidate has settled their bids down to one or the other year.

2018, The Candidates:

Belgium–Netherlands: Netherlands national team have in the past been one of the world's best teams that just has not been able win a World Cup. Belgium has never been a powerhouse, but as neither country has enough stadiums to host the event on their own they put their resources together. The catch here is that even then, to get those stadiums up to the required seating for a World Cup, just about every stadium will have to go under expansion. If they can manage it, the average seating of the stadiums with be around 49000.

England: Like them or not, England are the inventors of the modern game of Futbol, Football, or Soccer if you must. That being the case it is almost sad to say that they have only managed to win one World Cup, in 1966, as hosts. It is also a bit crazy that they have only hosted the event that one time, until you realize there have only been three countries to host the event twice: Mexico, Italy, and France (Brazil will become the fourth when they host in 2014.) Most of the stadiums are ready to go, with only four new structures to build. Average capacity is 53000.

Portugal-Spain: Spain, in theory, could host a World Cup on their own. They have, as mentioned above, already done so twice. Portugal, however, despite having a strong enough National Team, is a small nation, and with a geographical location that precludes any other joint venture... There are only three stadiums from Portugal in this bid, and all could be used as they are today. Spain matches those three in stadiums that are ready to go with out any expansions. The rest are either under construction, need expansion, or are only proposals - stadiums that are only likely to be built if this bid is accepted. Average stadium would hold around 55000.

Russia: Like many other candidates, a lot of construction and expansion of existing stadiums will have to be undertaken if they are chosen as 2018 hosts. If they succeed, and everything goes as planned they would still have to lowest average stadium capacity, just under 49000.

Strongest bid, in my opinion, is England, though I can see either of the joint bids getting the nod. Russia? I just do not see that happening.

2022:

This should, in theory, be a no brainer. Japan and South Korea, joint hosts back in 2002, have put in separate bids. Based on that fact alone, I cannot see them being taken as a serious bid. Then there is Qatar. Come on, can they seriously think they have a chance? If they were chosen teams would be faced with the prospect of playing in searing heat, average temperatures in the country at the time of year the tournament would run would be 104° during the heat of the day, lows of 86° (that is 40° Celcius, 30° Celcius.)

OK, that eliminates the obvious, which leaves the USA and Australia. Both of these bids face a prejudiced of mine... Australia has a list of stadiums that are primarily designed for cricket, and Australian Rules Football matches. Most will need some expansion. The USA stadiums are all designed as multipurpose stadiums, but their major function is that of being the home stadiums of teams that play in the NFL (National Football League... that is Football as in the Gridiron form of the game, closer to Rugby than Futbol,) or College teams, again of the American version of Football where the ball is not round, and the ball spends most of the time in the hands of one player or another. Thing is, none of the stadiums in the USA bid will require any sort of expansion. They are all existing, well maintained venues. This should give the USA bid the nod.

So why does it bother me, a native of the USA, that these the USA might, and most likely will, host the 2022 World Cup? The average stadium capacity is over 75000, far greater than any of the other candidates. Yet something about it just does not sit well with me. Certainly there must be a more deserving host. Australia do have a chance, and here is why: the USA already has hosted the event once, in 1994. They were given that event in an effort by FIFA to strengthen the popularity of the sport in a country that had barely acknowledge the sport even existed prior to that point. Before the bid for the 1994 World Cup the USA did not even have a league that got any television exposure, and MLS was born in 1993 as part of that bid. Considering that the MLS Cup Final, recently won by Colorado Rapids, set a record for the fewest television viewers in the history of the league is not a good sign.

Australia has long been more interested in Cricket, Rugby, and their own Australian Rules Football (anyone care to try and explain that sport's rules, feel free) than in Futbol. While they have had a Futbol league, the A-League, founded 2004 (OK, the first season was actually 2005/6,) they could still use the push that the USA received in 1994. That might just be enough for them to pull the rug out from under the feet of the USA.

A week from now the powers that be at FIFA will sit down and let the world know whom they have chosen to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Who would you pick?

Sensini Sticking With The Same Eleven

2010-11-25T16:05:00.000-05:00

After speculation at the beginning of the week had Roberto Sensini thinking about taking Gabriel Cichero out of the starting 11 and inserting Ignacio Fideleff word is now that Newell's Old Boys will not be making a single change to a line up that has lost the last three matches they have played (including the Copa Sudamericana loss to LDU Quito.) Cichero himself had this to say about Sunday's match against Boca Jrs: “With Boca we must return to be the Newell's that people know.” Yeah? I would say that should have been said right after the team got knocked out of the Copa, rather than after losing two additional games that should have been win. (OK, beating All Boys away might be a bit too much to say that about, but coming away with a point should have been possible.)

Moving right along, here are the expected line ups for both teams:

Newell's:
Sebastián Peratta
Agustín Alayes, Rolando Schiavi, Gabriel Cichero
Luciano Vella, Diego Mateo, Lucas Bernardi, Marcelo Estigarribia
Mauro Formica
Mauricio Sperdutti, Iván Borghello

Boca:
Javier García
Christian Cellay, Matías Caruzzo, Juan Insaurralde, Clemente Rodríguez
Gary Medel, Cristian Erbes, Matías Giménez
Cristian Chávez
Sergio Araujo, Martín Palermo

Referee: Diego Abal

Newell's are playing at home, check. They are playing a Boca team that is quickly falling apart and have generally not been playing well on the road, check. Juan Román Riquelme is injured and out for the rest of the season, check. Everything seems to point towards a Lepra victory, provided they can get back to playing the way they had been prior to the current losing streak.

And my personal message to Cichero? You better not get caught flatfooted against Palermo. He may be old, but he is still one of the most dangerous strikers playing in Argentina.

Kick off is at 5 PM local time on Sunday, or 3 pm EST here in the USA. That will give me time to watch the game before going over for my weekly Sunday get together with friends. My after match post may be late... unless I can pound it out faster than usual.

The Growing Pain

2010-11-20T18:34:00.002-05:00

What is that old saying? When you do not have anything good to say, keep your silence...

Well, if I did that today, I would not be able to report on the 2-0 loss that All Boys handed to Newell's Old Boys, well, unless I took on the point of view of an All Boys fan. Which I'm not going to do.

No, all I can say is that Newell's did not play well, or, to be more exact, it seems that everyone has learned how to play La Lepra ever sense LDU Quito knocked them out of the Copa Sudamericana. It seems simple, really. At the moment Newell's only have two attacking players who can mount any kind of threat, Mauricio Sperdutti and Mauro Fórmica. If you can shut them down, Newell's will not score.

Then there is the defense. Individually Rolando Schiavi, Agustín Alayes, and Gabriel Cíchero are fine players, but in almost every game this Apertura campaign there has at least one breakdown in the defense that leaves goalkeeper Sebastián Peratta to pull off a miracle save. Sciavi has been consistently solid, making few mistakes, Alayes has done well enough. Cichero, while he has improved after having terrible games the first few times out, was caught flatfooted on both All Boys goals, the first scored by Mauro Matos after a shot from the left wing hit the far post. On the second he simple stood in place as a cross came in from the left wing, Emanuel Perea jumping over the defender's back to get his head to the ball.

I cannot put to much blame on Cichero, a player who has done his best playing as a leftback. As long as Roberto Sensini insists on playing a three man backline the Venezuelan International will be forced to play as a centerback. That leads me to the other questionable move Sensini has made, that of Sperdutti from right midfield up to forward. While on the surface of things it would seem to make sense, Sperdutti leading the team in scoring for the Apertura with four goals, and none of the forwards brought in to "strengthen" the team has been much of a scoring threat. But he has not done his best work up front, but cutting in from his natural position on the right side of midfield. If I am not mistaken he has not scored sense being asked to play as a striker.

For those who can take the pain, here are the goals:

For those who cannot, here are the goals from the Almeria vs Barcelona match, won by Barca with eight unanswered goals, three from Lionel Messi:

Looking At Newell's Old Boys Copa Libertadores Chances

2010-11-17T22:58:00.001-05:00

For the moment, Newell's Old Boys are in a position to once again qualify for the 2011 edition of the Copa Libertadores with 52 points earned over 33 matches. But in truth the only certainties are Estudiantes, 70 points over the Clausura and Apertura, and Argentinos Jrs, as Clausura 2010 Champions.

Estudiantes and Vélez Sársfield are the two most likely teams to win the Apertura, but Newell's Libertadores qualification will not change as both teams will most likely qualify regardless of whether or not they win the title. However, should Arsenal, five points behind the joint leaders, manage to make a surge and claim the Apertura title Newell's could well be dropped out of the running for the tournament.

Other teams La Lepra have to be worried about are Banfield, who are a mere point behind them; Racing Club, a point behind Banfield; and even Lanús, who sit a further three points back. Independiente are six points from the current final qualifying spot, but considering their form in the domestic competition, and the fact that they have made it to the Copa Sudamericana Semifinals (where they will face LDU Quito, the team that knocked out Newell's in the Quarterfinals) means their focus will be else where.

Considering Newell's final five matches:

15	All Boys	Away
16	Boca Juniors	Home
17	San Lorenzo	Away
18	Olimpo BB	Home
19	Colón de Santa Fe	Away

All Boys have been playing well, and having to face them on their home turf is not going to be easy. That said, after the disappointment of being eliminated from the Copa Sudamericana, and last weekend's dramatic loss to Racing, Saturday's match against the team that dropped Bentral to the B could be pivotal.If we win, it could be clear sailing into the Copa Libertadores. A loss, or even a draw could make things very difficult.

Boca, however, have been playing poorly of late, and being that the match will be at home should make it a near guaranteed three points. San Lorenzo and Colón away will be difficult, but even a point from each match should be enough. Olimpo? Do I even have to say?

For a look at the qualification tables, check out: Wikipedia's entry on Argentina's Primera A 2010-11 season.

Sometimes I Wonder Why I Bother

2010-11-14T22:04:00.000-05:00

First off, I'll need to explain. Every Sunday night, with few exceptions, I have a get together with some friends of mine and we sit around a table and play games. Tonight was no exception, and so, while Newell's Old Boys were hosting Racing Club I was enjoying the company of these friends, and put the Apertura match out of my mind. When things rapped up a bit early, I rushed home in a attempt to see the last few moments, all the way wishing for a 2-0 victory... which is when Racing scored the only goals of the game.

Yes, that's right, I said goals. First up, they scored one that got called back for offsides. But then Gabriel Hauche put in an easy header in the 89th minute when Agustín Alayes failed to clear a cross his an attempt at a header of his own. That would have been bad enough, but then Pablo Lugüercio scored a second for Racing to give my hoped for 2-0 victory to the wrong side...

Adding to my fury was referee Federico Beligoy. I've had issues with this man before, as has the AFA, and while I can only make a judgment on the few moments I saw, all the yellow cards that were given out (five for Newell's and four Racing,) and the red card given to Newell's back up goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán seemed to come completely out of the blue.

Interestingly enough, the last time I had something to say about the way Beligoy handled a Newell's match was earlier this year, Febuary 28th to be exact, in a 5-2 victory over Banfield.

If anyone can fill me in on what happened during the rest of the game, please do.

Up next Newell's hit the road to face the team that sent Bentral down to the B. All Boys are having a decent enough Apertura, especially for a team that just made it back up to the Primera A after thirty years in the lower division.

Lineups For Newell's Old Boys And Racing Club

2010-11-13T17:53:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow Racing Club will venture to the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa to face Newell's Old Boys. For Newell's no changes are expected from the team that started the Copa Sudamerica match against LDU Quito this past week:

Sebastián Peratta
Agustín Alayes, Rolando Schiavi, Gabriel Cichero
Luciano Vella, Diego Mateo, Lucas Bernardi, Marcelo Estigarribia
Mauro Formica
Mauricio Sperduti, Iván Borghello

According to my source, players that have been mentioned as possible substitutes are goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán, defenders Alexis Machuca, and Ignacio Fideleff, midfielders Franco Dolci, Cristian Díaz, Carlos Vaca, and Leandro Velázquez, and forwards Daniel Salvatierra, and Luis Rodríguez. Two players will have to be cut from that list before the match. The easiest thing to say would be that either Machuca or Fideleff will be left out, as Sensini has generally only chosen one defender for the bench. After that, it will be one of the midfielder. Of those, I would say that only Velázquez is assured his spot. Dolci, Cristian Díaz, and Vaca all had strong games when they started against Godoy Cruz last weekend. Dolci is the veteran, so odds are he's in... but I would not bet on it.

We'll see what Sensini decides on tomorrow.

For Racing, from what I've found, will be lining up as follows:

Jorge De Olivera
Marcos Cáceres, Matías Martínez, Lucas Aveldaño, Matías Cahais
Patricio Toranzo, Claudio Yacob, José Luis Fernández
Giovanni Moreno
Gabriel Hauche, Claudio Bieler

Nothing To Be Ashamed Of

2010-11-11T00:37:00.000-05:00

Sebastián Peratta did everything in his power to give Newell's Old Boys a chance of making it past LDU Quito. It was not the loan goal that got past him that knocked La Lepra out of the Copa Sudamericana, it was the experience of playing in continental competition that the team from Equador brought with them.

You see, Newell's Old Boys, until this past year, had not qualified for such sense they won the 2004 Aperutura. Ealier this year Newell's qualified for the Copa Libertadores, but were knocked out in the first round. In qualifying for the Copa Sudamericana, facing Estudiantes de La Plata in the first round did not give much hope of making any further. To then make it to the Quarterfinals is an achievement. To have the misfortune to then have to face Quito... they won this same tournament last year, the Copa Libertadores the year before that, and have won the Recopa Sudamericana (match held between the previous years Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana winners) two years in a row, 2009 and 2010.

The man of the match, despite giving up the losing goal has to go to Newell's goalkeeper. If not for San Peratta de los Arqueros heroics the score line could well have been far greater. The goal that was the difference could not have been saved by any goalkeeper on Earth, living, dead, or yet to be born. Flaco, you deserved a better result. Unfortunately the miracle that was needed was at the other end of the pitch.

That is not to say that the team did not play well. Newell's problems, in my opinion, is the lack of a true goal scorer (oh, how we miss you Joaquín Boghossian.) There is also the lack of a threat from outside the penalty area. Yes, both Sperdutti and Formica are capable of doing so, but seldom do they take such shots. That is where we miss Vangioni, who, while he has not scored in some time, and is currently injuried, is known for taking a shot or two at range during a match.

The one disappointing thing about this match is that Newell's did have a chance to draw level, and thus make it past the Quarterfinals on away goals, during the last minute of the game. At this point I do not recall who was fouled, I'm am up way past my bed time, but the ensuing freekick should have been more dangerous than it was. I do not even recall who took it.

And so Newell's return to Rosario with no reason to be ashamed. Disappointed, certainly, but there is still reason to play on. The Apertura has six games remaining, Newell's are fighting to once again qualify for the Copa Libertadores, and there is still a chance at the Apertura title should Estudiantes and Vélez Sarsfield falter. Up next Racing Club visit Estadio Marcelo Bielsa on Sunday.

Only One Question: Cichero or Fideleff

2010-11-09T22:25:00.001-05:00

Finally got around to looking to see who Sensini plans on starting against LDU Quito tomorrow:

Sebastián Peratta
Agustín Alayes, Rolando Schiavi, Gabriel Cichero or Ignacio Fideleff
Luciano Vella, Diego Mateo, Lucas Bernardi, Marcelo Estigarribia
Mauro Formica
Mauricio Sperdutti, Iván Borghello

I am not sure who I prefer, Cichero or Fideleff, for this match. Honestly, it's a difficult choice. I would prefer Leonel Vangioni over Estrigarribia, but after his knee surgery Leo will not be seeing any action for a month and a half.

In addition to the players listed about Nahuel Guzmán, Lucas Hoyos, Alexis Machuca, Cristián Díaz, Franco Dolci, Leandro Velázquez, Daniel Salvatierra, Luis Rodríguez, and Sebastián Taborda are making the trip. With either Cichero or Fideleff taking up a space on the bench there is only room for six more substitutes. Guzmán is a given, so third keeper Hoyos is just along for the ride. I am certainly hoping that Taborda gets left out, as he has yet to impress me. Cristián Díaz, despite playing well against Godoy Cruz, probably will be left out. If he is included on the bench I am at a loss as to who else might get bumped.

Time will tell, and we are only some 24 hours from learning just what Sensini has planned.

LDU Quito vs Newell's Old Boys... Who Holds The Advantage?

2010-11-09T20:26:00.000-05:00

The question, and it's answer, may seem easy at first glance. After the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana Quarter final between Newell's Old Boys and LDU Quito ended in a 0-0 draw in Rosario the advantage would seem to go to the Quito as they will be playing at home, and at altitude. But is it really that easy?

Let's consider, with the score going into the second leg a scoreless draw Quito has no away goals to rely on. Because of this, if there are goals scored in the second leg, all Newell's would need to get through to the Semifinals is keep the score level. And while the altitude, some 2,850 meters (9,350 feet,) may present a problem for the team from Rosario (which is 31 meters above sea level, that's 102 feet,) it is not as bad as what the players had to deal with when facing San Jose in Bolivia (3,706 meters - 12,159 feet.)

Yes, yes, I know that Newell's lost to San Jose 2-0 at altitude, but they went into the match with a 6-0 lead from the home leg. They knew they could coast a bit and still make it through. There was no reason not to. Against Quito Newell's will be looking for a result.

Going into this match they then have had the recent experience of playing closer to the sky than the sea. There is also the matter of the way Quito played that first leg, putting defense above anything else. Putting eight men behind the ball at home is unlikely, and will give Newell's offense more room to operate, so I have to think that there is a chance for victory... or at least a draw that will see them through.

But to answer the question of who holds the advantange? My head still says it is Quito, but not by as much as they should like. My heart, however, says Fórmica, Sperdutti, Schiavi, Peratta, and the rest of the boys may prove that when you play with passion any disadvantage can be turned around and taken advantage of.

So let us reach for the sky, and see who's stars shine. Some one will have to step forward and say "this day is mine."

May that man, or men, be wearing red and black!

A Point Well Earned

2010-11-06T19:58:00.000-04:00

When you go into an away game against a team that is a mere point behind you in the standings you should be happy with any points that you can walk away with. When you hold them to a 0-0 draw while fielding a team made up of a couple of regulars, a bunch of players who usually on the bench at the start of the match, and a defender making his first appearance for the first team? I, for one, am more than happy with Newell's Old Boys point away to Godoy Cruz.

The only disappointing thing in this game (other than the ineffectiveness of forwards Luis Rodriguez and Sebastián Taborda) is that midfielder Cristian Díaz had a wonderful opportunity called back for offsides. The replay showed quite clearly that he was not, and while he did place a rather nice shot into the back of the Godoy Cruz net Sebastián Torrico, to give the devil his due, may have been able to make the save had the referee not blown his whistle.

Godoy Cruz also had a goal called back, but that was on a clear attempt to emulate Maradona by handing the ball into the net. Instead of being awarded the goal David Ospina Ramírez "Hand of Man" was spotted by the officials and resulted in referee Germán Delfino carding the midfielder for his effort.

For the night it was only shot that got by Sebastián Peratta, though he did mishandle one shot. The rebound was bounced off the post, and so the clean sheet was maintained. His performance otherwise was nothing short of brilliant which would make him the easy pick for man of the match, but I'm reserving that for another player.

In my opinion the man who deserves that accolade is one Carlos Vaca, making only his third appearance for the first team. Not only did he did he handle a tough assignment of playing along Franco Dolci as Newell's double fives in place of Lucas Bernardi and Diego Mateo, but it was his passing ability that lead to many of the offensive forays into Godoy Cruz territory for La Lepra. He even had a chance to score himself, but put the shot wide.

With the point Newell's have solidified their fourth place position in the Apertura with 22 points. They are now eight points back from leaders Estudiantes, who trounced Lanus last night 3-0. Banfield, River Plate and San Lorenzo could jump up with in a point of Newell's with wins tomorrow. Third place Arsenal de Sarandí are only two points ahead of Newell's after a 2-2 draw away to Racing Club.

Up next, it's off to Ecuador for the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana Quarterfinal against LDU Quito.

Thinking One Match Ahead

2010-11-05T20:35:00.000-04:00

Planning for the Copa Sudamericana Quarterfinal second leg Newell's Old Boys coach Roberto Sensini has announced a makeshift team to face Godoy Cruz in tomorrow's Apertura match in Mendoza. The only regulars set to play are goalkeeper Sebastián Peratta, defender Gabriel Cichero (returning from injury,) and midfielder Luciano Vella.

Here's the expected lineup:

Sebastián Peratta
Alexis Machuca, Cristian Lema, Gabriel Cichero
Luciano Vella, Franco Dolci, Carlos Vaca, Cristian Díaz
Leandro Velázquez
Luis Rodríguez, Sebastián Taborda

Of the others who will play Machuca and Dolci are the two who I have confidence in. The rest? Lema will be making his debut. Vaca made his debut during the Clausura 2009, playing two games, and hasn't been seen sense. Cristian Diaz has only appeared in four matches in his career. Velázquez hasn't gotten enough playing time to really judge. Rodriguez has a pair of goals in the Apertura, but those were wide open chances that were so easy to score on he almost would have had to have been dead to miss them. Taborda... well, I've given him the nickname The Great Tree Stump for a reason. Let's hope he can make me eat those words.

Yes, this is a grand experiment, one that hopefully will be a pleasant surprise and Newell's will walk away from the match with at least a point. I'll be happy with any kind of respectable result that does not cause the younger players in this lineup any loss in confidence.

Also traveling with the team will be Nahuel Guzmán, Ignacio Fideleff, Mauricio Scaglia, Marcelo Estigarribia, Martín Tonso (reserve team playmaker, just traveling for the experience), Mauro Formica, Mauricio Sperdutti, Daniel Salvatierra, and Emanuel Dening. As there is only room on the substitutes bench for seven players, and Tonso not expected to be anywhere near the pitch, my guess is that Dening will be the other player left behind. But, hey, if it were up to me both Scaglia and Salvatierra would be in the starting eleven. We'll see what Sensini does tomorrow...

Not The Result We Were Looking For

2010-11-02T23:28:00.000-04:00

Well, the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana Quarterfinal between Newell's Old Boys and LDU Quito has got to be called a success for the team from Ecuador. They came out and played like they were looking for a 0-0 tie, and that's exactly what they got.

Mauricio Sperdutti was the best player of the game, but when the opposition decides to pack eight men behind the ball, there really isn't much you can expect to do. Sure, Mauro Fórmica did not produce much, but he often found himself surrounded by four men dressed in white when he had the ball anywhere near the Quito penalty area. Borghello had a few decent chances, but nothing where he was a clear threat to score. Bringing in Taborda and La Pulga Rodriguez on late in the game added nothing new to the offense that was simple smothered by the visiting teams ultra defensive tactics. I still have to say that Taborda may as well be a tree stump in the middle of the pitch.

Really, there's only a couple of points of interest that stand out in my memory from this match. The first is the head injury to Carlos "Chino" Luna. He was going up against Rolando Schiavi for a head ball, never a bright thing to do, and fell so that when Schiavi came down from his leap to head the ball Luna's head was right under the right foot of El Flaco. No foul was committed, nor called, but Chino was left with one side of his face nearly covered in his own blood. The cut was attended to on the sidelines, and he returned to the pitch, looking much like a pirate... all he needed was a parrot and an eye patch to complete the effect.

Other than that, Lucas Bernardi lost his temper twice in the first half. The first time it was quickly dealt with by the intervention of his teammates. Unfortunately the second time, after a rather mundane foul on Borghello was called, resulted in a yellow card for the veteran midfielder. The defender argued the call, and Bernardi proceed to get into a bit of a shoving match with him. Soon enough there was a bit of a meeting of the minds on the field as both teams congregated to discuss the matter.

Quito midfielder William Araujo also received a yellow card for this little get together, though I'm not sure why. Things were kind of happening faster than I could follow at that point.

All in all, though, the card situation did fall in Newell's favor. I'm not sure how many cards the individual players have, but only Bernardi and Mateo picked up yellows, while Quito had six players carded. I hope that this will not effect Newell's double fives from playing in the second leg, and if even one or two Quito players have to sit it out you will not see me crying about it.

So, it's on to the second leg... but first Newell's will be facing Godoy Cruz in the match that had been scheduled for last weekend, but now will be played this weekend.

Oh, and one final word. I once again have to question Roberto Sensini on his sanity. He once again replaced a defender, Ignacio Fideleff, to bring on an additional striker Sebastián Taborda. I really don't understand this move. Why not just have Nacho move forward? While he hasn't scored in some time, he has still looked more dangerous in scoring situation than I have ever seen the Great Tree Stump look.

Newell's vs LDU Quito Preview

2010-10-31T14:35:00.000-04:00

With no futbol in Argentina this weekend I've had some time to look into Newell's Old Boys next opponent in the Copa Sudamericana. On the official Liga de Ecuador website they are listed as Liga de Quito, their full name is Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito, though many just list them as LDU Quito. They won the Copa Sudamericana last year, beat Estudiantes LP in the Recopa Sudamericana (the match between the Copa Sudamericana and Libertadores champions) on penalties. They currently are in first place in Ecuador with 39 points from 17 games. No, this is no light weight opponent, and for Newell's to get past them is going to take the team playing at their best.

Quito are managed by an Argentine coach, Edgardo Bauza. As a player Bauza played for Rosario Central, and his first job as coach was with that club. That should give La Lepra some added incentive going into the first leg at home on Tuesday.

They also have a couple of players from Argentina. Forward Carlos Luna was brought into the team just this years from Tigre. Luna is a dangerous player and will have to be watched carefully as he's always a threat to score.

The other Argentine player is defender Norberto Araujo, who has been with Quito sense 2007. This veteran (age 32) I know little of, as he has spent little time playing in his homeland. In fact his first professional match was for Turun Palloseura in Finland of all places. Interestingly enough, Norberto was born in Rosario. Let's hope that his homecoming does not give him a reason to celebrate.

The only other foreigner on the club is Uruguayan forward Juan Manuel Salgueiro, on loan from Estudiantes LP. While he was playing for Estudiantes last year, I don't recall seeing him play much. Doing a bit of research I see that he started 15 games, and came on as a sub 3 times for the team from La Plata, while only scoring twice. For Quito he has managed to score 9 times in 36 games, 5 off the bench.

For Newell's there are three players who are definitely not be available for the match. Defender Gabriel Cichero is still out, as well as defensive midfielder Raúl Villalba. Just injured Leonel Vangioni has had his knee put under the knive of a surgeon... I have yet to see how long he might be out, but I suspect at least a month before he can even start working on getting back.

On a good note, both Luciano Vella and Ignacio Fideleff (pictured) have recovered from minor injuries. I'm not sure what happened with Vella, as word of his recovery is the first I've heard of it. Nacho, on the other hand, took a nasty blow to the head during Newell's last Apertura match.

Newell's expected line up:

Sebastián Peratta
Agustín Alayes, Rolando Schiavi, Ignacio Fideleff
Luciano Vella, Lucas Bernardi, Diego Mateo, Marcelo Estigarribia
Mauro Formica
Mauricio Sperduti, Iván Borghello

This Just In - NO APERTURA THIS WEEKEND!

2010-10-27T21:13:00.000-04:00

Alright, Mauro Fórmica WILL be rested this weekend, like it or not. In fact, every player on every team will be getting a rest as this weekend's matches through out all of Argentina have been postponed due to the death of former president, and current first husband Néstor Kirchner.

For more on that check out Haste El Gol Siempre.

El Gato Talks Of Leaving

2010-10-27T21:00:00.000-04:00

The Apertura isn't over, and the Copa Sudamericana raging on, Newell's Old Boys have their sights on both titles. That hasn't stopped the transfer rumors from starting up... as if they ever really stop.

The current word going around is that Palmeiras from Brasil are interested in Mauro "El Gato" Fórmica. Mauro has proven sense he took over the playmaker role at Newell's that he's a capable performer. He can set up his teammates, dribble around defenders, and is a fine finisher in his own right. Anyone who has been following this blog knows that he's been my favorite current player for some time... though I have to admit that Mauricio Sperdutti is rapidly making a case to take over that spot this season, but let's not get off the topic at hand.

Fórmica himself has come out and stated that before he goes anywhere he wants to win a championship with Newell's. With seven games to go Newell's sit in fourth place with 21 points, 6 points off the pace being set by league leaders Estudiantes. In the Copa Sudamericana they have made it to the quarterfinals, where they will be facing current holders LDU Quito. Roberto Sensini has said that he'd like to rest El Gato over the weekend when they face Godoy Cruz in order to have him well rested for the midweek Copa first leg next week, but Mauro has counter that the team can't let their current high standing in the Apertura go to waste.

Both men have points, but in the end it will be Sensini who makes the call. In this case, I'm a bit split on the call. Yes, I've been calling for Sensini to rest players, but against these two teams? No, the time to rest players is when your facing weaker opposition, not teams that are going to be tough to beat. Godoy Cruz have been developing into one of the better teams in Argentina, though they often get overlooked due to the fact that they come from Mendoza. Quito, as current holders of the Copa Sudamericana title, cannot be taken lightly. It is a very difficult call to make, and I am glad to leave it to Sensini to have to deal with.

In other news, Newell's old guard of Diego Mateo, Rolando Schiavi and Lucas Bernardi have all agreed to stay around a bit longer. Mateo has signed a two year extension, while Schiavi and Bernardi have both added one. I'm sure once they finish those, should they be willing and physically able, Newell's will be glad to keep them on the books.

Early Sperdutti Header Wins The Day

2010-10-25T20:20:00.001-04:00

Newell's Old Boys beat Gimnasia de La Plata 1-0, but the three points didn't come with out a cost. Leonel Vangioni and Ignacio Fideleff both came away from the match with injuries. Both were starters, and both were expected to be fixtures in the starting eleven before preseason injuries kept them from playing.

Alexis Machuca entered the match for Fideleff at the half time after suffering a blow to the head. The injury seems serious, as he was kept in hospital overnight with headaches, nausea, and temporary memory loss. He stated that after the incident he returned to the field, but could not recall anything that happened between then and the end of the first half. This sounds like a sever concussion, but the doctors have released him with a clean bill of health.

Vangioni, on the other hand, has a torn meniscus in his right knee, which, depending on how sever it is could see him out for a considerable amount of time. Vangioni had been Newell's most consistent player over the past few years, but now seems to have hit a patch were he just can't avoid getting injured. Hopefully the tear isn't serious, and he can get back to training shortly... but this may just be the injury blow that puts fighting battles on two fronts (Apertura and Copa Sudamericana) at risk.

And, of course, it was Vangioni who set up the lone goal of the game, scored by Mauricio Sperdutti. With the win Newell's jumped up to fourth place with 21 points, six behind league leaders Estudiantes LP.

Up next Newell's travel to Mendoza to face the under rated Godoy Cruz, who sit a mere point below Newell's. Interesting enough, that might just give the edge to the club from Rosario, as Godoy Cruz has played better on the road than at home. They've played six home matches so far, and split them evenly, two wins, two draws, and two losses. Compare that to their road record, where they've won three, tied three, and haven't loss.

Newell's, however, have yet to lose on the road. Thing is they only have one road victory to go with four draws. Come the weekend, we will see what happens when these two teams collide.

Family And Friends Do Come First...

2010-10-24T16:11:00.000-04:00

Again social commitments are going to keep me from watching another Newell's Old Boys match, this time it is the Apertura match up against Gimnasia de la Plata.

Gabriel Cichero is still out injured, so Rolando Schiavi will still be allowed to play tonight, thanks to article 225. Mauricio Sperduti will return to the starting eleven in place of Franco Dolci. The line up tonight should, baring any last minute changes, look like this:

Sebastián Peratta
Agustín Alayes, Rolando Schiavi, Ignacio Fideleff
Luciano Vella, Diego Mateo, Lucas Bernardi, Marcelo Estigarribia
Mauro Formica
Mauricio Sperduti, Iván Borghello

With the game at home, against the team sitting in last place, a win should be a sure thing. That said, it did not work out that way against Quilmes, who still have yet to win a single game this Apertura. I expect to get around to writing about the Gimnasia match tomorrow evening.

Also, a quick correction, as the next Copa Sudamericana match for Newell's will not be this week, but the next.

In the meantime, Rosario Central continue to flounder down in the B. After a 2-0 loss to Boca Unitos they took another loss as coach Reinaldo Merlo has left the team. With a record of 4 wins, 4 ties, and 4 losses they have risen above the relegation zone, but with eight teams ahead of them in the race back up to the Primera A the much traveled Merlo decided to call it a day. Here's the list of the team's he's been in charge of sense 1989:

Los Andes
River Plate
Argentina U-20
Argentina U-17
Bolívar
Deportes Temuco
Chacarita Juniors
Atlético Nacional
Belgrano
Racing Club
Estudiantes LP
River Plate
Racing Club
Barcelona SC
Rosario Central

That's 15 jobs in 21 years. Considering that he wasn't coaching during the years 1992, 1994, 1996-97, and 2003, it means the man has a record of not sticking around for much more than a year at any given coaching job. Makes one wonder why anyone in their right mind would hire him in the first place... oh, wait, it was Central that hired him.

Here are Boca Unidos highlights from their victory over Sinas:

San José Win, But Newell's Old Boys Advance

2010-10-22T21:14:00.000-04:00

Considering that the match was played at 3700 meters above sea level, is there any surprise that the home team had an advantage? True is, from what I saw (I only managed to watch the second half, and only with half an eye at that) San José still weren't all that impressive. It was more a case of Newell's playing conservatively, not exerting themselves beyond playing to keep the 6-0 lead they had taken in the home leg of this Copa Sudamericana match up.

The 2-0 win for the home side certainly gave San José a bit of pride after their humiliation in Rosario, while not putting any kind of dent in La Lepra's celebration on making it through to the next round.

Really, the only down side to last night's game was yellow cards picked up by Peratta and Iván Borghello. There were two other yellows given to Newell's players, but Dolci and Velázquez haven't been key players, so no harm there, really. The only one I was was that of Velázquez. He was going for a chance at goal, but San José keeper Eloy Padilla got to the ball a split second ahead of him. The sliding midfielder ended up planting both sets of studs into the chest of the net minder, he was lucky the referee didn't pull a red, really.

For those who can bare watching the goals:

And for those who have just watched them, and need something to cheer them up, here's a little something I discovered while looking for the above clip:

Up next, it's back to Rosario to host Gimnasia De La Plata on Sunday for a Apertura match... and then the Copa Sudamericana action continues as Newell's will host the first leg of their next match up midweek against Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito of Equador. That's one long name for a team. I think I'll just call the Quito from here on...

Just A Few Words Before San José vs Newell's Kick Off

2010-10-21T19:41:00.000-04:00

Why do they schedule these matches for Thursday nights?

Ah, well. I will try to see what I can of the game, but, as I have stated previously in these pages (yes, web sites do have pages... don't they?) Thursday nights has been a night where a group of my friends have been getting together for not quite thirty years. As I've been hosting for the last few years, it would be rather rude of me to ignore my guests to watch the game... if only they were futbol fans as well...

But such is life, and sometimes such things prevent me from watching Newell's play. It's happened before, and will no doubt happen again. Considering Newell's go into tonight's match against hosts San José with a 6-0 aggregate lead, I'm confident La Lepra will in fact make it through to the next round. If I was a betting man I would likely place every penny I have on it... if I could find a sap willing to bet against me at even odds.

No matter what happens, I will post my thoughts on the result tomorrow evening. Hopefully there isn't any incidents like what happened during Independiente's 4-2 home win over Defensor Sporting Tuesday night. If you haven't seen, or heard about it, a fan threw a rock and struck Defensor's keeper in the head. This caused a delay in the match as he was bleeding all over the place, and had to not only get patched up, but change kits (uniform, for those of you who don't know that term) as well.

A Look At Newell's Trip To Bolivia

2010-10-19T21:41:00.000-04:00

Alright, time to look at Newell's Old Boys Copa Sudamericana trip to Bolivia, and who we can expect Roberto Sensini to send out to defend La Lepra's 6-0 first leg lead over San José de Oruro.

Considering the advantage, one might expect Newell's to rest a few players. Maybe keep the veterans out for the game at altitude to keep them fit, and free of any additional cards they might otherwise pick up. Not according to the reports I've seen, all of which have Sensini only having three player that may or may not play, but all looking at the same spot in the line up. The other ten slots will be unchanged from what we've been seeing, save for Formica moving up to forward from his midfield position.

Here's what I've seen reported:

Sebastián Peratta
Agustín Alayes, Rolando Schiavi, Ignacio Fideleff;
Luciano Vella, Diego Mateo, Lucas Bernardi, Marcelo Estigarribia
Mauricio Sperdutti, Franco Dolci, or Leonel Vangioni
Mauro Formica, Iván Borghello

Now, it would make sense to rest Sperdutti, I suppose. He's been playing very well of late, coming into his own, really. So much so that, according an earlier story I read, he's got the interest of French team Toulouse... but we have a ways to go before the January transfer window, and at this stage con only be looked at as a rumor. He's been the team's best offensive weapon so far this season, so keeping him out of this game and ready to go for Sunday's Apertura match against Gimnasia La Plata would seem to be the way to go.

Considering that Dolci has not played much, and did in fact have a very good game against Banfield, playing him makes all kinds of sense. Run him out there, and see if he can keep it playing quality futbol.

Vangioni I desperately want to see earn his place in the starting eleven. Certainly he's not quite match fit as yet, but with a 6-0 aggregate lead, why not get him out there? Let's see if he can't go a full 90. Once he is back to full match fitness, I'm sure he will play as well as ever, and prove yet again to be the team's most reliably consistent performer.

Other players I'd like to see given a rest in this match are Schiavi, Mateo, and Formica. Alexis Machuca has proven he is capable of coming in and playing well at centerback, which would allow the 37 year old Schiavi a rest. Yes, I know, he may be 37, but he has a 20 year old's mentality about the game. He won't want to sit out, but if there was ever a time that Newell's could afford to sit him down for a match, this certainly is it.

Dolci played against Banfield in Bernardi's place, so why not have him play in place of Mateo? For Formica, we could bring in either Leandro Velázquez or young Daniel Salvatierra. My preference would be for Salvatierra, but Velázquez really hasn't gotten enough playing time with Newell's to prove himself one way or the other. I also wouldn't mind seeing Estigarribia on the bench, but that's just my preference for Vangioni on the left side of midfield.

So, if I was in Sensini's place, Thursday's line up might look something like this:

Sebastián Peratta
Agustín Alayes, Alexis Machuca, Ignacio Fideleff;
Luciano Vella, Franco Dolci, Lucas Bernardi, Marcelo Estigarribia or Leonel Vangioni
Leonel Vangioni or Leandro Velázquez
Daniel Salvatierra, Iván Borghello

With a six goal lead, even playing at in the Bolivian altitude, getting through to the next round of the Copa is as near a sure thing as one can get. Really, Sensini, you could even take these changes further and I doubt that San José are going to threaten to knock us out at this point.

Defender Cristian Lema has yet to play, I don't think he's even been on the bench for a match. Midfielder Cristian Díaz has barely played, and has spent some time with Real Potosí in the Bolivian league, so he knows what it's like to play in the mountains, why not give him a chance? Young defensive midfielder Mauricio Scaglia could be of use, and, from what I've seen of him, would be capable of doing the job well enough. Luis Rodríguez or Sebastián Taborda could be given another try up front.

Other players who haven't gotten much of a chance to prove themselves are midfielders Alejandro Cascio and Federico Dominguez, and forwards Emanuel Dening (OK, what chances he's gotten - none this season - he hasn't impressed me... so what? Considering my questioning of Dolci before the game against Banfield, and then the way he played, anything is possible) and Federico Falcone.

Frustration All Around - Banfield 0 Newell's 0

2010-10-16T21:56:00.001-04:00

The game was barely started when Banfield hit the woodwork. The rebound should have been buried, but Peratta continues to make his case for becoming San Sebastian de los Arqueros, making a miracle save. Later, just before half time he made the save of the night to preserve the scoreless draw. Why this man does not get more recognition outside of Rosario I'll never know.

Beyond that this wasn't the most entertaining match I've ever sat through. To give those who did not see the game an idea, the announcers spent much of the match naming players who had played for both teams rather than calling the match in play.

Both teams played well enough, but both defenses out played their offensive counterparts. Man of the match honors for Newell's? Hmmm, tough call, I'm going to give it to Rolando Schiavi, who had a wonderful night defensively, followed by Peratta, and then Diego Mateo. Honorary mention goes to Franco Dolci, who made me eat my own words tonight. He isn't the defensivemidfieder that Lucas Bernardi is, but he went out and played very well tonight, and had two outstanding shots that were headed for the lower left corner of the net saved by Banfield keeper Enrique Bologna.

One of the most entertaining moments of the match was when a Banfield attacker over extended himself in trying to take on Schiavi. El Flaco didn't even touch him, no foul was called, but Rolando proved himself a class act by kicking the ball out of bounds so the injured player could be looked at. He may well be the dirtiest defender in the league, but the man does have a heart.

Up next, it's off to Bolivia to face San José in the Copa Sudamericana.

This Is Not What I Was Asking For...

2010-10-14T20:23:00.000-04:00

Word comes today that Newell's Old Boys will be resting a couple of players this weekend. Problem is that it's injury worries that have forced Sensini's hand. Gabriel Cichero arrived back from international duty with a knock that will keep him from returning to the line up, and this morning Lucas Bernardi showed up with x-rays of some sort (damn my poor Spanish) that means he will also miss the match with Banfield.

Newell's line up against Banfield, in all probability, will be:

Peratta
Alayes, Schiavi, Fideleff
Vella, Mateo, Dolci, Estigarribia
Formica
Sperduti, Borghello

Due to the injury to Cichero the team has asked, and apparently received permission, to field team captain Rolando Schiavi. He was due to, and will still have to, serve the suspension for last weekend's red card. Here I have to ask why, as Alexis Machuca is available... of course, after Alexis Newell's are short on experienced centerbacks, so I'm not complaining too much about this one.

Franco Dolci will be replacing Bernardi. Now here I have a problem. Dolci is far from an ideal replacement for Lucas. This, if anything, is an indication that a) Raúl Villalba has not recovered from the injury he picked up earlier this season, and b) the team spent all it's time during the transfer season chasing forwards, so much time that certain midfield (as well as defensive) positions aren't deep enough to cover for such a pile up of injuries.

To illustrate my point, the team has nine forwards on the first team's books at the moment, and the one who has been most effect is Mauricio Sperdutti, who leads the team with three goals during the Apertura... wait a minute, Mauricio isn't even listed as a forward, he's a midfielder who's been moved up front because none of the forward were getting the job done.

But what do I know? I'm just a fan who follows the team from a strange land where the vast majority of the population cares little for Futbol, and, if they can name any teams from Argentina, only know of River Plate and Boca Juniors.

A Few Words From El Flaco Peratta

2010-10-13T21:35:00.001-04:00

In the wake of my wondering if and when Newell's Old Boys coach Robert Sensini would rest a player or two Saturday's hero Sebastián Peratta has come out and stated that the draw against Quilmes may well have been an indication that the team was fatigued from the extra games the Copa Sudamericana has brought to the schedule.

He then went on to explain that the team is fighting to do well on both fronts, which is what every Lepra wants. But would it really hurt to allow some of the older veterans to rest for a game now and then? I'm not saying they should all miss the same match, but rotating them certainly should be possible.

Seba also talked about La Lepra's position with in the current league elite. "Estudiantes and Vélez are in step, behind them are Banfield and Godoy Cruz, who play well but get little recognition. After that I believe is where we come."

As for the call of many a Lepra that Peratta should be in goal for Argentina, well, the keeper acknowledged that it would be a great honor, but one that is out of his hands.

For those who can speak Spanish (and read it as well) the full article can be found at Rosario3.com.

Starting To Look Like A One Horse Race

2010-10-10T16:04:00.000-04:00

I missed all but the opening few moment's of last nights clash between Newell's Old Boys and Quilmes due to social commitments, so I can't say much about the match. It ended a 1-1 tie, Schiavi collected two yellow card for a red (guess he'll get to rest for a game or two now,) and Seba Peratta saved an injury time penalty to preserve the draw.

Meanwhile, Estudiantes may have bowed out of the Copa Sudamericana (thanks to Newell's,) but they have taken a rather large lead in the Apertura standings. After a 2-0 home win over Olimpo de Bahía Blanca La Pincha have 25 points after ten matches. That gives them a five point lead over second place Arsenal de Sarandí, and with Newell's losing ground with the draw yesterday La Lepra are a full eight points back.

The point was enough to place La Lepra into the top five, but if both Vélez Sarsfield win or draw and River Plate win Newell's will drop back down to sixth. Not bad considering how the season started, but Quilmes was a team they should have been able to beat. The match was at home, Quilmes has yet to win a match, and the fact that it took last minute heroics from Peratta from taking three points...

Up next, it's off to Buenos Aires to face Banfield.

Fireworks In The Stands And On The Field

2010-10-07T08:23:00.000-04:00

I thought that Newell's Old Boys home leg against San José de Oruro would be easy, but this easy? All I was really hoping for was a good 3-0 win so that La Lepra would have a comfortable lead going into the second leg of this Copa Sudamericana match up, which will be played in Bolivia, at an elevation of some 3700 meters (that's 12,159 feet.) To contrast that, Rosario is at 31 meters (102 ft.)

The stands were packed for this match, and the pre-game fireworks (provided by individual fans, as far as I could tell) were a sight. This type of activity does worry me at bit, but I have yet to hear of any injuries caused by such. Newell's then proceeded to light up the field with fireworks of there own, setting a team record 6-0 victory in a continental competition. Now if that isn't enough of a lead going into the second leg, well... I suppose Sensini could choose to by pass even the reserves and send out one of Newell's youth sides.

Adding to the awe that I have for this performance, there was also a goal that was called back for being offsides, and Mauricio Sperdutti had a clear opportunity to score, with only keeper Eloy Padilla to beat, miss the far post by about the diameter of the ball. Then there was the performance from team captain, Rolando Schiavi. El Flaco has scored from penalties, and headers for the vast majority of the goals he has scored in his long and illustrious career. Last night, however, he scored two goals with his feet, and the second was as beautiful a volley as I have ever seen. Not bad for a guy playing at an age when many players have long sense retired (37.) He almost notched a third, as well, but the cross from Sperdutti was just a bit too far in front of a sliding Schiavi to be considered a real chance.

Not to be out done, playmaker Mauro Fórmica also scored two goals, one in each half. He also shanked an attempt at a volley of his own that meet his shin rather than his foot, and had a shot stopped by Padilla which saw Diego Mateo pick up the rebound and crush it into the side netting... there is a reason that he stays back on freekicks and corners.

Sandwiched between Schiavi and Fórmica second goals a man stepped up whom I have previously stated was only good for drawing foul (which he still did plenty of in this match.) Yes, Marcelo Estigarribia, the man who's last name I'll never pronounce correctly, had a chance to score and mad no mistake. Still not enough for me not to want Leonel Vangioni back in the line up, but at least I can now saw that the Paraguayan can do more than fall down.

While the commentators seemed split between El Gato and El Flaco Schiavi for man of the match, I'm throwing Mauricio Sperdutti into the mix as a third candidate. While he didn't score himself, he did everything but. He was the man who delivered the ball to Schiavi for both of goals scored by the veteran defender, the first from a corner, the second from a freekick. And, oh yes, there was that one other freekick that Sperdutti took that found Schiavi for a header that Padilla managed to fend off... OK, there is one thing I wish he would stop doing, and that's try and come back to help out the defensive... I think I've mentioned that a time or two before.

Rounding out the scoring was the first goal from a young man with a bright future, Daniel Salvatierra. He came on midway through the second half for Iván Borghello, and proceeded to give the Bolivian sides defense fits. When he scored the final goal of the match during injury time it may as well have been the final nail in the Copa Sudamericana coffin for San José. 6-0 is a bit of a mountain to climb, even at altitude.

Up next we are back to Apertura action as Quilmes visit Rosario on Saturday. This should be another easy match, as Los Cerveceros (The Brewers) have yet to win a match after nine played. Kick off is scheduled for 8:30 PM local time.

San José de Oruro Beware, Newell's Will Not Be Taking You Lightly

2010-10-04T20:46:00.000-04:00

www.rosario3.com comes through with another preview of who we might see on the field for Newell's Old Boys, this time for Wednesday's Copa Sudamericana first leg clash against San José de Oruro (Bolivia.)

Sebastián Peratta
Agustín Alayes, Rolando Schiavi, Ignacio Fideleff
Luciano Vella, Diego Mateo, Lucas Bernardi, Marcelo Estigarribia
Mauro Formica
Mauricio Sperduti, Iván Borghello

And I've confirmed it via La Capital as well. The good news is that it proves that Sensini is taking the Copa seriously. While I don't mind seeing Gabriel Cíchero sit out in favor of Fideleff, but the truth is that he's not exactly going to be resting... he's been called up for National Team duty with Venezuela.

So, it's the full starting eleven as it has evolved over the course of the Apertura (though I'd expect Leonel Vangioni to win his place back from Estigarribia once fully fit.) I have no problem with this, as long as everyone remains healthy. With some of the teams older veterans playing so many games could wear on them.

Schiavi at 37 is the eldest, and while he loves to play as much as he did when he was much younger, but he could certainly use a rest here and there should Newell's continue to advance in the Copa while trying to maintain their place in the Apertura standings. Same could be said for the team's double 5s. Mateo (32) has played some outstanding futbol, but has been prone to injuries, while Bernardi (33) has just recently made his way back onto the squad from an off season injury.

Even some of the younger players could probably end up using a rest some time down the line if the team continues deep into the continental competition. Just about every time Formica gets fouled he comes up holding his right side/hip is a prime example.

The more games they have to play, the harder they are going to be. San José deserves some accolades for qualifying, but are likely to be Newell's weakest opponents... certainly easier than Estudiantes were. If Sensini isn't about to rest a player or two now... then when?

(OK... looking just a little past the Copa, this weekend Newell's will be hosting Quilmes, the only team in the Primera A with out a win after nine games. Maybe Sensini will run out the reserves for that game.)

Fórmica Proves He's No Samson

2010-10-02T02:46:00.002-04:00

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.

Walking The Tightrope Between League And Copa

2010-09-29T20:56:00.002-04:00

As last weeks draw against Estudiantes took Newell's Old Boys deeper into the Copa Sudamericana coach Roberto Sensini has acknowledged the need to start resting players for the games to come. With that in mind www.rosario3.com has put out the following anticipated line up for Friday's league match up against Vélez Sarsfield:

Peratta
Alayes, Schiavi, Cichero
Vella, Bernardi, Mateo, Estigarribia
Formica
Sperduti, Borghello

Looking it over, I have to wonder, if we're resting players, why are both Rolando Schiavi and Diego Mateo not getting a rest? Both are over thirty, with Schiavi fast approaching forty, and Mateo, God bless him, has had injury problems over the last few seasons. OK, so maybe Vélez are the team that warrants putting your best team out there. But does that mean they'll be rested later on?

Speaking of the Copa, the next round for Newell's starts... wait for it... next week when Bolivian club San José comes to Argentina. I don't claim to have much knowledge of the Bolivian league, but looking at their Clausura 2010 standings (yes, I said Clausura... I know Argentina is currently playing their Apertura 2010... that's just the way it is) San José are sitting exactly mid-table with 15 points from 11 matches. That's five points from the top, with an equal clearance from the bottom. That should, in theory, make them an easy opponent for Newell's, no?

Let's hope they are an easy opponent, because, while the team has done well so far nothing has come easy at all. Continuing to try and balance between the Apertura and the Copa? Things can get a lot harder very quickly if we don't have an easy game now and again.

As an interesting side note, both Vélez and San José have similar team crests, and similar kits (er, that's uniforms for any American's reading this.) I have to hope that Newell's players don't get confused during the match against the Bolivians after having just played the team from Buenos Aires... I can see some, towards the end of an exhausting match, starting to have flash backs to the previous contest and things going awry. Sure, it's not all that likely to happen, just my imagination, right?

Well, here's a couple of pictures I dug up from the web, one from each team's past. I'd expect anyone who has followed either league for any amount of time to be able to pick out which is which. Can you?

Clean Sheets All Around - Thank You Peratta, Damn You Campestrini, And Bless The Woodwork

2010-09-26T16:19:00.001-04:00

Newell's Old Boys faced Arsenal de Sarandí at Estadio Julio H. Grondona. By the sounds of the match one would have been hard pressed to guess that this was an away game for La Lepra. Arsenal haven't seen many fans at their games for some time now, if they ever did, and it makes one wonder if naming the stadium after current AFA president Grondona has anything to do with it.

This was Newell's fourth match in eleven days, and as such Roberto Sensini decided to let a few key players get some rest. As I didn't get around to a preview of this game, here's how the starting eleven lined up for La Lepra:

Sebastián Peratta
Alexis Machuca, Agustín Alayes, Rolando Schiavi, Gabriel Cíchero
Franco Dolci, Diego Mateo, Leonel Vangioni
Mauricio Sperdutti
Sebastián Taborda, Luis Rodríguez

Vangioni getting his first start of the season after a long injury was good to see, but he's a bit of a ways from being up to form. Sperdutti did what he could in the playmaker role, but didn't have much to work with considering Taborda has yet to do anything that resembles a threat on goal. Rodriguez had a couple of chances, but couldn't come up with anything that gave Arsenal keeper Cristian Campestrini much trouble.

Looking for a player of the match... it's a tough call, I'm giving it to Newell's keeper Peratta, who made a number of critical stops, though I almost might as well give it to the woodwork behind him as El Arse rang shots off it twice in the first half. In the end though, the clean sheet gets credited to the man, not the framework, so Seba, thanks to you Newell's earned an important point on the road in this scoreless draw. Thank you, Flaco, perhaps next time out the team in front of you can score a goal or two.

On a side note, Roberto Sensini received a red card after the half time break as he kept the team in the locker room a bit too long. Amazingly the team seemed to play better with out him on the sidelines. Just like a player who receives a red card, the Senseless One will now have to sit out the next match.

Speaking of which, it's Peratta's former club Vélez Sarsfield, who will end this weekend on top of the league, one point ahead of Estudiantes (who still have a match to make up.) Newell's currently sit in sixth, but River Plate has yet to play. Considering their match is at home, against Quilmes, I expect La Lepra with have to settle for seventh place for now. Still, with eight games played Newell's are only four points from the top. Not a bad place to be, all things considered.

Draw In Quilmes Puts Newell's Past Estudiantes

2010-09-22T23:15:00.000-04:00

Dr. José Luis Meiszner, in Quilmes played host to tonight's match between Estudiantes de la Plata and Newell's Old Boys. I watched the game, but not as attentively as I perhaps should have, but chores needed taking care of, and when the 8:15 PM kick off time turned into a 45 minute pregame show... It's late, and I must get up in the morning, so I'm going to simple post a few shots I managed to catch, along with a few captions, and get to bed.

1000 police, if I caught the number right, worked security. This apparently is how they prepare themselves before a match. As far as I could tell they weren't needed. I have to wonder though, just what these two are discussing. Who knows, maybe they're making a friendly wager on the outcome of the game.

Planning on watching from the bench? Nacho Fideleff spends some time before the game talking on his cell phone.

Federico Fernandez gave Estudiantes the lead, or tied up the aggregate score line, in the 11th minute. Iván Borghello scored in the 42nd to tie the game, and give Newell's the 2-1 advantage. With two goals in his last two games, Borghello is starting to make me a believer.

Peratta. Where would Newell's be with out him?

El capitán Rolando Schiavi. Last year Newell's allowed Estudiantes to loan El Flaco when they were short on defenders for their final run towards winning the Copa Libertadores. Could he lead Newell's to the Copa Sudamericana title?

24 Hours To Go - Estudiantes Host Newell's In Quilmes

2010-09-21T21:11:00.000-04:00

No change. That's what Roberto Sensini has told us to expect for tomorrow's second leg of Newell's Old Boys Copa Sudamericana match with Estudiantes. Why change, when things have been going so well? La Lepra beat Estudiantes 1-0 last week at home, though with out team captain Rolando Schiavi, and then on Sunday, with Schiavi back in the line up, they took out early league leaders River Plate by the same margin.

Of course, both of those matches were at home, tomorrow the game will be in La Plata. Fortunately a win isn't required for Newell's go get through to the Sudamericana next round. In fact, for Estudiantes to go through they will need to win by two or more goals, or by way of penalties after a 1-0 win (leveling the aggregate score at 1-1.) The lone goal that Newell's will be taking into the match may not be much, but it is there.

Newell's expected line up:

Sebastián Peratta
Agustín Alayes, Rolando Schiavi, Gabriel Cichero
Luciano Vella, Diego Mateo, Lucas Bernardi, Marcelo Estigarribia
Mauro Formica
Mauricio Sperduti e Iván Borghello

Eventually Sensini will have to rest someone, well, that's if Newell's can get past this round, and beyond. Yes, it would be nice to do well both in the league and the Copa, but that will break down in the later stages if our older players are worn out.

I haven't seen much on who we can expect on the field for Estudiantes, other than that Juan Sebastián Verón may or may not be able to play after picking up a bit of a knock in La Pincha's 2-1 loss over the weekend to All Boys.

Kick off will be at 8:15 PM local time, that's 7:15 PM Eastern here in the USA. Plenty of time for me to get home from work and have dinner, too.

Oh, and don't ask me why the match will be held at Estadio Centenario Dr. José Luis Meiszner. If anyone knows, please do let me know.

Borghello Scores As Peratta Steals The Show

2010-09-19T18:27:00.000-04:00

River Plate came into the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa looking to reclaim the top spot in the league, which they had shared with Estudiantes (who lost 2-1 to upstarts All Boys... you know, the team that sent Rosario Central and all the Sinas to the B in the relegation playoffs), and Vélez Sarsfield, who where held to a scoreless draw by Arsenal Arsenal de Sarandí. Those results allowed San Lorenzo to take over the league lead when they defeated Olimpo de Bahía Blanca 3-1 on Saturday.

Those results also gave River Plate a chance to take sole possession to first place with a win in Rosario. Instead, they were in for a rude awakening... Newell's Old Boys were not going to roll over and play dead for them. In fact, over all, that this was the best game that Newell's have played this Apertura. Sure, there is still room for improvement, like the fact that they didn't get nearly as many chances to score as they would have liked, but credit River's defense for that. Iván Borghello scored the lone goal in the 10th minute off a perfect cross from Mauricio Sperdutti after his initial freekick rebounded off of River's wall.

Sperdutti had a very strong game, which normally would merit giving him a man of the match mention, but I have to reserve that accolade for Newell's goalkeeper Sebastián Peratta. Not only did he make a number of crucial saves, but he also took a boot to the head from Ariel "El Burrito" Ortega. Ortega made as if he was all apologetic after the incident, but Peratta was having none of it, while at the same time keeping calm. The keeper came away with a small cut just to the side of his right eye which had to be bandaged. Later, when Peratta collected a cross, and lost his balance only to ram into a River forward, Ortega came rushing in to confront the keeper. Peratta merely pointed to the bandage by his eye and spoke a few words... El Burrito backed off.

Playmaker Mauro Fórmica didn't have his best game, but far from his worst. He was, again, the target of multiple fouls, the worst of which was the Roberto Pereyra fist/closeline to the face. In my mind it deserved more than the yellow card that referee Néstor Pitana gave it. Totally intentional, malicious, this sort of thing belongs in Lucha Libre, not futbol.

Daniel Salvatierra was the first sub off of La Lepra's bench, and continues to impress me. He may not have scored any goals as yet, but he is a player that is destined to have a very nice career in the game. He's a good dribble, positions himself well, and passes the ball well. I'm going to enjoy watching him develop as a player, provided, of course, Newell's can keep a hold of him.

With the win Newell's are now with in three points of league leaders San Lorenzo... mind you Estudiantes do have a game to make up. Next, it's off to La Plata to face Estudiantes, yet again, in the second leg of Newell's opening match up in the Copa Sudamericana.

No Rest For The Weary

2010-09-18T11:39:00.000-04:00

Considering Newell's Old Boys just played a match in the Copa Sudamericana, along with the second leg of that tournament's match up against Estudiantes scheduled with in a few days time, one might expect Roberto Sinsini to give a few key players a rest during tommorow's league match at home against River Plate. Not so, say my sources, the expected lineup only sees one change over the team that took a slime 1-0 win against Estudiantes on Thursday. The only change is, of course, that Rolando Schiavi will be available to play. Here's what Rosario3.com is expecting to see:

Sebastián Peratta
Agustín Alayes, Rolando Schiavi, Gabriel Cichero
Luciano Vella, Diego Mateo, Lucas Bernardi, Marcelo Estigarribia
Mauro Formica
Mauricio Sperduti, Iván Borghello.

If it were up to me, I'd be looking at Ignacio Fideleff, and possibly Franco Dolci to relieve either Mateo, Bernardi, or both. Diego and Lucas make a wonderful double 5, but both are getting older, and could probably benefit from a bit of a rest. Same could be said for Borghello, and I wouldn't mind seeing Daniel Salvatierra get a chance from the opening whistle.

Speaking of Salvatierra, does anyone know how old this guy is, or where he's from? Even on the team's official website the only thing listed is his nationality.

The expected lineup for River Plate:

Juan Pablo Carrizo
Paulo Ferrari, Alexis Ferrero, Jonathan Maidana, Carlos Arano
Roberto Pereyra, Matías Almeyda, Josepmir Ballón
Erik Lamela, Ariel Ortega
Rogelio Funes Mori

Missing from River will be young Diego Buonanotte, who is facing manslaughter charges due to last December's car accident which left three of his friends dead. He hasn't quite been the same player sense recovering from the injuries that he suffered in the incident, and certainly there had to be some psychological effects from such an event. Now he has to go before the courts and defend himself, and could indeed face prison time. He may not be a Lepra, but I wouldn't wish this sort of thing to happen to even the worst of the Sinas...

Newell's 1-0 Win Over Estudiantes

2010-09-17T19:40:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know, the result is 24 hours old, but what can I do. This is what happens when Newell's Old Boys play on Thursdays... I don't get to watch the game, or at least not very much of it. You see for very nearly, if not exactly, thirty years now Thursday nights have been reserved for a get together with some friends of mine, and while I might be able to have the game on, I can't pay as much attention to it as I'd like with out being rather rude... especially sense I've been hosting the get together for the past few years.

But enough about that, let's get to the match, shall we? Newell's went into their first game go the 2010 Copa Sudamericana fielding the team as it was expected, no surprises here. It was Machuca in for Schiavi, so Fideleff will have to wait for another chance to get his first start of the new season. Estudiantes were with out a handful of their top players, including playmaker Seba Veron.

That said, I was hoping La Lepra could finish the game with at least a two goal advantage, but that wasn't to be. In fact it took injury time in the second half before the lone goal of the match was scored. While Mauro Fórmica may have scored it, the true credit has to go to substitute Daniel Salvatierra, who's alert play in the attacking penalty area allowed him to strip a defender of the ball, who, in trying to win the ball back, only managed commit a foul, and thus award Newell's with a chance from the spot. El Gato made no mistake, and so a slim advantage will be taken into the second leg match, scheduled for next week.

Up next is current league co-leaders River Plate (tied with Estudiantes and Vélez Sarsfield with 13 points from six weeks of play... Estudiantes have a game in hand