San José Win, But Newell's Old Boys Advance

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

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

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.

Fireworks In The Stands And On The Field

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

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.)

Walking The Tightrope Between League And Copa

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?