So Close So Many Times...

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?

Yet Another Deadline Missed

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

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.

Another Game, Another Loss

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

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

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

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”

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

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

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

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

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.

Should He Stay Or Should He Go?

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?

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...

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

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)

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?

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

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

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.