Nothing To Be Ashamed Of

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

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?

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!

Not The Result We Were Looking For

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

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

El Gato Talks Of Leaving

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.

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?

Draw In Quilmes Puts Newell's Past Estudiantes

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

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.

Newell's 1-0 Win Over Estudiantes

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

Newell's Set For The Copa Sudamericana

With Newell's Old Boys set to play their first round, first leg Copa Sudamericana match this Thursday, it's time to take a look at who we can expect to see out on the pitch... and, of course, a look at the team they'll face.

Rolando Schiavi will be missing, due to the red card he picked up when Emelec eliminated La Lepra from the Copa Libertadores. With that said, the question is show will replace him? Word is that the two players Sensini is looking at are Alexis Machuca and Nacho Fideleff, with Machuca being being reported as the more likely to make the starting eleven. No other changes are expected from the players who started over the weekend:

Peratta
Alayes, Machuca or Fideleff, Cichero
Vella, Mateo, Bernardi, Estigarribia
Formica
Sperduti, Borghello

It's interesting that Mauricio "El Gordo" Sperdutti has suddenly been moved from the right side of midfield after all the work that was put into searching and signing forwards who have produced so little so far this season. Considering his defensive short comings, up front may just be the best place for him. Had Sensini thought of that before hand he could have asked for a right sided midfielder rather than another striker.

The players expected to be on the bench (along with either Machuca or Fideleff) are Guzmán, Dolci, Scaglia, Domínguez, Velázquez, Rodríguez, Salvatierra y Dening. I really have to wonder about this... the last three players listed are all strikers, and Velázquez can play as either an attacking midfielder or up front as a striker... if the team is playing with two in the starting eleven, is there really a need for that many on the bench? I'm absolutely certain that Dening isn't needed... he's never done anything that I've seen from him.

It also means that there will only be one true defender available off the bench. Sure, Diego Mateo, or Vella could slide back from the midfield if necessary, and Dolci and Scaglia might do in a pinch, but I'd rather have another option myself.

While this game is at home, it will be far from easy as Newell's yet again get to face Estudiantes, current Apertura leaders, and the team opened the season by beating Newell's 1-0 at Estadio Marcelo Bielsa. Word is, however, that they are concentrating on the title chase as Juan Sebastián Verón, Rodrigo Braña, and Gastón Fernández are reported to not be making the trip to Rosario. Apparently they are either overconfident, or simply don't feel the Sudamericana is important enough to field their full strength. Whatever, hopefully Newell's can take full advantage of the situation and go into the second leg with a 2+ goal lead to work with.

Aftermath Of Newell's 2-0 Victory Over Arsenal

24 hours later...

Yes, I did post a brief note on the match last night, but due to time constrictions it was just that... brief.

With the win last night Newell's are on a five match unbeaten run, and two wins in a row, with two wins in a row. With the three points they have assured themselves a position in the 2010 Copa Sudamericana, but that's no reason to take their collective foot off the gas pedal.

With the way one Mauricio Sperdutti has been playing in the last few games, I have to wonder why he wasn't a regular starter all along. Seriously, the man has nearly looked as though he's been possessed by the spirit of Leo Messi (hey, if others can compare Messi to Maradona...)

Peratta again had little to do, in fact the last two matches have almost been a vacation for him. Schiavi continues to play more like a player in his prime than a 37 year old veteran, Fórmica seems to have finally played himself back into form, Boghossian may not have scored last night, but he still did plenty to help the team win. I could go on, player by player, and everything right now seems to be in the right place... I just wish things could have started picking up a little earlier in the Clausura.

For Arsenal, however, the news continues to be bad. They extended their run of games with out a win to six, causing their coach, Jorge Burruchaga, to resign. In some ways I almost feel sorry for Arse, as it wasn't that long ago (2007) that they won the Copa Sudamericana. Assistant coach Carlos Ruiz will take over for the rest of the season.

Up next for Newell's it's back to Rosario as Gimnasia La Plata come to town.

Newell's Old Boys - Colón de Santa Fe... Winner Gets The Women

As I've stated many times, my Spanish is somewhat limited, which makes following Newell's somewhat challenging at times. Some times on line translators are a big help, but others they are simply priceless:

"Newell's and Columbus hit by a place in the South American woman"

Translating that back we get:

"Newell' s y Columbus golpearon por un lugar en la mujer suramericana"

The original:

"Newell's y Colón chocan por un lugar en la Sudamericana"

Bottom line is, both Newell's and Colón are in the race for places in the next Copa Sudamericana. I'm not going to pretend to know what one has to do to qualify, but, for all the complaints there have been over the course of the Clausura, Sensini has a team that is in 6th place on the relegation table, and with 60 points in 34 matches over the course of the Apertura 2009 and current Clausura. If Argentina only played one championship over the course of the season, that would place them in 5th. Simply put, we've been doing fairly well, with a 2nd place finish in the Apertura we had a thrilling ride, now we seem to be suffering in the Clausura.

What am I doing posting at this hour? Well, I took a nap after dinner, and then a friend showed up at 12:30AM. But now it's time to get back to bed.