All Boys Hand Old Boys 1st Loss Of Season

So much for the unbeaten run as All Boys discovered the formula to beat Newell's Old Boys. First, score early, as Jonathan Ferrari gave the visitors the 1-0 lead in the 11th minute. Second, start taking out Newell's key veteran players, as first Maxi Rodriguez (Víctor Figueroa came on for him in the 17th minute,) then Gabriel Heinze (Víctor López on for him in the 38th.) and finally it was Lucas Bernardi (Maximiliano Urruti for him in the 55th) all left the game due to injuries. Hopefully, none of them will be out long, but we'll see what the medical reports say on that later.

Once all that was settled, Newell's goalie, Nahuel Guzmán, took down an opposing player midway through the second half after a mad scramble to award All Boys a penalty, and receiving a yellow card in the process. Mauro Matos converted and Newell's were down 2-0 at home. Newell's drew one back thanks to a late goal from Pablo Perez, but even with 7 minutes of extra time in the second half was not enough for La Lepra to manage to draw level.



The good news is that while Newell's lost to All Boys, Vélez Sarsfield also lost at home, 1-0 against Boca Juniors.

Oh, right... I did not get around to talking about the previous two matches, which saw Vélez take over first place. Not much to say, really, both Newell's games ended in 0-0 draws, first to Quilmes at home, then on the road against Boca Juniors.

Problem: Lanús are tied with Newell's at the moment with 29 point (Vélez have 32,) but will be facing Belgrano tomorrow. If Belgrano they will join the congestion in second place with Newell's and Lanús, if Lanús win they will be tied for first with Vélez. Not sure what out come would benefit Newell's most at the moment, even a draw really does not suit me... isn't there a way where both teams lose?

No?

Ah, right.. Belgrano also have a mythical additional game that is yet to be settled there match with Independiente was suspended with Belgrano in front 1-0.

And Racing Club play tomorrow, and are also with in reach of the congestion in second place

Where once things were looking fairly simple, it is now very complex.

Up next Newell's have a short trip as they will be facing Unión. Should be an easy match, as Unión have only managed five points from sixteen matches... but at this point I am not going to make any bets.

It will also be interesting to see if Unión fans will be facing any punishment for their behavior during their 2-0 lost in their clasico against Colón. That match had to be stopped twice due to security (read, police at the grounds) having to deal with people in the Unión stands acting like idiots.


Thank you again Guillermo Lorente for doing your best to eliminate such behavior from our stands!

Temporary Leaders

Racing Club gave Newell's Old Boys a better game today than the 2-0 score might make it look. Still, a great result for La Lepra, marking four wins in a row, all of which have seen the team from Rosario hold their opponents scoreless. The difference boils down to Racing being called for offsides often, while Maximiliano Urruti and Pablo Perez both beat offsides traps to score the games two goals.

The first goal came in the 60th minute from some smart passing, going from Mauricio Sperdutti to Lucas Bernardi to Perez back to Bernardi who put the ball through the defense for Urruti to track down and guide past Racing keeper Sebastián Saja. With that first goal Newell's took over sole possession of first place, even if it turns out to be short lived (as I write, Boca Juniors lead Estudiantes 2-0 putting Boca at 17 points and pushing Newell's back to second place... a draw would give Estudiantes 16 points, equaling Newell's.) It also gave Urruti his fourth goal in eight matches. Not a bad scoring rate at all!

Now comes the strange part. Bernardi is a defensive midfielder. He is not known for his play in the attacking half, never has been. He set up the first goal for Urruti, and he set up the second, sending a wide cross to a wide open Perez who blasted the shot past Saja and into the upper part of the net.

8 games into the Clausura and Gerardo "Tata" Martino has Newell's Old Boys playing so well that they have already matched the 16 points they gained in 19 games of played during the Apertura.

It does look like we will have to settle for second place for the moment, as Boca now leads Estudiantes 3-0 with some fifteen minutes to play. All things considered, second place is far better than anyone could have expected. If we can end up there when the Clausura is over I will be more than happy. If, and it is still a huge if at this point, Newell's some how manages to win the title? I will celebrate the moment, but worry about next season, when Newell's will still need points to avoid relegation. Being Champions would mean we would be back in the Copa Libertadores, and I do not think we will have the depth to play on two fronts.

Routing Colón Gives Newell's Hope

After two straight 2-0 loses, away to Boca Jrs and at home against Belgrano, Newell's Old Boys needed a confidence builder. Heading into Sante Fe to face Colón was not a recipe for such, but sometimes things work out far better than expected. The home of Colón is nicknamed "El Cementerio de los Elefantes", the Elephant's Graveyard. Visiting teams going there hoping for three points fail far more often they succeed.

I was not able to watch the match, as it was played on Friday while I was at work, and ended about the time I was leaving. Driving home I had a brief feeling that the game ended 3-0... which I put aside quickly, as holding such as a truth would surely mean that Colón had won. Instead I began singing in my head: "Yo no soy un Elefante, soy un leproso es verdad..." which is all I remember of a four line song I wrote when Newell's were last fighting for the title, and were heading into Sante Fe needing a win.

Imagine my surprise when I got home and checked on the score. Colón 0 Newell's Old Boys 3. HOLY SHIT! I could not help but make the exclamation out loud. I was hoping for a point, dreaming of three, but never imagined that La Lepra could roll over Colón in Sante Fe, not this current team anyway. But it had happened.

Pablo Perez scored the first goal off a corner in first half injury time. The cross from the left was poor, but so was the attempted heading clearance, which Perez fought for and won with the kind of individual effort we have seen far too little of over the past year and a half. 1-0. As he celebrated Perez pointed into the stands, at the hincha who had traveled to support a team that had let them down in the previous two games.

I can only imagine that Colón completely fell apart in the second half. Iván Moreno y Fabianesi received a straight red card in the 69th minute put the home side down to 10 men. Gerardo Alcoba was sent off in the 82nd, and Colón where then out numbered 11 to 9.

Martín Tonso who had come on for Leandro Torres, scored Newell's second goal. In the 87th minute Lucas Bernardi turned playmaker, feeding a perfect return pass to the young attacking midfielder that left only goalkeeper Diego Pozo to beat. 2-0. It was a thing of beauty, but the best was yet to come.

Maximiliano Urruti had scored two goals in Newell's first two matches, and against Colón he scored the final goal of the match with what may just be the goal of the tournament. Five minutes into injury time he was feed a pass by Raúl Villalba. Again, goalkeeper Pozo was the only one left to beat. As he came out to cutoff the angles Urruti chipped the ball calmly over Pozo. One bounce, and it was in the net. 3-0.

Sure, the final two goals came after Newell's had a two man advantage, but it still feels good to get vital points on the road.

(Perhaps Roberto Sensini is not such a bad coach for Newell's after all... so long as he is running the opposing team - he took over Colón during the summer break.)

Up next Atletico Rafaela come to Rosario, match is scheduled for Sunday the 18th.

Newell's Pull One Out Of The Hat

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

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

Newell's were back in the game.

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

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



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

Galatasaray, Genoa, Blackburn... Monaco

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

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

Or so the story goes.

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.

This Is Not What I Was Asking For...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Independiente On The Horizon

Being that it's only Tuesday, it may be a bit early to look forward toward Newell's Old Boys match on Saturday when they host a struggling Independiente, but the rumors are already flying, so...

Let's start with what we do know. Marcelo Estigarribia will not be available, as he will be away on national team duty with Paraguay. I still haven't seen anything in his playing time with Newell's to show why Paraguay would need him, but, hey, it's not my call. Also missing from what has been our usual starting line up so far will be Raúl Villalba as he's suffering from a right quadriceps injury.

There is some good news in that both Lucas Bernardi and Leonel Vangioni have recovered from their respective injuries, and are expected to play in the reserve game to get them back up to match fitness.

The rumors are that Sensini has been practicing with the following line up:

Sebastián Peratta
Agustín Alayes, Rolando Schiavi, Ignacio Fideleff
Mauricio Sperduti, Diego Mateo, Mauricio Scaglia, Gabriel Cichero
Mauro Formica
Luis Rodríguez, Iván Borghello

It will be interesting to see if Fideleff can do a better job as a central defender that Cichero. The 21 year old has spent most, if not all of the time that he has played as a leftback, but he does have the size and strength to hold up in the middle.

Scaglia, if he indeed plays, will be making his debut for La Lepra. The 20 year old will have a tough job filling Villalba's boots. Or maybe I should say Bernardi's, as Villalba has only been starting because of Lucas being injured.

Still, it's a long way off before Saturday's 8:20 PM (local time) kick off. We'll see what develops between now and then.

Just Another Clasico Rosarino Draw

Here I sit, at a lose for words... and I'm supposed to be at a friend's within an hour.

The final score was 1-1, with Rosario Central's Diego Braghieri scoring first when no one bothered to cover him on a corner. Rolando Schiavi equalized for Newell's Old Boys from the penalty spot 13 minutes later, after Cristian Nuñez was taken down just inside the penalty area by Nahuel Valentini.

My biggest confusion as far as the match went was in the 34th minute, when both Central's Mario Angel Paglialunga and Newell's Lucas Bernardi were red carded on the same play. The way I saw the play, Bernardi was already sliding towards the ball when Paglialunga jumped in front in the way of his feet. If anyone can explain what happened on this double red card, I'd love to hear from you. In the 45th minute Cristian Nuñez received a red card, and I can't say I got a good look at it, either. The play was in the part of the field that was in shadows, so I'm not sure what happened, other than Newell's were down to nine men to Central's 10 at that point.

The player advantage didn't last long, as Valentini received his second yellow of the game in the 50th minute of play.

Central didn't look much better than a team that only has two wins after 15 games, and Newell's hardly looked any better. Mauricio Sperdutti had a good game, as did Schiavi, but I'd have to say that it was the play of Diego Mateo that earns the player of the match award, especially after Bernardi's expulsion.

At one point during the first half they set the fire hose loose into the crowd. There didn't appear to be any problems that I saw, nor did the announcers seem overly concerned. No knifes were found on the field, nor did anyone decide to donate their sunglasses to either goalkeeper.

So, another disappointing match. Nuñez and Bernardi will miss at least the next match, which will be next Saturday at home against Colón de Santa Fe.

Achucarro In, Torres Out... Maybe

Yesterday I posted a lineup that had been reported as the anticipated Newell's line up for Sunday's Clasico Rosarino against Rosario Central. Later that evening the same source put out a new report, stating that Jorge Achucarro had recovered from his injury and will in fact play, but that there is still some question as to team captain Lucas Bernardi's availability. The new line up they are providing looks like this:

Sebastián Peratta
Agustín Alayes, Rolando Schiavi, Juan Insaurralde
Mauricio Sperduti, Diego Mateo, Lucas Bernardi or Franco Dolci, Leonel Vangioni
Mauro Formica
Cristian Nuñez, Jorge Achucarro

I feel sorry for Diego Torres, if this report is accurate, he played very well in his start against Chacarita Jrs, well enough to earn another start, in my opinion, but Achucarro hasn't done anything to earn a spell on the bench so... I only wish we had that kind of depth in midfield. If Bernardi can't play, any of the players who could replace him really can't be blamed for not being as good as he is, but it would nice if we had someone close to being able to do so.

The fact that my source has Dolci listed as the alternative has me scratching my head. Why not Hugo Barrientos, or Raúl Villalba? Who knows, it's not like the list is set in stone. Come kick off there could be several changes.

And if anyone can tell me what has become of Christian Sánchez Prette, don't sit there holding up your hand, give me a shout!

I leave you with some of the sights and sounds of last night's Banderazo:

Injury Worries Prior To El Clasico Rosarino

Lucas Bernardi picked up a bit of an injury during Saturday's 3-0 win over Chacarita Jrs, and Jorge Achucarro was injuried during last Wednesday's 1-0 win over River Plate. Both may end up missing this Sunday's match against Rosario Central.

Bernardi's has yet to be fully diagnosed, but isn't expected to be serious. I'm kind of guessing here (Babelfish doesn't handle medical transtalions,) but he's having problems with his right leg. If he can't play, his absence will certainly be missed.

Achucarro is said to have suffered a near centimeter (not quite half an inch) tear, but no indication as to which muscle. The doctors feel he will recover with out any problems, but doubt he will be able to play by Sunday. Considering the way Deigo Torres played against Chacarita, that shouldn't be a problem. If anything, the Paraguayan may find it difficult reclaiming his starting spot should Torres continue to play well.

Still, there is good news, as defender Juan Insaurralde, and midfielders Diego Mateo, Marcelo Estigarribia and Leonel Vangioni should all be recovered from their various bumps and bruises they've suffered well before the team heads across town on Sunday.

There's also a bit of a clamor over if/when Joaquin Boghossian will make his way back into the starting 11. Considering Cristian Núñez scored two or three goals against Chacarita (depending on which report you want to believe) Joaquin may well not get another start dressing in Newell's red and black.

With five matches to go Newell's aren't mathematically out of the title race. If, and this is a big if, they can win all five matches they will finish the Clausura with 35 points, which is one point off the pace the last Lepra team to win a championship earned (2004 Apertura.) Even doing that, it would require a lot of teams that are above them in the standings to lose a lot of games... so, once again, I'm hoping we can at least make our way up into the top five.

Monumental Birthday Wish

Tomorrow Newell's Old Boys visit El Monumental to play River Plate in the 13th round of the 2010 Clausura. Coincidentally, tomorrow is also my Birthday, and considering the current state of Los Millonarios I really don't think asking for a win out of Los Leprosos is asking too much, really.

Sensini has not breathed a word to the media sense Saturday's 2-0 loss to Tigre. Considering that Newell's were whistled off the field by their own fans as they left the field must have come as quite the shock to the man.

Team captain Lucas Bernardi, however, took some time today to speak out on the problems the team have been having. He responded to the the end of the Tigre match by stating that, while some people may think that the whistles were directed at one person (read: Roberto Sensini,) it's the entire team that are responsible for the results on the field.

Beyond that, he said that if they are to improve as a team the have to be self critical. As much as I've been a critic of Sensini, I have to admit that Bernardi has a point, and based on this outpouring alone I feel confident he will someday make a fine manager (OK, coach is what we'd call it in the USA, in England they are called managers, excuse me for using them interchangeably.)

Question is, has Sensini expressed this to the team? After a player has a poor showing, has he ever taken them aside for a chat behind closed doors? I'm sure he has, but more to the point, has he succeed at getting the best out of his players?

I'm sure he did during the 2009 Apertura, when the team finished a mere point out of first place. But that was then, and in the world of sport what you did yesterday doesn't count. So I have to ask, what is so different between now and then?

Well, let's look at the players who were brought in:

Agustín Alayes from Estudiantes de La Plata
Marcelo Estigarribia from Le Mans (France)

Alayes has been, for the most part, a fine addition to the team's back line. Estigarribia hasn't exactly impressed me on the field, but he hasn't stood out as a poor player, either. So, unless one of these men are an instigator, they aren't the problem.

What about those that left:

Pablo Aguilar to Tiro Federal (Rosario - Argentina - Primera "B" Nacional)
Germán Caffa to Nacional (Uruguay - Primera División)
Juan Manuel Cobelli to Iquique (Chile - Primera B)
Alejandro Da Silva to Santiago Wanderers (Chile - Primera División)
Augusto Mainguyague to Instituto (Córdoba - Argentina - Primera B Nacional)

Of all the players who left the club the only one who cracked the starting 11 on any regular basis was Aguilar. He left the team on a free transfer to settle a dispute over back wages. Caffa was the next most important player to leave, but so far (knock on wood) the team has not needed to play a back up goalkeeper during the Clausura.

Da Silva scored 9 goals in 45 matches during his time with Newell's. That goals to games ratio isn't all that impressive for a man who had scored 23 goals in 62 matches for his previous team (Cerro Porteño of Paraguay.)

Cobelli and Mainguyague never cracked the subs bench, if I'm not mistaken, let alone started a match.

OK, so, again, unless one of these guys was influential in the dressing room, and their presence is missed that much...

No, there are better reasons I can think of for the way the team is currently playing, and they start with how well they did during the Apertura. After finishing second place, the expectations going into the Clausura for the fans, the players, and the team were elevated. Perhaps the players are pressing to regain that form, trying too hard.

Of all the players it's been Mauro Formica who's form has been furthest off from that of the Apertura (yes, I know that Boghossian hasn't been scoring like he had, but that, as I've stated before, is due to the poor service he's been getting.) Fairly early in the Clausura it became known that Moscow Dynamo had scouts watching one of Newell's matches, reportedly to take a look at Mauro. I've seen the way he kisses his Newell's badge after scoring goals, he is a Lepra through and through, and at his age (he turned 22 two days ago... Feliz Cumple, Gato) I think he's still a bit too young to be spirited off by some European team with out it having some effects on his development. Could the news of a future move to another club disturbed him enough to throw him off his game?

Thing is, it's the manager's job to notice any of these things, and correct them. But I'm trying to steer the blame away from Sensini, really I am, so let's move on.

But move on to where? The only thing else I can come up with at the moment is that the results of the Apertura were a fluke, that the team did not earn the 39 points, but merely got lucky. OK... there is some truth to that, as some of the matches that were won while the team did not play as well as in others. But they certainly did not have the run of bad matches like they have had during this current stretch of matches.

If anyone else has any thoughts on the matter that either extend on what I've mentioned, or something I've missed, you know what to do.

Finally, Three Points In 2010

Well, that was exciting. It looked like a laugher at the end of the first half. Scoring for Newell's were Juan Insaurralde, Jorge Achucarro, and Mauro Formica, all before the game was even 20 minutes old. Martin Palermo brought the score to 3-1 from the penalty spot in the 34th minute.
In the second half it turned into a nail biter after Agustín Alayes received a second yellow card, which, for those who might not know, turned into a red card, in the 67th minute. Newell's did well to fend off Boca for nearly 20 minutes of agony. It almost came as a relief when Lucas Viatri brought Los Xeneises with in a goal of bringing the score level in the 86th minute.

With four minutes, and an additional four for injury time, to get through I felt sure that La Lepra would weather the storm. Instead, as the game went into injury time, Boca keeper Roberto Abbondanzieri, under pressure, sent a clearance straight to the feet of Lucas Bernardi. Lucas isn't exactly known for scoring goals, but he made no mistake here. Abbondanzieri had scrambled back, but he didn't have a chance, as Bernardi's shot was taken with the calm of golfer chipping a shot onto the green, gracefully flying into the right top corner of the net.

With about a minute left in injury time, Gabriel Paletta received a direct red card for a vicious tackle. With so little time to go, it didn't effect much.

While I must agree with the announcers that Fórmica was the best player in the first half, I'd have to give the nod to our keeper, Sebastián Peratta, as the player of the match. Sure, he allowed two goals, but he made numerous stops, positioned himself perfectly on every freekick that Boca's Román Riquelme took from a dangerous position, and challenged for balls where he had to put his body on the line.

One worry, Diego Mateo went down on an innocent looking play a few moments before Alayes' expulsion. He was carted off the field but was able to stand on his own upon reaching the bench, but did not return to the field. Instead, Hugo Barrientos came on to take his place. Hopefully Sensini just decided to rest Mateo for the remainder of the match.

Now, it's on to Equador for Wednesday's Copa Libertadores away leg with Emelec.

Sold, But Not Forgotten: Germán Ré

Germán Ré has been sold to Estudiantes de La Plata. We all knew someone was going to be sold, but it's hard to see Ré go. He's been a part of part of Newell's defense for so long, sense his debut in 1999, it's like a piece of the team's heart has been torn out... I simply can't imagine him playing in anything other than rojinegro. It's going to be very difficult when the time comes where we'll have to see him play against his life long team. I imagine it will be even more difficult for him to play that game, but, the professional that he is, I'm sure he'll manage.

Also gone is Ariel Zapata, but his retirement was already known. Off to Paraguay go Diego Barreto to Sol de América, and Walter Fretes to Cerro Porteño. So far only Lucas Bernardi is the only in coming player, from Monaco (FRA) on a free transfer as he's used an option to end his contract with them.

With the Clausura only two weeks away, I doubt that these will be the final moves. More players are bound to be sold to restore the team's depleted coffers... and still no sale of the unhappy/ungrateful Ogro, Fabbiani. I'll celebrate like it were a championship the day he's another team's problem.

Lucas Bernardi To Return... Fabbiani, Fabbiani, Fabbiani

With the aftermath begining to settle, Newell's are in no position to spend a dime on in coming players. To the rescue would come Lucas Bernardi on a free transfer, and he says he know's the situation, he just wants to come back and help out.

The question is, will the move work? Right now, I'd say that he'd only come back to face Hernán Bernadello for a place on the starting 11. Then again, maybe it would allow one of them to venture forward more often.

I'm still expecting a January fire sale. Bernardi I don't see going. Fabbiani we know is gone, good ridence, so long, have fun a River when they go down in three years (did I really just wish that on Los Millonarios? If they fill their team full of foul smelling mercenaries like El Ogro, it's just what they deserve.)

No, forget that. I want to see the deal with River fall through, and Fabbiani end up with Los Canallas. It will give me reason to hate him proper.