When San Lorenzo won its first Argentine title since 2001 last season, it demonstrated all the qualities of a true champion. Not only did the team play an attractive style of soccer, but it also showed the necessary temperament to defeat difficult opponents.
In the ’07 Apertura Championship, San Lorenzo will do its best to reproduce last season’s outstanding form, although it will be without two key players in Ezequiel Lavezzi and Cristian Ledesma, who left for Europe. But the reigning champions are still favorites to defend their title after replacing them.
Even so, with the level of quality likely to be on display in the championship this season, San Lorenzo must be at its all-time best in order to overcome tricky rivals like Boca Juniors, Estudiantes de La Plata and River Plate.
These clubs have also suffered similar losses, but have all cashed in thanks to their sales and should be as strong as ever. Argentine soccer is accustomed to the ongoing exodus of its best players, and although it often affects the better teams in the league, it helps bring in a large percentage of their cash flow.
It also helps even out the competition, as has been the case in the last few years. Many different teams are starting to break the Boca Juniors-River Plate monopoly, and several smaller clubs are beginning to rise to prominence. Teams like Arsenal de Sarandí and Lanús are now consistently challenging for the honors, and this is likely to continue this season.
The ’07 Apertura, which begins on Friday, guarantees high-quality soccer and promises to be one of the most evenly matched competitions of the last few years.
Most significant signings
Of all the title candidates, San Lorenzo reinforced the best after cashing in on Lavezzi’s $8 million transfer to Italy’s Napoli. The defending champs beat Boca to midfielders Juan Manuel Torres (Racing) and Daniel Bilos (Saint-Étienne).
Bilos, who had won two championships with Boca before moving to France, will add strength to San Lorenzo’s midfield with his 6-foot-4 frame. But San Lorenzo’s biggest signing is Bernardo Romeo, who returns to the club from Spain’s Osasuna. Romeo played a leading role in San Lorenzo’s ’01 Apertura and Copa Mercosur titles.
The signing of Federico Higuaín (older brother of Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuaín) means River will finally count on a striker with the temperament to rise to the big occasion. At Nueva Chicago, he scored 13 goals in the last two seasons, and if he is provided with the right service, River should have no problem finding the back of the net. Sixto Peralta, who came from Mexico’s Tigres, will supply the midfield creativity River has been lacking since Marcelo Gallardo left for Paris St. Germain.
After failing in his bid to sign Paraguayan international Roque Santa Cruz (River couldn’t afford his asking price), Daniel Passarella purchased Rolando Zárate from Mexico’s Tigres. But Passarella isn’t done yet, and has also targeted Ronald Raldes (Rosario Central), Juan Castillo (Peñarol) and Álvaro Recoba (Inter Milan).
Most exciting club
Estudiantes finally found the consistency it has been looking for over the years. The club has gone through a massive transformation since Diego Simeone took charge of the team a year ago, and immediately led it to its first national title since 1983. He has carefully selected his players, and has got them playing a style of soccer that best suits their characteristics.
The ’06 Apertura champs will maintain last season’s structure after key playmaker Juan Sebastián Verón confirmed he will be staying on after rejecting a rumored $20 million offer to join D.C. United. A player to keep an eye open for is new signing Juan Manuel Salgueiro. The former Danubio striker is one of the most exciting players to come out of Uruguay in recent years and is destined to succeed at his new club.
Leading scorer
Will anyone be able to beat Martín Palermo to the Golden Boot? The Boca striker was last season’s top scorer with 11 goals, and is hoping to have another good season to steer him closer to Boca’s all-time scoring record held by Pancho Varallo. Palermo has scored 161 goals for the club and just needs 34 more to break Varallo’s record.
A director of the club recently told me that Palermo has refused to move to MLS because he first wants to accomplish his goal of making the Boca history books for this achievement. Other players that are likely to leave their mark on the nets are Boca teammate Rodrigo Palacio, San Lorenzo’s Romeo, José Domingo Salcedo of Racing and Martín Arzuaga of Rosario Central.
The revelation club
Huracán has a lot to prove this season after returning to the first division for the first time since ’03. El Globo has traditionally been one of Argentina’s best-supported clubs, and promises to be competitive once again after being reinforced with lots of quality. Manager Antonio Mohamed insisted the club’s directors sign Antonio Barijho, who has returned to the team where he grew up.
Barijho is expected to lead the side’s offense, along with Andrés Franzoia, who arrived from Boca. Another key signing that is likely to impress is Federico Nieto from Scotland’s Rangers. If its preseason form in Mexico was an indication of things to come Huracán should be the big surprise this season.
El superclásico
There’s no question the most important match of the season will be the meeting between fierce rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate on Oct. 7. I’m fortunate enough to have attended the last match between the two sides in April, which finished in a 1-1 draw at Boca’s La Bombonera. With the build-up to the match and the atmosphere it generates, nothing compares to it.
This season, River’s Monumental stadium will be the stage of the encounter that paralyzes Buenos Aires. In recent meetings, River has had the edge on Boca and has gone four matches undefeated.
Final predictions
If Boca Juniors is able to count on Juan Román Riquelme‘s services again this season, they should easily win their third title in five seasons. Riquelme demonstrated he is back to his all-time best after leading Boca to the Copa Libertadores title and the Argentine national team to the final of the Copa América. But if Riquelme doesn’t stay, Boca will lack imagination in the midfield, and strikers Palacio and Palermo will struggle to find the back of the net.
The depth in San Lorenzo’s squad means it has the quality to win back-to-back titles. Ramón Díaz is likely to fine-tune his side just in time for the new season, and it should be a strong contender. Much of its success depends on the time it will take for new signings Bilos and Romeo to make their adaptation back into Argentine soccer.
San Lorenzo will fight Boca all the way — but in the end, it will fall short. Boca has a level of quality that can’t be matched in Argentina and will run away with the title.
Gregory Sica
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