Martin Palermo scored a remarkable long-distance header to give Boca Juniors a 3-2 win over Velez Sarsfield in an action packed encounter at the Bombonera stadium on Sunday.

Alfio Basile’s side were hoping to avenge their Copa Sudamericana elimination to Velez, but they suffered an early set-back when Leandro Caruso put the visitors ahead within minutes from the kick-off. But Boca came more into the game as the half progressed and Sebastian Battaglia drew them level ten minutes before half-time. However, their lead lasted shorty as Caruso put Velez back into the lead two minutes into the second half.

Boca turned on the style in the second half, with Juan Roman Riquelme equalising for them with a long-distance drive before Palermo earned them the three points with an extraordinary 40-metre header. Palermo intercepted a clearance from Velez goalkeeper German Montoya with a first-time header that found its way into an unguarded net. It was Palermo’s 200th goal in the Argentine first division.

Not only did Boca end a run of four successive defeats, but they got the better of a Velez side that knocked them out of the Copa Sudamericana.

San Lorenzo came from behind to defeat River Plate 2-1 in a highly contested Buenos Aires derby at the Nuevo Gasometro stadium on Sunday.

Attacker Diego Buonanotte fired River ahead from the penalty spot in the first half and after the break Los Millonarios came close to extending their advantage. However, towards the end of the game defender Gustavo Cabral reduced River to ten-men when he punched Jonathan Bottinelli inside of the area. Playmaker Leandro Romagnoli stepped up to the spot and drew El Ciclon level.

Three minutes later Romagnoli caught out Bernardo Romeo with a perfect ball and the veteran made no mistake with a smart header to hand San Lorenzo the three points. The match called for the resignation of Nestor Gorosito, who had announced his decision to step down as the coach of River on Friday.

In Sunday’s other games, Gimnasia de La Plata overcame Chacarita Juniors 2-0 and Lanus defeated Godoy Cruz 1-0. Gimnasia and Lanus claimed only their second victories of the season.

A first half strike from Matias Caruzzo was the difference as Argentinos Juniors edged Estudiantes de La Plata 1-0 in La Paternal on Saturday. With the win Argentinos jumped into second-place on the table, one point behind league leaders Estudiantes.

Newell’s Old Boys thrashed Atletico Tucuman 3-0 with goals from Juan Insaurralde, Jorge Achucarro and Mauro Formica. Newell’s moved into fifth-place after a comprehensive victory.

Huracan beat Racing Club 3-1 and Arsenal de Sarandi ousted Rosario Central 1-0. All four teams have struggled a great deal this season.

Finally on Friday, Independiente beat Tigre 2-1 and Colon de Santa Fe fought out a goalless draw with Banfield. El Taladro missed out on a good opportunity to climb to the top of the table.

Gregory Sica

Goal.com

Southamericanfutbol.com

Velez Sarsfield progressed to the quarter-finals of the Copa Sudamericana after fighting from two goals down to force a 2-2 draw against Union Espanola at the Santa Laura stadium in Santiago, Chile.

The Argentine Clausura champions went through 5-4 on aggregate after the two legs. They won 3-2 in Buenos Aires last week.

Union Espanola went into the break two goals to the good after strikes from Jorge Ampuero and Gustavo Canales. The first goal was a low shot and the second a fine header.

The Chileans counted with a good advantage, but Velez slowly crept into the game and within seconds of the restart pulled a goal back through Leandro Caruso. Caruso fired the ball home after good work from Emiliano Papa.

Velez piled heavy pressure on the Union Espanola goal, but no matter how hard they tried couldn’t find a second goal.

Ricardo Gareca’s side threw everything at the Chileans, and the introduction of last week’s hero, Rolando Zarate, added an extra dimension to their already strong attack.

Finally in the 83rd minute Velez were rewarded for their fighting spirit, when Caruso took advantage of a defensive error in the Union Espanola back-line to force a 2-2 draw, and essentially book Velez’s ticket in the next round of the competition.

Fluminense also booked their ticket to the quarter-finals after thrashing Alianza Atletico of Peru 4-1 at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Their goals were converted by Dario Conca, Alan, and Adeilson on two occasions. Marcio Valverde had put the visitors ahead via the penalty spot.

While Fluminense received one red card, the Peruvians had three men sent off, with thirty minutes still left in the second half.

Gregory Sica

Goal.com

Southamericanfutbol.com

Velez Sarsfield scored twice in injury-time to overwhelm Union Espanola 3-2 at the Jose Amalfitani stadium in Liniers, Buenos Aires.

The Argentine champions dominated their opponents in the early moments of the game, as they tried to take them by surprise with incisive attacking football.

Velez created the better goal scoring opportunities, and it seemed that at any moment they would take the lead.

Finally in the 24th minute they went ahead when Jonathan Cristaldo sent a perfect ball to Uruguayan striker Hernan Lopez, who slotted the ball home from close-range.

However, in the 33rd minute Union Espanola drew level when David Ospina beat Velez goalkeeper German Montoya with a well-placed effort.

After the restart Velez played the better football, but they couldn’t get past the solid Chilean defence for a second time.

As the minutes ticked by Union Espanola came more into the game, and they also looked dangerous when moving to the attack.

The Chileans took a surprise lead in the 61st minute when Argentine striker Raul Estevez met a Ospina ball with a good finish.

It seemed that Union Espanola would claim an unexpected victory, however, in the 90th minute a Rolando Zarate effort hit the post and crossed the line after coming off Union Espanola defender Diego Rosende.

Now well into injury-time Zarate pounced on a header in the area with another close-range header to hand Velez Sarsfield a dramatic victory.

Gregory Sica

Goal.com

Southamericanfutbol.com

Velez Sarsfield proved superior to Boca Juniors in an action-packed encounter at the Jose Amalfitani stadium in Liniers.

Velez pushed to the attack immediately from the kick-off as they searched for an early goal in front of more than 40,000 fans.

They looked extremely dangerous when moving forward, particularly down the left flank.

But Boca Juniors came closest to taking the lead when Ricardo Noir had a shot on goal, after a fine combination between Juan Roman Riquelme and Federico Insua.

Minutes later Juan Martinez was sent through on goal but his effort was blocked by Boca goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri.

Noir was very lively in the Boca attack and he tested Velez goalkeeper German Montoya from distance in the 20th minute.

In the 27th minute Maxi Moralez fired a powerful effort towards goal, but it was brilliantly saved by Abbondanzieri.

Then in the space of three minutes Noir had two incredible opportunities to put Boca ahead, the first being a close-range header and the second a shot.

The match continued to be of an electric pace, and Uruguayan striker Rodrigo Lopez came inches from giving Velez the lead with a well-placed drive.

After the break Velez played the better football but although they dominated the midfield they couldn’t penetrate the Boca defence.

But this was until the 61th minute, when Velez finally went ahead when Fabian Cubero chipped a superb ball through to Jonathan Cristaldo and the striker blasted the ball home.

In the 83rd minute Martin Palermo was sent off for a violent sliding tackle on Emiliano Papa.

Velez continued to create the better goal-scoring opportunities, but they couldn’t put the result out of Boca’s reach.

Ricardo Gareca’s side will face Union Espanola of Chile in the round of 16 stage of the Copa Sudamericana.

Gregory Sica

Goal.com

Southamericanfutbol.com

Look who’s back. River Plate put an exclamation point on the preseason Thursday night with a second straight victory against archrival Boca Juniors. It may have been by penalty shootout (after a 1-1 deadlock), but one thing’s for certain: River will be the real deal this season.

The Millonarios look destined to turn it round after some recent disappointments with a vastly improved squad. They finished the preseason undefeated (three wins and two draws) and, most importantly, proved themselves superior to Boca with two impressive wins.

Daniel Passarella‘s side should be a strong title contender this season, but they can’t get carried away yet. Several other clubs will put up a challenge — Boca, Vélez Sársfield and Independiente.

Here is my forecast for the top 10 contenders in the Argentine 2007 Clausura in the order of predicted finish.

1. River Plate

Is this finally River’s year. Passarella was first to point out that if River wants to be a real threat, it must make a stand in the transfer market — and that’s exactly what it did. River may have offloaded two of its biggest stars in Gonzalo Higuaín and Marcelo Gallardo, but the club used that cash to bring in several reinforcements including Leonardo Ponzio, Nelson Rivas, Cristian Villagra and Marco Ruben, as well as Diego Galván and Gastón Fernández, who return from loans. But Passarella still insists on more signings, and it’s just a matter of time before River seals the signing of Mauro Rosales from Ajax Amsterdam.

The Verdict: Despite the reinforcements, team captain Fernando Belluschi will play a key role as River wins its first title in three years.

2. Vélez Sársfield

New manager Ricardo La Volpe will have the opportunity to prove himself again after a miserable three months at Boca. In recent years, Vélez has consolidated itself as Argentina’s strongest club outside the “big five,” and much is expected of it this year. Even though it rarely makes any big signings, fans are more than aware that their team has enough talent to put up a strong title challenge. La Volpe says his team will play entertaining, attacking soccer, and El Fortín can count on the services of Mauro Zárate, the most exciting striker in the competition.

The Verdict: La Volpe will rebound as Vélez challenges River down to the wire.

3. Boca Juniors

Los Xeneizes look to put behind them a devastating Apertura that saw them finish second to Estudiantes after losing their last three matches. That disappointment meant La Volpe had to go, and much is expected of his replacement, Miguel Ángel Russo, the manager who brought Vélez the ’05 Clausura title. Thanks to the $26.3 million sale of Fernando Gago to Real Madrid, Boca was able to reinforce its squad with a list that includes Bruno Marioni, Sergio Orteman and Clemente Rodríguez. And if that isn’t enough, Russo will also have options in emerging talents Matías Cahais and Ever Banegas, players who helped Argentina qualify for the ’08 Olympics last weekend.

The Verdict: Boca will do well, but will put most of its efforts towards winning the Copa Libertadores.

4. Independiente

Los Diablos Rojos expect to consolidate themselves as one of Argentina’s strongest teams, and have enough talent to do so. Jorge Burruchaga‘s side remains much the same as the one that finished fourth last season. Although they have been relatively quiet in the transfer market so far, they’ve made an important signing in Colombian striker José Moreno from América de Cali. Several Colombians have done well at the club in the past, and many expect Moreno will help bring the club some of its past glory. Outstanding striker Daniel Montenegro is the team’s main inspiration, as he proved in an impressive preseason that saw the club defeat Boca and draw with River.

The Verdict: Independiente will start slow, but will turn it around and make a challenge.

5. Banfield

Banfield will look to improve on a disappointing Apertura that saw it finish in 15th place in the league table. This is a club with a relatively small budget compared to most of its Buenos Aires rivals, but the club directors went out of their way this past season to help the team become competitive again, particularly as El Taladro participates in the Libertadores. New acquisitions include José Chatruc, Pablo Vitti, Julián Maidana, Daniel Quinteros and Javier Villarreal (all players who have done well at their previous clubs).

The Verdict: The surprise team of the competition. Banfield could well be a real title contender.

6. Racing Club

Racing always seems to promise a lot at the beginning, but ends up fading as the season progresses. And from what we’ve seen in the preseason competition, that won’t change. The strange thing is Racing actually boasts a good squad with huge potential. Claudio López, a player who can decide matches on his own, returns to the club where he turned professional 11 years ago. Time will tell if he can make as much of an impact on Racing as Juan Sebastián Verón did with Estudiantes last season.

The Verdict: Potential is there to be another surprise.

7. Estudiantes de La Plata

Estudiantes still maintain the backbone of the team that went undefeated for 13 matches in the Apertura before clinching the title after a playoff victory against Boca. Verón has already stated that the club must continue its leap up the Argentine hierarchy, and if AC Milan target Mariano Pavone is as lethal as he was last year, Estudiantes could again be the league’s protagonist. But will the champions tag affect them? Every club will aim to bring them down, and Estudiantes don’t have the depth to maintain last season’s regularity.

The Verdict: Estudiantes will be a tough opponent, but won’t be able to reproduce last season’s magic.

8. San Lorenzo

The appointment of Ramón Díaz as the club’s new manager may have brought fans some optimism, but unless San Lorenzo directors find a way to bring in reinforcements, it could be another miserable season for a club that has become accustomed to failure. After San Lorenzo’s poor showing in the preseason, Díaz is concerned that his side doesn’t have the competitive edge. But the good news is that San Lorenzo was able to resist pressure from River for Ezequiel Lavezzi, who will pair up with prolific striker Andrés Silvera.

The Verdict: El Ciclón boasts one of the deadliest attacks in the competition, but has a big problem in defense.

9. Rosario Central

Central is currently in the midst of a massive rebuilding process after having axed a staggering 12 players. Surprisingly, many of those players had formerly been essential members of the squad, such as Eduardo Coudet, Paulo Wanchope, Marco Ruben, Cristian Villagra and Germán Rivarola. But what makes matters worse is that just a week before its league debut against Belgrano, manager Néstor Gorosito is having difficulty finding replacements. Unless Central is able to make some quick signings, the club will be in for a very long season.

The Verdict: The huge exodus of key players means Central will struggle all season.

10. Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata

Somehow, Pedro Troglio remains at the helm, although he should have been dismissed last season after two humiliating results: a 7-0 defeat to rival Estudiantes and a 6-1 aggregate loss to Colo-Colo in the Copa Sudamericana. But the basis of last season’s team has moved on, and the club directors were able to bring in some fresh faces that included Uruguayan strikers Sergio Leal and Antonio Pacheco. Although El Lobo will be stronger than last season, it will probably struggle again as it plays a Libertadores schedule at the same time.

The Verdict: Likely to improve on last year’s humiliating season, but it won’t be pretty.

Gregory Sica

Article at Si.com

Southamericanfutbol.com

Just like that, things can change on a dime in Argentina.

It was barely four months ago when Vélez Sársfield’s outstanding closing half to the 2004-05 campaign captured the attention of the nation. The team’s free-flowing brand of soccer had reached such a ravishing consistency, it was only natural to expect that the club from Buenos Aires’ Liniers district would pick up more hardware as the year went on.

Since then, the injury bug has obliterated manager Miguel Angel Russo‘s squad and has turned Vélez fans’ stomachs completely sour. The defending champions currently sit in second place in the Apertura, but a depleted roster may be the decisive factor this winter, as title candidates Boca Juniors, Argentinos and Independiente keep getting stronger.

Whether Russo’s side can continue to hold on in Argentina remains to be seen. But their first test couldn’t be any tougher than a Copa Sudamericana quarterfinal clash on Wednesday night with Mexican giants América, a club that went undefeated for 28 league matches until two weeks ago.

Before we get to that, though, let’s take a look at the unfortunate run of bad luck in Liniers. Vélez’s injury problems started in the first week of the Apertura, when prolific striker Rolando Zárate — who scored eight goals in last season’s Clausura — fractured his right hip, an injury that has kept him out of action for almost three months.

Zárate had been instrumental in Vélez’s attacking success during the past few seasons: He netted another eight goals in the ’04 Apertura, and was the league’s top scorer in the ’04 Clausura with 13.

Russo must also make do without the services of midfielder Marcelo Bravo, who, at age 20, may have to hang up his cleats after tests showed a serious heart problem that could be life-threatening if he continues to play soccer.

Bravo’s case is eerily familiar: Soccer has seen some of its brightest young stars felled by heart attacks in recent years, including Cameroon’s Marc-Vivien Foé and Hungary’s Miklos Feher, both of whom died on the pitch. Not surprisingly, the Vélez medical team thought it was best to give Bravo a rest until doctors have more time to treat him.

In the 11th week of the Apertura, against Arsenal, Vélez lost defender Maximiliano Pellegrino to a dislocated right shoulder, an injury that is likely to keep him out of action for the remainder of the season. This is a particularly big blow for Vélez since they sold their former captain, center-back Fabricio Fuentes, to Atlas of Mexico during the offseason.

As if that weren’t bad enough, Vélez lost their prolific strike force of Claudio Enría and Lucas Castromán in that same match — the duo had notched seven of Vélez’s 16 goals this season. Enría is likely to recuperate in time for the América match, but the irreplaceable Castromán is out for the rest of the season with a broken ankle, which seriously dents Vélez’s chances of winning back-to-back titles.
Castromán is undoubtedly the greatest talent on the Vélez squad, and perhaps the most important player in the Argentine First Division. Last season, he scored eight times in leading Vélez to the title, and this season he had found the back of the net on three occasions in league, and had scored another three times in Copa Sudamericana play. (He also figured to get his shot on Argentina’s national team.)

Against a full-strength América side, Vélez are in for a tricky ordeal. But what has given the Vélez faithful some signs of hope is the marvelous form of attacking midfielder Leandro Gracián. The Buenos Aires native has scored five goals this season, including an extraordinary injury-time strike that gave Vélez a crucial 1-0 win over Arsenal, the very same game that saw Pellegrino, Enría and Castromán go down.

Gracián’s consistency will play an important role in determining whether Vélez will be able to fight for both the Apertura Championship and the Copa Sudamericana, an achievement that looked very possible before the injury bug hit.

Of course, no team expects such a devastating catastrophe to hit at such a decisive point in the season. But for Vélez, bad planning could have been the cause of this calamity. The club offloaded 12 players from its title-winning side, while bringing in only five new faces for the new season. It is worth noting, though, that a similar lack of experience is responsible for Vélez’s lifting itself from the dead over the past 15 years.

Although the club’s trophy cabinet is not as extensive as that of its more illustrious rivals, such as Boca Juniors, River Plate, Independiente and Racing Club, the team from Liniers still holds a number of important titles.

Vélez have won the Argentine First Division Championship on six occasions (including five times in the past 13 seasons), but what adds prestige to the club is the number of international trophies they have to their name. During the mid-’90s, they had a brilliant spell under Carlos Bianchi — now the manager of Atlético Madrid — who guided the club to five cups. The peak year was 1994, when Vélez won South America’s grand prize, the Copa Libertadores, and carved up AC Milan to win the Intercontinental Cup.

Russo has helped Vélez fans relive some of Bianchi’s success, but he faces a completely different set of challenges. Despite the spate of injuries, he’s confident his side will still compete, and hints the club could tap its junior ranks for reinforcements.

It’s been a roller-coaster of a ride for Vélez fans, to be sure. But they can take solace in their veteran coach, who refuses to throw in the towel and insists he’ll sweat it all for the sake of the club. After all, luck changes fast in Argentina.

Gregory Sica

Article at Si.com