South American Football - Primera/ Campeanato/libertadores

What didn't help is then he had a pop at GT personally later in the tweets showing he had never been a fan anyway - complaining about an old interview when GT said he'd prefer to play a certain way over another.

Never answered the question who would he have had instead!

Brian Clough was the popular choice I guess but he was past his best by then..

I presume for example he'd rather have Eddie Howe as the next manager than Sean Dyche...or Aidy Boothroyd!

 

I enjoyed Tim Vickery on 442 and his football podcasts. However no one is perfect. His assessments of many Argentinian players have turned out to be wide of the mark and that can be understood as he cannot watch every single game to assess a player. Howeve some of his opinions on the national team level with reference to something I focus on the seleccion (the national team of Argentina) have turned out to be wildly inaccurate and in some cases he does not have a clue.

And that is the case with this particularly vitriolic attack. I myself do prefer the ball on the floor, intricate approach player and a number ten as termed in Argentina the enganche embodied by someone like Riquelme masterminding operations. But there are many ways to skin a cat.

What this idiot fails to understand is that Taylor brought in a lot of analysis, the ball was never wildly hoofed in the general direction of the opposition goal but in a calculated manner. Long accurate passes to wingers with a midfield ready to attack the box. And no plodders or cloggers either. Such a strategy cannot succeed without some degree of technical ability.

And as witnessed at this World Cup the set piece is a very important aspect of the game. GT maximized the use of the set piece to level a playing field that was being unbalanced by finances even then. He was tactically astute, innovative and a great man manager. All his players say that of him and the fact they respect him and admire him and many passed into management themselves with varying degrees of success speaks highly of his abilities.

Of his England tenure success at the international level does depend on the fitness of key players and even the minutest of decisions. He was unfortunate with injuries to key players and of course critical refereeing decisions. Journalists do love to rewrite history in retrospect when very often their narrative at the time an incident occurred is vastly different. You only have to look at this tournament where France were hardly stellar in their matches in the group stage and indeed had a great deal of luck in reaching the final. A Uruguay missing Cavani and a fluke goal, an Argentina in complete disarray and were second best to Belgium barring yet another set piece goal. In my opinion Belgium would have been worthy winners. And in the final had the fortune of a very marginal decision.

Nonetheless the fundamentals of their success are hardly any different to the Watford team of the early eighties. A solid defence. Attacking fullbacks providing width, a tigrish defensive midfield and an emphasis of getting the ball quickly on the counter to strikers with pace.

If Vickery has any sense he will have a look at what he wrote and realize he has made a complete fool of himself and for the sake of his credibility have the decency to apologize.

 

There are huge derbies around the world. Some particularly nasty in atmosphere and violence. The biggest rivalry has to be between two clubs that emerged from the same barrio in Buenos Aires. Namely River Plate and Boca Juniors when the fashion was for anglicizing your team name and whose colours were taken from a bet on the first ship entering the docks next to the Boca neighbourhood. It turned out to be Swedish flagged hence the blue and yellow strip.

This is a documentary from 2019 which I'd never seen before. It's a fascinating insight into how fans take the rivalry sometimes to extraordinary lengths ie not wearing blue or yellow or red and white and unfortunately with the barra bravas death has been involved too. Not only a wonderful insight into the game with some great in stadium footage but also how football is more than a sport in Argentina. How it permeates the culture in everything. It's my ambition to go to Buenos Aires soon just to sample this but also what is a very beautiful city full of interesting architecture (the Paris of the south) and murals. Great for street photography too. One must be wary of course. Boca for instance do not sell tickets to tourists anymore. They are strictly reserved for fans only. So only financial shenanigans will get you entry. Meanwhile River Plate have modernized their stadium (possibly with a view to the 2030 World Cup) by removing the running track at El Monumental , lowering the pitch and adding a new tier of seating to the sides of the pitch but with standing area behind both ends where the 'orchestras' are situated.

Last weeks Primera game was a furious affair that ended with a late penalty for River now managed by Martin Dimichelis scored by Borja to give the league leaders a huge lead over San Lorenzo and Defensa y Justicia. There was an enormous fracas after the game which resulted in six red cards. Three apiece for each team.

As I said the documentary is tremendous and the narrator is one lucky so and so. It was filmed during the build up to the infamous Libertadores final (River had a shock 5-1 thumping at the hands of Fluminense this week in the group stages) where the second leg was moved to Madrid.

The new Monumental. There remains the possibility of a roof being added and new external illuminated skin again dependent on a successful bid for the 2030 World Cup.



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These are some of the future ideas for the reskinning of El Monumental.

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In the Chilean Primera Cobresal are the surprise leaders with favourites Colo Colo lying in third just four points off and in the final Libertadores qualification spot. In Chile the top league is contested by sixteen sides. The league was as in many other South American countries originally based on several teams located in the capital in this case Santiago where they formed a city league and cup that eventually in the thirties turned professional and started to bring in sides from the hinterland so to speak. Until the 2017 season like many other countries in the region the tournament was divided into an opening and secondary league stage, Apertura and Clausura with champions often different for each phase.

Colo Colo are the most successful club side. Their name is the name of the famous Mapuche (the local indigenes) leader who fought against the Spanish invasion in the late 16th century but ultimately failed. There are two other sides not as successful as Colo Colo with their 33 titles Universidad Catolica and Universidad de Chile both of which derive from the students of the two main Santiago universities but not separate entities as clubs. Another well known club from the capital O'Higgins derives it's moniker from a revolutionary hero of part Irish ancestry Bernardo O'Higgins who led the Chilean state to independence from Spain. Other clubs in the Santiago region as with those in Brazil reflect their original ethnic origins. Audax Italiano, Palestino and Union Espanola (formed by Spanish immigrants). The league itself has never been one of the top leagues in South America.

The Libertadores reflects this with Colo Colo and their sole triumph in 1991. There are numerous issues with youth development and talent identification and despite Santiago having a population base equivalent to London this is not reflected in the level of club football. There have been attempts to rectify this with the continual appointment of Argentine coaches most notably Bielsa being appointed and turning round the nations dismal fortunes and then his successor Sampaoli but the continual influx of Argentine players that struggle in the Primera there but being a success in Chile shows the disparity in quality.

Nonetheless rivalry between the ultras of the Santiago clubs is fierce as elsewhere with a strong anti-establishment bias. Football is inextricably linked to politics and none more so than after the events of the American backed Operation Condor to eliminate Allende's left wing government in 1973 replaced by the evil dictator Pinochet.

The head of the players union Hugo Lepe was one of those who disappeared as the Caravans of Death moved around the country. Several players of the side at the time who were Communist or left wing feared for their lives and only survived no doubt to their playing for the national side which amazingly despite all the ructions at home defeated the Soviet Union in a two legged playoff for the 1974 World Cup despite their German coach having fled in fear of his life being a friend of Allende. The same stadium the National Stadium had been host to thousands of opponents being tortured with many killed afterwards. Indeed instead of football many venues were used for this despicable purpose.

Chile's most notable players in recent years have been Alexis Sanchez, Arturo Vidal and prior to them the deadly strikerr Ivan Zamorano and Marcelo Salas. But the first star to emerge from Chile was Elias Figueroa Brander. Of German descent this elegant centreback and libero played for Penarol and Internacional winning numerous player of the season titles for the club and division. He played in the 1966 World Cup as a twenty year old and in 1974 was voted as the best defender of the tournament. No small accomplishment.

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Demichelis clinches his first title in Argentina. River Plate with three games left secured the Primera ahead of Talleres de Cordoba which is a story in itself. One of the most storied clubs in the early years of Argentine football and the first outside of Buenos Aires to make an impact they have been in the doldrums for years.

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Libertadores final will be between our old pals Fluminense and Boca Juniors. Fluminense beat Internacional 4-3 over two legs while Boca travelled to Palmeiras and won in a penalty shoot out 4-3 after the match ended 1-1. Sergio Romero was the hero with two saves.

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Apparently he has been the hero each round in a penalty shoot out !

Maybe Man U should have kept him .

 

Just a quick reminder that the Copa Libertadores final is tonight live on BBC3 KO 2000. One hundred thousand Boca fans are on Copacabana in Rio as they take on Fluminense.

https://twitter.com/lfc_fede/status/1720743721451299027

 

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Boca will be kicking themselves having been in the ascendant in the second half. Mind you the officiating was a bit over the shop. Several players fortunate to escape red and yellow cards. Some awful simulation, mad scrambles and the usual fun of the fair for South American football.

 

The pre Olympics qualification tournament is over for CONM3BOL. It's 2 representatives will be winners Paraguay and Argentina. Brazil the current Olympic champions lost 1-0 to Argentina and do not travel to Paris.

Argentina will gave an interesting selection dilemma throughout their Copa and Olympic squads given the depth of talent coming through especially in midfield.

Can Varela, Redondo, Soule, Garnacho, Barco force their way into the Copa squad. Hopefully European clubs will release the players selected by their respective national sides.

 

They do indeed. I'm amazed though that Mascherano is still coaching. More the ability of the side that got then through in the end. The 3-3 draw between Paraguay and Argentina was great stuff.