Snak

Buffarini: "Rendir cuando te ponen"

BUENOS AIRES -- El mediocampista de San Lorenzo Julio Buffarini dijo el martes que el partido del jueves ante River por la Copa Sudamericana será un intento de "revancha" tras la dura caída ante Argentinos Juniors por el torneo local.

"Fue muy duro ante Argentinos y habrá que corregir errores, pero el fútbol da revancha y la podemos tener el jueves", sostuvo Buffarini por la radio La Red.

Buffarini será uno de los cinco jugadores que ingresarán al equipo titular para el choque del jueves en el Nuevo Gasómetro, según definió Pizzi.

"Sabemos que hay muchas rotaciones y que le estamos dando prioridad a los tres campeonatos. Por eso hay que rendir cuando el técnico te pone en la cancha", apuntó sobre su futura presencia ante River.

Finalmente, Buffarini reconoció que le llegó una oferta de Italia, que está en "análisis" junto a su representante, aunque deslizó que por ahora seguirá en San Lorenzo.

CONCACAF Champions League Wrap: Keane gives Galaxy winning start

MLS champions LA Galaxy have made a winning start to their CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) campaign with a 2-0 win over Cartagines.

A brace from former English Premier League star Robbie Keane proved the difference against the Costa Ricans at the StubHub Center on Tuesday.

Keane, who scored a hat-trick in the MLS on the weekend, struck first on 66 minutes after strong lead-up play from USA international Landon Donovan.

The Ireland international captain wrapped things up with his second in stoppage time from another Donovan assist as the Galaxy moved top of Group Eight in the CCL.

http://www.youtube.com/w…aJTtTms9dAQ



Fellow MLS club Houston Dynamo were unable to register a win of their own though, in a tough road trip to Port of Spain against W Connection.

In a hard-fought clash played in stifling heat, the Dynamo failed to breach the well-organised home defence and had to settle for a 0-0 draw in their opening fixture of the CCL Group Stage.



http://www.youtube.com/w…aJTtTms9dAQ


In the other match on Tuesday, Tijuana of Mexico won 3-2 away to Honduras´ Victoria.

http://www.youtube.com/w…aJTtTms9dAQ

Copa do Brasil: Nacional AM 0 Vasco da Gama 2

Vasco da Gama are on the verge of progression to the quarter-finals of the Copa do Brasil after a comfortable 2-0 win over Nacional AM.

Dorival Junior´s Vasco da Gama did not have it all their own way in their Round of 16 clash against the Serie D club, with only late goals in each half ensuring victory at the Estadio Roberto Simonsen.

Defender Cris got the opener for Vasco a minute before the break to send the visitors to the rooms in front, after wonderful lead-up play by Carlos Tenorio.

The Ecuadorian striker then completed the scoring when he added a penalty in second half stoppage to confirm the result.

The two sides meet again in nine days time in Rio de Janiero for a spot in the last eight.

Copa sudamericana - 2 runde, 1 første kamp

Atlético Nacional of Medellín gets a valuable win away from home


http://www.youtube.com/w…EKdfXDGA8As


Atlético Nacional de Medellín easily beat Guaraní 2-0 on their visit to Asuncion at the Copa Sudamericana. The match was played at the Defensores del Chaco stadium before some 5,000 spectatores.

The goals for the visitors were scored by Paraguayan defender Luis Cabral (own-goal) before a minute had gone by in the game and Juan Valencia in the 81st.

The first goal came when veteran defender Julio Cáceres (who played in the World Cup in South Korea/Japan in 2002 and Germany in 2006) blundered an easily controllable ball right onto the path of Juan Valencia. But before he could score into a wide open net Luis Cabral came sliding in to clear the ball away but only managed in putting it into his own net.

The second goal came in the 81st minute when Valencia ventured down the left side and deked two defenders to get his shot off. However it was stopped by goalkeeper Alfredo Aguilar (replaced Pablo Aurrecochea who left the game injured in the 15th minute) but the rebound found its way back to Valencia´s boot and he put the ball into the back of the net. The Paraguayans protested that Valencia had used his arm to control the ball on his second attempt but Chilean referee Julio Bascuñán was hearing none of that and awarded the goal.

The second-leg game will be played in Medellin next week.



Católica of Chile defeats Emelec of Ecuador 4-0 at the Sudamericana

http://www.youtube.com/w…kzgZ3b0zHrA

Universidad Católica of Chile beat up on Emelec of Ecuador to the tune of 4-0 in the second stage match of the Copa Sudamericana played in Santiago. The Chileans bring a huge advantage to the second-leg match.

Católica got their victory thanks to goals from Fernando Meneses (28), Cristian Alvarez (46), Nicolas Castillo (65) and Matthew Jadue (90).

Despite the lop-sided score the match was intense throughout. Católica kept up the attack against an Emelec club that did not surrender and fought until the last minute.

In a controversial play, Ismael Sosa fell in Emelec´s box after a collision with Cristian Nasutti. Católica clamored for a penalty but Argentine referee Patricio Loustau waved play on.

Minutes later, Sosa ran away with the ball crossing midfield on the left and reached the opponents box where a made a precise pass to Fernando Meneses who slammed home the first goal in the 28th minute.

Before the end of the first half the game became very complicated for Gustavo Quinteros´ men: striker Stracqualursi had to leave the pitch due to injury and John Narvaez was sent off after a hard foul on Alfonso Parot.

If that wasn´t enough in the 41st minute Oswaldo Lastra received a red card for a stamp on Sosa, and just like that Emelec was down to nine players and an uphill battle.

Católica seized on their advantage and Cristian Alvarez headed in the second goal to go into halftime up by two.

In the second half Católica sealed the game with a big play that was capped by a left-footed goal from the young Nicolas Castillo (65) to make the score 3-0.

When the match looked to be over Matias Jadue, who was only on the pitch a few minute, received a centering pass in the 90th minute and scored the last goal of the game.

The two teams go at it again in the second-leg on Tuesday the 27th in the George Capwell stadium in Guayaquil, Ecuador.


Sport defeats Náutico 2-0 in the Copa Sudamericana

http://www.youtube.com/w…DnC7iVTjBms

Sport beat Náutico 2-0 on Tuesday in a match between two modest teams from Recife (northeastern Brazil) in the second stage of the 2013 Copa Sudamericana.

Felipe Azevedo opened the scoring after four minutes and Patric sealed the win in the 42nd minute. The first-leg match was played at the Ilha do Retiro stadium.

The second-leg match takes place on Wednesday the 28th at the Arena Pernambuco, one of the venues of the 2014 World Cup.

The winner will face either Paraguayan club Libertad or Mineros of Venezuela in the round of 16.

Sport is in the second division while Náutico is in the first but is in last place in the 2013 Brazilian Championship.

It was the first time these arch rivals hadfaced each other in an international tournament. And as such the game was full of emotions, especially in the stands, which were filled with more than 16,000 spectators despite the rain.

With the clock ticking past three minutes, Camilo centered in the box for Roger who headed past two defenders only for goalkeeper Bern to make a great save.

But the goal came just a minute later when Patric put the ball in the box for Roger to head to his teammate Felipe Azevedo who put the ball home.

The second goal came shortly after the start of the second half. Patric chested down a Roger pass and shot into the right corner of the goal.

Sport did not let off on the gas however and almost scored the third in the 70th minute. Camilo received the ball on the right and passed into the box for Roger who clumsily sent the ball wide.

Meanwhile, Jorginho opted to change his entire offensive scheme and sent on Hugo and Oliveira in the attack in place of Rogerio and Maikon Leite, and Venezuelan Angelo Peña in midfield for Tiago Real.

But in the end none of the substitutions were able to change the outcome of the game.

La Equidad y Cobreloa no se sacan ventaja y empatan sin goles

El club colombiano La Equidad y Cobreloa de Chile empataron 0-0 en partido de ida de la segunda fase de la Copa Sudamericana-2013, disputado la noche del martes en Bogotá.

Ambos equipos mostraron actitud ofensiva, pero carecieron de profundidad para anotar. La escuadra chilena tuvo el protagonismo en el arranque, pero hacia el minuto 20 el local se apoderó del balón aunque sin generar peligro. En la complementaria, los ´zorros del desierto´ lograron nuevamente inclinar la cancha a su favor con un mayor control de la pelota, pero la falta de claridad fue la constante.

La revancha se jugará el 29 de agosto en el estadio Calvo y Bascuñán, de Antofagasta (norte de Chile), y el ganador de la llave se medirá en octavos de final con el vencedor de la serie entre los argentinos Belgrano y Vélez, que cayó por 1-0 en el choque de ida de la segunda ronda.

Meulensteen backs Willian to join Spurs

Former Anzhi Makhachkala boss Rene Meulensteen is confident Willian could be one of Tottenham´s most successful signings if they can secure the midfielder this summer.

Spurs have emerged as the favourites to sign Willian, with a source telling ESPN on Tuesday that the club are currently in "advanced talks" to sign the Anzhi player.

Willian could join the likes of Paulinho, Roberto Soldado, Nacer Chadli and Etienne Capoue in what is becoming a successful summer of transfers for Andre Villas-Boas´ side and Meulensteen believes the Brazilian playmaker could be a vital link for the north London club.

"I´ve worked with him for a short time but I really, really like him. He will be an asset for whoever´s going to get him," he told Sky Sports News. "If it´s Spurs that´s going to get him they´ll get an excellent player.

"He´s very versatile, he can play in different positions, he´s a very creative player and an excellent professional with a very good personality. He´s going to be a major trump card for Spurs if they can get the deal to go through.

"He can beat a player, he can score a goal. I thought he was an absolute delight to work with."

Despite his praise, Meulensteen was keen to avoid comparisons between Willian and Gareth Bale, adding: "You can´t compare the two, he´s a completely different."

Galindo fired, Fabian flying and De Nigris debuts

Aldo de Nigris looked impressive on his Chivas debut.GettyImagesAldo de Nigris looked impressive on his Chivas debut.

Sunday was a whirlwind day for Chivas and one that has again stirred up the hornet´s nest about where the club is at and where it is going. Take a long, deep breath.

Let´s start at the end of Benjamin Galindo, who was fired from his position as coach after the 4-2 loss to Puebla inside the Estadio Omnilife. It wasn´t a major surprise and it was widely assumed that if Chivas didn´t win, Galindo would be getting his marching orders.

The loss was Chivas´ ninth in their last 11 league games and the way the defense leaked goals and players looked short of confidence against Puebla, firing Galindo wouldn´t have been a difficult decision to make, even though El Maestro would be justified in feeling the players didn´t fully play their part and the squad is a long way from the one he had at Santos Laguna, where he won the title just a little over a year ago.

But the deeper issue at play is that this is the 15th time in the Jorge Vergara era as club owner that there has been a change of coach. That stat alone suggests the club has not had a real direction during that time, which is emphasized by the fact Galindo has now been fired twice by Vergara.

At some point the club needs to admit that there is an underlying problem that isn´t solved by wheeling managers in and out every six or so months. Johan Cruyff tried to make changes from the bottom up suggesting the same thing, but he was unceremoniously dumped last December after disagreements with the club´s hierarchy.

The sacking of Galindo was compounded by the news earlier on Sunday that Marco Fabian wouldn´t feature because a formal offer arrived for a foreign club that is of interest to the 24-year-old forward.

Fabian has made it clear on numerous occasions that his dream is to play in Europe and Chivas´ stance implicitly acknowledges they are at last ready to let perhaps their most talented player go at a time when the club and institution – considering what is going on at Chivas USA – is at a real low point.

Replacing Fabian is extremely difficult and the end of season transfer window is still a long way away. Even when it does arrive, there is also a very real possibility that players will no longer be interested in coming to Chivas, considering the bad press, poor performances, empty stadium and general negativity that has been clinging to the club over recent times.

Given the choice between America or Chivas right now, there´s little doubt the majority of players would go for Las Aguilas.

Almost lost among those stories was Chivas’ most important signing in recent years, Aldo de Nigris, making his first team debut against Puebla.

De Nigris was efficient, setting up Guadalajara´s second with a cushioned header and showed enough to suggest he is going to substantially improve the team´s offense when fully fit.

But with everything else going on at present, it is unlikely to be enough to appease an increasingly vehement fan base, whose patience with the direction the club is headed has now run out.

Ortega appointed Chivas coach

Juan Carlos Ortega was unveiled Monday as the new Chivas coach, stepping into Benjamin Galindo´s shoes following Sunday´s 4-2 defeat against Puebla.

Although Ortega was working as director of youth national teams for the Mexican Soccer Federation (FMF), this is pretty much an in-house appointment from Chivas and a continuation of the same project sporting president Dennis te Kloese proposed when he was appointed back in December 2012.

Ortega was a coach at the club between 2003 and 2009 and even managed two first team games the first time Galindo was fired back in 2005.

He towed the club line at the press conference in Guadalajara on Monday, maintaining that he does have players of sufficient quality in the Chivas squad and that his knowledge of the players means he will be able to get the best out of them.

Certainly, the 45-year-old will need to give the players an immediate boost of confidence. Sunday´s defensive display against Puebla was dire, with Kristian Alvarez all over the place and Nestor Vidrio not providing the stability that he was expected to.

Tactically, Puebla´s Ruben Omar Romano managed his troops much better than Galindo on Sunday and Ortega will be expected to come up with something different, including a plan B for when things aren´t working out.

But with Ortega´s lack of experience, there is no guarantee he will bring any improvement. This is his first full time job as a head coach at a juncture when the club has no room for error.

It´s been written before in this blog, but a look at the relegation table shows that two more average seasons for the Rojiblancos will mean they are right in the battle to stay in Mexico´s first division, something that seems so distant yet can creep up very quickly. Just ask Argentine giant River Plate.

Perhaps an experienced coach would´ve been better for a squad that has suffered from a lack of discipline off the field and low morale on it, especially at a big club like Chivas with the media demands and pressure.

The other notable point about Ortega´s appointment is that he is very much Te Kloese´s signing and that the latter´s job could be on the line should it not work out. After all, club owner Jorge Vergara is currently on his 17th coach and eighth sporting president since he took over the club in 2002.

Speaking of the Chivas owner, he has been doing the media rounds on Monday, launching a staunch defense of his time in charge on ESPN´s Raza Deportiva.

"They asked for millions for new signings and we invested more than 150 million pesos (11.5 million USD), despite me not taking part in the decision to buy those players, who haven´t functioned as we hoped," said Vergara. "We know full well there is talent, but they aren´t putting it into practice as a team and that is the responsibility of the trainer."

The problem is that quality coaches have come and gone and Chivas remain stuck in a rut. While Chivas have some very talented players, it seems more than a stretch to say they have a squad that matches teams in the top echelon of the Mexican game.

Ortega better get to work fast. Quite frankly, the odds are stacked against him succeeding.

The Fabian situation

Te Kloese confirmed Monday that Marco Fabian is on the brink of leaving Chivas and said the deal with an unnamed foreign club is advanced. There will be more on the situation when there is official news...

Premier League Preview – Brazilians in the EPL 2013/14

To say that this is a big year for Brazilian footballers would be an understatement. The 2014 World Cup on home soil is looming large, and the Brazilian contingent in one of the most high profile leagues in the world will be out to impress.

Here’s a look at the Brazilians plying their trade in the English Premier League. Keep an eye out on this page as it will be updated if any Brazilians join before the transfer window shuts on September 2nd.

David Luiz – Chelsea

Central defence / defensive midfield

There were whisperings shortly after José Mourinho took over for his second stint at Chelsea, that David Luiz might be one of the players the Portuguese manager might not be keen on, but going into the new season he’s still at Stamford Bridge, and likely to be Chelsea’s first choice centre back.

Luiz can divide opinion as he has a tendency to abandon his defensive duties and embark on wandering forays out of defence. If Chelsea have players in midfield willing to cover for him, then this can be an effective attacking weapon to unleash on their opponents. However, it can also leave his team a man light at the back and provide way for the opposition to get through on goal.

It will be interesting to see how Mourinho copes with Luiz’s unpredictability, as he’s typically a manager who likes his defences to be rigid and disciplined. Many think he would be more effective in a midfield role, or as the ball playing defender in a back three, but whatever his role Luiz will be a vital part of the team if Chelsea are to challenge for honours.


Oscar – Chelsea

Attacking midfield

Oscar was a revelation during his first year in the English Premier League, both in terms of his performances for Chelsea, and his emergence as a vital part of the new look Brazil side. His second goal against Juventus on his Champions League debut announced his talent to the wider world, and his hard work and dedication throughout a long season proved he was no lightweight.

Alongside Juan Mata and Eden Hazard, Oscar was part of an impressive attacking trident which any striker would love playing in front of, and any defender would dread having to come up against.

Oscar used his guile and skill to become an important part of Chelsea’s creative play, and he is likely to remain one of their favoured attacking weapons in the coming season.


Ramires – Chelsea

Midfield

Ramires is the engine of the Chelsea midfield, and will use his athleticism to shuttle up and down the pitch in a box-to-box role. He played a big role in Chelsea’s Champions League success in 2012, scoring an expertly taken chip past Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes in the away leg of their semi-final, which will go down in Chelsea history.

Since then Ramires has gone under the radar in terms of both his displays for Chelsea, and his lack of appearances for Brazil. He’ll be hoping that his 2013/14 season can see him return to the heights he reached during that Champions League winning campaign of 2011/12.


Lucas Leiva – Liverpool

Defensive midfield

Last season was very much a recovery year for Lucas after his return to the side following a serious knee injury, and then a thigh injury picked up at the start of the season. This time out he’ll be expected to be at the top of his game both physically and technically.

Lucas plays a vital role in Brendan Rodgers set up at Liverpool, and from his defensive midfield position he’ll be expected to initiate moves for his own team, as well as break up the opposition attack.

He was once considered a future national team regular, and maybe even a captain, but he has dropped out of the Brazil squad since picking up his injury. There is a lot of hard work ahead for Lucas if he’s to feature in future Selecao squads.


Philippe Coutinho – Liverpool

Attacking midfield/forward

As with Oscar, many doubted that Coutinho would be able to cope with the physicality of the English league, but his performances since joining Liverpool have proved that size isn’t everything.

Coutinho’s technical ability and eye for a pass saw him become one of Liverpool’s stand-out players last season, and the Kop soon took to their young Brazilian star.

If he can maintain his form from last season he should help Liverpool improve on their 7th place finish, and he’ll also be difficult to ignore when it comes to national selection.


Fernandinho – Manchester City

Midfield

Fernandinho is a new arrival in the Premier League, having signed for Manchester City from Shakhtar Donetsk for a fee of around £30m. The midfielder had become one of Shakhtar Donetsk’s many Brazilian success stories, and he was so highly regarded at the Ukrainian club that he was their vice captain during his last couple of seasons at the club.

Fernandinho is a creative box-to-box midfielder who’ll also work hard for the team and occasionally try to shoot from distance. The prospect of him and Yaya Toure playing in the same midfield is a fairly daunting one for the other 19 teams in the league.

Rafael da Silva – Manchester United

Right back

Rafael was one of the best right backs in the league last season, and will be hoping for a repeat performance this campaign as he looks to force his way into the Brazil squad as a back-up to Dani Alves.

The right back is still suffering after taking a large part of the blame for Brazil’s failure to win a much coveted Olympic gold medal in London last year.

This banishment from the international scene means Rafael can concentrate on being the best he can for Manchester United, and when he’s in top form scurrying up and down that right hand side, his best is second to none.

Fabio da Silva – Manchester United

Left back / left midfield

Fabio hasn’t had the impact at Manchester United that his twin brother Rafael has, but during his loan spell at QPR last season he was one of the players who caught the eye in a fairly poor side.

Fabio may have paid the price for being the more versatile of the two brothers, having switched to right back from left back at an early age, and his attacking talents mean he could also do a job on the left wing.

Patrice Evra will turn 33 by the end of this season, so it’s possible that Fabio could get more chances than in previous seasons, but it remains to be seen where he features in the plans of new manager David Moyes.

Anderson – Manchester United

Midfield

Anderson is another player who’s never quite made the grade for Manchester United, despite being tipped for big things on joining the club from Porto.

The midfielder has the potential to be a driving force in the centre of midfield, seriously he has, but it just hasn’t happened for him… yet.

If he can get in shape for the new season and get some regular playing time under his belt, he could be the perfect mobile partner for the more stationary Michael Carrick.

Guly do Prado – Southampton

Forward / attacking midfield

Forward Guly do Prado appeared sporadically for Southampton last season, but was a major part of their promotion campaign the season before, when he scored 10 goals in 42 appearances.

He recently commented that he hopes to see more first team action in the coming season, and he knows that the best way to feature in Mauricio Pochettino’s plans, is by scoring goals when given the chance.

“I need to show that I am worth a place in the team, and I must do that in the pre-season, I need to start hitting the back of the net again. For sure it’s the only way back for me”

Heurelho Gomes – Tottenham Hotspur

Goalkeeper

It’s likely to be another frustrating season for Heurelho Gomes as, should he remain at Spurs, he’ll almost certainly be back-up to Hugo Lloris.

If the opportunity arises for Gomes to get first team football at another club before the transfer window closes, then he’ll surely take it. Otherwise, he’ll just have to remain in his role as possibly the best back-up goalkeeper in the league.


Sandro – Tottenham Hotspur

Defensive midfield

On his day Sandro is the best defensive midfielder in the world. If Spurs are to live up to their potential and start challenging for honours in all competitions, then keeping hold of Sandro, and keeping him fit, will be vital.

Sandro is surely a shoe-in for the Brazil squad once he’s fully fit and playing week in, week out, but will have to prove his prowess once again having dropped out of the national side since picking up an injury last season.

Alongside his midfield colleagues Paulinho and Dembele, they could form a central midfield unit for Spurs which rivals that of Yaya Toure and Fernandinho at Manchester City.

Paulinho – Tottenham Hotspur

Midfield

Paulinho is another new Brazilian arrival in the Premier League this season, and many pundits think that Spurs may have got the better deal with the £17m Paulinho, when compared with the £30m Manchester City paid for his compatriot Fernandinho.

Paulinho was part of the Corinthians side which defeated Rafa Benitez’s Chelsea to lift the Club World Cup in 2012.

Brazilian football expert Tim Vickery has long been an admirer of Paulinho, and has dubbed him “the Brazilian Frank Lampard” due to his ability to arrive in the box from midfield and get himself on the scoresheet.

If he can adapt to English football as quickly as Oscar and Coutinho did, then he’ll be a midfield force for Spurs this season, and after being part of one of the more English style Brazilian teams at Corinthians, you’d expect him to adapt quicker than most.

Vélez: confirman desgarro de Zárate

BUENOS AIRES -- El delantero de Vélez Sarsfield Mauro Zárate sufrió un desgarro en el empate 1-1 del lunes ante All Boys como visitante y estará sin jugar al menos por tres semanas, informó el martes la entidad de Liniers.

Zárate tuvo poco más de una hora de acción en Floresta, donde cristalizó su retorno al club en el que debutó en Primera tras nueve meses de inactividad, pero una molestia en la pierna izquierda lo obligó a salir de la cancha visiblemente contrariado y fue reemplazado por Jonathan Copete.

Los estudios que el martes le realizaron al ex futbolista de Lazio determinaron que la lesión es un desgarro en el bíceps izquierdo y que deberá estar sin actividad por unas tres semanas.

El empate que le impidió subir a lo más alto del torneo Inicial no sólo fue un mal resultado para Vélez por ese motivo sino también por perder a un jugador como Zárate, con quien no pudo contar en las dos primeras fechas.

Para el siguiente encuentro, el sábado a las 16 como local ante Lanús, seguramente el técnico, Ricardo Gareca, recurrirá nuevamente a Copete o a Ezequiel Rescaldani, titular en los primeros dos compromisos del campeonato.

Caruso dice que él absorbe la presión

BUENOS AIRES -- El DT de Argentinos, Ricardo Caruso Lombardi, afirmó en una charla ofrecida en Tecnópolis que asume el "lío mediático" para quitarle "presión" a sus dirigidos y que éstos "sólo se dediquen a jugar".

"Los jugadores saben que estando yo en el banco de suplentes les saco presión y los medios van a buscarme a mí. Ellos solo se tienen que ocupar de jugar. El lío mediático me lo banco yo", expresó Caruso Lombardi en el marco de la charla que brindó en el espacio `Pasiones Argentinas` de Tecnópolis.

Sin embargo, Caruso Lombardi, de 51 años, aceptó que su discusión en la vía pública con Fabián García, ex ayudante de campo del entrenador Leonardo Madelón, en mayo de 2012, fue "un papelón" y que pudo haberse evitado.

"A él le contaron mal las cosas y se terminó armando algo que no fue bueno para ninguna de las dos partes", agregó el ex director técnico de Tigre, Newell`s, Racing, Quilmes y San Lorenzo.

El actual DT de Argentinos Juniors también opinó sobre el crack rosarino Lionel Messi, a quien catalogó como "titular indiscutido" del seleccionado argentino de fútbol y aseguró que "no se puede dudar de su nivel", tanto en Barcelona como en el equipo albiceleste.

El también ex DT de All Boys y Platense agradeció a Diego Maradona porque fue quien le dio el "espaldarazo" para dirigir en la primera división del fútbol argentino, como así al presidente de AFA, Julio Grondona, porque "siempre" lo apoyó en su carrera como entrenador.

Por último, aseguró que dejó de lado sus diferencias con el presidente de Argentinos Juniors, Luis Segura, para sacar "de esta situación" al club, que debe sumar puntos para no perder la categoría al final de temporada.