Snak

Troglio: "Fue una prueba de carácter"

CORDOBA -- El entrenador de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, Pedro Troglio, consideró el viernes que el partido que su equipo le ganó a Belgrano en Córdoba fue "una muestra de carácter" para sus jugadores, ya que comenzaron perdiendo.

"Me voy conforme. Lo de hoy fue una prueba de carácter importante porque arrancamos perdiendo", sostuvo Troglio tras el 2-1 en el encuentro correspondiente a la cuarta fecha del Torneo Inicial.

El director técnico del equipo platense, agregó: "En el primer tiempo ellos llegaron una vez y convirtieron. En el segundo dijimos perder en la tercera fecha es lo peor que te puede pasar y lo acomodamos".

Cuando se le preguntó por el momento que atraviesa su equipo, que sigue con una producción ideal, Troglio, admitió: "Por ahora sí, somos la sorpresa del torneo. De estos nueve puntos pensé que íbamos a sacar cinco".

El Lobo sólo afrontó tres cotejos en esta competencia doméstica porque tiene pendiente el juego ante Newell´s Old Boys y eso se debe a que los rosarinos en su momento llegaron hasta las semifinales de la Copa Libertadores de América.

Zubeldía: "Tengo fuerzas para seguir"

BUENOS AIRES -- El entrenador de Racing Club, Luis Zubeldía, admitió este viernes que el ánimo en su club "no está muy bien" con el flojísimo arranque de campeonato, aunque resaltó que tiene fuerzas "para seguir" en el cargo y poder revertir la situación.

"A nadie le gusta perder cuatro partidos seguidos (campeonato más Copa Sudamericana), el ánimo no está muy bien. Cuando no se puede ganar hay que sumar y hoy no estamos haciendo ninguna de las dos cosas. La preocupación es que tenemos un punto sobre doce", expresó el director técnico en conferencia de prensa.

Y resaltó: "Esto no pasa por tener fuerzas para seguir, de hecho las tengo, sino porque me gustó lo que hizo el equipo en la cancha ante Arsenal y creo que merecimos más".

"Yo soy el entrenador y un empleado del club, van cuatro fechas y una de la Sudamericana, creo que no es una pregunta para mi", dijo Zubeldía al ser consultado si tendría que renunciar en el cargo por los malos resultados, tirándole la responsabilidad a los dirigentes.

Luego, el técnico se refirió a la serie con Lanús por Copa Sudamericana, que se definirá el miércoles en el Estadio Néstor Díaz Pérez, con resultado en la ida favorable para los "Granates" por 2 a 1.

"Creo que la serie está abierta, aunque complicada por el partido de ida", reconoció el entrenador.

River: "Teo ya está habilitado"

BUENOS AIRES -- El colombiano Teófilo Gutiérrez debutará en River Plate en el partido del domingo próximo ante Colón de Santa Fe, ya que el Cruz Azul de México envió el transfer a la AFA luego de recibir el pago del pase.

El anuncio lo hizo River mediante su página oficial, haciendo hincapié en que Gutiérrez ya "quedó habilitado para jugar el Torneo Inicial y la Copa Sudamericana".

El Cruz Azul había anunciado durante la jornada de este viernes que tenía acreditada en su cuenta el pago del pase, por lo que restaba sólo una formalidad para que el delantero pudiera debutar con la camiseta riverplatense.

"El pago por los derechos federativos del jugador Teófilo Gutiérrez ya se realizó, queda libre para jugar...", había informado Cruz Azul a través de su cuenta de Twitter.

De esta manera, se pone fin a la novela y Gutiérrez formará parte de la delantera que el domingo enfrente a Colón, posiblemente junto al uruguayo Rodrigo Mora, aunque no hay que descartar las presencias de Giovanni Simeone o Federico Andrada para acompañar al colombiano arriba.

Por otro lado, Jonathan Fabbro, con una fatiga muscular en el gemelo izquierdo, y Ramiro Funes Mori, quien sufre una sinovitis en la rodilla izquierda, se entrenaron este viernes de manera diferenciada en el Monumental.

De todos modos, Fabbro no podrá jugar ante Colón pues debe una fecha de suspensión por su expulsión en el triunfo ante Rosario Central, por la segunda fecha.

Funes Mori, quien ante San Lorenzo de Almagro volvió a jugar después de casi diez meses, tras haber sufrido una rotura de ligamentos de la rodilla izquierda, tendría descanso el domingo a raíz de la sinovitis que lo afecta en la misma zona.

Ante Colón volverá a la titularidad el arquero Marcelo Barovero, quien frente a San Lorenzo le dejó su lugar a Leandro Chichizola pues tenía que cumplir una suspensión de una fecha en partidos internacionales.

En la práctica de este viernes, quienes fueron titulares ante el Ciclón hicieron trabajos regenerativos, mientras que el resto jugó un partido de práctica ante un equipo de juveniles que finalizó 1-1 con goles de Germán Pezzella y Juan Kaprof.

El equipo principal formó con Barovero; Gabriel Mercado, Pezzella, Jonathan Bottinelli, Nicolás Pantaleone; Carlos Carbonero, Augusto Solari, Martín Aguirre, Osmar Ferreyra; Gutiérrez y Simeone.

De 13 udlandsproffer i en Paraguyanske trup til VM-kval kampene mod Argentina og Bolivia.

Genes dio la lista de Paraguay

ASUNCION -- El delantero Antonio Sanabria, de 17 años y jugador de las inferiores del Barcelona español, fue convocado por Paraguay por primera vez para los partidos ante Bolivia y Argentina por la Eliminatorias de la Copa del Mundo de 2014.

El entrenador Víctor Genes difundió el viernes la lista de 13 futbolistas de clubes del exterior, aclarando que el plantel se completará la próxima semana con jugadores de la liga local.

Paraguay disputará sus siguientes cotejos en casa: el 6 de septiembre ante Bolivia y el 10 frente al seleccionado argentino.

Los guaraníes prácticamente están eliminados de la contienda por un boleto al Mundial, con apenas ocho puntos.

= CONVOCADOS:

- ARQUEROS: Anthony Silva (Deportes Tolima, Colombia).

- DEFENSORES: Paulo Da Silva (Toluca, México), Pablo Aguilar (Tijuana, México) y Marcos Cáceres (Newell´s Old Boys, Argentina).

- MEDIOCAMPISTAS: Cristian Riveros (Gremio, Brasil), Víctor Ayala (Lanús, Argentina), Richard Ortiz (Toluca, México), Jonathan Fabbro (River Plate, Argentina) y Jorge Rojas (Benfica, Portugal).

- DELANTEROS: Roque Santa Cruz (Málaga, España), Pablo Velázquez (Toluca, México), José Núñez (Osasuna, España) y Antonio Sanabria (Barcelona, España).

Fabian stay a major boon for Chivas, despite fan backlash

No other player but Marco Fabian at Chivas could´ve provoked the media storm that has swept Guadalajara over the last few days. The saga over whether he would stay or take the money and run to Qatar even overshadowed the managerial change from Benjamin Galindo to Juan Carlos Ortega that occurred after last Sunday´s 4-2 home loss to Puebla.

But Fabian´s decision to remain is a major positive for the club, despite the general swell of opinion being against the 24-year-old, at least around Guadalajara.

"I´ve taken the decision to stay with my family, which is Chivas," said Fabian in a press conference in Guadalajara on Wednesday. "I know that you don´t abandon family."

He added: "I made a mistake in contemplating a (lucrative) financial offer outside of Mexico, but it wasn´t what I wanted, I´ve learned a lot of things here."

Now Fabian has no excuses left. His offer from abroad came and he rejected it. He simply has to take the huge weight of responsibility that has been on his shoulders since before the Olympics and produce for Chivas.

It´s not going to be easy at first, with the prospect of him getting booed at the Estadio Omnilife a real possibility.

His reputation as a happy-go-lucky player with more than the usual penchant for a fiesta will be difficult to shake off, but those fans will be won over again if the player can produce anything near the form he showed at that Toulon Tournament before the Olympics, or the 2010-11 season when he scored 15 goals in 29 starts, or those ridiculously brilliant two goals in a friendly against Barcelona back in 2011.

The positive for Fabian is that he also seems to know he needs to get back to that level and stressed his commitment to the club he has been at since he was nine years old.

"I reiterate my commitment to the institution, to the fans, to my teammates, I don´t have any doubt that I am going to succeed," said Fabian.

Look at it as a fresh start, turning over a new leaf or however you want. The bottom line is that if Fabian is going to be the main man at Chivas and with the club waiting on him to make up his mind about his future, he now needs to start showing it on the field. The team is in desperate need of the Fabian of old.

Notes:

-- Chivas won 3-2 in Sinaloa against Dorados on Tuesday evening in Ortega´s debut as coach in the Copa MX. The win took Chivas to eight points from the three Group 7 games and in an excellent position to qualify for the knock-out stages. The main positive was out-of-form Miguel Sabah firing in a second half double. On the negative side, the defense again looked shaky.

-- Friday´s visit to La Corregidora in Queretaro is Ortega´s first league match in charge and a chance for Chivas to start making some headway in the Apertura. The prospect of Fabian, Aldo de Nigris and Rafa Marquez Lugo all starting together is mouthwatering. At the back, Ortega is likely to continue on from Tuesday and use three central defenders: Nestor Vidrio, Kristian Alvarez and Hector Reynoso.

-- Midfielder Jorge "Chaton" Enriquez is back in full training at Chivas and could make his first appearance of the season after picking up an injury at the Gold Cup.

America´s success is, in part, Layun´s "fault"

MEXICO CITY -- This week, a defiant, confident Miguel Layun stood in front of reporters and proudly admitted that though his team would be facing the Liga MX leaders, the presumptive favorite for the duel should not be Morelia. It was a far cry from the shy, overly polite young man who arrived at the club years ago.

"They don´t intimidate us at all. Sure, we need to be attentive [to their talent], but we´re working on our defensive unit to neutralize their best players on offense," said Layun during a press conference at Coapa, the team´s training facility in southern Mexico City. "In my mind, we´re the favorites. If I´m playing for a team and I don´t consider myself the favorite, I guess I´d just have to step aside [and find a new club]."

Layun, 25, was originally signed by the team in 2010, after his only claim to fame being that he´s the first Mexican player to ever suit up for a Serie A team in Italy (Layun played two matches for Atalanta in 2009). For more than one manager, Layun was considered an able backup - a player who could fill several positions when needed.

When America legend Carlos Reinoso took the helm in 2011, Layun was publicly derided, stripped of any meaningful playing time, and was largely associated by fans as a player whose only function on the team was to remind them of the longstanding relationship between the club and certain player agents, who often colluded with management to place certain players on the squad regardless of their talent.

Desperate for playing time, Layun seized bit parts with Reinoso and a more expanded role later on with Miguel Herrera, who had first coached the player at Veracruz in 2008. His reappearance on the pitch, however, was not greeted with fondness. A rusty, over-eager Layun didn´t help either. Fans questioned his very presence, and every mistake was met with schadenfreude.

#TodoEsCulpaDeLayun, or "Everything is Layun´s fault" became a popular hashtag on Twitter, built with the specific aim of humiliating the player´s perceived lack of talent and his own presence on the social network, where he´s been an avid participant. Routinely booed on the pitch, Layun slowly built momentum and confidence despite the disapproval, in part, he says, to Miguel Herrera.

"He´s always been an important manager for me, and I´ve told him this," Layun told reporters on Wednesday. With improved performances, Layun became an increasingly important part of a team that stampeded towards the playoffs last season with one sole aim: to end an eight-year title drought.

One game, nay, one kick turned the tide for the better.

America´s epic comeback in last season´s Clausura final against Cruz Azul is well documented. It might not have happened if not for an awkward near-miss from Layun. Tasked with taking the team´s fourth penalty kick and needing just one goal to clinch the title, the former Veracruz man took on a soaking wet Estadio Azteca pitch. Layun approached the ball, stared down national team goalkeeper Jesus Corona, and promptly slipped upon contact, barely skidding his shot past a diving Corona for the game´s deciding goal.

Filled with a growing sense of emotional fortitude, Layun´s perseverance did not go unnoticed. The wide midfielder became one of Mexico´s best players during an ill-fated Gold Cup run this summer, and he started the Apertura 2013 with a banner goal against Leon, securing an important away draw that helped set the tone for the season.

Nowadays, fans will crowd Coapa during practice days, approach the upbeat Layun and sometimes say, smiling "¡Todo es culpa de Layun!" Now meant ironically and with good nature, Layun will often chuckle or smile back.

He now owns his demons, rather than fighting them.

Mutiny threatens El Tri as Ochoa stays behind

Just when Mexico´s national team needs solidarity and unity before the defining round of World Cup qualifying games, more controversy is brewing.

It takes a special kind of coach to alienate two of the top players in the entire country, but it appears that Jose Manuel "Chepo" de la Torre is just such a man. Yet again, apparently, forward Carlos Vela rejected a call to rejoin the national team while De la Torre is in charge.

Now, however, there is a fellow hold-out in Vela´s camp. Goalkeeper Guillermo "Memo" Ochoa has now asked De la Torre to not call him into the national team. The coach granted his request, leaving Ochoa off the list of European-based players released for international duty.

Unlike Vela, Ochoa, who has over 50 caps for Mexico, isn´t known for disciplinary difficulties. In fact, the curly-haired net-minder has been such a good soldier for the national team that he is one of the most popular players on the squad and the focus of a number of ads generated by the team´s main commercial sponsors.

Despite playing extremely well for his French club, Ajaccio, (he was a major force in the club´s recent draw against PSG) Ochoa has not been offered the starting job for his national team of late. Perhaps watching all those advertisements while sitting on the El Tri bench behind Jose Jesus Corona got to Ochoa. For whatever reason, though, Ochoa apparently had the temerity to ask De la Torre to give him some assurance that he wouldn´t be flying from Europe in vain. Ochoa, according to De la Torre, asked to be given the starting position.

It´s quite startling that this information is even public because issues between coaches and players are usually kept under wraps by both sides. But perhaps De la Torre is on such a short leash with his possible firing hanging constantly over his head that he doesn’t care about such sporting niceties anymore. Maybe the coach is also looking to spread the blame around even before the final qualifying games begin.

But to so publicly alienate one of his players - especially one that could be the team´s savior if Corona suffers any injury - seems like a silly risk to take on behalf of the squad. It indicates something of De la Torre´s personal pique now governing his actions.

There could also be a practical element to Ochoa´s move that might be led by the example of Vela. If players don’t like their national team coach, the incentive to leave their club teams in Europe, where they feel like a valued part of the unit, is lower. Frankly, in the case of Ochoa, to travel and risk injury in national team practices only to watch from the bench is no doubt frustrating.

It´s also unknown whether Ochoa asked straight-out to be guaranteed a spot in the line-up, or for a rotation exchange with Corona, or even if he merely pressed De la Torre on whether if Corona was likely to get the start. We have only the coach´s version of the events.

What is clear is that the two upcoming matches are crucial. The first, on September 6, pits Mexico against Honduras in the Azteca stadium, where El Tri has failed to win this year. The second, on September 10, is against the USA in Colombus, Ohio, at a venue where Mexico has traditionally struggled.

It´s an ´all hands on deck´ moment for Mexico, but the team seems, if not on the verge of mutiny, dealing with some key players deciding to desert the ship. With Vela, likely Mexico´s best attacking player, absent and now, Ochoa, the squad´s poster boy, missing from the roster as well, it doesn´t bode well.

A coach rarely loses an entire locker room of players in one fell swoop. It usually happens slowly - one player at a time.

Tager den da lige på engelsk også...imponerende egentligt at de ligger hvor de ligger i Vm-kvallen....

Tabarez confirms his list for the upcoming “Finals” vs. Peru and Colombia

During Uruguay’s stirring run to the U20 FIFA World Cup final, fans eagerly predicted who would be the first to be called up for the senior national team. Would it be Diego Laxalt? Nicolas Lopez? Guillermo Varela? We were finally given the answer yesterday and the honour has been bestowed on José María Giménez (currently on Atletico Madrid) to wear La Celeste. This player not only impressed fans and international pundits during the U20 World Cup, but also fellow Uruguayan footballers who seemed to universally agree that this kid was a “crack” in every sense of the word. It is still to be seen what part he’s going to play in the two massive games vs. Peru and Colombia. Here is the confirmed list of 29 players. It is expected that this list will be slimmed down during the upcoming week.

Goalies:
- Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray-TUR)
- Martín Silva (Olimpia-PAR)
- Rodrigo Muñoz (Libertad-PAR)
- Juan Castillo (Peñarol)


Defenders:
- Diego Lugano (West Bromwich Albion-ENG)
- Diego Godín (Atlético de Madrid-SPA)
- José María Giménez (Atlético de Madrid-SPA)
- Jorge Fucile (Porto-POR)
- Maximiliano Pereira (Benfica-POR)
- Martín Cáceres (Juventus-ITA)
- Andrés Scotti (Nacional)
- Matías Aguirregaray (Estudiantes de La Plata-ARG)
- Alejandro Silva (Olimpia-PAR).

Midfielders:
- Walter Gargano (Napoli-ITA)
- Diego Pérez (Bologna-ITA)
- Álvaro González (Lazio-ITA)
- Álvaro Pereira (Inter-ITA)
- Cristian Rodríguez (Atlético de Madrid-SPA)
- Gonzalo Castro (Real Sociedad-SPA)
- Gastón Ramírez (Southampton-ENG)
- Sebastián Eguren (Palmeiras-BRA)
- Nicolás Lodeiro (Botafogo-BRA),
- Egidio Arévalo Ríos (Chicago Fire-USA)
- Álvaro Fernández (Nacional).

Forwards:
- Diego Forlán (Internacional-BRA)
- Luis Suárez (Liverpool-GBR)
- Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint Germain-FRA)
- Christian Stuani (Espanyol-ESP)
- Abel Hernández (Palermo-ITA)

Alvarez full of praise for Mazzarri

Inter midfielder Ricky Alvarez is delighted with the influence of new manager Walter Mazzarri after his arrival from Napoli.

The 51-year-old made the switch to San Siro from last season´s Serie A runners-up in May, but Inter´s pre-season campaign was not as positive as he would have hoped.

However, despite defeats against the likes of Valencia, Chelsea and Real Madrid in the close-season, Mazzarri has the full support of his players - and Alvarez feels he is the right man to help them improve.

"The coach is good, he has clear ideas," the Argentina international told Sky Sport 24.

"This is crucial for us players because this way we understand exactly what we have to do.

"He really helps us a lot."

Inter open the new Serie A season at home to Genoa on Sunday as they seek to improve on their disappointing ninth-place finish last term.

The campaign - their worst since the 1993-94 season - resulted in the departure of former manager Andrea Stramaccioni, which paved the way for Mazzarri to take charge.

Teo debutará en River ante Colón

BUENOS AIRES -- El entrenador de River, Ramón Díaz, confirmó el sábado el equipo que mañana recibirá a Colón con la presencia de Teófilo Gutiérrez y Rodrigo Mora como dupla de ataque.

"El equipo para mañana (domingo): Barovero, Ponzio, Maidana, Balanta, Vangioni, Carbonero, Ledesma, Rojas, Lanzini, Mora, T. Gutiérrez. Saludos Gente", escribió el técnico en su cuenta de Twitter luego del entrenamiento de la mañana del sábado en el Monumental.

Así, Ramón confirmó el debut de Teo Gutiérrez, quien hará su estreno casi un mes después de su llegada al país y luego de que Cruz Azul y la Federación Mexicana de Fútbol enviaran el viernes a la noche el transfer para su habilitación.

River jugará ante el equipo santafesino, el domingo a las 18.10, con una formación de perfil mucho más ofensivo que la que presentó el jueves en el Nuevo Gasómetro, donde le ganó 1-0 a San Lorenzo por la Copa Sudamericana.

Barovero regresará en el arco en lugar de Leandro Chichizola, quien lo reemplazó ante San Lorenzo debido a que el ex Vélez debía una fecha de suspensión en partidos internacionales.

Además, habrá otros dos cambios en relación con el equipo que jugó ante San Lorenzo: Carbonero por Matías Kranevitter y Teo Gutiérrez por Jonathan Fabbro, quien cumplirá la fecha de suspensión por la tarjeta roja que recibió ante Rosario Central.