Snak

Soccer roundup: Uproar as Católica awarded win after canceled game

League’s governing body awards three points to Católica after suspension of ‘El Clasico Universitario’ in the 57th minute when a player was struck by a paper roll from the crowd.

Universidad de Chile 0-1 Universidad Católica (match cancelled)

The much anticipated ‘Clasico Universitario’ ended in controversy on Sunday, as Católica winger Fernando Meneses left Estadio Nacional in an ambulance having been struck by an unravelled streamer thrown from the stands in the 57th minute. Deeming the pitch an unsafe environment, referee Enrique Osses called a stop to the game, leading to chaos on the pitch as “La U” players and coaching staff remonstrated with officials, and the golf cart bearing Meneses was held-up on the pitch by a pack of over-eager photographers.

Chilean soccer’s governing body — the ANFP — held a meeting Monday, where board members voted unanimously to award Católica a 1-0 win — the scoreline at the time of the incident.

Católica is now three points clear at the top of the table on 27 points. The ruling is a serious blow to “La U’s” title hopes — the club is fifth on 19 points.

The ruling adheres to similar outcomes in high-profile matches involving Chilean clubs. Universidad de Chile was handed a 2-0 win over Uruguayan outfit Nacional after the suspension of a 2011 Copa Sudamericana match in which a linesman was downed by a roll of paper thought to have been taken from a cash register. The incident also brought to mind the infamous “Maracanazo” scandal of 1989, when the national team’s goalkeeper Roberto “Condor” Rojas used a razor blade to exaggerate an “injury” incurred from a fan-thrown flare in a bid to ensure qualification for the 1990 World Cup.

On Sunday, some “La U” players suspected similar foul play, feeling the projectile did not cause Meneses serious harm. Goalkeeper Johnny Herrera was particularly heated in his protest, pushing and shoving at Católica players, and attempting to give Meneses a piece of his mind as the player was wheeled off the pitch clutching an ice-pack to his head.

“I still find it illogical — it’s a roll of paper that weighs 50 grams. I got hit in the head by one once, and I turned around and laughed at the guy who chucked it … I feel bitter, this was a championship game, and we had the ability to turn it around,” Herrera said after the match, before joking that children’s birthday parties should now “have ambulances in case a streamer falls on a kid.”

The match up until the incident had been a tight contest, if not the best display of soccer from the two cross-town rivals. The majority of chances came from dead balls — Católica striker Nicolás Castillo rattled the upright with a powerful free kick, and “La U” midfielder Charles Aránguiz won both of the fouls that led to his two set piece efforts that hit the cross bar and drew a save from Cristopher Toselli respectively.

“La U” top scorer Patricio Rubio then came close, released on goal by Gustavo Lorenzetti, though was stopped short of pulling the trigger by a perfectly executed sliding challenge from fullback Cristian Álvarez.

In first half injury time, Católica broke the deadlock. League top scorer Ismael Sosa outpaced Jose “Pepe” Rojas on the right flank with a surging run, before cutting back and teeing up midfielder Milovan Mirosevic whose shot took a heavy deflection beyond Herrera to make it 1-0.

Fourteen minutes after the restart, Meneses was downed by the thrown object while walking up to take a corner, and the subsequent chaos ensued.

O’Higgins 2-3 Colo Colo

O’Higgins missed the opportunity to go momentarily top of the table Saturday, coming just shy of overturning a 3-0 first half deficit to a Colo Colo team that registered its third straight victory in the Apertura.

The team from Rancagua suffered a torrid first period, giving away two penalties and conceding a third goal all within 35 minutes. The home side rallied in the second half, scoring twice and almost nabbing the equalizer in injury time, though Colo Colo weathered the onslaught, relying in particular on a man-of-the-match performance from center back Sebastián Toro.

“There was general disorder in the first half — we made poor decisions in attack as well as mistakes at the back that cost us dearly,” O’Higgins manager Eduardo Berizzo said to press after the match. “We gave away three goals and almost came back, though if we want to challenge for the title we can’t perform as we did in the first half.”

Gonzalo Fierro got the scoring underway from the spot in the 16th minute after an infraction by keeper Paulo Garcés, and the scorer was then fouled in the box fifteen minutes later by Gonzalo Barriga. Attacking midfielder Emiliano Vecchio put away the penalty to make it 2-0.

Even with two penalties to contend with, Osmán Huerta’s defensive error in the 35th minute was the pick up the bunch. The midfielder somehow managed to turn a clearance into a perfect assist for an unmarked José Fuenzalida, who buried the half volley beyond Garcés for his team’s third. Such a series of blunders at the back would have confounded Berizzo, especially since before the game his team held the best defensive record in the league this season.

Colo Colo chose to sit back and defend a seemingly unassailable lead in the second half — a decision that almost cost the team the game. O’Higgins came out all guns blazing, and pulled one back just after the hour mark through a Pablos Calandria penalty. Colo Colo goalkeeper Alvaro Salazar — subbed on in the sixth minute for the injured Eduardo Lobos — was in spirited form and blocked twice during an O’Higgins attack in the 74th minute, though could do nothing when a third chance fell to striker Francisco Pizarro who scored an easy tap-in. The keeper was then mobbed by teammates following a fine save in injury time that ensured his team the win.

Having spent part of the season second from bottom, Colo Colo’s latest string of positive results has lifted the team to ninth in the table. O’Higgins remains second in the league.

Cobreloa 1-0 Unión La Calera

After three straight losses in the league, Cobreloa grabbed a crucial win against Unión La Calera on Sunday, lifting the team to third in the league following the suspended game between “La U” and Universidad Católica.

While the home team secured all three points, the win was far from convincing. Cobreloa breathed a sigh of relief in the first half when a La Calera goal was disallowed for the narrowest of offsides, and Iván Ledesma’s match winner on the hour mark needed a large deflection to help it goalward.

La Calera sinks to 15th in the table.

Huachipato 2-1 Audax Italiano

Friday saw the two teams languishing at the bottom of the table battle it out during an entertaining encounter which saw Huachipato leapfrog Audax Italiano to claim 17th place.

“Today we tried to find a way, and we eventually found it. Audax is a very tough opponent,” Huachipato midfielder Mauricio Yedro said during the post-match press conference.

The first two goals came within two minutes of each other in the 55th and 57th minutes as winger Martin Rodríguez tapped in a pull back before David Llanos headed in a second from close range. Striker Felipe Mora then grabbed a consolation three minutes from time.

The result condemns Audax to its sixth consecutive defeat.

Palestino 0-1 Antofagasta

Sunday’s match at the Estadio Municipal de La Cisterna looked to be heading for a goalless draw until Luis Valenzuela’s measured lob sealed an unlikely victory for Antofagasta in the 89th minute.

Much of the game was scrapped out in midfield with both teams limiting each other to speculative shots from distance before the 23rd minute, when the away team carved out their first real chance. Forward Javier Elizondo rammed the ball against the underside of the crossbar five yards out, only for it to bounce before the line and out to safety.

Substitute Luis Valenzuela stole the show in the 89th minute as he converted a flicked through ball by neatly chipping the keeper, sending the away crowd into wild celebration. The Northern team climb a place to 14th while Palestino remain sixth.

Ñublense 2-1 Cobresal

The Estadio Municipal de Chillán Nelson Oyarzún Arenas witnessed three sublime goals on Sunday as Ñublense recorded a fourth win in five games to reach 12th in the table. Both of the home team’s goals were scored by Mathías Riquero, only his second and third goals of the season.

In the eighth minute the ponytailed Argentine headed a cross past the Cobresal keeper, who stood rooted to the spot. The referee then gave a penalty after a Cobresal defender was adjudged to have unfairly brought down right back Benjamín Ruiz in the area 10 minutes before the halftime whistle. However, “Los Mineros’” goalkeeper Sebastián Cuerdo managed to save the effort with his feet to keep the score at 1-0.
Ñublense held onto the lead until 20 minutes from time when striker Álvaro Navarro popped up just outside the area and drilled home a right footed volley beyond the stretch of Lucas Giovini in goal.

The drama didn’t end there though as Riquero peeled off two defenders four minutes later to bury a left footed volley into the roof of the net. The assist came direct from a free kick the striker had won earlier, going down a little too easily while contesting a header. The loss brings Cobresal’s four match winning run to and end, leaving the team fourth in the standings.

Rangers 1-1 Unión Española

A first time finish from Ranger’s midfielder Sebastián Sciorilli was cancelled out by Española substitute Ramsés Bustos’ well taken half-volley in the game’s dying moments as last year’s champion rescued a valuable point at the Estadio Fiscal on Saturday.

Española may feel hard done by not to have been awarded a penalty soon after Rangers scored in the 21st minute when the ball appeared to be handled on the line amid a chaotic goalmouth scramble but the referee waved play on. If so, justice was served asBustos swept home a cross from a free kick on the right hand side in the 90th minute.

Much of the game was controlled by “Los Rojinegros” who remain three places from the bottom of the table while Española drop to 11th, level with Concepción on 16 points, and have only three wins from their last six games.

Everton 1-0 Iquique

Everton ended a four match losing streak on Saturday by beating Iquique with a well worked goal in first half injury time. Ángel Rojas made a powerful run from the halfway line before squaring the ball to Emiliano Romero. The Argentine striker then beat two defenders to set up a one on one with goalkeeper Rodrigo Naranjo, who could only watch the ball fly past him into the back of the net.

Unique came close on several occasions during the second half and had twice as many efforts on goal as Everton throughout the game, but found the home team’s captain and goalkeeper, Gustavo Dalsasso, in fine form.

Everton moves up a place into 14th while Iquique drops to seventh with 18 points. Víctor Hugo Castañeda’s team is struggling of late after losing 0-3 to Universidad de Chile last weekend following a run of eight games unbeaten.

Santiago Wanderers 2-1 Universidad de Concepción

Santiago Wanderers scored two brilliant goals shortly after the break against mid-table Universidad de Concepción to secure a third straight win last Sunday.

Defender Ezequiel Luna finished off a jinking run down the right hand flank with a cool, outside-of-the-boot finish before midfielder Jorge Ormeño picked up the ball on the edge of the box and thumped in a fine left footed volley past the reach of goalkeeper Cristián Fernando in the 56th minute.

Ten minutes later substitute Concepción striker Diego Ruíz pounced on some poor defending to score from inside the area. However, it was not enough as Wanderers held on for the win moving the team up to sixth in the table.

Apertura upcoming fixtures:

Nov. 1, 5:30 p.m: Universidad de Concepción vs. Colo Colo
Nov. 1, 8 p.m: Rangers vs. Palestino
Nov. 2, 12:30 p.m: Cobresal vs. O’Higgins
Nov. 2, 6 p.m: Unión Española vs. Santiago Wanderers
Nov. 2, 8:30 p.m: Audax Italiano vs. Everton
Nov. 3, 4:30 p.m: Antofagasta vs. Huachipato
Nov. 3, 4:30 p.m: Iquique vs. Ñublense
Nov. 3, 4:30 p.m: Unión La Calera vs. Universidad de Chile
Nov. 3, 7 p.m: Universidad Católica vs. Cobreloa

Diaz holds the keys for Mexico

There are usually one or two players in every team who can turn a match on its head and pluck victories out of thin air. Mexico striker Alejandro Diaz is one such star asset, and his critically-timed contributions have done much to see his team through to the quarter-finals of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in UAE.

Diaz first made his mark earlier this year, scoring in the 19th minute of Mexico’s opening game at the CONCACAF U-17 Championship against Cuba. His side went on to win the 7 April encounter 5-1 and did not look back, taking on all-comers to lift the title.

Fast forward to UAE 2013 and, following Mexico’s first round drubbing at the hands of Nigeria, it was Diaz who opened the North Americans’ account against Iraq with a tidy header. In the Round of 16 clash with Italy, Diaz was at it again, this time putting his side ahead in the 26th minute, his stunning 25-yard shot thundering past Italy goalkeeper Simone Scuffet into the top corner.

Chatting afterwards with FIFA.com the young forward talked openly about his contribution to his team’s progress and his incredible strike. “As a striker your job is to score, but at the same time you have to provide your team-mates with support at every stage of the match. I always try to work hard and to keep striving," he said. "Of course, being a striker, I want to score in every game I play!”

Coach Raul Gutierrez was full of praise for the young man he calls Alex and for the effort he has put in to the title-holders’ campaign: “He’s a wonderful striker and he’s shown he can score important goals. At the same time he needs his team-mates to create space, so he can operate to the best of his ability and score even more.”

The 16-year-old, who plays for capital side Club America, smiled as he recalled his goal against Italy: “My team-mate Ulises Jaimes had the ball and I was unmarked. I shouted for it and he sent over an excellent pass. I controlled it and worked myself a bit of space, and when I let fly I just knew it was going straight into the back of the net.”

As the shot whistled in, the young Diaz was already rushing over to the reserves bench to celebrate. “It was pure emotion," he said. I was sprinting around screaming to the others to keep working hard and to give everything they had in order to win,” he said

History repeating itself

And his team-mates certainly responded. Mexico’s defence outdid themselves to see off successive Italian attacks before Ivan Ochoa sealed the win three minutes from the end of added time. The victory also marked El Tri’s second successive game without conceding and means they have shipped just one goal since that painful defeat to Nigeria.

Indeed, the sheer number of goals that the African giants put past shot-stopper Raul Gudino in that game seems to have been the wake-up call the champions needed. “It wasn’t the best start we could have had, but we knew we had to go back to basics and learn from the mistakes we’d made,” Diaz admitted, before adding: “We analysed what we’d done in the game and put a lot of work into our attacking and defensive play, and so far it seems to have done the trick.”

Given the progress Gutierrez’s charges have made at UAE 2013, they could well be on course to replicate the success of their first title-winning campaign at Peru 2005. Then, as now, Mexico qualified from their group in second place, before going from strength to strength. In 2005 they defeated none other than Brazil in the final, the same country they will now face in the quarter-final here.

Alejandro Diaz was just nine years-old when Mexico won in Peru, but he knows history could be a factor: “Of course, every game and every tournament is different. We all know Mexico won the title in 2005 after losing one of their games in the group stage. We just hope history can repeat itself and we get to claim the title as well. Why not?” he asked rhetorically.

We´ll have to wait until 8 November to see whether a repeat really is on the cards, but if Mexico are to go all the way, then Alejandro Diaz is sure to be a key to that success.

Paving the way for a brilliant future

Anyone in doubt about the importance of the U-17 age category to modern football need only read what Brazil U-20 coach Alexandre Gallo told FIFA.com on the subject: “Everything happens earlier for the young generations today, they develop much more quickly. In countries like Brazil, the U-17s are now at the same stage that the U-20s were in the past. It’s at this age that we find players on the cusp of turning professional.”

Several examples from the Brazil side that finished fourth in the FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011 back up Gallo’s opinion. Centre-back Marquinhos, for instance, started every game in the tournament, and months later he moved from Corinthians to Roma. Today, at just 19, Marquinhos is a Paris Saint-Germain player and one of the most expensive defenders of all time. Full-back Wallace and attacking midfielder Lucas Piazon were snapped up by Chelsea and are currently on loan at Inter Milan and Vitesse, respectively.

Further proof that these are the footballers of the future is borne out by the fact that scouts from all the major clubs are in the stands at UAE 2013. No surprise, therefore, that many teams have planned for the tournament in exactly the same way as they would have done for the full national side going into a World Cup – on and off the pitch.

Attention to detail

Before setting off for the first World Cup of their lives, the Brazilians are put through their paces, and not only in terms of sharpening their shooting or honing their defending skills. Media training and other special lessons at the Sao Paulo Training Centre were part of the pre-tournament preparations.

“It was very profitable. Together they learned about problems that can crop up and the best way to deal with them. Although they are free to use the social networks as they see fit, a series of recommendations were issued,” said Gallo. “We also held a conference about the different refereeing styles in the different continents, to prepare them for the officiating at the World Cup.”

The preparation starts as soon as the squad is announced. Several teams have brought a sizeable delegation to the tournament, including a wide array of specialised professionals to work with the stars of the future.

The physical conditioning of players today involves the increasing use of cryotherapy. “Young footballers play more games and are under more pressure than ever before. Their bodies work harder and mature more quickly than somebody with a sedentary lifestyle. We make extensive use of cryotherapy, applying spray immediately after an impact or bruising, and organising post-match ice baths,” explained Morocco’s Dr. Samir Bensouda. “Ice baths are much more beneficial for young players, as they recover from muscle tiredness much faster than older ones.”

Like Gallo, Dr. Bensouda also highlighted how much more detailed the planning is in U-17 football nowadays, covering a far broader scope of areas than merely post-match recovery. “I’ve been working with the U-17 team for three years and I’ve seen a rapid development in the methods used. There is more collaboration with the clubs and the coach. From the pharmacological point of view, there are far more options available, including vitamins, magnesium, and so on.”

Beyond the pitch

Laura Ferrari is the only woman in the Uruguayan delegation. She has the same credentials as her colleagues, but on match days she takes her place in the stands. Her task is less visible, but no less important: she works on the psychology of the Uruguayan players.

“I have been welcomed with open arms by the coaching staff, and the lads have treated me with the utmost respect,” said Ferrari, who is one of twelve female staff who work regularly at the Uruguayan base, from the U-15 level upwards, in what is considered a pioneering project. “We place a big emphasis on preparation. We monitor the day-to-day routine and carry out weekly group activities, as well as individual sessions that may be formal or informal.”

In light of these considerable advances, efforts are also made to ensure the players are not over-pampered. “Everybody working with these young lads should always keep in mind that they are also educators,” added Gallo.

The coach made his players take part in a lesson about the host country of the World Cup, harking back to an experience that left its mark on him from his playing days. “I was the Atletico Mineiro captain and we went to play a tournament in Vietnam. Atletico recruited a history teacher to talk about the country. I never forgot that. So we had a lesson about the United Arab Emirates. The players have learned about the country: its origins, the currency, its tourist attractions, and so on. This can only benefit the competition.”

No matter how much these youngsters feel they are on their way to becoming professional footballers, dreaming about playing in full stadiums and lifting trophies, sport is not an exact science with a predictable outcome.

Every year the competition for a place at a club, let alone a national team, is more and more fierce, which explains the need for no stone to be left unturned in their development, not only as football players. As the psychologist Laura Ferrari made a point of emphasising in relation to her work with Uruguay: “The most important thing is to nurture their human qualities.”

Boca: Riquelme no pudo entrenarse

BUENOS AIRES -- Juan Román Riquelme, capitán y referente de Boca Juniors, no participó el martes y de la práctica y se retiró rápidamente a su domicilio afectado por un cuadro febril, en el segundo entrenamiento de la semana previa al clásico con San Lorenzo, el próximo domingo.
Riquelme llegó temprano al predio de Casa Amarilla y fue licenciado por el cuerpo médico a raíz de "una febrícula", según informó el área de prensa del club.

En tanto, Boca completó otra sesión de práctica con miras al compromiso del domingo próximo a las 18.15 ante San Lorenzo, como visitante, por la 14ta. fecha del torneo Inicial de primera división.

Se presume que el miércoles el DT Carlos Bianchi realizará el primer ensayo táctico de la semana, con miras a un partido clave, ya que Boca está ubicado segundo con 24 puntos (junto con Arsenal), a tres unidades del puntero Newell´s, mientras que San Lorenzo suma 23 unidades.

Liga MX Roundup: Race to the liguilla

Just when the enthusiasm of new interim coach Miguel Herrera seemed like it could qualify Mexico for Brazil 2014 all by itself, the cold wind of reality blew in to remind all involved that it wouldn´t be that easy.

Herrera´s final task for Club America was to assure their passage out of the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League, but he and his players couldn´t manage that on Tuesday, October 22. Instead, Costa Rica´s Alajuelense defeated Las Aguilas in their home stadium of Azteca, 1-0, to march on to the quarterfinal stage.

It was yet another reminder of how other countries in the region have improved, but it also cast some doubt on the ability of TriAmerica to be utterly ruthless against New Zealand. Wednesday´s friendly of Mexico versus Finland may assuage the apprehension caused by the defeat to Alajuelense, however.

Meanwhile, the reserves of Club America have already reassured their Liga MX fans that all is well. On the weekend, despite missing many of their players to the national team, the young talent of Las Aguilas rallied behind the leadership of Ruebens Sambueza to defeat Puebla 3-1. Sambueza, who may soon join El Tri as well now that his own naturalization is complete, scored twice in the first half to put Club America on track. Puebla, though motivated to fight for the final liguilla spot, could only manage a single goal and fell short of equalizing.

It seemed that Club America set a trend over the weekend - three other squads put up three goals against opponents who could only manage a single tally in reply.

Santos Laguna took Atlante to the woodshed, scoring three unanswered goals before Atlante eked out a consolation goal. Eduardo Herrera, with help from Carlos Darwin Quintero, made like he was Oribe Peralta, and scored a double to start things off.

What was more surprising than the Laguneros keeping the wins going to stay in second place in the league table behind Club America was to see lowly Atlas busting loose with three goals versus Queretaro. The White Chickens are still clinging to the final playoff spot despite the 3-1 loss, but that may not last.

In all the other Liga MX matches over the weekend, the opposing teams tied, leaving the standings surprisingly similar to last week.

Considering Chivas´ nightmare of a season, a 1-1 draw versus Morelia was a decent result, but it still left Guadalajara scraping the bottom of the league table. Club Tijuana and Tigres failed to do any damage to each other in a scoreless result, while Pachuca and Cruz Azul did the same in their game which had an identical scoreline.. Monterrey and Chiapas FC battled to a 1-1 standstill, but Leon and Toluca at least offered a lot of entertainment in their 2-2 goalfest.

Twice Pablo Velazquez brought Toluca back from a goal down. Veteran playmaker Antonio "Sinha" Naelson played his part in that comeback as well. It may have been his level of play in that match that impressed Miguel Herrera, for Sinha was brought in to replace Lucas Lobos on the El Tri roster. At 37, but wily and wise, Sinha may yet have a part to play in helping El Tri qualify. He has already done his part for Toluca, who sit comfortably in fourth place in the standings.

No one could get it done for Veracruz against Pumas. Los Tiburones Rojos sit just outside of the playoffs, but couldn’t find a goal to push for the win and left points on the table with the 0-0 result.

With only two more matches remaining for many teams in Liga MX, it´s do-or-die time for the squads outside of the top eight. Then the liguilla will show if any of the other seven contenders will have what it takes to snatch the crown from Club America, or if the azulcrema will be the first club to claim a clean dozen league titles.

Four-star Uruguay send Slovaks packing

Uruguay, runners-up from the last U-17 finals in Mexico, made easy work of their Round of 16 clash in Ras Al Khaimah, beating Slovakia 4-2 to set up a date with either Iran or Nigeria in the quarter-finals. Three first-half goals set the South Americans on their way to victory and the east Europeans had no real answer to their wildly effective counter-attacking scheme despite grabbing a pair of consolation goals in the second half.

Uruguay, who had come from behind in their previous two games, flew into a lead early against Slovakia. A long pass from midfield after five minutes was dreadfully misplayed by Slovak keeper Martin Junas, and the ball fell to the feet of Leandro Otormín. The potent striker controlled simply and tapped into the open net.

The Uruguayans were in firm control and dangerous on the counter-attack. Their game-plan was clear and totally effective: allow the Europeans to advance into attack and hit them on the break. Junas was in trouble again after 23 minutes when he tried to intercept a Kevin Mendez pass. The ball fell to Franco Acosta whose effort was cleared away by Atila Varga before it crossed the line.

The Slovaks weren’t so lucky as the half wore on, conceding twice before the interval. Acosta crossed from the right for Franco Pizzichillo who was crudely cut down by Junas. Mendez stepped up to hit home from the spot to make the score 2-1 in the 34th minute. The South American made it 3-0 three minutes from the break when a corner-kick was nodded home by Acosta, who hardly had to jump for the ball.

Slovakia signaled their intent to get back into the game early in the second half. Varga’s header from an inch-perfect cross slammed against the crossbar just three minutes in. Ten minutes later, Uruguay scored again to make it 3-0. Once more, it was Otormin – who strolled into the Slovak penalty area with acres of space before firing home a simple finish.

The Europeans rallied as the game faded toward full-time, and they grabbed a pair of goals for their efforts. Tomas Vestenicky hit home from a tough angle out wide on the left in the 63rd minute and Michael Sipak headed home to make it 4-2 with five minutes to go. There was to be no dramatic fight-back for Slovakia though, as they head out of the competition. Uruguay, for their part, are through to the quarters, where they will meet either Iran or Nigeria.

Colombia will play two friendlies in November against Belgium and Holland

Colombia will play two friendlies in November against Belgium and the Netherlands in their preparation schedule for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, announced the Colombian Football Federation.

Colombia will play Belgium on November 14 in the King Baudouin stadium in Brussels at local 9:00 pm.

The second match of their European tour will be against the Netherlands on November 19 at 8:30 pm in the Amsterdam Arena in the Dutch capital.

Merlo: "Una victoria trae otra victoria"

BAHIA BLANCA -- El entrenador de Racing Club, Reinaldo Merlo, dijo el martes que "una victoria trae otra victoria", al arribar junto con el plantel al aeroparque Jorge Newbery, procedente de Bahía Blanca, tras vencer a Olimpo por 1-0 por la 13ra. fecha del torneo Inicial.

"Paren muchachos, hace una semana que estoy, no hace tres meses. Es importante que hayamos ganado porque una victoria trae otra victoria", señaló Merlo a los periodistas en el aeroparque metropolitano.

Rodeado de curiosos, se pudo observar a un ´Mostaza´ Merlo distendido, al igual que sus dirigidos, que en Bahía Blanca se sacaron una mochila pesada, al obtener su primer triunfo en el torneo Inicial.

"Racing es un grande y tiene que ganar siempre. Lo que pasó, pasó", expresó Merlo, quien agregó: "Hay que seguir trabajando, corregir los errores y mantener la concentración".

"El equipo me gustó, tuvo mucha actitud, generó situaciones de gol y creo que fue un justo vencedor", completó el entrenador.

El plantel de Racing partió en micro hacia el estadio de Avellaneda, para realizar un entrenamiento que consistirá, según adelantaron desde el cuerpo técnico, en ejercicios regenerativos.

Pablo Alvarado: "Si juega Riquelme nunca es bueno"

BUENOS AIRES -- El defensor de San Lorenzo Pablo Alvarado, preparado para ocupar la titularidad en lugar de Mauro Cetto, admitió hoy que "nunca es bueno" tener enfrente a Juan Román Riquelme, como seguramente ocurrirá el domingo próximo en un clásico que puede ser decisivo para las chances de ambos de obtener el título del torneo Inicial.

"Si juega Riquelme nunca es bueno porque es un gran jugador, pero si tiene que jugar nada tenemos que hacer contra eso", sostuvo Alvarado en la conferencia de prensa que dio tras la práctica matutina.

Alvarado admitió claramente que los dos partidos que afrontará San Lorenzo, ante Boca primero y luego frente a Newell´s, puntero del torneo, serán decisivos para las chances del conjunto azulgrana.

"De no conseguir buenos resultados en estos dos partidos que vienen casi que se despediría del campeonato porque quedan pocas fechas, pero confiamos en que vamos a salir bien parados", sostuvo el defensor.

En tanto, el volante ofensivo Leandro Romagnoli fue más puntual en cuanto al choque con Boca.

"Es el partido. Porque por más que pierdan los demás Boca nos sacaría cuatro o cinco puntos", advirtió Romagnoli en una entrevista televisiva.

El ingreso de Alvarado por Cetto es porque se da por seguro que el rubio defensa será inhabilitado tras el cruce con el árbitro Fernando Echenique luego de su salida del campo ante Lanús.

Asimismo, el entrenador Juan Antonio Pizzi mantiene silencio respecto de la alineación y recién el jueves hará el trabajo táctico con el equipo que presentará ante Boca.

Argentina set up battle of continental kings
Argentina set up battle of continental kings

Argentina booked themselves a place in the FIFA U-17 World Cup quarter-finals after beating Tunisia 3-1 in Dubai thanks to fine goals from Joaquin Ibanez and Sebastian Driussi.

The South American champions teed-up a last-eight meeting with African counterparts Cote d´Ivoire after German Ferreyra and Chiheb Jbeli had seen the game level at half-time before Ibanez and Driussi settled the match.

Neither team had cruised into the knockout stages, though Argentina had topped their group, but La Albiceleste flew out of the traps in the Rashid Stadium thanks to Ferreyra. Within the first two minutes of the game, the Velez Sarsfield midfielder got on the end of Driussi´s flicked header, following a short corner, to volley home.

Chances were in short supply during the first period, with Emanuel Mammana and Luis Leszczuk going close for Argentina either side of Hazem Haj Hassem´s long-range effort for Tunisia.

However, with coaches Humberto Grondona and Abdelhay Ben Soltane formulating their half-time team talks, the latter was given a boost as Jbeli equalised for the north Africans, capping off a slick move as he slotted the ball into the bottom left corner.

Any jubilation and growing hopes the Carthage Eagles were feeling were deflated just eight minutes after the break, as Ibanez swung the pendulum heavily towards the blue and white camp with a delightful finish. Driussi was involved again as his pass found Leszczuk, but when his effort was charge down Ibanez improvised superbly to back-heel beyond Sabri Ben Hessen.

Argentina were very much in charge by this point, and Driussi could have scored twice before finally capping off his impressive performance with a goal. With less than 20 minutes to go, the striker collected a long-ball, holding Marouane Sahraoui at bay, flicked the ball into space with his right before volleying in between post and goalkeeper from the edge of the penalty area.