Snak

Guillermo Barros Schelotto lamentó el empate 0-0 de Lanús y Gimnasia

BUENOS AIRES -- El DT de Lanús, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, expresó su lamento por el empate sin goles ante Gimnasia La Plata, de local y por 17ma. fecha de Torneo Inicial, en la lucha por el título, por "el esfuerzo" que realizaron sus jugadores en el campo de juego.

"Lamento que no se ganó por el esfuerzo hecho por los jugadores, que en la doble competencia (por Torneo Inicial y Copa Total Sudamericana) ninguno se quiere bajar; me lo demuestran día a día en los entrenamientos", expresó Barros Schelotto en conferencia de prensa.

Y agregó: "Hicimos todo lo posible para alcanzar el triunfo que necesitábamos para estar cerca del título, pero fallamos en la definición".

Barros Schelotto afirmó que en el campeonato local su equipo dependerá "de los resultados que se vayan dando" en su intención por obtener el torneo Inicial donde reúne 29 unidades, pero remarcó que el próximo paso está puesto en el partido del jueves ante Libertad de Paraguay, en la revancha de semifinales, por Copa Sudamericana.

El Mellizo admitió que vivió un partido "especial" por haber enfrentado a Gimnasia, el club donde se inició como jugador en 1991 y se retiró en 2011: "Me abrió el camino en mi carrera futbolística, pero hoy me debo a Lanús como profesional e hice lo posible desde mi lugar para que ganara el partido".

Por su parte, el defensor y capitán de Lanús, Paolo Goltz, en diálogo con Fútbol Para Todos, también se lamentó por el resultado en condición de local, a falta de tres fechas para el final del certamen: "Teníamos que ganar y ahora tenemos que esperar por otros resultados; si se dan, seguimos vivos".

Goltz, exdefensor de Huracán, señaló que su equipo fue "superior" en el segundo tiempo y que el próximo objetivo, sin descuidar el torneo Inicial, es la Copa Total Sudamericana: "Vamos partido a partido y seguimos pensando en las dos cosas".

Lanús, que empató 0-0 ante Gimnasia La Plata, de local, por 17ma. fecha de Torneo Inicial, donde reúne 29 unidades, jugará el jueves 28 en su estadio ante Libertad de Paraguay, en la revancha de semifinales de Copa Total Sudamericana, con la serie 2-1 a su favor.

R. Rodríguez: "Mejor de lo esperado"

BUENOS AIRES -- El técnico de All Boys, Ricardo Rodríguez, tuvo un debut por demás auspicioso frente a Boca Juniors (2-0), a punto tal que el propio protagonista reconoció que fue "un arranque mejor de lo esperado", después de consumarse el éxito en La Bombonera.

"La verdad que fue un arranque mejor de lo esperado. Los muchachos hicieron un partido muy bueno", dijo RR, en zona de vestuarios.

Rodríguez, quien condujo por primera vez a un equipo en Primera División (anteriormente, por caso, había dirigido a Atlético Tucumán, Defensa y Justicia y al mismo All Boys, pero en la B Nacional), tomó la conducción del equipo, tras la mala campaña que cumplió su antecesor, Julio César Falcioni.

"Les dije a los muchachos que teníamos que ser pacientes y esperar nuestra oportunidad. Sabíamos que podíamos tener cuatro o cinco situaciones por tiempo, a lo sumo. Había que ser inteligentes", sostuvo.

El nuevo entrenador albo contó que la intención radicó "en pararnos adelante y bloquear bien los espacios".

"Pasamos los primeros 15 minutos sin tocar la pelota, pero después los controlamos bien", analizó el Negro Rodríguez.

"En el segundo tiempo tuvimos la suerte de que convertimos en la primera llegada. Eso nos tranquilizó y nos hizo jugar seguros", remarcó.

El técnico quedó conforme con el resultado y la actuación de All Boys, pero aclaró que "no nos podemos quedar dormidos con ésto y ya tenemos que empezar a pensar en Newell`s", en relación al próximo rival, por la 18va. fecha del Torneo Inicial.

"Ojalá este triunfo sirva más que nada en el aspecto anímico. Yo sé que estos jugadores que eligió Julio (Falcioni) iban a aparecer en algún momento", puntualizó.

La entidad de Floresta consiguió su primer triunfo en la historia en la Bombonera, tras doce presentaciones. Solamente había extraído dos empates: 1-1 en el Metropolitano 1980 y 0-0 en el Clausura 2011.

El plantel albo volverá a entrenarse este martes, desde las 9, en el predio de Ciudad Evita, a puertas abiertas.

Bianchi: "Le pido perdón a la gente"

BUENOS AIRES -- El entrenador de Boca Juniors, Carlos Bianchi, reconoció que en el partido ante All Boys el equipo "no estuvo a la altura de las circunstancias" y pidió "disculpas a todos los hinchas".

"Teníamos ganas de seguir peleando el campeonato hasta el ocho de diciembre, pero hoy no estuvimos a la altura de las circunstancias. La derrota fue justa y por eso le pido disculpas a todos los hinchas, por todo lo que nos brindaron hoy y a lo largo de este año. Los hinchas estuvieron a la altura y nosotros, no", admitió el director técnico tras la caída por 2-0 ante All Boys en La Bombonera, la que los dejó prácticamente sin chance de luchar por el título.

Con respecto a la temprana salida del armador Juan Román Riquelme, precisó: "No es excusa. Román es importante, pero no podemos depender de un solo jugador. Sabíamos que teníamos una chance linda, pero ahora estamos a cuatro puntos y la realidad dice que, después de haber dejado pasar tantos trenes, las esperanzas no son tantas".

Luego asumió sin reparos la culpa de la situación que vive el equipo: "El primer responsable soy yo y lo asumo, soy el que armó el equipo y la táctica. Soy el que trata de darle un estilo y todavía no lo he logrado. Y no quiero cobijarme en el discurso de las "sorpresas" (por las lesiones) que tenemos todas las semanas. Este año fue el más mediocre de mi paso por Boca, es así".

Al hacer un balance de lo acontecido en el torneo, argumentó: "Tuvimos picos altos durante el semestre cuando estuvieron todos los jugadores. Cuando uno le puede dar continuidad a un equipo, se puede jugar mejor al fútbol. Tengo el convencimiento de que con estos jugadores puedo lograr lo que deseo, pero lamentablemente, por distintas razones, en este torneo no se dio. Igual llegamos a dos fechas de final a sólo cuatro puntos".

Finalmente hizo un breve análisis de la derrota ante el conjunto de Floresta: "Hasta el primer gol, que fue de pelota parada, no nos habían generado ningún peligro. Después encontraron los espacios y con jugadores rápidos desarrollaron mejor su juego. Se encontraron con el segundo gol en una acción en la que hubo offside, pero en definitiva su triunfo fue justo".

ORION: "BOCA NO PUEDE ESTAR SIN GANAR"

El arquero Agustín Orion puso la cara y resaltó que "Boca no puede estar sin ganar", apenas consumada la caída ante All Boys por 2-0 en La Bombonera, la que prácticamente los dejó fuera de la lucha por el título en el Torneo Inicial, a dos fechas del desenlace.

"Ahora sí quedamos lejos", admitió Orion en alusión a que el líder San Lorenzo de Almagro les lleva cuatro puntos de distancia, pero además por las carencias en el rendimiento de los xeneizes.

"No le encontramos la vuelta nunca, ellos fueron superiores" y "Boca no puede estar sin ganar", fueron algunas de las frases a las que recurrió el guardavalla del seleccionado argentino para pintar la triste realidad boquense.

Fernandinho: Man City´s buy of the summer

The side of the right foot. Onto the left shin pad. Ricocheted back onto the right ankle. Deflected back onto the left shin again. And from there, the ball bobbles around the now out-stretched right foot (which has completed its original swing for the ball) and harmlessly out of play. Then a rather embarrassed Brazilian hides his face by wiping his sleeve across his frown, probably accepting his fate that Manchester City have a brand new Nigel de Jong.

And you have absolutely no idea how uneasy I am in making that comparison. However, it´s one I make fairly lightly, given Fernandinho seems to be the type of player who isn´t going to bag many goals. In fact, given the chance seven yards from goal, he ended up playing his own private game of pinball rather than sticking the ball past Hugo Lloris and into the Tottenham net.

Don´t get me wrong here, De Jong was a great player for City -- but he was very limited. He left wanting more first team football, something that then manager Roberto Mancini was unable to offer; there was little room in his side for a defensive midfielder who simply tackled. What playing time De Jong got was usually coming off the bench in the second half to tweak the formation.

Fernandinho joined City with a hefty price tag and some raised eyebrows given the not-so-spring-chicken status of the 28-year-old, and, therefore, he had a lot to prove. Naturally, there would be eyes on him from the start and there would be little time for him to settle when under the pressure of the watching world.

As we´ve established, goal scoring doesn´t really seem to be his forte -- quite how he managed 31 in 184 appearances for Shakhtar Donetsk beggars belief, given he´s been troubling the corner flags more than the opposition goalkeepers since he transferred to the drizzle capital of England. The shooting, though, is where the similarities with De Jong come to a conclusion.

When Manuel Pellegrini allowed Gareth Barry to move to Merseyside on loan, fans weren´t happy. Understandable, given how the England midfielder had been an instrumental part of the Blues´ 2011 FA Cup win and 2012 Premier League title. Early season midfield form -- during which the club were less than convincing in their defeat at Cardiff, win over Hull, and draw with Stoke -- was hit-and-miss, leading to calls that the decision had been a disaster.

By the end of November, though, it´s clear that swapping him for Fernandinho was excellent business. Barry, while a great servant during his four seasons at City, had reached a point where his performances were beginning to wane, and the club have upgraded to a model four years younger.

The Brazilian has only made 15 appearances so far this campaign, but has quickly settled into his role in the team and shown how much of a step up from both De Jong and Barry he is. His position is much more of a box-to-box midfielder than his predecessors, but that´s largely down to the manager changing the team´s style of play and formation.

Both De Jong and Barry were tasked with linking the back four with the front four, winning the ball and presenting the more creative players with the opportunity to attack. Meanwhile, Yaya Toure roamed, looking for opportunities to break with pace and power, or offering extra protection when necessary.

This season, however, Toure is doing the same, but his midfield partner is no longer just offering support to allow the Ivorian to break. He´s just as influential on the game, bursting forward when needed, or keeping possession in tight areas, or tracking opposition runs from deep, or playing cute one-twos to create space. Look at his exchange of passes with Toure before City´s fourth against Spurs.

He just doesn´t really do shooting.

When he and Toure start together -- which will be most games this season, barring injury and suspension -- the two players have a deep understanding of not just their own job in the team, but their central-midfield colleague´s too. Toure powers forward, so Fernandinho minds the shop. And vice versa.

This, after just 15 appearances, is more than encouraging.

The Brazilian has also shown vision akin to the Ivorian´s to dink delicate through-balls into Sergio Aguero or Alvaro Negredo. He´s demonstrated excellent stamina, performing at his peak for the entire hour and a half of game time. He´s got strength, intelligence, and pace on top of all of that, too.

While the pundits and columnists will shower Samir Nasri and Aguero and Negredo with praise for their parts in the 6-0 demolition of Tottenham, the work of Fernandinho in that game will go missed, under the radar. Yet it is he who was head and shoulders above everybody else on that pitch on Sunday lunchtime.

The Premier League season may only be 12 games old, but he´s already repaying that price tag and he already looks worth every penny. In fact, he may turn out to be the best bit of business the Blues conducted over the summer.

A great 2013 campaign for the ´Selecao Brasileiro´

SAO PAULO -- Luiz Felipe Scolari´s Brazil national team ended the 2013 match campaign with great numbers: 13 wins, 4 draws and 2 defeats in 19 games. They scored 49 goals and conceded 15. In the meantime, they won the FIFA Confederations Cup.

More: the squad is practically accounted for. There are just three potential spots up for grabs: third goalkeeper, a fourth center back and a substitute for injured striker Fred (although Felipao has guaranteed him a spot, reportedly).

Diego Cavalieri and Victor chase an opportunity in goal, with the edge going to Fluminense´s keeper Cavalieri. On the other hand, the former Corinthians player Marquinhos, now with PSG, is the favorite for the center back position, leading Dede, Henrique and Rever.

The battle for the forward position involves Robinho, Jo, Willian and even Lucas, who resumed his stellar play with PSG - inexplicably, versatile Diego Tardelli was written off. After the 2-1 triumph over Chile, in Toronto, Robinho is a step ahead of the competition. He came on as a second-half substitute and scored the winning goal, Brazil´s 6th straight victory and the 10th over Chile in this century, in 12 matches (there were two draws).

As in the last matches, in the first minutes Brazil forced its opponent to defend. And it paid off: in the 13th minute Chile´s defense got completely lost, Oscar stole the ball and passed to Hulk who scored the opener.

Gradually, Brazil´s intensity faded away and Chile started to have more ball possession after coach Jorge Sampaoli introduced a modification in Chile´s formation, going from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2, with Valdivia on the field.

In the second half, after Scolari’s team missed an opportunity to bury Chile´s chances by Oscar, Chile clinched the equalizer through Vargas. Gremio´s striker goal shook the Brazilian side, especially Neymar, who up until then had been discrete.

The young player then started to offer dribbles, touches over the opponents and precise passing. In the 33rd minute of the second-half, Neymar conducted the ball through the center and passed it to Maicon on the right. The fullback crossed perfectly for Robinho who put the ball home with a header. Thereafter, Brazil didn´t score again only due to excess profligacy.

Riquelme sufrió un desgarro

BUENOS AIRES -- Juan Román Riquelme se despidió del Torneo Inicial al confirmarse que padece un desgarro en el aductor izquierdo que sufrió en el comienzo del partido que All Boys le ganó en La Bombonera y que empezó a despedir a Boca de sus posibilidades de alcanzar el título pese a que aún las matemáticas le dejan un mínimo margen.

Sin su líder dentro de la cancha, Boca languideció una vez más y All Boys, con la vuelta de Ricardo Rodríguez como técnico, pudo marcar mas de los dos goles que le hizo, haciendo que el Xeneize pise tierra, dejando en claro que el conjunto boquense llegó de milagro a las instancias finales con la ilusión de ganar el título.

Jugando mal en la mayoría del torneo, Boca ganó ocho partidos, algunos con finales milagrosos como el de Tigre o con la ayuda de errores arbitrales, como ante Belgrano. Perdió seis, mucho para un equipo con aspiraciones de ser campeón.

El golpe que le asestó All Boys fue contundente y no hubo margen para excusas, al punto que el entrenador Carlos Bianchi pidió "disculpas" y admitió, hablando en primera persona, que los jugadores y cuerpo técnico no estuvieron "a la altura" de lo que es Boca y los hinchas sí, con su constante aliento pese a que el equipo iba a una derrota inexorable.

Ahora Boca se quedará sin Riquelme, en un plantel en el que hubo más de 50 lesionados. Ya no podrá estar ante Lanús. Jugó poco más de 11 partidos de los 17, el resto estuvo ausente por lesión o enfermedad.

Ante el Granate volverá a estar Fernando Gago y Daniel "Cata" Díaz, dos incorporaciones que buscó Bianchi aunque el rédito fue menor. En el caso de Gago porque estuvo más lesionado que activo y Díaz, más allá de algún gol salvador, viene contribuyendo al pésimo rendimiento defensivo.

Suriname clinch ABCS title for second time

A look back (involving plentiful pictures) at this year’s ABCS Tournament which finished on Saturday evening, with Suriname taking home their second title after overcoming hosts Curacao in the Final…

First and foremost, the vast majority of people reading this won’t have the faintest idea what the ABCS Tournament is. So here is some background information: founded in 2010, it is an annual football tournament involving Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao and Suriname (hence ‘ABCS’). According to the President of the Suriname Football Federation, Louis Giskus, it was designed “to strengthen the relationship between the Dutch speaking countries in the Caribbean.” And, of course, strengthen the quality of football played across each country.

This year’s edition was held in Willemstad, Curacao (all matches played at Ergilio Hato Stadion) from 14 -16 November following Bonaire’s withdrawal from hosting earlier this year. The beautiful thing about the competition is that it’s always evenly poised, there is no clear favorite. In the debut year Suriname prevailed. Then in 2011 it was plucky Bonaire who took the title and last year, Aruba reigned victorious. Due to the small number of teams participating, the fixture system is pretty to the point. The first round is the semi-finals and the winner of each progresses to the final, with the losers locking horns in a third place match.

Team: Suriname

Manager: Roberto Gödeken

Final Position: Champions

On paper, Suriname were expected to win. However, given the unpredictability of previous editions, it would have been churlish to rule out the other three sides. They’re a team caught in a transitional period with a recently installed interim boss, Roberto Gödeken, at the helm. There was initial skepticism among the country’s supporters as five internationals in Emilio Limon, Albert Nibte, Romano Holtuin, Clay Dell Kohinor and Giovanni Alleyne were left out of the squad but the reinforcements that were called upon did their job. Having not played a competitive football match in just over a year (since 2012 Caribbean Cup qualification) it was anticipated that Suriname might look a little rusty. But ultimately they dug in deep and were crowned deserved winners.

Scrappy But Important Victory Over Bonaire

They faced difficult opposition in the shape of Bonaire, winners two years ago, in the semi-final. Suriname got off to a flying start after Bonaire were caught napping from a short corner and Galgyto Talea – plying his trade in the Hoofdklasse with SV Robinhood – slotted home from close range for a scrappy goal. It was the forward’s first goal on the international stage. Bonaire showcased their development as a team by refusing to accept defeat and they calved out several good opportunities on goal. But they failed to register that elusive equalizer and Dimitrie Apai made them pay with half-an-hour remaining. 2-0 to Suriname it finished.

Fluid Forward Line And More Conviction In Final

For Gödeken, he will have been pleased with efficiency of the semi-final result but the performance was lacking as there were gaps in the defence at times and they did well to escape without conceding. However, the Surinamese attack was fluid and there was plenty of width to their game. Goalkeeper Obrendo Huiswoud always looked to play it short and it was obvious that training practice drills were coming to the fore. In the Final, Vitorinio Pinas steadied himself to roll the ball into the net following a rebound off the crossbar and Virgil Najoe, a late call-up, completed a double to ensure Suriname of a 3-1 win and their second ABCS title. Their first title triumph came on Curacao soil, too.

Confidence Booster Heading Into Near Future

With this tournament success now under their belt, the Suriname Football Federation have some significant decisions to make. Gödeken is only temporarily in charge, it seems, and it will be interesting to see if he signs on for the foreseeable future or perhaps a hefty chunk of money will be spent in acquiring an even higher profile, well-known manager. With the Caribbean Cup on the horizon – the draw set to be made in December this year – Suriname will want to know where they stand in terms of management heading into a tournament like that. They struggled in qualification for last year’s Caribbean Cup and will be hoping to make amends in 2014. Winning competitions like this – albeit on a small scale – are key to boosting confidence levels and subsequently displays on the pitch.

Team: Curacao

Manager: Ludwig Alberto

Final Position: Runners-up


Curacao are now the only participating team to have not yet won the ABCS trophy, their closest effort coming back in 2010. But despite this, Ludwig Alberto’s men enjoyed a successful tournament both on and off the pitch. This is the second time that they have been named hosts and what a great job they have done. The Ergilio Hato Stadion proved a suitable venue and although stands weren’t packed with spectators, there was enough support present to cheer on the teams and create a positive atmosphere.

Made Easy Work Of Beating Aruba

Stallone Isenia played a pivotal role in Curacao’s semi-final feat as they dismantled a poor Aruban outfit. Just 31 minutes in and the striker had bagged himself two goals and it was game over. The first was a rather simply executed goal. The back-line of Aruba was caught flat-footed and all it took was one long ball over the top for the fleet-footed and alert Isenia to reach out a leg and poke the ball into the empty net.

Isenia’s second was handed on a plate to him as a corner was whipped in from the right, the Aruban goalkeeper Eric Abdul came racing out and produced a shoddy piece of goalkeeping. With relatively little pressure on him, he panicked and flimsily punched the ball to the Curacao striker to snap up and head in. Jarzinho Pieter, in between the sticks for the hosts, was called into action on several occasions in the second period but made some smart saves. In Suriname, they would face a much harder proposition….

Hosts Undone By Opposition Ruthlessness

It was a rematch of the 2010 Final: Curacao v Suriname. Curacao were on hosting duties then, too, but that game turned out to be a whole lot closer as penalties decided the outcome after a closely fought 2-2 draw in normal time. But there was still an air of optimism surrounding the Curacao camp after they’d just swept aside Aruba and they had played Suriname previously. The hosts displayed great spirit to score to make it 1-1 just before the half-time whistle. The midfield pressed high and reaped the rewards as a sloppy pass from one of the Surinamese midfielders gifted Curacao with a fantastic chance to break and who other than Isenia raced through to round the ‘keeper after a fine through ball. Ultimately, though, Suriname were more ruthless; they didn’t rue missed opportunities. Instead, they capitalized and Curacao were undone by their clinical nature. Nevertheless, it was a brave and encouraging performance for Alberto’s troops.

Youthful Squad Bodes Well For Future

Not too long ago I published something on two up-and-coming, prosperous youngsters from Curacao who impressed for the Under-20s. It seems youth is a prevalent factor in the senior setup, too, with eight of Curacao’s ABCS squad aged 21 or under. Just two players – Richenel Doran and Dutch-based Benjamin Martha – exceed 30. For such a comparatively small country, that is a remarkable achievement. Arguably the brightest young player in the mix is 19-year-old ADO Den Haag central midfielder Vidarrell Merencia. He featured in the Under-20 side that played so terrifically to qualify for the CONCACAF U-20 Championship earlier this year. Randel Winklaar, Quinton Christina and Nathan Martina are also vibrant, exciting prospects.

Special Mention For Tyrone Maria

It just wouldn’t be acceptable to close the curtain on Curacao’s profile without mentioning their 29-year-old bulldozer of a midfielder, Tyrone Maria (see below). Just for the sheer size of the man…


Team: Bonaire

Manager: Rudsel Sint Jago

Final Position: Third-place


For an island with just over 17,000 inhabitants, Bonaire punched well above their weight and their valiant efforts warranted a bronze medal. Their progress as a football nation has been quite brilliant as they only became an associate member of CONCACAF and the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) in April earlier this year. A process which took two years to be finalized, Bonaire’s persistence was worthwhile as they start to seek participation in the likes of the Caribbean Cup and CONCACAF Gold Cup. On the evidence of their ABCS exertions they’re well on their way…

Unlucky Not To Win In First Round

Last year they also played Suriname in the semi-final but lost by a significantly bigger margin, 8-0. To be defeated by just the two goals is a mark of Bonaire’s improvement as they maintained good discipline and shape and were very unfortunate not to record a goal. Captain and leader Rolando Janzen, Ilfred Piar and substitute Giovanni Makaai all went close but slack defending turned out costly in the end. This tournament was more about gaining fitness and match sharpness than seriously mounting a title challenge.

Two Quick-Fire Strikes Secure Creditable Bronze Medal

Two second-half goals in two minutes presented Bonaire with a mightily impressive victory after they turned their third place match against Aruba on its head. With an hour gone things were looking bleak. 1-0 down, Bonaire were searching hard for that equalizer to give them a foothold in the match. Sint Jago (see above, right at top) brought on three fresh faces and it worked a treat as just moments later Ilfred Piar drew level. It didn’t take long to find the next goal – which proved to be decisive – an error in the Aruba back-line enabled SV Juventus frontman Suehendley Barzey to convert with aplomb and Bonaire had beat Aruba in normal time for only the second time in their history. An excellent comeback.

Attitude Changed…For The Better

Not only did Bonaire play attractive football but they also improved on their attitude. In 2010 in the third place clash against, ironically, Aruba, the game was abandoned because Bonaire’s players walked off the pitch after a disagreement over a penalty kick being given against them. It was an all-action scoreline of 3-3 before their protests. Nothing like that this time around…

Team: Aruba

Manager: Giovanni Franken

Final Position: Fourth-place


Winners in 2012, Aruba will feel bitterly disappointed to have ended up in last place. Like Suriname, they appointed a new manager in ex-Netherlands Antilles international Giovanni Franken before the competition’s start with the target of emulating their title success two years ago. However, that didn’t exactly go to plan. Franken was assisted in the dugout by Veron Alberts but evidently they failed to convey their message to the group as Aruba were abject in both ties…

Lack Of Firepower Leads To Inevitable Outcome

Two games, one goal. By any team’s standards that’s a dismal statistic. But sometimes shortage of goals is irrelevant if the defence can keep them out. In Aruba’s case, they made a total hash of keeping goals out. Too many defensive slip-ups, naivety from the goalkeeper Abdul and just no penetration when going forward led to an inevitable outcome. Then again, the Arubans have frequently struggled for goals. They’ve only managed 10 in eight ABCS fixtures. Maurice Escalona was the only Aruban player to get on the scoresheet (v Bonaire).

Revolution hang on to Woodbine

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Jamaican utility player O´Brian Woodbine will be part of the New England Revolution´s roster for the 2014 season after he was one of 11 players whom the Major League Soccer club exercised their option to keep.

A release from the Foxborough, Massachusetts-based club yesterday included the 25-year-old former Reno United player on the squad that includes 15 players after they decided to release nine others players.

Woodbine, who featured in the Reggae Boyz failed FIFA World Cup campaign, was signed by New England this season after stints with two Finnish clubs — Vaasan Palloseura (VPS) of the Finnish Premier Division where he played for two seasons and HJK Helsinki, a top Finnish club where he was on loan for three months.

The player, who started three games for Jamaica at left back in the World Cup qualifying campaign, did not feature much for the Revolution this season before they were eliminated from the MLS play-offs by Sporting Kansas City, winning their first game 2-1 but lost 3-1 in the return for a 4-3 aggregate loss.

Ignacio Piatti entrenó diferenciado por un esguince

El mediocampista del equipo “azulgrana”, máximo goleador y figura del líder del Torneo Inicial, regresó a los entrenamientos con un dolor en su tobillo izquierdo, por lo que solo realizó trabajos de kinesiología.

Piatti inició la semana de entrenamiento con una tarea diferenciada por un "leve esguince de tobillo izquierdo", informó hoy el club de Boedo.

El ex Gimnasia LP e Independiente trabajó en kinesiología, mientras los titulares del último empate ante Atlético de Rafaela realizaron tareas regenerativas y el resto del plantel, fútbol en espacios reducidos.

Piatti, que acumula ocho tantos en el campeonato y se ubica uno por debajo del máximo anotador Mauro Matos (All Boys), se resintió al patear el tiro libre que significó el descuento en el partido con los santafesinos, el sábado pasado.

La dolencia no le impedirá jugar el domingo próximo ante Estudiantes de La Plata, de local, por lo que el DT Juan Antonio Pizzi tendrá a todo el plantel a disposición.

San Lorenzo liderá el torneo Inicial con 31 puntos, seguido por el actual campeón, Newell´s con 30; Arsenal y Lanús con 29 más Vélez y Boca con 27.

El entrenador de All Boys y su favoritismo por San Lorenzo

Ricardo Rodríguez, el técnico que debutó con una victoria ante Boca, dejó entrever que siente favoritismo por el conjunto que dirige Juan Antonio Pizzi y además dijo que el encuentro ante el xeneize “fue realmente muy especial”.

El técnico que reemplazó a Julio Falcioni en su cargo, recordó hoy su origen en "San Juan y Boedo", emblemática esquina porteña ligada a San Lorenzo de Almagro, consultado por su preferencia para la definición del torneo Inicial.

Con esa frase, bromeó acerca de su deseo de ayudar a San Lorenzo, líder del campeonato con un punto de ventaja sobre Newell´s, que la próxima fecha visitará el estadio "Islas Malvinas" de Floresta.

Rodríguez, de 57 años, cuya carrera como jugador se inició en las inferiores "azulgrana", repasó su debut absoluto como entrenador en la máxima categoría con la resonante victoria de ayer ante Boca (2-0), en la mítica "Bombonera".

"Fue realmente muy especial, lo que les dije a mis jugadores fue que trataran de jugar, de convencerse que puede tener protagonismo a partir de la tenencia de la pelota, priorizando siempre la intención de dársela a un compañero", resumió en diálogo con el canal deportivo ESPN.

All Boys, que con la victoria ante Boca salió de la zona de descenso, regresará mañana a las prácticas con vistas al partido con Newell´s, programado para el sábado próximo a las 20.20 por la 18va. y penúltima fecha del torneo Inicial.