Snak

Last gasp equalizer robs Unión Española of Libertadores upset

‘Los Rojos’ miss chance to top Group 2 as they concede late equalizer in 1-1 draw with Brazil’s Botafogo in continent’s premier international club cup.
Last gasp equalizer robs Unión Española of Libertadores upset

The home side was written off before the match had even begun.

Without a win in four matches, missing four first team players through injury and star striker Gustavo Canales through suspension, and with manager José Luis Sierra consigned to watch from the stands after his red card last week, nobody gave “Los Rojos” a chance as they welcomed Brazilian outfit Botafogo to the Santa Laura stadium.

Instead, Sierra’s assistant Pedro Reyes suffered with a “bitter taste” after the match, viewing the draw as “two points dropped” as his side conceded a late equalizer and narrowly missed out on going to the top of Group 2 in the Copa Libertadores.

Having watched Universidad de Chile torn to shreds by Brazilian side Cruzeiro the night before, the Unión Española players naturally started the game wary of their opponents of the same top division.

Aware of their opponent’s recent form and debilitating injury list, the Botafogo players took to the field brimming with confidence, strutting around the pitch at Santa Laura as if it were their own and taking pot shots as if it were a training session.

The visitors’ greatest threat came through the enterprising Edílson. Untracked by attacker Sebastián Jaime, the right back bombed forward at every opportunity and almost opened the scoring after 20 minutes when he shaped to cross but instead rifled a shot towards the near post of Diego Sánchez. Sánchez reacted quickly though, springing to his left to divert the ball away to safety.

Despite the away side’s early pressure, for the most part the hosts produced a solid first half performance. In defence, the back four restricted the visitors to shots from long distance that Sánchez dealt with competently. In attack, midfielder Cristián “Pochi” Chávez was the fulcrum for his team — always available, wanting the ball and looking to make something happen.

The hosts would have opened the scoring if striker Carlos Salom, standing in for Canales, had shown greater composure just before the half hour mark. Played onside by Edílson, seemingly resting after one of his forays forward, Salom found himself completely alone in the box. Unaware of how much time he had as he controlled the pass from Chávez, he snatched his shot straight at Jefferson.

Encouraged by their performance before the break, the hosts began the second half positively and almost broke the deadlock after an hour. The opportunity again fell to Salom, who connected with an inviting cross from midfielder Lorenzo Faravelli but saw his header from six yards drift the wrong side of the post.

At the other end of the pitch, the visiting attackers mesmerized and manipulated Española’s back four with swift, intricate passing but a killer final ball proved elusive for them.

Chávez, the outstanding player on the pitch, deservedly ended the stalemate with a superb goal in the 74th minute. Receiving the ball in the box from forward Campos Toro, he still had plenty to do but brilliantly squeezed his way in between two defenders before snapping his shot past Jefferson.

Botafogo forward Juan Carlos Ferreyra was convinced he had found the equalizer just five minutes later as he rounded Sánchez and shot towards the empty net, but the keeper somehow managed to scramble across and reach out to divert his shot wide of the mark.

The Argentine striker had the last laugh five minutes from time though, meeting Edílson’s cross with an unstoppable header into the side netting to level the scores.

Reyes was disappointed with how the team conceded and saw the game as a missed opportunity.

“The equalizer came from the kind of situation we had worked on and managed to avoid throughout the match,” he said in the post-match conference. “A point against a very strong Brazilian side isn’t bad, but because of the way the game ended the truth hurts.”

The truth may hurt for Reyes, the man at the center of the action in the dugout who was minutes away from overseeing a huge victory. For manager Sierra, able to reflect more objectively on his team’s performance from the stands, the result and the performance will have been a source of great reassurance.

“Los Rojos” are in second place behind Botafogo in Group 2, and will travel to Argentina in search of their first win in this year’s competition against San Lorenzo on March 12.

River: Emanuel Mammana se intoxicó y jugaría Augusto Solari

BUENOS AIRES -- El defensor juvenil de River Emanuel Mammana, que iba a tener su debut oficial el domingo ante San Lorenzo, sufrió una intoxicación viral intestinal y por esa razón quedó descartado para el clásico correspondiente a la quinta fecha del torneo Final 2014.

Mammana, que había sido confirmado de titular por Ramón Díaz en la conferencia de prensa del viernes, llegó al entrenamiento de en la mañana del sábadp en el Monumental con un estado febril y fuertes cólicos y su lugar en los trabajos de pelota parada lo ocupó el volante Augusto Solari.

De todos modos, el entrenador de River está evaluando diferentes alternativas para armar la defensa para jugar ante el Ciclón, que tiene el regreso de Jonatan Maidana y Eder Balanta y la vuelta al lateral izquierdo de Leonel Vangioni.

En principio, Mammana quedará en reposo y concentrado bajo control del cuerpo médico Rafael Giulietti y por la tarde el cuerpo técnico definirá cuáles serán los 11 para el partido del domingo a las 18.30 en el Monumental.

Los 11 que trabajaron en la pelota parada del sábado fueron: Marcelo Barovero; Maidana, Balanta y Vangioni; Carlos Carbonero, Cristian Ledesma, Ariel Rojas y Augusto Solari; Manuel Lanzini; Teo Gutiérrez y Fernando Cavenaghi.

Además quedaron concentrados Leandro Chichizola, Germán Pezzella, Ramiro Funes Mori, Jonathan Fabbro, Daniel Villalva, Leonardo Ponzio, Osmar Ferreyra y Juan Carlos Menseguez

International Friendly Preview: Australia v Ecuador

A new-look Australia side will test themselves against Ecuador in an international friendly in London on Wednesday.

Ange Postecoglou´s second game in charge of the Socceroos sees his team taking on South American opposition – just like they will when they meet Chile at the FIFA World Cup.

But his squad is filled with largely inexperienced names, especially on the international stage.

Chris Herd (Aston Villa), Massimo Luongo (Swindon Town) and Curtis Good (Dundee United) could make their debuts.

They are part of a squad missing ever-present names, including the likes of Lucas Neill and Mark Bresciano.

Preparing for Brazil 2014 and beyond – perhaps with an eye to the 2015 Asian Cup on Australian soil – Postecoglou has a big ask to be competitive at the World Cup.

The clash at The Den shapes as an opportunity for several players to stake their claims for spots on the plane to Brazil.

Perhaps most exciting for Australia fans is a likely starting place for Tom Rogic, who has taken the national team coach´s advice and found game time at Melbourne Victory.

On loan from Celtic, the 21-year-old attacking midfielder is touted for a big future and should get an opportunity to show off the touch and skill that earned him a move to the Scottish giants.

At 34, Tim Cahill is the oldest member of the squad and should play some part, with only Mathew Leckie likely to start ahead of him up front.

Veteran midfielders Matt McKay, Mile Jedinak and Mark Milligan would expect to feature, but there are youngsters eyeing their spots.

Luongo, 21, should get the chance to show the passing ability that earned him a contract with Tottenham in 2011.

James Holland and Oliver Bozanic may also get their opportunities in the deeper midfield roles, while Postecoglou may want to look at Good, Jason Davidson and Matt Spiranovic in defence.

Australia were positive in Postecoglou´s first game in charge – a 1-0 win over Costa Rica – and will want to improve on the way they kept possession and built up play in that clash in November.

As for who will captain in Neill´s absence, Postecoglou has no interest in the conversation.

Ecuador, who have also qualified for the World Cup, come into their first match of the year in decent form.

Reinaldo Rueda´s men drew 2-2 with Honduras last time out and held Argentina to a scoreless draw in November last year.

In October, Ecuador suffered a 2-1 loss to Chile in a World Cup qualifier, with Australia likely to find out a little about just how dangerous Jorge Sampaoli´s men will be in Brazil.

Captain Antonio Valencia (Manchester United) will be the most recognisable name in the Ecuador squad and is just one of three European-based players in the 20-man team.

Felipe Caicedo, once of Basel and Manchester City, is now at Al Jazira and likely to lead the line for Rueda´s side.

Chile are a step above Ecuador and Australia will find out how good arguably the weakest team in their group at Brazil 2014 are.

Aftenens menu er en krydret én af slagsen:

Vélez-Boca (men glem ikke Franjiverdes, FAS)
Cruz Azul-Toluca (topbraget i Liga MX)
Monterrey-América

Yeps...

Clasico i Colombia mellem DIM og Atletico Nacional, Derbi de Medellín. iøjeblikket Universidad de Chile - Union Española 0-0 efter 10 min.

drama i santiago straffe til Union Española, efter angriber falder i feltet, igor Lichnovsky dømmes til at have 2 gange gult og LA U nede på 10 mand...Canales med scoring på sreaffe 2-2.

Lorebzetti har bragt La U foran stik mod spil og chancer...

og hurtug udligning...3-3

slut Santiago...3-3 i en underholdene kamp...

Friday: Gimnasia shock Godoy Cruz and Racing allow All Boys to snatch draw


Another difficult set of results to predict in the Primera Division on Friday was initiated by Gimnasia‘s surprising two-goal win over league leaders, Godoy Cruz in Mendoza. Gimnasia who hadn’t won since their win over Newell’s were facing the league’s form side in Godoy Cruz, who since opening day defeat have won three on the trot. However, notoriously fast starters, Gimnasia came flying out of the blocks and went in front through Gastón Díaz’s slightly fortuitous cross/shot. Minutes later, Facundo Pereyra doubled the lead and Godoy Cruz failed to really claw themselves back into the match. Later,

Racing Club did what they do best and threw away three points in the final minutes of their match against All Boys in Avellaneda. Diego Villar had given Mostaza Merlo’s side the lead in the first half but their collective failure to defend set pieces was once again their downfall. With minutes remaining, Marcelo Bustamante was the lucky beneficiary of Racing’s latest episode of atrocious defending and poked the ball past Sebastián Saja for a last gasp equaliser. A valuable point for All Boys in their relegation battle and four games without a win for Racing.


Godoy Cruz 0 – 2 Gimnasia

http://www.youtube.com/w…AROBRZXzm7E

Racing Club 1 – 1 All Boys

http://www.youtube.com/w…8OnQjVNuh7s