Snak

FROM PORTLAND TO BAHIA BLANCA: EL TRENCITO FINALLY ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Alongside afternoon tea and a vast quantity of incongruous place names (Hurlingham, Banfield, City Bell), perhaps the biggest legacy of Great Britain’s century-long economic intervention in Argentina was the rail network left behind by traders and industrialists. Designed primarily to transport agricultural products from the vast nation’s heartland to the port of Buenos Aires, the spider web of tracks and stations reached an immense 30,000 miles in length; enough to reach across the entire circumference of the globe and then some more.

But thanks to years of under-investment, mismanagement and competition from road hauliers, the network slowly started to contract. Now, the system is a tiny, pale shadow of its former self, with just a handful of iconic long-distance passenger services remaining and with variable levels of comfort and reliability.

The bustling port city of Bahia Blanca is one of the few areas that maintain such services. The intrepid traveler can still reach the Buenos Aires provincial centre from the capital of Buenos Aires, and continue their journey down into the wilds of Patagonia; provided they are happy to make themselves comfortable for an average journey of around 10 hours.

And for local club Olimpo, playing in the Primera Division, one player with locomotive characteristics has been making a big splash during the Final championship.

José Adolfo ‘El Trencito’ (Little Train) Valencia is a Colombian striker new to the rigours of Argentine football, having moved to the relegation strugglers in Bahia Blanca at the start of 2014. As sporting lineages go, however, the youngster comes already with a prestigious name behind him.

The 22-year-old starlet is the son of none other than Cafetero legend Adolfo José ‘El Tren’ Valencia – in that wonderfully South American way, the family patriarch opted merely to swap the order of his first and second names when it came to his progeny.

But from first impressions in the Inicial, Valencia Jr. has inherited much more than the name and nickname from Papá, who starred in European giants Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid, racked up 37 caps and 14 goals for Colombia and represented the nation at both the 1994 and 1998 World Cups. Watching the young talent take the field is almost like being transported back to the glory days of Colombian football back in the early 1990s.

At 1.86m, José is a little taller than his father, but from a distance the likeness is uncanny. One trait that has undoubtedly been passed down the Valencia genes is frightening pace; the Olimpo man has the ability to frighten any defence with the kind of rapid acceleration that earned his father the “Train” tag in the first place.

If anything, it is one of ‘El Tren’s’ legendary contemporaries who bears an even stronger comparison with Colombia’s latest young sensation off the production line. Valencia perhaps does not possess the same range of close control and tricks as his father, but his explosive pace and innate knowledge of where the goal is cannot help but bring the image of one Faustino Asprilla to mind.

Watching Valencia torment Racing Club’s Esteban Saveljich at the weekend before eventually running out of steam – the first time this writer has had the opportunity to catch the new sensation in the flesh - it was not just his speed that came to the forefront. The youngster uses his physicality brilliantly, and also has that intangible quality so innate to the South American continent from Colombia to Brazil and Argentina: the famous Cinta.

Cinta, in English literally the waistline, describes the pivot that the world’s best footballers employ to turn away from their markers. It is something almost imperceptible, a minute shift in balance that gives the attacker the other hand, a move that would look equally at home dancing merengue or battling on a football pitch.

The great Diego Maradona had cinta to spare, and not just in his hedonistic post-football days where he looked uncannily similar to a hot-air balloon. Current Argentina superstar Lionel Messi uses his low centre of gravity and elastic waistline to wriggle through the smallest of spaces, as does national team partner-in-crime Sergio Aguero.

The most impressive thing about young Valencia is that he pivots and twists with the best in the world, appropriating for his own use a trick that has traditionally been the domain of football’s more diminutive talents. That makes him a fearsome talent to watch in the future.

The youngster is on a roll. Valencia followed up a full debut goal against Racing with two more on his full home debut midweek. The first was the most eye-catching; a wonderful volley executed from an awkward angle with the outside of the right boot, which caught Argentinos Juniors goalkeeper Nereo Fernandez off-guard and looped over his head and into the net.

The second was a little more low-key, but still an example of impeccable finishing. Drifting between the defence, Valencia straightened his run to pick up a well-placed through ball. In the face of the oncoming Fernández, he neatly rolled the ball into the corner of the net, securing Olimpo a valuable three points in the fight against relegation.

Incredibly, that double brought the 22-year-old prospect up to five goals for the season, in spite of making just two starts for a club in the bottom reaches of the Primera División. Only Guido Carrillo, of Estudiantes, and Vélez Sarsfield’s Mauro Zárate, both with seven, have been more potent than the Argentine football rookie.

What is more, he has done so after coming back from a potentially devastating setback at an early age. In 2012 and in his first week at Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers, he was ruled out for eight months after suffering a serious knee injury. The US side took a gamble on him, but with just one goal in 23 he found it hard going up north.

The nation’s league has become a useful stepping stone for young Colombian talent, hoping to build their profile before making the jump to Europe. Monaco pair Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez both made their first professional steps as teenage sensations in Argentina; Falcao was crowned Apertura champion in 2008 with River Plate, while one year later James was key to Banfield at the tender age of 17 as the Taladro lifted their first-ever national title.

Past history and Valencia’s current form suggest that his stay in Bahia Blanca could prove to be a short one. Officially, the starlet is on a one-year loan contract with the club, who also possess an option to buy as part of the deal struck with Portland. But if he keeps up the form he has shown in the Inicial season, the ‘Trencito’ may soon be rolling out of town and on to more glamorous surroundings.

Brasileirão transfere.:

Spillere:
Feijão (Flamengo) til Bahia
Ferrugem (Corinthians) til Ponte Preta
Caio (Internacional) til Victoría
Marco Antônio (Grêmio) til Figueirense
Emerson (Corinthians) til Botafogo
Hudson (Botafogo-SP) til São Paulo
Wellington Bruno (Botafogo-SP) til Criciuma
Rodrigo Souza (Cruzeiro) til Criciuma
Rodriguinho (Corinthians) til Grêmio
Eduardo (Fluminense) til Ceará
Bruno Silva (Ponte Preta) til Chapecoense
André Lima (Beijing Guoan) til Coritiba
Léo Cittadini (Santos) til Ponte Preta
Neuton (Udinese) til Chapoecoense
Giovanni (Botafogo-SP) til Criciuma
Gualberto (Penapolense) til Criciuma
Elias (Sporting) til Corinthians
Emerson Conceicão (Rennes) til Atletíco Mineiro
Petros (Penapolense) til Corinthians
Misael (Grêmio) til Coritiba

Træner: Ricardo Drubscky (Paraná) til Goías
Træner: Vagner Mancini (Fri transfer) til Botafogo
Træner: Dado Cavalcanti (Fri transfer) til Ponte Preta
Træner: Celso Roth (Fri transfer) til Coritiba

Som vi igen ser, så ser man flere profiler fra de mindre klubber i Paulistão´en som signerer med de store brasilianske klubber. Super fedt at se, folk gå fra Serie D til Serie A klubber.
De store handler er mærket med fed.

@ NPATO

Nice Research - keep it coming :-)




Ramón Díaz Thanks the River Barrabravas for Victory, is an Idiot

It should have been a happy day for all the good people of River Plate. The Nuñez giants watched their two Colombian stars Carlos Carbonero fire them to a 2-0 home victory over Atletico Rafaela, propelling them to the heady heights of second in the table. The headlines should have been filled with praise for an accomplished performance, and the possibility of a first title since 2008; an eternity for one of Argentina’s biggest club.

Instead, thanks to bone-headed coach Ramón Díaz and his propensity for placing his foot squarely in the centre of his mouth, the football universe was dominated by one issue. Minutes after the game, ‘El Pelado’ grabbed a microphone to thank River Plate’s violent barrabrava the ‘Borrachos del Tablón‘ (The drunks of the terrace) for their unstinting support. The moment that football officially went insane is captured below:

http://www.youtube.com/w…fhDeT-eEWwA

“I’d like to thank all the people, principally the Borrachos del Tablón because they were the ones who motivated all the people”. Those were the coach’s words, uttered without any prompting from the typically anodyne interviewer following the match. The same Borrachos del Tablón that charge the ‘normal’ fans up to and more than 100 pesos to park their cars in the streets around the Monumental stadium. The same Borrachos who every now and then stage shoot-outs with rival factions, and who are implied in more than one death over the last few years.

The same Borrachos that club president Rodolfo D’Onofrio washed his hands of a couple of months back. “The barras would be around 200 or 300 people, and they are River members that we cannot discriminate against as long as they do not commit actions that would make them criminals and mean they could not enter the club,” was the chief’s bewildering response to the problem. As long as they support the team and try not to kill too many people, it is fine then?

I am no psychologist, but could his polemic declarations be in any way related to the banner that appeared in the Monumental stands on Sunday?

http://bubblear.com/wp-c…565_319.jpg

Football’s Twitterverse, of course, did not take long to come out against the misguided coach.

“No Ramón, the Borrachos del Tablón are the worst of River’s fans. Not even fans. Unnecessary statements.” Javier García.

“Ramón Díaz said that River improved ‘thanks to the Borrachos del Tablón that supported all the time.’ It is all a bit clearer now.”

“Having realised that he messed up, Díaz came out today in order to claim it was all a slip of the tongue.”

“I meant to say the popular (terraced section of the stadium) and it came out “Los Borrachos del tablón.” Yeah, Freud would have a field day with this gentleman and his slips.

If that was not enough, everybody’s favorites social crusader Mauricio Macri came out to give his opinion on the matter. The subject sent the former Boca president and current mayor of Buenos Aires almost giddy with glee; he could criticize both River and the national government, while of course overlooking the fact that in his former club the barra ‘La 12′ are possibly the biggest, most powerful and murderous of all Argentine football’s many hooligan groups (La Nacion’s Ezequiel Fernando Moores explains here that under Macri, the barra enjoyed perks that ranged from free flights to Chile to actually playing knock-around games in the Boca training facilities).

“I think Ramón dropped the ball: he plays to the stands, always has, but with things how they are, the rejection of the barra and violence issue and what happened a few days ago, when a lot went to jail and a judge let them out the same afternoon, it was unnecessary to make that comment,” he told C5N.

This being dear Macri, and apparently forgetting that as City mayor he has a level of power and authority which would be the envy of most municipal leaders, he somehow moved the subject to the recent lynching incidents:

“We have never had such an absent state as now, we have even resigned ourselves to not having away fans, this means that 200 violent people are stronger than the Argentine state.”

But we digress. Both Díaz and Macri’s statements sum up the malaise Argentine football wallows in with respect to its more undesirable elements. Nobody will take responsibility for their own actions or words, and everything can be neatly blamed on a different branch of government or society in order to wash one’s own hands. It is almost enough to make you want to take up polo instead, as soon as I can wrangle a few horses.

New MLS franchise for Atlanta

Atlanta will be the home of a new Major League Soccer franchise from 2017, it has been confirmed.

Arthur Blank - owner of NFL outfit the Atlanta Falcons - made the announcement along with league commissioner Don Garber in downtown Atlanta on Wednesday.

The franchise is the latest to be announced as part of the competition´s expansion, with New York City and Orlando City set to join next year, and David Beckham´s Miami-based operation pencilled in as future entrants.

Garber last year revealed plans to expand the league to 24 teams by 2020 - 19 currently take part.

"We are thrilled to welcome Atlanta to Major League Soccer as our 22nd team," said Garber.

"Atlanta is one of the largest and most diverse markets in North America and has a rich tradition in sports and culture.

"And with Arthur Blank joining our ownership group, we are adding one of the most respected owners in professional sports.

"Arthur is deeply passionate about soccer and our quest to become one of the top professional soccer leagues in the world.

"We look forward to working with him and the entire Falcons organization on achieving this important goal."

The Falcons are set to move to a proposed new stadium in 2017 and the city´s MLS team will groundshare with their NFL counterparts.

Atlanta´s location means they are likely to join the Eastern Conference, which is currently topped by Columbus Crew.

The move sees top-flight football return to the city for the first time since the Atlanta Chiefs´ withdrawal from MLS´ predecessor, the North American Soccer League, re-established as a lower-tier competition in 2009.

Atlanta has a side in the current NASL, the Atlanta Silverbacks, who are managed by former US striker Eric Wynalda.

Copa Libertadores - Ottendedelsfinalerne

Lanús x Santos Laguna 2-1
58´ Quintero C. 0-1
66´ Monteseirin F. 1-1
90+6´ Martinez M. 2-1

Cruzeiro x Cerro Porteno 1-1
32´ Corujo Diaz M. 0-1
90+3´ Samudio M. 1-1

León x Bolivar 2-2
21´ Montes L. 1-0
45´ Callejon J. 1-1
71´ Arce J. 1-2
79´ Gonzalez J. (Rødt kort)

Aftens kampe
The Strongest x Defensor Sporting
86´ Boselli M. 2-2

Brasilien - Campeonato Pernambucano

Sport x Naútico 2-0

Returopgør hos Náutico.

Watching Football In Buenos Aires: A Beginner’s Guide

This originally appeared in Playground Buenos Aires magazine.

Watching football in Buenos Aires is unique. No other city can match the sheer number of teams here or the passion of the Porteño fans. There are twenty-four clubs within the Capital and goodness knows how many more in the Greater Buenos Aires area and the locals’ knowledge of and love for the game goes above and beyond anything I’ve seen anywhere else.

Each of Buenos Aires’ ‘Big Five’ clubs – Boca Juniors, River Plate, Racing, Independiente and current champions San Lorenzo – has a long and storied history, full of impressive achievements and events that would seem unbelievable were they to have taken place anywhere else. It goes without saying that if the chance comes up to see any of them for a reasonable price, you have to take it.

When a big match is coming up, it seems like nothing else matters. The build-up goes on for days and as the match gets closer it often gets so intense it becomes ridiculous. By the time the game finally kicks off, it is almost impossible to think of it as anything other than the most important event in human history.

The Superclásico between Boca and River remains the most widely-covered match of every season and every guidebook will tell you to head to either Boca’s Bombonera or River’s Monumental, but it is well worth expanding your horizons and looking for matches away from the typical tourist spots.

It is a widely accepted fact that the fans provide the beauty in Argentine football and while the noise made by the Bombonera crowd can admittedly reach deafening levels, it is not worth the outrageous price most tourists will have to pay to get in. The reality is that it is possible to find something similar at every reasonably-sized ground and for a much better price.

One of the first matches I went to was at Independiente’s Estadio Libertadores de América. It was a strange experience for three reasons. Firstly, because the stadium itself remains unfinished – there were signs of ongoing building work everywhere I looked. Secondly, because from my vantage point I could see a distant explosion and fire in the Boca which left a plume of smoke trailing across the sky.

Thirdly, and most importantly, I had been told by unimpressed locals that Independiente’s fans are famously quiet. After spending ninety minutes in their company, I can honestly say that they would consistently rank among the loudest crowds in Europe.

Even more impressive was San Lorenzo’s Nuevo Gasómetro. When we arrived two hours early for their potential title decider against Estudiantes de la Plata, we found the stadium already packed to the rafters and in full voice. It seemed next to impossible at the time, but the chants continued to get progressively louder until kick-off, culminating in a spectacular din the likes of which I have never heard before or since.

The best overall experience so far was probably at Lanús, for the Copa Sudamericana final second leg against Ponte Preta of Brazil. As we now expected, the stadium was more or less full hours before kick-off. When the teams came out, huge firework displays immediately outside the ground made the already electric atmosphere exponentially more impressive. Returning to the sedate and refined surroundings of English stadia is decidedly unappealing.

While I would recommend a Buenos Aires football odyssey to any interested party, it would be dishonest to say that everything here is hunky-dory. Antisocial behaviour and violence in and around stadiums is endemic and safety remains the number one concern of every visitor on match-day.

The vast majority of the time I have felt perfectly safe, but I have on occasion suffered xenophobic abuse, had objects thrown at me due to my appearance and been caught in a mad crush that instantly brought the word ‘Hillsborough’ to mind.

Additionally, the standard of play has dropped in recent years. Argentina’s footballers have left in unprecedented numbers to take advantage of higher wages on offer around the world and the players that remain tend to be has-beens and never-will-bes. There remain an ample number of promising youngsters who may catch your eye but the first to show the slightest bit of real quality will most probably be whisked out of the country on a lucrative contract within a few months.

Despite these problems, watching football in Buenos Aires is an incredible amount of fun. It is possible and even affordable to take in two or three matches every weekend and the more I go, the more I appreciate everything about it, from the chants, which range from puerile jokes at the opposition’s expense to epic poems about unity and the joy of suffering together, to the genuine connection between fans and players, to the unique variety of swearing that I hear in the stands.

The best aspect of football here is that it brings people together. On one occasion, I journeyed out of the city to watch Banfield, none the wiser as to the route the bus would take to get to the barrio. Having driven past and through areas that are most politely described as ‘low income’, I was dreading having to exit alone and on foot to find my way to and from the game. It is not always easy to feel safe when one is very clearly a Westerner in Greater Buenos Aires.

I entered Banfield’s stadium planning on remaining inconspicuous and not even opening my mouth, lest my heavily-accented Spanish land me in life-threatening trouble. Imagine my surprise, then, when the nearest locals began speaking to me as though I had been coming to watch Banfield all my life, jovially discussing the match as it happened and asking with genuine interest how it happens that an Englishman ends up coming to watch their team. It was a brilliant evening and one typical of my experience in this city.

Cheap tickets, great atmospheres and welcoming locals: if you love football, then Buenos Aires is paradise.

Chelsea willing to offload Oscar in order to sign Real Madrid’s Modric

According to the Daily Express, Chelsea boss José Mourinho is ready to offer Brazilian youngster Oscar in part exchange for Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric.

Oscar has played a crucial role at Stamford Bridge since completing his £19m move to Stamford Bridge back in the summer of 2012.

The 22-year-old has already amassed 109 appearances for the Blues, racking up 23 goals and 15 assists in the process. Nevertheless, it seems as though the talented playmaker may be leaving the Blues later this year.

Modric has become an ever present player under Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti and the source suggests that Mourinho would be willing to offer Oscar as well as a cash sum in return for the Croatian, who is six years his senior.

Signs of Chivas revival continue

The playoffs are still on for Chivas.

And with the optimism that has swept through the club since Ricardo La Volpe took over the club as coach on April 2, you wouldn´t bet against them making the postseason.

Sunday´s 1-1 draw against Morelia may have been a case of two points dropped for Guadalajara, but there was no doubt Chivas shaded the game and should´ve won.

The younger players, in particular, impressed.

Carlos Fierro looks to have gained bucket-loads of confidence since La Volpe took over, while David "Avion" Ramirez has been a revelation on the right wing. Both have injected the side with directness and the burden of pressure that La Volpe talked about last week that had weighed down players seems to have been lifted.

Fierro has his head up more, is taking responsibility on the ball and running with it, the same as Giovani Hernandez, who came on at halftime.

"What I liked is that the team grew 20 or 30 percent football-wise (from the previous game against Pachuca)," said La Volpe after Sunday´s game. "But we still have much to do."

During the week in preparation for this Sunday´s match in Mexico City against Pumas, the long training sessions will continue as the Argentine drills in his ideas about how the game should be played.

"We are in a process, in a change of ideas, a change of coach, looking for new things," was La Volpe´s assessment after the Morelia match.

It is perhaps too late now to improve the overall fitness of the players, which has been a cause for concern over the last two matches. La Volpe´s demanding high pressing system has highlighted that certain players don´t have the stamina levels required. On Sunday, Omar Bravo lasted only 45 minutes on his return from injury, while Aldo de Nigris was exhausted after harrying the Morelia defense for much of the game.

These kinds of things will take time and even though the playoffs are still a distinct possibility, it is already tempting to speculate on what the next transfer window may bring for Chivas as La Volpe shapes his squad. The core of youngsters is likely to stay the same, with Hernandez, Fierro and Ramirez all set to feature heavily.

Upfront, De Nigris will keep his place, Erick "El Cubo" Torres could return from Chivas USA and Bravo and Fierro could also play more centrally. In the fullback positions, La Volpe will hope Jesus Sanchez recovers from injury and slots in at right wing back, although a new option may also be good, while Gerardo Rodriguez may need some competition on the left. Goalkeeper Antonio Rodriguez has a bright future, but a more experienced face would bring more solidity in the position for the present.

What would be ideal is another really big name somewhere to get fans excited about the direction of the club. Oribe Peralta, Luis Montes or Jesus Corona would fit the bill, give everyone a lift and bring a little star quality that seems to have been missing over recent seasons.

On top of that, getting the professionalism, experience and versatility that Carlos Salcido could inject would still be worth the outlay for the example he could set to the youngsters, even if he didn´t play every week. The same goes for Jonny Magallon, who shouldn´t have been allowed to leave for Leon and would bolster the depth chart in defense.

But the speculation won´t begin in earnest until after the Clausura 2014 is over. For now, Chivas fans can at least garner some enjoyment from the feeling that La Volpe is the right person to mold a team capable of challenging for titles, if given time and financial backing.

Real is back:

Jose Luis "Guero" Real was relieved from his duties as Chivas´ first team coach to make way for La Volpe, but will continue at the club as head of sporting development, with Juan Carlos Ortega vacating the job to assist La Volpe with the first team.

Forged from within: Colo Colo end wait for success

Four years, four months and four days had passed when the clock ticked towards the 44th minute of the 15th league game of the Clausura on Sunday. Justo Villar rolled the ball out to Esteban Pavez who travelled forward before playing a pass into the feet of Felipe Flores. Colo Colo’s number 17 turned and slipped the ball out to the left where Juan Delgado cut inside and fired a venomous shot towards the Santiago Wanderers goal. Gabriel Castellón, as he had done so throughout the first half, repelled the shot but only as far as Flores, 10 yards out. One swipe of the left foot and the ball was in the back of the net.

Los Albos held onto their one goal lead in the second half to claim their 30th league title, becoming the 21st team in world football to reach 30 top-level league titles, having gone four and a half ears without a trophy of any note. An abnormally long wait for the most successful team in the country, with a storied history and fans the length and breadth of the Chilean peninsula.

In the aftermath of the win on Sunday afternoon, securing the title with two games to spare, a popular buzzword was sufrir – to suffer. Since their last title, the 2009 Clausura, under the management of Hugo Tocalli, the current technical director of Chile’s youth teams, El Cacique have witnessed their Santiago rivals Universidad Católica, Unión Espanola, Huachipato and O’Higgins all win titles. However, it has been the success of their arch-rvials Universidad de Chile which has acted as a blade between the shoulders blades. A severe pain which they have been unable to reach until now. La U won three league titles in a row as well as the Copa Sudamericana, becoming only the second Chilean team to win a continental title, after Colo Colo who won the 1991 Copa Libertadores.

It is true the club has suffered. But not in the way Universidad Católica have suffered. Colo Colo’s suffering has been largely self-inflicted. Without a clear strategy, like the well-run Unión Española and O’Higgins, a number of poor decisions have been made, both in head coach selection and player recruitment. However, the more you change your appearance, eventually you are going to find the look for you. And that is exactly what has transpired in Macul.

Following the disastrous reign of Paraguayan Gustavo Benítez in this season’s Apertura, an intelligent, youthful and bright coach stepped from amid the chaos and into the Santiago light. Former Colo Colo player Héctor Tapia was promoted from coaching the youth teams and assisting Benítez to oversee the remainder of the Apertura campaign, alongside fellow Colo Colo alumnus Miguel Riffo.

Any realist, who had witnessed the upheaval at the Estadio Monumental, would have expected the pairing to be a stop-gap before the next name was plucked from a hat of opportunistic coaches. Yet, what was to follow was the perfect job interview and probationary period, which may have just initiated the next period of Colo Colo dominance.

The Rot

On December 9, 2009 when Colo Colo defeated Universidad Católica 4-2 at the Estadio San Carlos, with a team including Charles Aránguiz, José Manuel Rey, Macnelly Torres, Esteban Paredes, Rodrigo Millar and Ezequiel Mirrales, to win 6-4 on aggregate in the Clausura play-off final, few would have believed that it would take more than four years for El Popular to win their next trophy. After all Colo Colo had won five of the previous seven league titles to their 2009 triumph, as well making a Copa Sudamericana final appearance in 2006 under Claudio Borghi.

Once Tocalli departed in April 2010 the rot began. First up was Diego Cagna; he led the club to second place in the 2010 Primera Division before resigning in February 2011. Américo Gallego would take over but he only lasted until the middle of August when Luis Pérez filled in as caretaker for a matter of days. Ivo Basay then stepped into what was becoming a poisoned chalice. He reached the semi finals of the Clausura play-offs but a bad start in the 2012 Apertura saw him dismissed and Pérez once again took over until the end of the tournament. The most successful of the host of managers was Omar Labruna. Appointed in July 2012 he led the club to the top of the Clausura and qualification to the Copa Sudamericana but failure in the play-offs, a poor start to the 2013 Apertura plus controversy over a traffic incident in November 2012 meant he was replaced with academy team manager Hugo González for the final 10 games.

With Arturo Salah, a former league-winning manager with Colo Colo, installed as president of Blanco y Negro it was thought better footballing decisions would become a defining feature of what the club hoped was a turning point. Salah advocated for the appointment of Gustavo Benítez for his second spell in charge of the club having won a trio of league titles in the 1990s.

Appointed at the start of June, Benítez had less than two months to prepare before the opening game of the campaign. However, from the off the haphazard recruitment policy continued. Players had been signed before he was appointed while more came in on his request. He was then hit by the departure of top goal threat Carlos Muñoz who was sold to Emirati side Baniyas SC. All in all seven players came in and many of those were second, third and fourth choices. On looking back only one could be justified as a hit – Paraguayan international goalkeeper Justo Villar.

But the side which took to the field at La Florida against Audax Italiano on the opening day of the Apertura contained no one accustomed to the central striking role in Muñoz’s absence and with no replacement in place. Los Albos would be dispatched 4-0. It was an early sign of the disaster which was to unfold.

There would be one win from the first six league games – the worst start since 1988 – with the nadir of his time in charge coming in the aftermath of the 2-0 defeat at home to Unión Española. There were fans in the tunnel at the Estadio Monumental which prevented the players getting back to the changing rooms, while outside the ground protests were held against the way the club was being run. Youth goalkeeper Álvaro Salazar had his car stoned in the days after the match.

Within the camp there were also problems with cliques forming in the dressing room; arguments were common place as Sebastián Toro and Javier Toledo clashed after the aforementioned game. All the while Benítez seemed too timid to stand up and extenuate his authority. There was no impassioned speeches in front of the media and this passiveness fed onto the field.

By the time of the Española game, Colo Colo had been dumped out of the Copa Sudamericana by Colombia’s Deportivo Pasto, who won both legs of the second round clash. Benítez was put out out of his misery in the middle of October following a 6-3 aggregate lose to Primera B sideSan Luis in the Copa Chile.

Colo Colo languished in the Apertura with three wins, two draws and five defeats.

New Beginnings

The final seven games would be overseen by Tapia and Riffo, a management duo forged from within. Riffo, still only 32, played the majority of his career at the Estadio Monumental before retiring at Santiago Morning, while Tapia, Riffo’s elder by four years, had experienced European football with Lille, Perugia and FC Thun, as well as a number of clubs in Chile. And from Flores’ 91st minute winner at home to Cobreloa in their debut match in front of under 12,000 fans the pair have continued to move, uninterrupted, in the right direction.

In the Apertura run-in there were to be blips, a 4-1 defeat to Universidad de Concepción and a loss to Universidad Católica,but overall it was a positive experience. There would be a 3-2 win over champions-elect O’Higgins and a fiery Superclásico win by the same scoreline, all but securing their continuation. Flores was again the key figure as he netted a 90th minute winner against La U. A result which had little bearing on the Apertura, but significant ramifications in terms of the transfer of power back to Macul.

Under Benítez it was difficult to predict how the team would line up from game-to-game and this uncertainty showed in the way they played. At times they took to the field with a back three, then a back four, there was fluctuation between a 4-3-3 and a 4-2-3-1.

Promising forward Luca Pontigo, who played under Tapia for the under-19s said: “He’s a coach who cares about the offensive football, to form good moves, but that is balanced. He plays with a 4-3-3. As he is young and recently retired is very close to the players.”

Tapia and Riffo quickly established a system, a strategy, a philosophy. All of which have been unaccounted for at the club for too long. There were to be three forwards, pressure from the front, while playing from the back. The team were expected to take risks and instead of sterile possession, players were instructed to act as a match by moving the ball through midfield with pace, igniting Emiliano Vecchio and the wide forwards.

There were growing pains but a base had been set for the Clausura.

The downtime between the end of the Apertura and start of the Clausura gave Tapia and Riffo the opportunity to assess the squad and quickly pinpoint the areas that needed strengthened. A deal was quickly secured for Julio Barroso from O’Higgins but it looked as if the club, as they have in the past, were going to miss out on their midfield and forward targets. However, perseverance and the lure of Colo Colo saw the final pieces to Tapia’s puzzle put in place as Esteban Paredes and Jaime Valdés arrived following the 2-1 opening day victory over Audax Italiano thanks to, you guessed it, a late Flores winner.

There was only one aim for the club. “From the first day I told the players they have the ability to be champions,” said Tapia.

Two wins and a draw from the opening three games were to be followed by 14 goals and three wins in the next three games as Tapia found his ideal starting XI, with his trio of new signings forming the spine of the team. Valdés, especially, showcased the talent which took him to Serie A as he dominated in the middle of the park, helping Vecchio thrive in his attacking midfield role.

The Paredes affect was felt both on and off the park. More than 34,000 turned out for his first game back at the Estadio Monumental against Antofagasta. In the previous game there were less than 19,000 fans in attendance. On the field he fitted the lone striker role perfectly – he is the league’s second top goal scorer on 11 goals.

Fountain of youth

It is hoped by many at Colo Colo that Tapia will be their answer to Pep Guardiola. And with his career in its infancy there is more than a fleeting similarity to how the now Bayern Munich boss set out at Barcelona. The club are keen to produce their own talent, spending US$2m on their Futbol Joven programme each year. With his work in the youth teams of the club Tapia knows the players’ capabilities and he has not been reluctant to give integrate them into the first time squad.

Eighteen-year-old left-back Luis Pavez has been one of the stars of the Clausura, striking up a fine attacking partnership with Flores, earning himself a regular spot in the team with his fearless displays. Juan Delgado and Claudio Baeza have proved excellent squad players, offering Tapia reliability when called upon. Camilo Rodríguez, Dylan Zúñiga, Nicolás Orellana and Bryan Carvallo, ages ranging from 17 to 19, have all also been given game time.

Although older than all those mentioned, at 23 Esteban Pavez has supplied Colo Colo with a physical presence in midfield, providing a supporting base for Valdes and Vecchio. His season has been littered with mature displays having spent his time on loan at a number of clubs.

Tapia also breathed new life into Flores and Vecchio whose careers were in danger stagnating with Los Albos. Flores himself admitted that he was afraid to go out in Santiago with the fear of being confronted by fans. His transformation has been the microcosm of Tapia’stenure so far, with many important goals.

As for Vecchio, he told La Tercera: “I love him very much. He is very important. He has been key for us and my career, because thanks to him I have gained better performances for Colo Colo.”

As mentioned by Pontigo earlier, Tapia enjoys a close relationship with the players, forging a tight-knit squad who socialise together. But he as not allowed for this relationship to get in the way of reprimanding players. Mauro Olivi has been left out of the squad for indiscipline, while Vecchio has been criticised in public for his reaction to be subbed.

Riffo and TapiaThere is the feeling that Colo Colo have in their possession a coach who has all the makings of top-class manager with both himself and Riffo keen students of the game. They are methodical in their preparation, working hard to research games and making tactical tweaks where necessary.

Injuries and suspensions affecting the underrated duo of Gonzalo Fierro and Jose Pedro Fuenzalida on the right and Pavez at left-back, meant Los Albos lost a bit of their attacking threat and dynamism with the wide areas used to open up the pitch for Vecchio and Valdés, especially with teams sitting deeper against El Popular now and Paredes also serving suspensions.

But in the Superclásico Riffo suggested playing Baeza and moving Vecchio and Valdés higher up the park to add extra protection to the defence and solidify the middle of the park. Without playing well Colo Colo won at the Estadio Nacional for the first time since 2008, all but confirming the league title would return to Macul.

“One might think that Hector and Miguel (Riffo) work only in the morning,” said Barroso, “but do so up to six in the afternoon. This is the fruit of their work. You could not highlight anything other than their dedication, work and a willingness to help you play.”

As 40,000 Colo Colo fans exalted and paid homage to their new heroes on Sunday there may, deep down, have been a few regrets as glasses were clinked in the boardroom. As Colo Colo sought a replacement for Omar Labruna, Tapia was suggested as a caretaker manager instead of Hugo González.

With plans already being made ahead of the 2014/2015 Apertura, including the expected signing of experienced midfielder Claudio Maldonado and Universidad Católica and Universidad de Chile once again in a state of flux, Colo Colo may be about to embark on a period of dominance, accompanied by their third star.

Their time of suffering is now over. The time of Tapia is just beginning.