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Pedro Troglio: "Sacar el carácter y quedar en la historia"

LA PLATA -- El Diector Técnico de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata, Pedro Troglio, asumió que su equipo, puntero del torneo Final junto a River a falta de cuatro fechas, transita el momento de "sacar el caracter y quedar en la historia", por lo que significaría ganar el primer título en la historia del club.
En la previa del partido que su equipo jugará el sábado en La Paternal, el entrenador se entusiasmó con "acariciar la gloria", por lo que consideró que "no existe mayor condimento" para la motivación de sus jugadores.

"Estamos con la expectativa normal, con ganas de que salga todo bien. Esperemos seguir avanzando", deseó el entrenador de Gimnasia, que la fecha pasada se subió a la punta con su victoria sobre All Boys (2-1), en La Plata.

En conferencia de prensa y con un mensaje prudente, el ex mediocampista del seleccionado argentino advirtió que "no son sólo dos equipos los que están luchando" por el título, con lo que sugirió la dificultad de lograrlo.

"Uno solo va a salir campeón", justificó Troglio que pelea por la primera estrella de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata en 126 años de vida.

A modo de balance de la campaña, el DT valoró los 53 puntos de la campaña actual, que mantienen al equipo "fuera del descenso, entrando a la Copa Sudamericana y peleando el torneo".

"Llegó de esta manera y la obligación debe ser seguir peleando. Es una difícil porque no esperás el resultado de un solo partido, esperas el tuyo y el de los otros cinco o seis que están en la lucha. Hay que llevarla tranquilos", explicó.

Gimnasia visitará a Argentinos -situado en zona de descenso- con un cambio: el ingreso de Dardo Miloc por el uruguayo Omar Pouso, suspendido.

Española holds Arsenal to key draw in Libertadores clash in Argentina

Sierra declares job done as ‘Los Rojos’ emerge unscathed from goalless draw in first leg of knockout round of 16 clash against ‘El Arse’ in Sarandí.

Chile’s last remaining hope in the 2014 Copa Libertadores claimed a useful away draw in its first leg clash against Arsenal de Sarandí on Thursday night, keeping the hosts goalless and earning the chance to book a quarterfinal berth in front of a home crowd in the return leg in Santiago next Wednesday.

“Los Rojos” traveled to the outskirts of Buenos Aires undaunted by their Argentine opponent, allowing it the majority of possession but generating more dangerous chances in a cagey affair in which both teams played with a degree of intent, but neither had the class nor desire to land a killer blow.

Española midfielder Cristian Manuel Chávez and Arsenal coach Martín Palermo embraced before the game — “El Pochi” played his first seven years of professional football alongside Palermo at Boca Juniors. While Palermo was busy cementing his legend as the highest ever goalscorer to grace La Bombonera, Chávez was honing the art of attacking midfield play alongside the likes of Riquelme, experience which has made him a useful addition to Española’s armory in 2014.

But there was little love lost between the two sides on the pitch, with Arsenal flirting with that well-trodden Argentine line between asserting a physical presence on the pitch and giving it all the theater and skulduggery of a Lucha Libre arena. This line was most spectacularly breached in the 20th minute when Matías Sánchez rushed in to force a fumble from Española keeper Diego Sánchez, who was stretched to hold onto a low drive from Martín Rolle. But the Argentine forward took his run too far, tripped over the goalkeeper and then wrapped his legs around his opponent’s shoulders as the keeper looked to stand up and restart play with urgency. Desperately clinging to his bucking mount, Matías refused to let go until he was flung off by an incensed goalkeeper.

Despite these antics, Española was rarely troubled defensively. Matías Sánchez came close with a volley from outside the box on 47 which fizzed over the bar, while Milton Caraglio drew a fine save from Sánchez on 61 with a header, but overall the crowd at Estadio Julio Humberto Grondona was afforded little to cheer about by a composed Española backline.

The two best chances of the game went to man-of-the-match Sebastián Jaime, who led from the front for Española but also tracked back to stifle Arsenal’s midfield play. His clear cut first opportunity came on 20 minutes when a Matías Campos long ball released Jaime at full tilt on goal. An onrushing Cristian Campestrini did well to position himself to make the crucial save, but the keeper was lucky his head got in the way to deny the visitors an early lead.

The second came courtesy of a “Pochi” Chávez cross from left on 83 minutes. Jaime charged in from his position on the right and headed the ball down and across the goal, but Campestrini was once again his equal, getting his fingers to the ball and pushing it out for a corner.

The match had one final piece of theater left in it when bearded menace Mariano Echeverría was given a second yellow card after Patricio Vidal made light contact to the face look like a savage elbow. Falling to the ground with his hands on his face, the Española midfielder brushed the leg of Echeverría, who was walking away from the contest. Echeverría went down too, and the two were rolling around next to each other in superbly confected agony. The Española man’s acting was apparently the more convincing, however, and Echeverría will the now miss the return match.

After the match Española coach José Luis Sierra lauded his player’s for executing a game plan which will see it take a slight advantage into next Wednesday’s game at Santa Laura. Sierra said his side had identified Arsenal’s dead ball play and aerial attack as its biggest threats, and that his team had been disciplined in avoiding unnecessary fouls and composed in clearing its lines.

“We had clear chances at goal in both halves, and faced no threat ourselves,” Sierra told press. “The game was played in the manner which we expected, and according to how we’d planned.”

But the manager said a different Española side would take to the pitch at home on Wednesday.

“We won’t be thinking about away goals — our concern now is to win in Santiago,” he said. “We plan on being protagonists, to play with initiative and search for a result.”

NPATO

DEt lå vel lidt i kortene med Atl Mineiro - generelt skal alle 3 brasilianske hold stramme balderne sammen hvis de vil videre i Copa Libertadores.

Corinthians, tja de bliver vel holdet sammen med Cruzeiro og Sao Paulo alle vil slå ?

La prensa chilena dice que Berizzo será el DT de la U Católica

SANTIAGO DE CHILE -- El argentino Eduardo Berizzo, actualmente en el O`Higgins de Chile y que se mencionaba como posible técnico de Newell`s en reemplazo del renunciante Alfredo Berti, será el próximo entrenador de Universidad Católica, según informó el viernes el diario La Tercera.

El periódico aseguró que Berizzo, quien fue ayudante de Marcelo Bielsa cuando dirigió al seleccionado chileno, firmará con Universidad Católica un contrato por dos años, con un sueldo de un millón de dólares por temporada, y que asumirá sus funciones a mediados de mayo próximo.

También se dijo que Berizzo, de 43 años, que había sido seducido para dirigir a Newell`s, optó por quedarse en Chile y dirigir a Universidad Católica ya que jugará la próxima edición de la Copa Sudamericana.

El entrenador argentino se consagró con O`Higgins campeón del Apertura 2013/14, clasificó a la Supercopa nacional y cumplió una decorosa actuación en la Libertadores (quedó eliminado en el grupo donde clasificó Lanús).

Como jugador Berizzo pasó por Newell`s y River; Atlas de México; Olympique de Marsella de Francia; Celta de Vigo y Cádiz, de España.

El contrato del Toto Berizzo también tendrá una cláusula que le permitirá salir de la UC si llega una oferta conveniente desde el extranjero.

Ricardo Lunari afirmó: "Sacamos adelante un partido muy difícil"

ROSARIO -- El entrenador interino de Newell´s Old Boys, Ricardo Lunari, afirmó este viernes que el equipo sacó "adelante un partido muy difícil" al vencer a Tigre 2-1 en Rosario, pero aclaró que de ninguna manera se está "candidateando" para ser confirmado en el puesto.

"Estoy muy contento con la respuesta de los jugadores. Sacamos adelante un partido muy difícil. Quiero que la gente sepa que no me estoy candidateando; dirijo los encuentros que me tocan y dada la situación me planteo un trabajo de fecha por fecha, por lo que desde ahora empezamos a pensar en Arsenal", precisó Lunari, tras el cotejo correspondiente al decimosexto capítulo del Torneo Final.

El conductor fue expulsado en el entretiempo por demorarse en salir del vestuario y en la conferencia de prensa admitió que se excedió "en la charla táctica".

"Lo importante es que necesitábamos ganar y el equipo demostró que tiene hombres en la cancha", concluyó.

Javier García: "No podemos seguir cometiendo los mismos errores"

ROSARIO -- El arquero de Tigre Javier García admitió este viernes que su equipo en la derrota contra Newell´s Old Boys por 2-1 repitió los mismos errores que venía cometiendo en las fechas anteriores.

"Nos tocó enfrentar a un equipo que tiene buenos jugadores y que manejan bien la pelota. Tenemos que ser autocríticos, no presionamos y lo deberíamos haber hecho con jugadores que tienen un plus extra como nos pasó con (Juan Román) Riquelme y hoy con (Ever) Banega. Parece que no aprendimos y no podemos seguir cometiendo los mismos errores", disparó el guardavalla en rueda de prensa.

Y remarcó: "Nosotros tuvimos intensidad y llegamos con profundidad, pero venimos cometiendo errores que pagamos caro".

García aseguró además que el partido del miércoles ante Lanús, que fue postergado de la decimocuarta fecha por la participación de los Granates en la Copa Libertadores de América, será clave en su lucha por la permanencia.

"Será muy importante el partido con Lanús, nos toca jugar de visitante contra otro gran equipo y si le ganamos sería muy bueno para nosotros porque nos permitiría encarar el final del campeonato más tranquilos y sin estar sufriendo", precisó el arquero.

Por su parte, el entrenador Fabián Alegre no quiso dialogar con los medios y en su salida sólo dijo que no tenía ganas de hablar "con nadie".

Club America´s Adrian Aldrete´s Car Gets Stolen at Gunpoint

Violence in Mexico City is a common thing; this time the victim was Club America´s Adrian Aldrete.

According to reports in Mexican media, Aldrete was heading to the daily training session in Mexico City when he was driving by the Vergel Sur neighborhood in his Audi A3 Sport. A bus that was making parking manoeuvres made him slow down, moments later when he reached the next stop sign, an unidentified man approached the defender and pointed a gun at him asking to get out of his car. Aldrete complied without any resistance and the attacker got into the car and drove away.

The police do not have any suspects yet but are thoroughly investigating to solve this issue as soon as they can.

Queretaro vs Pachuca: Amazing Comeback by Tuzosin Liga MX Week 17 Round-Up: Tuzos Grab Miracle Win

Queretaro looked to ride their five-game unbeaten streak into the playoffs, while Pachuca looked to stop a four-game winless streak, and preserve their postseason position in the process.

The Tuzos put an end to the Gallos Blancos´ unbeaten streak and their playoff hopes by scoring four answered goals on braces by Enrique Esqueda (75´, 88´) and Dario Carreño (80´, 90´) to come back from 0-3 down to win 4-3 at La Corrigidora. The win also clinched a berth for Nacho Ambriz´s side, even before the rest of the weekend´s matches.

Ricardo Jesus opened the scoring in the second minute of first half stoppage time for Queretaro when he half-volleyed home a diagonal cross from Christian ´Hobbit´ Bermudez from deep inside the 18 yard box.

Camilo Sanvezzo added a second for Queretaro in the 53rd minute off a rebound from a shot by ´El Hobbit.´ The one-way traffic to Oscar ´Conejo´ Perez´s goal continued when William Da Silva finished off a well-timed Sanvezzo cross to give Queretaro a 3-0 lead in the 65th minute.

Enrique Esqueda got a goal back for Pachuca in the 75th minute on a deflected cross that the Gallos Blancos defenders failed to track down and control. Dario Carreno added a second goal for Pachuca in the 80th minute to close the gap to Queretaro to one goal.

Eight minutes later, Esqueda headed in a corner kick (88´) to put the Tuzos on level terms with Queretaro. In the 90th minute, Carreno slotted home a cross to take the points.

Queretaro lost defender Mario Osuna due to injury when he went down awkwardly after a challenge in the 23rd minute. Osuna was carted off the pitch for treatment on a left knee injury, and did not return to the match. As the Gallos Blancos furiously defended the late Pachuca barrage, it ended up being clear that Osuna´s loss would be felt on the scoreboard.

highlights

https://www.youtube.com/…g3EHwdvQDMA

Tijuana vs Leon: Waiting Game Begins

Club Tijuana hosted the final regular season match at Caliente stadium where 24,133 fans in attendance witnessed the team fall for the second time in the Clausura 2014 tournament by a 1-2 final score.

Leon, who was ousted of the Copa Libertadores on Tuesday in Bolivia, traveled all the way to the U.S.-Mexico border town to play their hearts out for a win that leaves them with a slim chance of gaining a playoff spot if other results go their way later in the weekend.

The ‘Panzas Verdes’ came out strong and soon established complete dominance over the match. In the entire first half, Tijuana’s only offensive attempts were thanks to Dario Benedetto’s errant long distance shots and a missed opportunity by Walter Ayovi as no other Xolos player dared to be imaginative against Leon’s solid defense.

Leon, being the holding Champions of Liga MX and seeing themselves out of the post-season with a draw, pressured Xolos on every terrain on the field making them lose the ball after only a couple of touches.

The visitors first went up on the board at the 15 minute mark. Eisner Loboa leaked trough Xolos’s midfielders on the right flank to send a cross to Sebastian Maz, who was faster than captain Javier Gandolfi and sent a perfect low shot to the left post of backup goalie Adrian Zermeño.

The second half saw a more active Xolos squad, but despite their increase possession, saw themselves down two goals in the 64th minute after Luis Montes scored with a beautiful left-footed shot from outside the box.

Knowing that now their current playoff spot was jeopardized because of goal difference and the pending weekend matches, Xolos tried to rally back through a couple of substitutions: Richard Ruiz for Joe Corona, Fidel Martinez for Walter Ayovi and later in the match Paul Arriola for Juan Carlos Nuñez.

The new legs on the field partially produced the desired effects. Christian Pellerano, the team’s leading scorer, found the back of the net after goalkeeper William Yardbrough failed to cover his post when the midfielder managed a week shot from inside the 6yard box against defender Juan Gonzalez.

In spite of Xolos’ resurgence, the 1-2 score line remained until the final whistle even though ref Roberto Garcia Orozco added four minutes and Tijuana had Leon up against their goal in the last 15 minutes of the game.

With the result none of the teams have their future sorted out. Xolos finished the regular season with 24 points and currently sit in 7th place while Leon jumped up to 8th with 23 points.

Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/…Ucd0QKKJ0DQ

Valcke: Brazil Violence Outbreak Won´t Affect the World Cup

The recent outbreak of deadly violence in the heart of Rio de Janeiro will not compromise the World Cup, FIFA´s secretary general pledged Friday.

Speaking at a news conference just days after the clashes, Jerome Valcke insisted there´s not a country on Earth where the World Cup could be hosted without the specter of violence and insisted the June 12-July 13 tournament in Brazil would be safe.

"What has happened in Rio does not put at risk the organization of the World Cup for FIFA, at all," he said.

"I´m sure that the safety of the World Cup . will be at the highest level for all people involved."

The clashes at the Pavao-Pavaozinho slum broke out late Tuesday after the discovery of the body of a dancer on a popular television show. Many of the slum dwellers blamed the police for the man´s death, and the ensuing confrontation between residents and police officers engulfed the hillside slum and spilled down into the high-rent Copacabana neighborhood. Firefights rang out, and police detonated deafening stun grenades sprayed clouds of tear gas as residents hurled glass bottles and other projectiles. Another man was killed in the mayhem, apparently by a bullet to the head.

Sandwiched between two of Rio´s most touristy and priciest neighborhoods, Pavao-Pavaozinho is also near the site of FIFA´s Fan Fest, an outdoor screening area on Copacabana beach that will allow non-ticket holders to follow the World Cup matches.

"WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN RIO DOES NOT PUT AT RISK THE ORGANIZATION OF THE WORLD CUP FOR FIFA, AT ALL"
-JEROME VALCKE-

While he called the incident "said," Valcke suggested the media had exaggerated Tuesday´s violence. He compared the coverage to news reports about riots a few years ago in the poor suburbs of Paris that made the situation there seem like a war.

"There is not a single country where there are not problems on the day to day," Valcke said, adding that if people are worried about violence during the Brazil World Cup, they should also be worried about possible problems in Russia, which is hosting the 2018 tournament.

MANY OF THE SLUM DWELLERS BLAMED THE POLICE FOR THE MAN´S DEATH, AND THE ENSUING CONFRONTATION BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND POLICE OFFICERS ENGULFED THE HILLSIDE SLUM AND SPILLED DOWN INTO THE HIGH-RENT COPACABANA NEIGHBORHOOD.

Violence flared during a World Cup warm-up tournament in Brazil last year, after the largest public protests in a generation broke out at the start of the tournament. In the six host cities, protests took place during most of the matches, with police firing stun grenades and clouds of tear gas as some of the demonstrators hurled Molotov cocktails. The clouds of tear gas were so thick outside the final at Rio´s Maracana stadium that players complained it affected them on the pitch.

Brazil has more cities on the list of the world´s 50 most dangerous metropolises than any other, with 16 entries, according to the Mexico-based Citizen Council for Public Safety and Criminal Justice. Mexico comes in second place, with 9 cities on the 2014 list, which was released in January.