Snak

Troglio: "Nos vamos a matar, pero necesitamos una ayuda del destino"

LA PLATA -- El director técnico Pedro Troglio graficó el viernes que "ser campeón con Gimnasia sería el mejor final para una película de amor incondicional con el club", en la previa del partido con Quilmes, por la penúltima fecha del torneo Final, cuyo liderazgo comparte con River Plate.

El entrenador afirmó que su plantel se encuentra "preparado" para asumir los dos juegos restantes (Quilmes de visitante y Boca de local) en busca del primer título de la entidad, que cumplirá 127 años el 3 de junio próximo.

"Nos vamos a matar y dejar todo en la cancha, aunque ahora también, necesitamos una ayuda del destino" admitió Troglio, luego que su equipo empatara el último partido con Lanús y fuera alcanzado por River en la punta.

Durante una visita a Télam, el exmediocampista valoró la campaña por "el sacrificio y el trabajo" de sus jugadores, a quienes les reconoció la convicción en "una idea futbolística".

"Este es el equipo que siempre quise formar. Cada vez que este equipo ha tenido una mala, ha salido, en el Nacional B, o los malos momentos de este torneo. Siento que los tipos creen en la idea futbolística", subrayó el entrenador, que ascendió a Primera la pasada temporada con la base del mismo plantel.

"En el fútbol la pelota es un imán, todos la quieren, el problema es cuando no la tienen. No hay muchos que les guste el sacrificio para recuperarla y en este equipo un Maximiliano Meza, un (Javier) Mendoza y hasta un Alvaro Fernández o (Facundo) Pereyra `laburan` al servicio del equipo", ponderó.

Gimnasia lidera junto a River el torneo Final 2014 con 31 puntos cuando quedan apenas seis en juego. Además de los Millonarios, Estudiantes y Godoy Cruz con 29 son aspirantes al título.

"Hace tres o cuatro fechas, éramos ocho equipos en la pelea y llegamos cuatro. En los equipos que se alejaron hay jugadores de experiencia que han sido campeones, pero nosotros seguimos en la pelea", diferenció el ex volante del seleccionado argentino de fútbol, subcampeón en el Mundial Italia 1990.

Para el entrenador: "Si hubiera sido Gimnasia quien se quedaba en el camino, alguno diría que le faltó experiencia o hay pibes, pero llegamos a la punta, hace tres partidos que estamos, y vamos hasta la última fecha peleando el campeonato".

"Lo único que espero -anheló- es que una vez en la historia, el de arriba, le mande a Gimnasia también ese poquito de suerte que se merece y se necesita en un momento como este".

Troglio, de 48 años, transita su segundo ciclo en Gimnasia desde 2011 cuando asumió con el equipo en la Primera B Nacional. Su anterior paso fue en 2005 y lo tuvo como subcampeón de aquella temporada con apenas un punto menos que la mejor campaña histórica del club.

"Cuando volví a Gimnasia en esa situación me dije: `va ser duro si no ascendés` y ascendimos. Y en los momentos negativos de este torneo, cuando perdimos el clásico con Estudiantes y con Vélez, ves una película negra", admitió.

"La responsabilidad te hace sentir mal hasta que vino toda esta locura de pelear el campeonato y ahora le decís al de arriba: `Bueno, no me falles, por favor son dos partidos, dame dos partidos de suerte...", suplicó.

"Dame dos partidos, ganar 1 a 0 de `culo` en los dos partidos. Quiero eso porque sé que tengo el sentimiento de la gente en las manos, y el amor que la gente tiene conmigo" reconoció.

"Me siento más responsable que cualquier otro, por eso sufro más que cualquiera cuando pierdo, porque siento que le hago daño a mi familia", asumió.

Troglio, formado en las divisiones inferiores de River, recordó que su relación con Gimnasia comenzó como "un amorcito a primera vista" y derivó un enamoramiento "de golpe".

"Como jugador estuve en Italia, Japón, pero llegué a Gimnasia y es como que se originó algo de golpe" dijo el exfutbolista de River, Verona, Lazio, Ascoli de Italia y Fukuoka de Japón.

"Te vas cautivando con el lugar, el afecto de la gente, la locura, la pasión, el amor por un club y en el amor uno no entiende muchas veces, y se pregunta ¿por qué se enamoró de esta o este?. No sabemos, pero la realidad es porque algo te cautiva, te enamora, y esto me pasó en este club", confesó.

"Me hice un tatuaje de Gimnasia cuando no estaba en el club, no es que me lo hice ahora. Fue mientras estaba en Paraguay en el 2009 y Gimnasia luchaba la promoción para seguir en Primera", comentó.

"¡Cómo puedo evitar enamorarme de esta gente y de este club, con todo lo que recibo. Es imposible!", exclamó.

"Ver tatuajes con mi cara, como me pasó el otro día, o saber que chicos de Gimnasia se llaman Pedro por mí es algo muy emotivo, muy fuerte", asumió.

"Por más que me digas que estuve en River, en la selección argentina, esto es un amor más genuino porque la vida es pasión", enseñó.

"Si llego a salir campeón, me muero, que me pase eso en este club sería lo mejor que me puede pasar, sería el mejor final de esta película de amor incondicional", aceptó.

En relación al encuentro del próximo domingo frente a Quilmes, dijo: "La presión es compartida, no es tan fácil, si ellos te ganan te sacan el campeonato, y si vos le ganás lo complicás con el descenso".

Admitió que, en estas circunstancias, no le preocupa el pasado albirrojo de Rodrigo Braña y Leandro Benítez o la condición de hinchas de Estudiantes del DT de Quilmes, Ricardo Caruso Lombardi.

"No me preocupa donde hayan jugado o si son hinchas de ... Se van a jugar la vida nada más que por evitar el descenso con Quilmes", relativizó.

Por último, también desacreditó las sospechas sobre el arbitraje de Pablo Lunati, a quien se vincula afectivamente con River, rival de Gimnasia en la lucha por el título.

"Si es hincha de River ¿qué importa?. Si nos cobra en contra un penal que no es, no dirige nunca más. Se dicen un montón de boludeceses a las que uno no debe subirse", aconsejó.

Chilean Keeper Herrera Back in Court and Could Miss Brazil

Chilean international goalkeeper Johnny Herrera is back in trouble.

He recently pleaded guilty for drinking and driving in September 2012, while driving his car outside of a hotel in Quintero, Chile. The Universidad de Chile player received a 150-day suspended sentence, which would let him travel abroad and participate in the World Cup in Brazil, and a $740 fine and two years without his driving license.

However, this was not his first offence.

Johnny Herrera ran over student Macarena Cassasus in 2009 while drunk. The girl died after the accident, according to ESPN Brasil.

The goalkeeper was charged and given a 41-day suspended jail sentence and a two-year suspension from driving.

But yesterday Prosecutor Leonardo Arancibia said he will send Herrera notification for a new hearing on May 23, via a report from 24horas from Chile. The player was seen driving to Juan Pinto Duran on December 23 of last year, while suspended due to the death of Cassasus.

Herrera is still in the plans of Chile national team manager Jorge Sampaoli for the World Cup, but unlikely to be chosen as the starter man between the posts. Claudio Bravo, from the Spanish side Real Sociedad, is the number one goalie in Sampaoli´s eyes.

Chile are in Group B along side with title holder Spain, Netherlands and Australia. The South American country kicks off in the World Cup on June 13 versus the Socceroos.

Chile Scaring All Over The World

The Chilean national team is looking forward to making the World Cup in Brazil a special one. This is why that country´s biggest brewer Cristal started the #ChileMeteMiedo (Chile Instills Fear) campaign. In which appear players like Juventus man Arturo Vidal, Real Sociedad goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and Palmeiras playmaker Jorge Valdivia, they all took part in scaring many people in various World Cup cities (Detroit was "included").

https://www.youtube.com/…hWisXQUtL-0


The Chilean national team will be based out of Belo Horizonte and will face Spain, Netherlands and Australia in Cuiabá, Rio and São Paulo in Group B.

The Chilean brewer also came up with a promo right after the World Cup draw where they were instilling fear in the opponents that they were drawn with in the tournament.

https://www.youtube.com/…PRuFLVhdXO0

Pachuca Lucky to Get The Win in First Leg

On Wednesday night, Pachuca managed to grab a 2-0 win at home against a free-scoring Santos Laguna side that scored put six goals past America´s defense, and a side that had been Liga MX´s most freely scoring side.

The win was one that was less defined by brilliant interchange plays by Hirving Lozano, Jürgen Damm, Dieter Villalpando, Enner Valencia and others and lots of chances on goal, as much as it was a gritty win made a win, only by set pieces.

Throughout the opening leg, Enner Valencia did not have the space to shoot on goal, or get past defenders. Dario Carreno, who played in front of the Ecuador international, did have that space, but he too could not find the target. The movement away from a 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3 with the Pachuca star striker as the center forward seemed to benefit Valencia´s stats (as shown with the hat trick). Enner may not be the best playmaker on Los Tuzos, so why place him there?

Perhaps Enrique Meza´s logic lied in fielding two pivots--in Diego De Buen and Jorge Herrera--who could stop Los Guerreros from building up their attacks through their passing game. Outside of a last-minute buildup, Santos Laguna´s best chances were limited to counter-attacks which involved long wall passes hitting their marks.

On one such ball in the opening twenty-five minutes which found Oribe Peralta, Pachuca was lucky that the Santos Laguna striker was offside. Peralta was afforded enough time to control the long pass and shoot the ball past Oscar Perez (and giving Santos Laguna the away goal). On another much later instance later in the match, Santos Laguna managed to work a buildup in which pushed the Pachuca defense into its own penalty area, and nearly broke down the Pachuca defensive shape. But a combination of luck, good positioning from ´El Canejo´ Perez, and collapsing Pachuca defenders, as well as the referee´s whistle, prevented the play from finishing.

These are the sort of buildups that Pachuca will need to prevent Santos Laguna from having as the tie moves to Torreon on Saturday. There is no guarantee Pachuca will be able to get a set piece goal if they want to move onto the Clausura Final. And doing so on set pieces will not be sustainable, regardless of who the Tuzos play, if they even reach that stage.

If their 4-2 win at the Estadio Olimpico Universitario was a sign of what a free-flowing Tuzos attack could do when they play freely--this 2-0 win was a lucky one that masked the timidity they showed in attack, not just from Meza´s tactics or Valencia being taken out of the match. They did not show the bravery to break down Santos Laguna´s defensive shape, or trust their movements inside their attacking half. Instead, Pachuca elected to work the ball back to the midfield circle and try again--rather than press Los Guerreros. If Meza wants to dream of a final, and of a 2014-15 in his managerial spot at Los Tuzos (with Chepo de la Torre rumored to take over after the Clausura ends), he will need to hope Los Tuzos can be better. Lady Luck blessed his side once. She will not bless it in Torreon.

Para Hernán Barcos, "sería lindo" pasar a Boca Juniors

BUENOS AIRES -- El delantero argentino Hernán Barcos afirmó el viernes que "sería lindo" fichar por Boca Juniors, que se ha interesado por él, aunque señaló que se encuentra "feliz" jugando en el Gremio brasileño.

Barcos admitió que Argentina se cobra menos de lo que gana en Gremio, pero consideró que valdría la pena jugar en "un club tan importante como Boca, en el que todo argentino quiere estar".

"En Gremio estoy feliz, pero si me tengo que ir va a ser mejor. Voy a esperar las propuestas", resumió el delantero cordobés en entrevista con medios locales.

Barcos también anunció que había hablado con los líderes de los grupos de hinchas radicales del equipo brasileño, que reaccionaron contra los jugadores tras la eliminación en octavos de final de la Copa Libertadores ante el San Lorenzo de Almagro en Porto Alegre.

"Soy el capitán, el referente. Les expliqué la situación, cómo es el fútbol, y ellos me apoyaron", concluyó.

Roberto Torres: "La prioridad para remplazar a Mostaza es Gareca"

BUENOS AIRES -- El influyente dirigente de Racing Club, Roberto Torres, concluyó el viernes que al técnico Reinaldo Merlo "lo echaron" y que ahora la prioridad del cuerpo directivo del club "es contratar a Ricardo Gareca".

"El presidente Víctor Blanco, le comunicó a Merlo que se tenía que ir al finalizar el campeonato y él entonces decidió renunciar dos fechas antes. Su contrato finalizaba el 13 de octubre, así que en la práctica fue echado", reconoció Torres en una entrevista con el programa radial "Deportivo Télam".

"Ahora la prioridad para remplazar a Mostaza es Gareca. Es la misma decisión mayoritaria que tomamos los 10 integrantes de la Comisión Directiva cuando se decidió lo de Merlo", apuntó.

Torres es quien fue a buscar a Merlo en su tercer regreso al club y por eso defendió la postura de "darle la oportunidad de que armara su propio equipo para la temporada que viene. Pero me quede solo en esa postura", admitió.

"Merlo reconoció que se había equivocado cuando dijo que había vuelto para salvar al equipo del descenso, algo que se va a lograr definitivamente sumando tan solo un punto más de los seis que quedan en juego. En este torneo la idea era pelear arriba", señaló.

"Pero Merlo asumió el compromiso de volver cuando el equipo había sumado solamente dos puntos de 33 y en el momento en que se había alejado la cúpula de la comisión directiva. Por eso merecía la oportunidad de continuar", enfatizó.

En su reciente periplo por Europa el presidente Blanco cerró la transferencia del promisorio volante, Rodrigo De Paul, a Valencia, de España, en una suma importante para las arcas racinguistas.

"Lo vendimos a De Paul en 6.500.000 dólares y nos quedarán 4.800.000 limpios, ya que debimos hacernos cargo, entre otras cosas, de la comisión del representante Fernando Cosentino", verificó.

"Y en cuanto a lo sucedido con Mauro Camoranesi, fui yo el que le comunicó la decisión de rescindirle el contrato, ya que al decir que el equipo era `San Saja`, fue ofensivo para sus compañeros, para el cuerpo técnico y para Racing en general", puntualizó.

Finalmente Torres aclaró que no es partidario "de los proyectos
personales" y que en las próximas elecciones su "candidato es Víctor Blanco".

Pachuca Return Leg Preview: Tuzos Cannot Be Complacent

The Tuzos walked out of the Estadio Hidalgo with a 2-0 win on the backs of set-piece goals from Diego De Buen and Hugo Rodriguez. The performance was much more reliant on good defending and stopping most of Santos Laguna´s buildups than it was on the Tuzos´ brilliant attacking play.

Nevertheless, Pachuca can now only be eliminated by tiebreakers if Santos Laguna pull a 2-0 result at the Estadio Corona. The result has had people in Pachuca partying, knowing that the side might be heading to their first final since 2009.

Enrique Meza was quick to put out the fire of the premature party, saying that "we need to go to Torreon to play very seriously. This [tie] is not resolved, we should not go to lock ourselves into the final. We have a misleading marker (2-0), but we have to manage the game. [Santos Laguna] are a dangerous team and we will try to hurt [them]."

Santos are a dangerous team, and they have been a difficult team for Pachuca to overcome away from Hidalgo. The Tuzos have only won in Torreon once since 2007, at that was a 1-0 win in last year´s Clausura. Pachuca has lost to Los Guerreros multiple times by three goals at the Estadio Corona in that same span (the scoreline Santos would need to advance to the Final if Los Tuzos get an away goal).

All the pressure will be on Santos Laguna, and on Juan Pablo ´Chato´ Hernandez, Ribair Rodriguez, and company to make Santos Laguna´s attack click. Pachuca will not have the pressure of the opening leg deficit, but might need better positioning from Efrain Cortes (and Hugo Rodriguez) and the holding midfielders as they look to absorb the Guerreros´ barrage. But with the pressure and the barrage, Santos Laguna could come out tentative, and Pachuca (as Meza had instructed) could be ´dangerous´.

The match can be seen Saturday, May 10 at 9:00 PM ET on UniMas and Univision Deportes.

Fluminense Announces Friendly with Italy

Brazilian club Fluminense have officially confirmed that the friendly against Italy will take place at the Raulino de Oliveira stadium in Volta Redonda on June 8th.

The match will be part of Italy´s preparation for the World Cup, while for Fluminense it will be a rare opportunity to face one of the world´s top national teams.

The Brazilian club will be missing their main striker Fred, who has been called up for the Brazilian national team, but are likely to field highly-rated players such as goalkeeper Diego Cavaleri, midfielder Darío Conca and striker Walter.

Mario Bittencourt, the new vice-president of Fluminense, told reporters: "In a year of a World Cup taking place in Brazil, no doubt that playing against Italy is a historic moment, their flag and our club have the same colors."

Italy will debut in the World Cup on June 14, when they face England at the Arena da Amazônia in Manaus, while Fluminense will resume their Brazilian League campaign in July, when the Tricolor meet Criciúma in Southern Brazil.

Cuauhtemoc Blanco Returns to Liga MX with Puebla

On the same day that Mexican football fans were contemplating the final 23-man Mexico roster that is set to go to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, another massive media-bomb shell was thrown.

Liga MX club Puebla FC have announced on their official media pages the signing of historic Mexican midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco for the upcoming Apertura 2014 tournament.

After a six-year long absence, the 41-year old Blanco is set to make his return to Mexican football´s first division for the first time since 2008. The former World Cup player´s last sighting in Liga MX was back in the 2008 Apertura Liguilla when Santos Laguna surprised many by signing Blanco on a short-loan deal throughout the Liguilla.

Having left America in 2007 to venture off into the MLS with the Chicago Fire until the 2010 season, the Mexican football idol has spent the last few years making his trait in Mexico´s second division; Liga de Ascenso.

Having played with the likes of Veracruz, Irapuato, Doarados de Sinaloa and Lobos BUAP, Cuauhtemoc will finally make his return to Mexico´s top division after years of rumors and flirting going on between "Temo" and Liga MX clubs.

While some are quick to point out that Blanco played at a solid level throughout his time in Liga de Ascenso, many will wonder whether the former America idol has enough in the tank to compete in Liga MX with a club that is set on once again trying to avoid relegation in the next two tournaments.

Blanco, considered by many as one of the biggest players in Mexico´s history, has finally gotten his wish to perhaps end his career in Mexico´s first division after news broke out of his scheduled homage in Mexico´s friendly match against Israel in the Estadio Azteca on May 28th.

El Tri Roster: Who missed the cut?

After much anticipation and gratuitous "thank yous" from both head coach Miguel Herrera and national teams director Hector Gonzalez Inarritu, Mexico´s final roster was announced on Friday. By now there has been plenty of predicted starting XIs and analysis on the players going, but I wanted to take a moment to discuss and perhaps even vent about those who just missed out.

Now would be a great time to cue Puff Daddy´s "I´ll Be Missing You" if you happen to have one of his tapes laying around.

Moises Munoz could have easily gone to Brazil, and most assumed that his familiarity with Herrera would have guaranteed him a spot at least on the bench. While he wasn´t my favorite goalkeeper, I wouldn´t have been bothered to see him as a third option. Munoz also had the potential to be a great leader for the squad in Brazil, especially if you consider the fact that he currently plays with five other call-ups from America.

Speaking of America, Juan Carlos Valenzuela just missed out on the final list as well. Thank god. Valenzuela was given numerous chances with the national team and was just not able to stand out or make his presence known in the back. I guess he was able to stand out last year when he scored that own-goal while playing against Finland.

Miguel Ponce has had a great season with Toluca and will be truly hurt by missing out on the final 23. Ponce almost seem set as Miguel Layun´s back-up in defense, but Andres Guardado´s experience must have been the difference maker for Herrera. Ponce has recently turned his career around after a questionable streak with Chivas. The question remains whether he can maintain this form for more than just one season. At the age of 25, he still has time to develop as a player and could still set his goals for Russia 2018.

Javier Aquino has been superb for Villarreal, but his limited skill-set as a winger has made him an awkward piece left out of the Herrera puzzle. Aquino´s agility and craftiness is undoubtedly great, but it would have been hard to see him set as a more central-lying midfielder that Herrera loves to use. The winger, surprisingly enough, has become better at defending, and it´s a shame that he wasn´t tried as a right wing-back for El Tri.

Jesus Zavala, a common name when considering Mexico´s 2013 squad, wasted his only recent chance with Mexico against the United States last month. Zavala is a true defensive midfielder, and there was a glimpse of hope that he would have been able to add some more depth in that position for the national team. Nope. Zavala was horrific in the middle and might have given one too many fans flashbacks from the World Cup qualifying games from last year.

I believe that Hugo Ayala is currently a better player than Francisco Javier Rodriguez and was slightly bothered to see the latter and not the former. It might have been that "leaked list" by TV Azteca recently, but my hopes were a bit too high for Ayala going to Brazil. Ayala´s chances were slim in the end though; he hasn´t been called up since last year and was competing against Rodriguez. Rodriguez captained Mexico for most of 2013, played for Herrera in America, and has 91 caps. Also, he´s really tall.

Enrique Perez wasn´t given too many chances defensively when he was called up three separate times for El Tri this year. Then again, his only opportunity against South Korea didn´t convince anybody either. Couple that with only three caps, and you get a player who isn´t going to Brazil.

Rogelio Chavez’s only call-up was underwhelming as well. Chavez was completely overrun on his side of the pitch against the United States last month, and there weren´t any 50-yard goals to salvage himself.

In the end, I believe Herrera missed out on great options through Ponce and Ayala. Rodriguez and Guardado are some members of the dinosaur squad from last year that should have transitioned out by this point.

Herrera has a little over a month to prepare. I hope the final 23 players are truly the best options for Mexico to succeed in Brazil.