5 talking points from the Argentine Primera Round one
by Peter Coates, Argentine Football Correspondent
1. A 30-team Primera División is exhausting!
Not for the players themselves but for the Argentine football enthusiasts and writers who have a colossal 15 matches to sit through between Friday and Monday evening. Julio Grondona’s unloved brain child began on Friday evening in Liniers where Vélez Sarsfield saw off newly promoted Aldosivi and fourteen matches later, culminating in Belgrano’s 3-1 victory over other newbies, Nueva Chicago, round one was complete. With six matches being played on Saturday and a further five on Sunday it leaves a rather chaotic weekend of football to dissect.
Of course a packed fixture list is not the sole reason why the 30-team league is a bad idea but now that it is underway, there is the realisation that this is ACTUALLY happening.
In spite of the inflated numbers, Primera clubs will now be playing less matches in the calendar year meaning less gate receipts and therefore less money in a league already starved of cash, the so-called ‘federalising’ of top flight football and introducing more sides from outside Greater Buenos Aires has failed as the proportion has stayed largely the same and the season running from February until November sees it at odds with the European football calendar.
Then factor in the propostrous ’30th game’ which sees each club repeat their clásico and therefore a completely unbalanced fixture list where River and Boca have the unenviable but more lucrative return match while several teams are simply tagged to another in a makeshift ‘clásico’ to make up the numbers.
I could go on but hey it is here, there is nothing we can do and there is A LOT to get through from week one.
2. Champions Racing were given a rude awakening
It has been a wonderful few months to be a Racing supporter: Diego Milito came home and spearheaded a first league title since 2001, a successful summer window saw only Ricardo Centurión leave and some decent looking new faces arrive AND there was a friendly clásico victory to savour.
So the stage was set on Friday evening, back in El Cilindro to begin their title defence. Rosario Central were the visitors and everything pointed to a fairly straight-forward home win. However, Central and young attacker Franco Cervi failed to read the script and inflicted a surprising defeat over the champions.
The ever-reliable figurehead of the title winning side, goalkeeper, Sebastián Saja was at fault as it was his fluffed clearance that allowed Cervi to lob in the winning goal with just minutes on the clock but the individual error aside, Racing were not at their best.
It is week one and Racing undoubtedly remain one of the favourites for the title but the loss serves as a gentle reminder to a club who have endured their fair share of failures. Racing’s faithful will still have a belief in their side ahead of a hectic 2015, after all Saja actually cost them a goal in their opening match of the Transición and they did alright in that.
3. River and Boca could make for a thrilling title race
It has been a while since Argentina’s two heavyweights have genuinely slugged it out for a league title but there is the distinct possibility that this could happen this year. River, under Marcelo Gallardo, have of course already been at that level and proved that they have the mettle to claim major honours but Boca, after a summer of heavy investment and a huge 5-0 superclásico win, are now right in the mix.
Both sides got the wins expected of them on Sunday: Boca saw off Olimpo in La Bombonera and River were too strong for minnows, Sarmiento in Junín. Neither match can be used as a yardstick of where the sides are but there were some eye-catching performances and plenty more in reserve.
Boca were led by a resurgent Fernando Gago, scorer of the opening goal from the penalty spot, and were boosted by the two-goal cameo off the bench from 23-year-old, Sebastián Palacios. With a new-look backline plus the additions of Pablo Pérez, Nicolás Lodeiro and Dani Osvaldo, Boca look in very good shape.
River meanwhile are a settled unit and Gallardo did not rock the boat too much over the summer. However, the big signing was 21-year-old, Gonzalo ‘Pity’ Martínez and the youngster excelled in the comfortable 4-1 win over Sarmiento. A balanced side, comfortable with their manager and with a talented array of youthful understudies, River are a threat both domestically and in the Libertadores.
4. Independiente failed to learn from mistakes of last season
Independiente may have only returned to the Primera for the Transición but Jorge Almirón’s side were one of the surprise packages as they mounted an unlikely title challenge. Their gung-ho approach made them fun to watch for the neutrals and frustrating for their fans but should have provided a good base to build on over the summer. The defence seemingly the area that need real improvement.
Huge investments were made but not necessarily in the areas that most would expect and so it seems from the evidence of Saturday’s breathless 3-2 win over Newell’s Old Boys, El Rojo are going to an exciting team to watch once more.
New signing, Lucas Albertengo proved his worth with a first half double and looked to have given Independiente a surprisingly comfortable away win but the defensive frailties of last season returned and in the space of five minutes it was level. Independiente goalkeeper, Diego Rodriguez struck the winning penalty shortly after but first impressions are that not much has changed.
That being said, the attacking options available to Independiente are certainly greater now and with Albertengo, Jose Valencia, Federico Mancuello and others available, El Rojo remain a very difficult opponent.
5. Can TEN promoted sides really compete in the top flight?
Promotion to the top flight is always a difficult step up in any country, whether it is the English Premier League or the Argentine Primera. Usually in these circumstances it is the best two or three from the twenty or so sides that make up the second tier of football but when it is FIVE from two leagues of ELEVEN it is a whole lot more difficult. The result of such generous promotion has seen bus company, Crucero del Norte reach the Primera for the first time in their history and minnows like Sarmiento and Temperley return after thirty year absences.
The mismatches that will occur over 2015 will almost undoubtedly see relegation come from this same group of ten. The most obvious of these David v Goliath meetings from round one was River Plate’s visit to Junín to face Sarmiento. Sadly (but obviously) plucky David (Sarmiento) battled for a while before being squashed by a far stronger and better Goliath (River) and plenty more of these type of imbalances can be expected. In a cup competition with the romance of a possible giant killing it is great but week after week in the league system’s top flight it is stupid.
Temperley, Argentinos Juniors and Unión all recorded wins but the latter can be discounted given that it came against a fellow promotion winning side, Huracán. Temperley and Argentinos Juniors should probably make the most of their triumphs as they are probably in for long, difficult seasons. We will obviously have a clearer picture a few rounds in but it would come as no surprise that as 2015 goes on, we find a mini league within the Primera as these sides scrap it out in the bid to avoid the drop.
