Newell\'s Old Boys

5 Match Suspension for Sánchez Prette

Jeremy — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:24:46 +0000

The AFA’s disciplinary committee today handed down a hefty penalty for Sánchez Prette’s tackle on Racing’s Martin Cáceres. Cáceres will be out of action for eight months.

I thought he’d get a match or two, but five is way more than anyone thought. Some rule or the other allows the committee to suspend a player for 5 to 30 matches, so I guess he got off light.

The club isn’t happy since they say there is no precedent for this as this is the worst penalty they have seen handed for the same infraction and the referee’s report stated that Sánchez Prette’s ejection was for accumulating to yellow cards and not a straight red.

Right or wrong, (and I am not sure abut the appeals process) it looks like Mauro Formica will be taking his place for those five games. Which while I am sure David over at a Leper In a Strange Land will be thrilled, I am not sure that it will be an improvement.

Formica is talented enough to start, but coming in as a sub he has been a match changer on several occasions. Plus, now we are thin in the attacking zone with Prette out and I’d rather roll into the clasico against la Sina at full strength.

Tigre 1 – 2 Newell’s

Jeremy — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:10:39 +0000

Just a short clip of the goals tonight. Oh and Newell’s provided all three goals with Boghossian scoring an own goal before netting the winner in the 86th minute.

Up Next, Tigre.

Jeremy — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:45:11 +0000

Well, Schiavi has been not been ruled out but team doctors are recommending that el Flaco sit this one out. Seeing as how Tigre are bottom of table, it makes sense to rest him. He’s got a small tear in the muscle of his left foot (I’m not sure what you call it in English or Spanish) and doctors say with the match off he should be back 100% against River.

Alexis Machuca will take his place.

Speaking of not going, Sánchez Prette is forced out due to the red he picked up for an over zealous tackle on Marcos Cáceres and Mauro Formica will go in his place. It’s worth noting that when Formica came in against Racing in the second half, the team went from being somewhat in a funk to finding an offensive purpose.

My concern is that la Lepra don’t get caught looking ahead to River and drop points away to Tigre. River is down this year, but they are still River – you must respect them.

Newell’s 1 – 0 Racing

Jeremy — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:44:58 +0000

Newell’s continued their winning ways with a thriller against Racing. Racing came in on a bad run of form and tried to grind out a 0 – 0 draw by parking a bus in front of their goal that almost worked.

Once Newell’s scored, courtesy of Juan Manuel Insaurralde and about a half-dozen headers (seriously how many times can you bounce a corner in the air) Racing tried to attack, and Newell’s keeper Sebastián Peratta should win Man of the Match honors for a couple of good stops late in the game.

(I thought I had posted this earlier but I had just saved it as a draft. Must be the new WP update. I’ve done that like three times now.)

Vélez 1 – 2 Newell’s aka Boghossian’s Coming Out

Jeremy — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:23:30 +0000

In a must have game if Newell’s wanted to become a serious contender, Uruguayan Joaquín Boghossian answered the bell for Newell’s, finding the back of the net twice and narrowly missing a third. Video after the jump.

It’s hard to imagine Newell’s having won the game without him. He was definitely the game changer and this output is what Sensini and the boys dreamed about when they signed him.

While most of the season he has tended to disappear for stretches at a time, he imposed himself on the Vélez defenders from start to finish.

Shades of ‘04?

Jeremy — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:50:52 +0000

With the big win this Saturday over fellow contender Vélez, in el Fortín in Liniers, no less, Newell’s pulls to within one point of the summit in a three-way tie with Estudiantes and Banfield, trailing only Colón.

Racing stumbles into town tomorrow night for a mid-week tie and to say it would be a disappointment for Newell’s not to take three points away from this game is an understatement.

La Academia are in less than the best form lately, to put it lightly. Even at full strength they are a side that can’t compete with most of the teams in the Primera. Ricardo Caruso Lombardi, ex-Newell’s coach and the man who saved them from relegation last season resigned after seven games and Racing will still be under the guidance of interim coach Juan Barbas.

Racing are waiting for the arrival of their new coach Lothar Matthaus from Germany, who may or may not take the job depending on his wife and who may or may not be present at the match.

The Polls are Open

Jeremy — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:02:15 +0000

It’s started. Over at la Lepra’s official website the poll is up and the early results are a runaway for naming el Coloso after Marcelo Bielsa. As of a few minutes ago it was something like 1085 for and 57 against.

I thought I had read that you had to be a registered socio, but it let me vote so maybe not.

NOB – Vélez History

Jeremy — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:56:03 +0000

It doesn’t favor Newell’s so well. The home team has won the last eight matches and el Fortín hold a decisive lead in the series, 58-37-34. La Lepra have even drawn more than they’ve won.

To make things worse, Newell’s has been shut out on 10 of their last 12 trips to Liniers.

Of course, this side is a different club than those that lost so quietly at Vélez in the past, so I’m thinking records and streaks won’t matter as much. Both clubs are looking for a win to boost their championship hopes and keep in the hunt.

Here’s hoping that Newell’s scores early and often this Saturday to reverse the recent trend in the series.

Favale to Ref Vélez Clash

Jeremy — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:55:45 +0000

Yep, just a scant few weeks after the non-existent penalty call on Machuca that cost Newell’s the draw (and two points that would put us on top) and the dodgy sending off of Schiavi, we get every lepers favorite referee, Gabriel Favale.

I don’t know that it means anything, after all, lightning doesn’t strike twice, right?

As if we didn’t have enough on the line against Vélez this Saturday, now we have to worry about crappy calls.

Now, you can look back and I don’t gripe about refs or accuse them of making mistakes that directly affect the outcome of the match, unless they come out and say it or it is all over the news and I am just regurgitating what is being said. But I do have what I now call the Favale rule. If Newell’s gets blatantly screwed, I let myself go a little bit.

Actually I didn’t post anything because I couldn’t find any clips of the non-foul to back up my assertions, but I did see it live and for several replays.

El Coloso to be renamed for el Loco Bielsa?

Jeremy — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:49:52 +0000

Seems like the directors are going to put out a survey to gauge the receptiveness of the Lepra faithful for naming the stadium after Newell’s favorite son, Marcelo Bielsa.

Things are all touchy-feely right now between the fans and el Loco, what with him saying that he could never love another shirt more than Newell’s and the fans holding up signs signs saying no fans could ever love a coach more than they love him.

So I am thinking it is a go for a name change at the Parque.

How crazy would that be, to name it after him and then have him return as coach in the future in a stadium that bears his name? (I know it has happened before, but still)