Gimnasia Jujuy preview

By: Jeremy | August 23rd, 2008

Well, we start out with the definite news that Fabbiani is out for due to a muscle strain (and his transfer still hasn’t come through). Fretes and Cristaldo are out due to the fact that their transfer paperwork hasn’t arrived (something about the head rat Lopez not sending the money to Cerro Porteno) and Juan Quiroga, who was already on the team last year, is also missing transfer paperwork. Since Newell’s his loan deal was over and Newell’s elected to buy him outright, his pass belongs to Defensa y Justicia. And for some reason, that transfer hasn’t arrived yet, either.

What in the world is Newell’s (and by Newell’s I mean that rat bastard Lopez) problem? How can we be going into the third week of the season and still not have transfers for four guys – three of them projected to start? Yet another reason to give Lopez the boot in December.

OK, la lepra arrive in Gimnasia riding a streak of 4 games without a loss (3 wins and 1 draw) stretching back to last season. Gimnasia, on the other hand, has lost their first two of the season.

Newell’s leads the all time series 11 to 4 with 5 draws. Newell’s hasn’t lost to el lobo jujeno in their last 5 encounters (4 wins, 1 draw).

Today should be another victory for la lepra, but a tie wouldn’t surprise me. The striker situation is unsettled, to say the least, and we may want for firepower today. Defensively we are solid. Even without Quiroga because Aguilar played well in the season opener. Midfield is ok, even without Fretes. Perez is a decent player to take his place, but definitely lacks the dead ball skills of Fretes.

After losing the first two games by a combined 8-1, Gimnasia will be looking to attack a Newell’s team that seems down right now due to the lack of transfers arriving and a striker situation that is less than ideal. I saw a report where Gimnasia will probably run a three man back line against la lepra and try to put more pressure on Caffa and the defense. Which isn’t a terrible idea, because after last game, I don’t know if Newell’s strikers could score on a two man back line.

I’m calling it 1-0 Newell’s. There is two much talent in the midfield and defense not to win, but it will be unnecessarily close.