Clausura 2007, SI preview interview

[Illrod3]

SI Predictions:

1. River
2. Velez
3. Boca
4. Independiente
5. Banfield
6. Racing
7. Estudiantes
8. San Lorenzo
9. Rosario Central
10. Gimnasia

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/gregory_sica/02/02/argentina.preview/index.html

Personnally I think that Lanus, Arsenal and Newells will have better seasons than San Lorenzo, Rosario Central and Gimnasia but I agree that Banfield will be strong this season. Ofcourse River will win it all. At the other end, here's how the decenso is looking (last 10 teams):

11 Arsenal 1.368
12 Racing 1.362
13 Gimnasia (J) 1.351
14 Newell`s 1.337
15 Colón 1.232
16 Belgrano (Cba) 1.211
17 Argentinos 1.189
18 Chicago 1.158
19 Quilmes 0.968
20 Godoy Cruz 0.895

[bosterosoy]

the Libertadores will also be a huge factor.

if one of those teams, like say Velez, boca or river go deep in the libertadores, it could mean that they wont be able to win the league title at the same time

[megamac20817]

I can't see it affecting River as much because they bought alot of players with the intention of playing for both and winning. The one spot that could be trouble is left back.

[Colon]

yo creo ke colon tendria ke estar en los 1ros 10 en vez de ekipos como gimnasia y rosario central.

[locoxriver]

yo creo ke colon tendria ke estar en los 1ros 10 en vez de ekipos como gimnasia y rosario central.

I also think Colon will do better than Gimnasia and Rosario Central.. Gimnasia was horrible last season, and now they should be worse since they lost a lot of players and will be participating in the Copa Libertadores at the same time. Meanwhile, Rosario Central lost even more players (12 in total) including some key players such as Wanchope, Marco Ruben, Villagra, Coudet, etc.

Still, I don't know if Colon will do thaaat great, but I'm pretty sure they should do better than those two teams.

[Illrod3]

I also think Colon will do better than Gimnasia and Rosario Central..

Agreed, for some reason the people at SI seem to think that Gimnasia will be as good as a year a go, but IMO they shouldn't even be in the Libertadores. Central lost a bunch of players but they always seem to bring young players in, ultimatly I think that they will be a middle of the table team. Same goes for Colon, they have a good coach and they will be ok but they have lost Bichi Fuertes and I don't see them winning that much, they will be better than last season though and a tough team to play. I think that Arsenal is getting disrespected though and that they will have a good season, easily into the top 10 and might make it to the top 5.

[EL MONO MARIO]

Mercado de pases al dia.

ARGENTINOS:
Altas: Gabriel Bustos, Andrés Scotti y Marcelo Sarmiento.
Bajas: Jorge Quinteros y Cristian Ledesma.

ARSENAL:
Altas: Andrés San Martín, Luis Figueroa y Gastón Filgueira.
Bajas: Víctor López, Mariano Brau, Juan Carlos Garat y Juan Pablo Caffa.

BANFIELD:
Altas: Daniel Quinteros, José Chatruc, Javier Villarreal, Julián Maidana y Pablo Vitti.
Bajas: Héctor Silva y Andrés Aparicio.

BELGRANO:
Altas: Marcelo Delgado, Marcos Lazaga, Matías Donnet y Matías Oyola.
Bajas: Ricardo Rojas, José Moisela, Gastón Liendo, Abel Soriano, Julián Mosquera, Marcelo Iglesias, Raúl Gordillo, Mariano Campodónico, Andrés Aimar y Paolo Frangipane.

BOCA:
Altas: Sergio Orteman, Bruno Marioni, Clemente Rodríguez, Mauricio Caranta, Julio Barroso y Marcos Mondaíni.
Bajas: Fernando Gago, Marcelo Delgado y José María Calvo.

COLON:
Altas: Marcelo Goux, Juan Carlos Falcón, Emanuel Centurión y Esteban González.
Bajas: Esteban Fuertes, Gabriel Solís y Giovanni Hernández.

ESTUDIANTES:
Altas: Sebastián Domínguez y Hugo Colace.
Bajas: Fernando Ortiz, Diego Galván y Rodrigo Melendez.

GIMNASIA (LP):
Altas: Antonio Pacheco, Sergio Leal, Alvaro Ormeño e Ignacio Piatti.
Bajas: Marcelo Goux, Esteban González, Andrés Guglielminpietro y Martín Cardetti.

GIMNASIA (J):
Altas: Héctor Silva, Gabriel Iribarren y Fernando Soler.
Bajas: Gustavo Balvorín.

GODOY CRUZ:
Altas: Salustiano Candia, Martín Arzuaga, Miguel Caneo y Diego Figueredo.
Bajas: Silvio Duarte, Rolando Bogado y Franco Mendoza.

INDEPENDIENTE:
Altas: Lucas Pusineri, Carlos Báez, José Moreno y Sergio Escudero.
Bajas: Sergio Orteman, Sebastián Carrizo, Lorgio Alvarez, Antonio Barijho, Martín Fabro, Fernando Lorefice, Enzo Bruno, Hernán Pérez, Daniel Milienchuk y Vladimir Marín.

LANUS:
Altas: Cristian Fabbiani y Agustín Marchesín.
Bajas: Claudio Graf.

NEWELL´S:
Altas: Alvaro Domínguez y Claudio Husain.
Bajas: Santiago Salcedo, Diego Gavilán, Gustavo Rodas y Matías Fondato.

NUEVA CHICAGO:
Altas: Mariano Campodónico, Horacio Cardozo, Israel Damonte y Carlos Fernando Navarro Montoya.
Bajas: Cristian Pellerano, Edgardo Simovic, Nicolás Medina, Mariano Fernández, Matías Fischer, Pablo Mannara, J. Gómez, A. Gómez, Daniel Pogonza, Jorge De Olivera, Marcelo Barreño, Fernando Cigno y Christian Wernly.

QUILMES:
Altas: Walter García, Pablo Galdames, Luciano Palos y Pablo Batalla.
Bajas: Derlis Gómez, Gustavo Campuzano, José Ramírez, Héctor Vidal Sosa, Fernando Crosa, Juan Fernández di Alessio, José Chatruc, Horacio Cardozo, Walter Coyette, Martín Romagnoli y Carlos Barrionuevo.

RACING:
Altas: Claudio López, Martín Romagnoli, Cristian Pellerano, Nicolás Cabrera y Franco Sosa.
Bajas: Julio Barroso, Leandro Grimi, Cristian Pino y Javier Arizala.

RIVER:
Altas: Leonardo Ponzio, Diego Galván, Gastón Fernández, Juan Ojeda, Cristian Villagra, Marco Ruben y Nelson Rivas.
Bajas: Lucas Pusineri, Marcelo Sosa, Marcelo Gallardo, Germán Lux, Lucas Mareque y Gonzalo Higuaín.

ROSARIO CENTRAL:
Altas: Roberto Acuña, Leonel Ríos y Yovanny Arrechea.
Bajas: Eduardo Coudet, Paulo César Wanchope, Gustavo Lorenzetti, Juan Ojeda, Cristian Villagra, Marco Ruben y Ramiro Fassi.

SAN LORENZO:
Altas: Cristian Ledesma y Aureliano Torres.
Bajas: Joaquín Botero, Ariel Pereyra, Pablo Quatrocchi y Germán Herrera.

VELEZ:
Altas: Mario Méndez y Gustavo Balvorín.
Bajas: Fabián Cubero, Patricio Pérez y Pablo Batalla

[locoxriver]

I agree with the SI article saying that Estudiantes will be a hard team to beat, but that they probably won't achieve the glory the acheived last season.. This pre-season they haven't been impressing me so far.. With their starters, they managed to get the following scores:


0-0 vs. Velez
1-0 vs. Belgrano (last minute goal)
0-0 vs. Saint Gallens (team from Switzerland)
1-1 vs. Independiente (lost 1-4 in penalties)

Not good at all if you ask me.. Still, they won't be an easy team to get through, but will they be able to fight for the first place spot?

Anyway, here's what the players thought would happen this season.

The ten questions:
1) Main candidate to keep the trophy.
2) Surprise team.
3) Underachievers.
4) Teams that will qualify to the International tournaments.
5) The key player.
6) The top goalscorer.
7) The best goalkeeper.
8) Teams that will play the "promocion".
9) Teams that will descend.
10) Will there be less violence?

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a256/locoxriver/predictions-part1.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a256/locoxriver/predictions-part2.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a256/locoxriver/predictions-part3.jpg

[ElMuneco]

I agree with the SI article saying that Estudiantes will be a hard team to beat, but that they probably won't achieve the glory the acheived last season.. This pre-season they haven't been impressing me so far.. With their starters, they managed to get the following scores:


0-0 vs. Velez
1-0 vs. Belgrano (last minute goal)
0-0 vs. Saint Gallens (team from Switzerland)
1-1 vs. Independiente (lost 1-4 in penalties)

Not good at all if you ask me.. Still, they won't be an easy team to get through, but will they be able to fight for the first place spot?

Anyway, here's what the players thought would happen this season.

The ten questions:
1) Main candidate to keep the trophy.
2) Surprise team.
3) Underachievers.
4) Teams that will qualify to the International tournaments.
5) The key player.
6) The top goalscorer.
7) The best goalkeeper.
8) Teams that will play the "promocion".
9) Teams that will descend.
10) Will there be less violence?

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a256/locoxriver/predictions-part1.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a256/locoxriver/predictions-part2.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a256/locoxriver/predictions-part3.jpg


What the hell have all three of San Lorenzo's players been smoking??

[megamac20817]

Haha, the San Lorenzo players really weren't entirely sane, but with Ramon, anything is possible, I don't blame them :D

[chao]

@ locoxriver

Where is this enquiry photo from ? can you give me a link please ?

Thanks.

[locoxriver]

@ locoxriver

Where is this enquiry photo from ? can you give me a link please ?

Thanks.

Well, they are screenshots. They were somewhere on Clarin.

[BigSoccer Bot]

More... (http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/02/05/deportes/d-00303.htm)

[locoxriver]

San Lorenzo is building up a pretty good team. I don't know if it's good enough to fight for the first place spot, but they should have a good campaign..

- Ramon Diaz is in charge, and he's a great coach..
- Romagnoli, a good playmaker, has joined the team..
- "La Gata" Fernandez is one step away from joining CASLA (the transfer would go through for $1,100,000 for 70%).
- Lavezzi and Silvera are a great duo, and are too very dangerous fowards.

Good team if you ask me.. I still think their defense sucks, though.. If I were Savino, I would invest in a defender.

[elbp]

I agree with the SI article saying that Estudiantes will be a hard team to beat, but that they probably won't achieve the glory the acheived last season.. This pre-season they haven't been impressing me so far.. With their starters, they managed to get the following scores:
0-0 vs. Velez
1-0 vs. Belgrano (last minute goal)
0-0 vs. Saint Gallens (team from Switzerland)
1-1 vs. Independiente (lost 1-4 in penalties)

They didn't beat us (Belgrano). The final result was 1-1 and they scored a last-minute penalty (given by the referee out of pure generosity). Anyway I think they lack the depth to sustain another title challenge.

[Illrod3]

http://www.herramientas.clarin.com/webservice/votarOlev4.jsp?encId=4497

FUTBOL
¿Quién va a ser el campeón del Clausura?
(28933 votantes)

Argentinos Juniors (414) 1.4%
Arsenal (91) 0.3%
Banfield (268) 0.9%
Belgrano (644) 2.2%
Boca (6575) 22.7%
Central (683) 2.4%
Colón (228) 0.8%
Estudiantes (1058) 3.7%
Gimnasia J (165) 0.6%
Gimnasia LP (286) 1.0%
Godoy Cruz (481) 1.7%
Independiente (2725) 9.4%
Lanús (405) 1.4%
Newell's (495) 1.7%
Nueva Chicago (307) 1.1%
Quilmes (225) 0.8%
Racing (1971) 6.8%
River (8592) 29.6%
San Lorenzo (1762) 6.1%
Vélez (1558) 5.4%


Looks like we have somewhat of a concensus on the favorite. I am not confortable with the idea of us being favorites, is like asking for bad things to happen, oh well I'll knock on wood. Belgrano surprised me with the number of votes it got and Arsenal got little love. I guess there is not too many Arse fans yet.