May 15, 2006 - Rosario Central

Matias Silvestre scored off a header in the 14th minute and Rodrigo Palacio made it 2-0 in the 59th for a seventh straight win for Boca, which won the tournament last week.

It was Boca's fourth cup in less than a year, after the South American Recopa and Copa Sudamericana, and the Clausura championship.

Boca ended with 43 points, followed by Lanus with 35, River Plate with 34, Gimnasia Jujuy on 33, and Gimnasia La Plata at 32.

River Plate defeated host Quilmes 3-1 in a match which was suspended in the 67th minute because of fan violence.

Elsewhere, it was Instituto 1, Velez 1; Lanus 1, Estudiantes 1; Rosario Central 2, Independiente 0; Gimnasia Jujuy 2, Tiro Federal 1; Banfield 2, Gimnasia La Plata 0; and San Lorenzo 0, Arsenal 2.

May 9, 2006 - Soccer Recap

Lanus drew 0-0 Saturday with Velez Sarsfield. In other games Saturday, Gimnasia La Plata beat Newell's 3-2 to move into third place, p***ing River Plate, which fell to fourth with a 2-0 loss to Racing.

Elsewhere Sunday, it was: Banfield 3, Argentinos Juniors 1; Arsenal 1, Instituto 1; Tiro Federal 1, Quilmes 1; Olimpo 1, Gimnasia Jujuy 0.

Later Sunday, Estudiantes hosted Rosario Central and Colon visited San Lorenzo.

With striker Sergio Aguero suspended, Independiente set up two defensive lines and employed only one attacker. However, it was able to create and several runs down the flanks, forcing Argentine national team keeper Roberto Abbondancieri into acrobatic saves on shots by Esteban Bujan and Gaston Machin.

Rodrigo Palacio and Martin Palermo scored one goal apiece and traded ***ists for Boca. Palacio put the Buenos Aires side ahead in the 38th with a shot from outside the penalty area after a long p*** from Palermo, who added the insurance in the 47th with a header off a cross by Palacio.

In the oldest derby in Argentine soccer, Racing beat crosstown rival River Plate, which played with a mostly reserve team to rest its regulars for the first leg of Copa Libertadores quarter-finals against Paraguay's Libertad on Thursday.

Maximiliano Moralez headed in a cross from Juan Manuel Torres in the 38th, and Claudio Fileppi made it 2-0 in injury time.

River midfielder Lucas Pusineri was red-carded in the 88th.

April 28, 2006 - Copa Libertadores

April 25, 2006 - 'Argentina have always produced very good players’

The image of Mario Kempes in full flow, complete with loping stride, trademark long flowing locks and the number 10 on his back, will forever be synonymous with the 1978 Fifa World Cup. The man nicknamed ‘El Matador’ fired his way to the top of the tournament’s goalscoring charts and led the Albicelestes to one of the most glorious episodes in Argentine football history.

Even so, the Cordoba-born frontman endured a difficult time at what was his second World Cup. Having been awarded the No. 10 shirt in the absence of fans’ favourite Diego Maradona, Kempes also had to deal with the pressure of being one of only two foreign-based players in the Argentina squad.

Throw in the enormous weight of expectation brought to bear by the fanatical Argentine support, and many a lesser player would have collapsed under the strain.

The first-round draw could barely have been tougher on Cesar Luis Menotti’s side, pitting them against Hungary, Michel Platini’s France, and an Italy team starring Dino Zoff, Antonio Cabrini, Roberto Bettega and Paolo Rossi in Group 1.

However, the Albicelestes themselves were no slouches. With Ubaldo Fillol between the sticks, Daniel Passarella at the heart of the defence, Americo Ruben Gallego in midfield and Kempes up front, the Argentina side had a formidable-looking spine.

The host nation kicked off their campaign in style with 2-1 wins over both Hungary and France in the capital Buenos Aires. Unfortunately, an unexpected 0-1 defeat against Italy forced the Argentines to leave River Plate’s legendary Estadio Monumental and continue their bid for World Cup glory in the city of Rosario.

“At the time, we all wanted to stay where we were. However, as soon as we saw the fervour generated by the fans in Rosario, we knew that we couldn’t have picked a better place to play that decisive round,â€? recalled Kempes, who had played for local side Rosario Central just two years previously.

During Argentina’s passage through the first phase, Kempes had looked sharp and saw plenty of the ball, without actually getting on the score sheet. As his star striker struggled for goals, Menotti turned to the world of superstition for the solution.

“I suggested that he shave off his handlebar moustache, and it seemed to do the trick,� the coach explained.

Shorn of his moustache, but with his explosive power still intact, El Matador ended his drought at the Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, a stadium he knew like the back of his hand.

In the first game of the second round, two trademark finishes put paid to Poland in a 2-0 win.

In Argentina’s next outing, Kempes failed to break the deadlock in the 0-0 stalemate with arch rivals Brazil, but the best was yet to come.

Needing a four-goal win against Peru to reach the final, Kempes fired another decisive brace as the hosts thumped the hapless Peruvians 6-0, with even the legendary Teofilo Cubillas powerless to stop him.

So to June 25, 1978 and an evening that provided a store of images still etched in the memory of every Argentine: the intense cold, a stadium packed to the rafters, the ticker-tape reception as the team took the field, and another double strike from Kempes that included the decisive extra-time goal which put paid to the Netherlands, many people’s team of the decade.

Both efforts bore the stamp of the Argentine predator: power, courage, opportunism and the composure go past any opponent that stood in his way.

“There’s no doubt that those goals were the pinnacle of my sporting career, but I truly believe that our success was down to the team as a whole. I couldn’t have scored those goals without the hard work of the ten men behind me,� remembers the man who added that year’s Golden Shoe award to his World Cup winner’s medal.

Four years on, at Spain 1982, Kempes was unable to mark his farewell appearance on world football’s biggest stage with a goal. Meanwhile, his beloved No. 10 shirt was now the property of Maradona, passing from one Argentine legend to another.

Looking back on his career, El Matador remains as cool and composed as he was out on the pitch: “Argentina have always produced very good players, and mine is just another name on the list. Diego was the greatest.�

April 18, 2006 - We will give our all to beat Brazil's Palmeiras, Paraguay says

To qualify, Cerro, which is third in Group Seven with five points, must beat the Brazilian team, currently leading Group Seven with 11 points, in Thursday's match. Colombia's Atletico Nacional is second with nine points.

As well as winning, Cerro must hope that Atletico does not beat Argentine team Rosario Central  in a simultaneous game in Argentina.

Palmeira's manager Emerson Leao said that Cerro's skills and desperation means the match will be hard-fought.

"Cerro are a tough team to face... they focus on the midfield and reduce space," he said. Palmeiras will try to score early to force their opponents to open up play. In the away leg of the match in Asuncion, Palmeiras ended up with a draw.

Gustavo Costas of the Paraguayan team said he would substitute Juan Cardozo for injured left winger Benitez, but said he had not yet formalized his midfield.

"We have to win and we have to keep aiming for goal, but we must do so responsibly," Costas told media. "Its not easy to win at Antarctica Park and if we suffer an early goal that will upset all our plans."

The match begins at 10.00 p.m. local time (0100 GMT on Friday) and will be refereed by Bolivia's Marcelo Ortube, with Hebert Aguillera and Juan Carlos Arroyo assisting.

April 10, 2006 - 16 hurt, 121 arrested in soccer brawl

April 6, 2006 - Arsenal coach resigns in Argentina

Bianco had been in charge of the unfashionable club since last August, when he took over from 1986 World Cup winner Jorge Burruchaga.

April 5, 2006 - Rosario Central v Newell’s Old Boys

April 3, 2006 - River Plate Retakes League Lead

River Plate got back to the top of the league standings by handing Rosario Central their first defeat under Leonardo Astrada, who resigned as River coach last year.

Striker Ernesto Farias and midfielder Victor Zapata scored first-half goals as River won 2-0.

River, who has 25 points, moved one ahead of 

Newell?s Old Boys 1 ? 1 Boca Juniors

Newell's Old Boys was held to a 1-1 draw at home by Boca Juniors, who dropped to third place.

Midfielder Fernando Belluschi put Newell's ahead in the 63rd minute and Rodrigo Palacios leveled four minutes later.

Newell?s dropped to second, and Boca dropped to third place in the Argentine league.
Colon de Santa Fe 1 ? 1 Independiente

Argentina under-20 internationals, Oscar Ustari and Sergio Ag?layed pivotal roles to help Independiente salvage a 1-1 draw at Colon on Wednesday.

Striker Ag?compared by many in Argentina to Barcelona hit-man Lionel Messi, headed Independiente's equaliser while goalkeeper Ustari kept them in the game
with some superb second-half saves.

Independiente fell behind in the 13th minute when Martin Pautasso turned the ball into his own net.

But Pautasso atoned by providing the cross for 17-year-old Ag?o head home the equaliser in the 35th minute.

Ag?ould have added another four minutes over but wasted the chance by firing over.

In the second-half, Ustari, 19, blocked German Denis when he was clean through on goal and did well to block a shot from Diego Chitzoff.

Independiente, winless their last three outings, dropped to 11th in the Clausura championship with 16 points from 12 games. Colon is seventh with 20 points.

Tiro Federal 0 ? 1 Lanus

A Fabbianni strike in the 7th minute lifted 6th place Lanus over 18th Tiro Federal. 

March 23, 2006 - Rosario must win to keep alive Libertadores campaign

Argentine soccer team Rosario Central must beat Brazil's Palmeiras in Thursday's Libertadores Cup group seven game in hopes of staying in the running for the tournament's knockout stage.

With one point after three matches played, the Argentine team stand last place in the four-team group. It lost its first two games and drew its third game also against Palmeiras.

Rosario has been improving since the arrival of new manager Leonardo Astrada, moving from regular losses in domestic and international competition to three consecutive draws.

The game will begin at 9.15 p.m. local time (0015 GMT) in the Gigante de Arroyito Stadium on Thursday, with Uruguay's Roberto Silvera to officiate as the referee.

Colombia's Atletico Nacional de Medellin leads the group with six points, followed by Palmeiras with five and Paraguay's Cerro Porteno with four.

Atletico and Cerro will also meet on Thursday, in the Colombian city of Medellin. Palmeiras rank second in the local league, four points behind Sao Paolo team Santos

March 9, 2006 - Astrada appointed manager of Argentina’s Rosario Central football club

Former River Plate footballer and coach, Leonardo Astrada Friday was confirmed as manager of Rosario Central, replacing Angel Zof, local press said on Friday.

Astrada, 36, will take charge on Tuesday, after the game played by the blue and white team against Gimnasia in La Plata city, during the eighth playing day of Argentina’s closing tournament.

Central is third from bottom in the tournament and is also playing in Group 7 of the Libertadores Cup, where it has lost two days in a row: 0-1 against Colombia’s Atletico Nacional and 0-2 against Paraguay’s Cerro Porteno.

Astrada will bring his team from River. Hernan Diaz, a former River Plate player, who joined the team from Central’s junior league will be his coach; Gabriel Macaya will be the physical trainer and Ernesto Corti will be his deputy.

Astrada, known as “the chief” has a one-year contract with the club, which says the club must appoint another manager if he is given a role on the club’s board.

Newell’s Old Boys and Rosario Central are the two main teams in the Argentine city of Rosario, in Santa Fe province.

The club won Argentina’s national titles in 1971, 1973, 180 and 1986/1987, but has fallen on hard times since then, dropping into the second division.