ARGENTINA: Torneo Inicial 2013 – Week 2 Review

This article courtesy of GOLAZO ARGENTINO

Due to elections over the weekend, round 2 was completed earlier than usual and it is San Lorenzo who look the early pace setters after their impressive demolition of Racing. Boca Juniors got their campaign under way and were aided to victory by some very kind refereeing decisions but elsewhere no other team were able to put together back-to-back wins. Newell’s Old Boys will begin their season on Tuesday having been given an extended break following the Copa Libertadores.

ARGENTINOS JUNIORS 2-0 COLON

Argentinos Juniors got their first win of the season with victory over Colon in a game that lacked any real quality. Julio Barraza headed Argentinos in front after just 15 minutes and Hernan Boyero added a second just after half time. Another set piece and another headed goal.

BELGRANO 1-2 BOCA JUNIORS

Not too many sides will come away from Cordoba with 3 points and frankly, Boca didn’t deserve them here. After only 6 minutes Belgrano led when Agustin Orion could only parry a shot into the path of Sebastian Carrera. However, the lead lasted all of a minute when Belgrano goalkeeper, Juan Olave spilled a shot and then clumsily brought down Nicolas Blandi. Juan Roman Riquelme dutifully stepped up and sent Olave the wrong way to level things. The moments of controversy came at 1-1 when Belgrano had 2 penalty appeals turned down and 2 goals ruled out for offside, the second of which, was very wrong. Riding their luck, Boca held on until the 87th minute, when new signing, Daniel Diaz rose to powerfully head the winner from a corner. A winning start for Boca who face Newell’s in the second game on Tuesday night.

ESTUDIANTES 1-0 ALL BOYS

Another goalkeeping error decided this game in La Plata. In Juan Veron’s first competitive game back in the Estadio Unico, Gil Romero’s first half strike was enough for victory. Fiercely struck from a long way out but straight at the goalkeeper it should have been dealt with but instead it squirmed past and into the net.

ATLETICO RAFAELA 2-1 LANUS

Lanus failed to follow up their impressive opening day win and displayed once again their Jekyll and Hyde personality, slumping to defeat in Santa Fe to Atletico Rafaela. Santiago Silva scored his third goal of the season to give them the opener but in 10 minutes the game was turned on its head. Diego Vera tapped home a minute after Silva’s opener and in the 67th minute Rodrigo Depetris fired in from close range.

QUILMES 1-0 GODOY CRUZ

Quilmes also upset the form book somewhat with a narrow 1-0 win at home to Godoy Cruz thanks to Miguel Caneo’s wonderful 25-yard-freekick . Nelson Vivas’ men will no doubt still be in the relegation fight but this result will come as some relief.

VELEZ SARSFIELD 0-0 ARSENAL

In the late kick off on Thursday night, in Liniers, Velez and Arsenal produced a fairly dull goalless draw so there is not a great deal to discuss. Velez will be keen to add Mauro Zarate to the side to add some much needed creativity and threat on this showing.

RACING 0-3 SAN LORENZO

The Torneo Inicial’s first clasico between Racing and San Lorenzo was supposed to give us some indication of both Racing’s youngsters progression and San Lorenzo’s title hopes in a tightly contested game. However, it was the boys from Boedo who demolished their Avellaneda based counterparts and in the process threw down the gauntlet in impressive style. The game was deprived of the usual clasico atmosphere as a result of it being played behind closed doors. Racing’s celebrations over Independiente’s relegation went a little too far in the eyes of the AFA and so this was the punishment. Martin Cauteruccio’s fine strike in the first half (his third in 2 games) gave San Lorenzo a deserved lead at half time and there was no hold up after the break. Defender, Mauro Cetto headed in the second before Hector Villalba added a third, a fine individual goal as he cut in from the left and rifled a shot into the bottom corner. The only side to have won both games (Newell’s are yet to start), San Lorenzo sit top of the table.

RIVER PLATE 1-0 ROSARIO CENTRAL

Later, River Plate hosted another of the newly promoted sides, Rosario Central. River were defeated in the opening weekend and Rosario had impressively won so this was a crucial game for River to bounce back in front of their own fans. River’s campaign has so far been hindered by some shoddy deals, first with the protracted transfer of Jonathan Fabbro and now again with striker, Teo Gutierrez. His former club, Cruz Azul claiming before the game that River haven’t paid and so they want him back. Without a recognised striker, River have been forced to play Giovanni Simeone, the 18-year-old Academy product and son of Argentine International, Diego, up front on his own.

Unable to find the net on Sunday in La Plata, it looked like last night’s game was also heading for a blank until another Academy product popped up with the match winner. Fabbro’s corner was flicked on by Simone and young, Federico Andrade stooped at the back post to head in the winner. Andrade is the top scorer in the history of River’s youth sides and now has a senior goal to his name.

Moment’s later, not content with making the winning goal, Fabbro got himself sent off with a wild, karate like kick to the head of Guillermo Fernandez. This was not vintage stuff from River but Ramon Diaz will be relieved to see his side off the mark, knowing that they can only get stronger.