Episode 455: Gimnasia win the clásico, and previewing Argentina’s first games as world champs

On this week’s Hand Of Pod, Sam, English Dan, Andrés and Tony have a HOP first to review: a win for Gimnasia over Estudiantes in the clásico platense, something that last happened a couple of months before Sam moved to Argentina. There were two hilarious penalties awarded in Independiente v Colón, a win for Instituto in the Bombonera and one for River Plate in Junín that takes them top of the table. And we preview the international break, as Argentina play their first matches as world champions, hosting Panama on Thursday and Curaçao on Tuesday.

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Episode 454: San Lorenzo cut loose and Argentina sell out

Ignore Sam’s confused numbering at the start: this is episode 454, not 444. He’s joined by English Dan and Andrés to review a league weekend with an awful lot of 1–1 draws and only four red cards, in which San Lorenzo finally decided to cut loose and get a big win. Tickets for Argentina v Panama went on sale the day we recorded this and had (predictably) already sold out, and we discuss the format for the 2026 World Cup and the CONMEBOL qualifying process.

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Episode 453: Lanús slip up and it’s tight at the top

What a difference two weeks makes! Since we last recorded Lanús have gone from played four, won four to played six, won four, lost two. Sam and Dan review two weeks that have resulted in a mere two points separating the top seven teams.

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Episode 452: Yet more red cards!

In this week’s Hand Of Pod (recorded on Wednesday, but Sam’s only just getting the time to upload it on Friday night), Sam and Andrés discuss a fourth round of action in the Liga Profesional which saw more red cards to add to the already high tally (and, since we recorded, round five has kicked off with one in the second match of the weekend). Lanús continue to lead the way with a perfect record, but the other relegation strugglers aren’t in such good form.

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Episode 451: Lanús win again and the Monumental is … more monumental

On this week’s episode Sam and English Dan look back on a third consecutive win for early table-toppers Lanús, a drab defeat for Boca in Córdoba and an entertaining – and controversial – first match for River in the newly expanded Estadio Monumental, which is now the largest stadium in South America.

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Episode 450: River’s good luck charm? Pablo Vegetti strikes again

This week Sam, English Dan and Andrés look back on the second round of action in the Liga Profesional, which saw a remarkable coincidence: Pablo Vegetti, who was the first person to score against Marcelo Gallardo’s River Plate back in 2014, became the first person to score against Martín Demichelis’s River Plate, as Belgrano beat River 2–1 in Córdoba. Lanús are among the early leaders as their attempt to escape relegation gets off to a promising start, and the match we told you not to watch on episode 449 saw one goal that was disallowed, eight that were allowed and a red card. Just in case you were starting to think we sound like people who know what we’re talking about after 450 episodes …

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Episode 449: The 2023 season is underway

This week, Sam, English Dan and Andrés look back on the first weekend of action in the 2023 Liga Profesional season and discuss Enzo Fernández’s big-money transfer to Chelsea (including what it means for River Plate’s finances). When we started, it didn’t feel like there’d be much to say, but we managed somehow …

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Episode 448: Previewing the 2023 Liga Profesional season

It’s a new year on Hand Of Pod, and Sam, English Dan and Andrés are here to preview the 2023 domestic season for you, as we come down from the high of Argentina’s World Cup win last month. Boca Juniors, Racing and River Plate have probably had the best transfer windows, but who else should we look out for? And what’s the relegation struggle going to look like this year?

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Episode 447: ¡ARGENTINA CAMPEÓN DEL MUNDO!

This is it: the episode we’ve been building up to for twelve years. In the four hundred and forty-seventh HOP, Sam, English Dan, Santi, Julián and Chris take in, and try to dissect, the fact that Lionel Messi’s Argentina have finally won the World Cup. This is our longest episode ever by a distance, and we make no apologies for that. Enjoy whichever holidays you’re celebrating (if you are), and we’ll see you in the new year.

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Episode 446: Reviewing the World Cup group stage

In a bumper episode this week, Sam, English Dan, Santi, Andrés and Remi (remember Remi?!) look back on Argentina’s false start but eventually encouraging qualification from Group C at the 2022 World Cup, and we have a bit of a chat with Remi about the Netherlands, who Argentina might meet in the quarter-final.

You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, SpotifyStitcher or TuneIn. And if you’d like to help support the pod financially (in return for exclusive extra content!), you can find us on Patreon.