Episode 126: Colón in crisis, another weekend of shocks, and a six-way title race

In the hundred-and-twenty-sixth episode of Hand Of Pod, Sam, Andrés and Santi are joined by Rob Brown, an Englishman who’s in Buenos Aires for a few months almost entirely in order to watch Juan Román Riquelme play. We discuss another weekend of surprising results and exciting matches – not least a five goal thriller in Sarandí, where Santi and Rob watched Arsenal beat Boca Juniors 3-2 – and look at crisis club Colón, whose players refused to turn up for their match against Atlético de Rafaela on Monday. Some of Colón’s players are owed wages going back as far as a year, and the affair has cost club president (and Julio Grondona associate) Germán Lerche his position; he resigned after the fracas on Monday. We also ask how much worse River Plate can get, before considering a thrilling six-way title run-in (San Lorenzo, Newell’s Old Boys, Arsenal, Boca Juniors, Lanús and even Rafaela all have a decent shot at the trophy) and looking back on Argentina’s international friendlies in the USA, among other topics.

As usual, Mystic Sam’s predictions are just below. Click here if you’d like to subscribe to us on iTunes.

Mystic Sam’s seventeenth round predictions:
Vélez v Godoy Cruz
Argentinos v Quilmes
Olimpo v Central
Rafaela v San Lorenzo
Lanús v Gimnasia
Newell’s v Arsenal
Boca v All Boys
Racing v River
Belgrano v Tigre
Estudiantes v Colón (if it goes ahead)

Episode 61: Battling the barra bravas, tragedy at Banfield, Boca’s (lack of) controversy and more

In the sixty-first episode of Hand Of Pod, Sam, Dan and Dan are joined by the wonderful Joel Richards to discuss yet another weekend of controversy. There was controversy (though there shouldn’t have been) in Rafaela at the end of an incredibly dramatic 2-2 draw between Rafaela and Boca Juniors, a youth player for Banfield shot dead by a policeman, and Independiente’s president has declared war on the club’s barra brava. We answer questions ranging from Fabián Monzón’s chances at future call-ups for Argentina to Manchester City target and River Plate midfielder Ezequiel Cirigliano. Enjoy.

As ever, Mystic Dan’s predictions are below, and you can click here to subscribe to us on iTunes. Please.

Episode 32: Sabella’s start as Argentina manager, Mohamed out at Independiente and more

In the thirty-second episode of Hand Of Pod, Sam, Dan, Seba and Dan have plenty to get their teeth stuck into. Alejandro Sabella’s first two matches as Argentina boss are incisively dissected, and the conclusion is cautious optimism. Moving to the domestic side of things, the role of Independiente’s barra brava in ousting now ex-manager Antonio Mohamed is considered (since we recorded, Ramón Díaz has emerged as the favourite to take over), as is Gio Moreno’s long-awaited return from injury for Racing. There’s an update on how Nacional B is treating River Plate, and Seba goes a bit doolally at the end and starts making some funny noises, including an impersonation of River striker Fernando Cavenaghi. Enjoy.

As ever, Mystic Dan’s predictions for round six are below, and you can click here if you’d like to subscribe to us on iTunes.

Episode 29: Alejandro Sabella’s first Argentina squad(s), and the Apertura begins

The twenty-ninth episode of Hand Of Pod is, as the milkmaid said to the parson, quite a whopper. That’s largely because Sam, Australian Dan and Seba have not one but two rounds of Torneo Apertura matches to look back on, as well as River Plate’s historic debut in the Nacional B (second division). There’s more, though; before we can even get onto that, we’ve got – like those Apertura rounds – not one but two Argentina squads to discuss, with Alejandro Sabella having named both a full national team and a domestically-based side to take on Brazil. Carlos Tevez’s exclusion from the former, Juan Román Riquelme’s and Seba Verón’s inclusion in the latter, the new boys’ early performances in the Primera and the start of Vélez Sarsfield’s title defence; all this and much more is covered. And next week’s will be a more sensible length. We promise.

As usual, Mystic Dan’s predictions are below. You can subscribe to us on iTunes here, and please, if you’re resident or a citizen of the UK, sign the petition for the release of the Hillsborough files by clicking here.