Episode 36: the Avellaneda clásico, the standard of the Apertura, Argentina v Chile and more

In episode 36 of Hand Of Pod, Sam, Dan, Dan and Seba are joined by Asli Pellit and her lovely new (and very quiet) dog Vinicius. We discuss Asli’s trips to Córdoba and Porto Alegre, on the latter of which she met and interviewed Andrés D’Alessandro, as well as the reasons Brazil’s championship is better off than Argentina’s at present. We look back on the Avellaneda clásico on Sunday which saw a 1-1 draw between Racing and Independiente, and argue about whether it’s a boring league season or not. As well as this, Aussie Dan and Sam consider Ferro v River last Saturday, and we look forward to the start of the South American World Cup Qualifiers, which will be more competitive than ever this time round. Enjoy.

As usual, if you want to subscribe to us on iTunes you can click here.

Episode 35: Tevez’s strop, Sabella’s latest test & Boca’s lead in the league

In the thirty-fifth episode of Hand Of Pod Sam, Dan, Dan and Seba begin with a discussion of just how much of a massive idiot Carlos Tevez is, and conclude with a reflection on Cristian Fabbiani’s suitability for the second division in Argentina. In between we discuss Wednesday night’s Brazil v Argentina friendly second leg, Seba wishes death on Diego Maradona (sort of), we wonder whether anyone can catch Boca Juniors at the top of the league, ponder San Lorenzo’s problems in the relegation zone and remark on what a lovely little player Olimpo number 10 Martín Rolle is. This weekend sees the clásico de Avellaneda between Racing and Independiente, and we also preview that, as well as answering a listener’s question on former Racing and Vélez Sarsfield star Maxi Moralez, now with Atalanta in Italy. Enjoy.

As usual, Mystic Dan’s predictions are below, and you can subscribe here if you prefer us on iTunes.

Episode 31: Everton’s new centre forward, and the Apertura finally takes off

In the latest episode of Hand Of Pod, Sam and the Dans discuss Denis Stracqualursi, and what Everton fans can expect from him in the Premier League, and an interesting weekend of Torneo Apertura matches which saw the championship finally get going properly. We talk about Ricardo La Volpe’s possible return to Banfield (he’s since been confirmed as the new manager there), Alejandro Sabella’s possible first-ever Argentina starting XI, some animal nicknames which may or may not be used for Argentine players, and Gio Moreno’s probable return to the Racing team (via the subs’ bench) this coming weekend, among other subjects. Enjoy.

As usual, Mystic Dan’s predictions are below. And you can subscribe here on iTunes. Please send your feedback to sam [at] hastaelgolsiempre [dot] com.

Episode 30: Vélez lose another player, River Plate force changes in Nacional B, & much more

This week’s Hand Of Pod is a sensible length, so rejoice! Sam, Australian Dan and Seba meet again, and there are plenty of hot topics to get through. Santiago Silva has left Vélez Sarsfield for Fiorentina, seriously damaging the champions’ title defence. We discuss the relative economic strengths of the Argentine league with Europe (and Brazil), a listener asks why Estudiantes are so rubbish, we admire Racing’s tenacity under Diego Simeone, and talk about the return of visiting fans to the second division (Nacional B) after Independiente Rivadavia’s president forced the AFA’s hand in his club’s match against River Plate at the weekend. There’s also a call for your feedback on the pod (please send suggestions to sam [at] hastaelgolsiempre [dot] com), and a mention for an excellent new(ish) online football magazine, Man And Ball, whose second issue includes an Argentina-inspired piece of fiction.

As usual, Mystic Dan’s fourth round predictions are below. And don’t forget, you can subscribe to us on iTunes if you just can’t bear to visit this blog in order to get your weekly fix.

Episode 21: Maradona goes postal, poor referees & Arsenal’s new boy

We had difficulty shutting up this week. A full 45 minutes of actually quite good stuff (if we say so ourselves) was cut, and the podcast still comes in at over an hour. Diego Maradona is the focus of much of the early part, his ongoing wars of words with AFA president Julio Grondona and Argentina manager Sergio Batista the main reasons, and his unlikely alliance with River Plate president Daniel Passarella. The latter leads us on to more dodgy refereeing in the weekend just gone, before we consider the key fixtures in the run-in as the races for the Clausura title and to avoid relegation approach their defining points. You’ll find a full diagram of the relevant bits of those tables, and the fixtures to come for each team, right here. Oh, and we run the rule over potential new Arsenal man, Vélez’s ‘Ricky’ Alvarez.

Mystic Dan’s predictions, and those all-important tables and upcoming fixture lists, are below the ‘continue reading’ line, as usual. And don’t forget you can subscribe to us on iTunes.

Episode 20: Superclásico review, Maradona’s new job & more

For the 20th episode of Hand Of Pod, Sam, Dan, Dan and Seba welcome special guest Asli Pelit to the show. Asli’s a Turkish TV presenter who was at La Bombonera to see Boca Juniors beat River Plate 2-0 in Sunday’s superclásico, and as well as giving us her impressions of that game, she also shares her thoughts on the most intelligent interviewees by position on the pitch, Julio Grondona’s Argentina mafia connections, and the sandwiches at Colón (worth remembering if you’re heading to a Copa América game in Santa Fe). We consider Diego Maradona’s prestigious new managerial position, and offer to act as underwear models for a well-known Argentine brand. Oh, and we debate the age of Racing striker Teófilo Gutiérrez. He turns 26 today (17th May), so well done Aussie Dan.

As ever, you can listen here, and subscribe on iTunes for your regular fix. Mystic Dan’s predictions are below the ‘Continue reading’ line.

Episode 18: Four clásicos in three days, Riquelme’s TV ad & Lamela to Juventus?

In the eighteenth episode of Hand Of Pod, Sam, Dan and Dan have to make do without Seba, but attempt nonetheless to sum up an action-packed weekend in the 2011 Torneo Clausura. As well as four clásicos and a seven-goal thriller in Banfield, we discuss Vélez Sarsfield’s and Estudiantes’ diverging form (and their Copa Libertadores chances for Thursday night), the news that Ángel Cappa and Gimnasia La Plata have parted company (as Sam guessed at a week or two ago), and Erik Lamela’s possible move before long to Europe. There’s also a Juan Román Riquelme TV ad (which we’ve got right here for your viewing pleasure), and a cautionary tale of what happens when a footballer thinks with his balls rather than his head.

As ever, you can listen to the pod right here, and subscribe to us on iTunes if you want to get it as soon as it’s out each week. Next week’s the superclásico special, so don’t miss out!

Mystic Dan’s predictions – and that Riquelme TV spot – are right here for those who’d like to read on.

Episode 17: Díaz quits San Lorenzo; the new old Messi, and the old old Torres

In the seventeenth episode of Hand Of Pod, Seba rejoins Sam, Dan and Dan. He’s not happy with the way referees have been treating his club, and he’s not afraid to make his anger heard, but a little surprisingly it’s another HOP-er who drops an expletive, for which we of course apologise unreservedly. We also discuss Quilmes’ recent upsurge in form, and English Dan tells us of an Argentine playing in Brazil who could be the next Messi (if it weren’t for the fact he turned 27 the day after we recorded). Seba, meanwhile, reminds us of José Sanfilippo, the man who was never known as the old Fernando Torres. We recorded on Monday, since when Vélez have won their Copa Libertadores first leg against LDU Quito 3-0, and Estudiantes drew theirs 0-0 at home to Cerro Porteño. Lanús and Olimpo, in Monday night’s game, drew 1-1.

As ever, Mystic Dan’s predictions are right here, and you can subscribe on iTunes if you so please.

Episode 10: Pastore transfer talk & River the ‘South American Barcelona’

In Episode 10 of Hand Of Pod, Sam introduces you to his new home, where he’s joined by the Dans and our special studio guests Katie and Jenny (Seba couldn’t make it this week). We discuss rumours that Javier Pastore might be set to move to Manchester United or Barcelona, as well as Matías Almeyda’s interesting statement that River Plate are set to soon become a South American version of the latter. Aussie Dan fills us in on the first clásico at the newly-opened Estadio Único de La Plata, and there are also questions from Twitter on why Racing have suddenly improved so drastically, and whether the Argentine league is slowly ‘decentralising’. And there’s the usual rundown of the local action, and Mystic Dan’s predictions for the weekend ahead.

As ever, you can listen/download right here, and subscribe on iTunes to make sure you don’t miss future episodes. And click ‘Continue reading’ under the Soundcloud widget for a written record of Mystic Dan’s predictions.

Episode 9: Relegation-threatened title challengers, & how to pick your team

In the ninth episode of Hand Of Pod, Sam, Dan, Dan and Seba talk about River Plate and Olimpo, the league leaders who are also battling against relegation. The non-Argentines also field a question on how they came to support the teams they do (and Dan and Sam provide a quick potted history of Ferro Carril Oeste, Hand Of Pod’s local club). Mystic Dan now has his own theme tune, and we use his powers to look forward to two clásicos at the end of this week, one in the Zona Sur of Greater Buenos Aires and the other down in La Plata.

You can listen or download right here (the download link is the downwards-pointing arrow on the right of the widget), or of course subscribe on iTunes. And please check out Nick Ball’s band, Albert Ball’s Flying Aces, on Myspace. He’s the composer of the HOP theme tune and Mystic Dan’s incidental music. For Dan’s predictions, as ever, click ‘Continue reading’ below.