Episode 256: Previewing a weekend of clásicos which might blow the title race wide open

Episode 256 of Hand Of Pod sees Sam joined by Andrés and Dan to look back on a weekend during which Newell’s Old Boys failed to take advantage of yet more dropped points from league leaders Boca Juniors. More to the point, we’re looking forward to a weekend full of clásicos in the Argentine Primera which could see Boca take a huge step towards the title – or, especially if a River Plate win in La Bombonera is combined with a win for Newell’s in the Rosario derby, could breath new life into the title race just ahead of the run-in.

The first attempt at uploading this episode was met with disaster due to a fault in the file – it was only online for a minute or two so hopefully subscription services won’t have picked it up, but if you find the sound on your file cuts out after about 26 minutes, download again from here or our Soundcloud page – the version that’s now online is the full show. Sorry.

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Mystic Simon’s twenty-fourth round predictions (last week Mystic Chris got 4/14, with Arsenal v Olimpo called off at half time due to a waterlogged pitch)
San Martín v Godoy Cruz
Atl. Rafaela v Atl. Tucumán
Estudiantes v Gimnasia
Huracán v San Lorenzo
Banfield v Lanús
Talleres v Belgrano
Olimpo v Aldosivi
Newell’s v Central
Independiente v Racing
Boca v River
Colón v Unión
Patronato v Sarmiento
Arsenal v Temperley
Defensa y Justicia v Quilmes
Vélez v Tigre

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Episode 223: A very dull round of derbies, Copa Libertadores knockout rounds begin & more

The two hundred and twenty-third episode of Hand Of Pod was recorded by Sam and Andrés in a rather cold living room, because it’s chilly in Buenos Aires at present and no gas in Sam’s building means no central heating in Sam’s building. The dedication we show to this podcast… anyway, we discuss a weekend of clásico action in which not very much happened, apart from one or two appalling fouls and some decent goals (but not many of them at all). Other topics covered are the AFA’s need for new TV rights and national team kit deals (they need money from anyone who’ll give it to them, so if you’ve ever wanted to sponsor a major international football team…), and the chances Argentine clubs have in the Copa Libertadores.

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Mystic La Liga Gav’s predictions for round 13 (last week Mystic Phil got 6/15)
Aldosivi v Unión
Estudiantes v Newell’s
Colón v Olimpo
Patronato v Atlético de Rafaela
Independiente v San Lorenzo
Belgrano v Quilmes
River v Vélez
Godoy Cruz v Arsenal
Huracán v Racing
Defensa y Justicia v San Martín
Argentinos v Boca
Central v Gimnasia
Tigre v Lanús
Temperley v Atlético Tucumán
Banfield v Sarmiento

Episode 199: Boca go top with a superclásico win, and are away fans about to return to Argentina?

The hundred and ninety-ninth episode of Hand Of Pod is a post-clásico-round edition, with Sam and Andrés looking back over a weekend which saw Boca Juniors beat River Plate in the Monumental to go top of the league after San Lorenzo had surprisingly lost their derby away to Huracán. Independiente turned in the only really impressive clásico performance, beating Racing 3-0, whilst a lot of the other derbies were rather damp squibs. There’s discusssion of Newell’s Old Boys’ and Vélez Sarsfield’s disappointing current situations, and a rather dampened down plan for the return of away fans to Argentine stadia this coming weekend, with only one Primera match to see visiting supporters after all. HOP is sponsored by Argentina Independent, a fine English-language source of news from Argentina and across Latin America.

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Mystic Sam’s twenty-fifth round predictions (last week: 6/15)
Sarmiento v Defensa y Justicia
Vélez Sarsfield v Estudiantes
Gimnasia v Tigre
Godoy Cruz v Central
Independiente v Chicago
Newell’s v San Martín
Aldosivi v Huracán
Arsenal v Olimpo
Banfield v Crucero del Norte
Argentinos v Boca
River v Lanús
San Lorenzo v Racing
Unión v Temperley
Belgrano v Atlético de Rafaela
Quilmes v Colón

Episode 198: San Lorenzo beat Boca to top spot, Argentina friendlies and a whole round of clásicos!

The hundred and ninety-eighth episode of Hand Of Pod features Sam, Andrés and Mariano discussing last weekend’s results, including San Lorenzo’s 1-0 win away to Boca Juniors which took them top of the league, and River Plate’s return to winning ways in a 4-1 tonking-which-wasn’t-really-a-tonking of Nueva Chicago. There are also two national team friendlies to discuss, and the main lesson everyone appears to have learned from Argentina’s 7-0 thrashing of Bolivia and their chaotic 2-2 draw with Mexico is that Matías Kranevitter is the real deal, and a lot of other stuff is still up in the air. As well as this, we have a whole round of clásicos to preview, as the AFA’s ridiculous league format reaches its apogee this weekend. It is, admittedly, going to be quite a lot of fun. HOP is sponsored by Argentina Independent, a fine English-language source of news from Argentina and across Latin America.

You can subscribe to us on iTunes or Stitcher, and follow us on Twitter.

Mystic Sam’s clásico weekend predictions (last week: 10/15)
Defensa y Justicia v Arsenal
Atlético de Rafaela v Belgrano
San Martín v Godoy Cruz
Independiente v Racing
Olimpo v Sarmiento
Huracán v San Lorenzo
Chicago v Argentinos
Lanús v Banfield
River v Boca
Estudiantes v Gimnasia
Central v Newell’s
Tigre v Vélez
Colón v Unión
Temperley v Quilmes
Aldosivi v Crucero del Norte

Episode 97: Argentina edge closer to a World Cup place, and back to domestic matters

In the ninety-seventh episode of Hand Of Pod, Sam, English Dan and Joel are joined (eventually) by Daniel Schweimler, another Englishman in Buenos Aires, who runs the Hand Of Dan blog looking at Argentine society through the prism of life on the terraces of Argentinos Juniors. We discuss Argentina’s impressive World Cup qualifying results (a 3-0 win over Venezuela followed by a 1-1 draw away to Bolivia) in reverse order, before briefly previewing a weekend packed full of clásicos – not least Guest Dan’s Argentinos v All Boys. Listener’s questions range from Argentinos Juniors to, um, Argentina’s senior national team. What variety.

As ever, Mystic Sam’s predictions are below the line, and you can subscribe to us on iTunes by clicking here.