Episode 69: Returning from our holidays to tie up some loose ends

Episode 69 of Hand Of Pod sees Sam, Australian Dan and Joel joined by Christian, a Brazilian who exudes a quiet academic authority over the podcast. He’s writing a thesis on us. Sort of. We discuss our various holidays briefly, before diving into what we can remember (and mis-remember) of the last couple of weeks, including Juan Román Riquelme’s decision to leave Boca Juniors, River Plate’s excellent transfer market moves so far, Maxi Rodríguez’s return to Newell’s Old Boys and a rather inexpert guide to Córdoba’s football culture (you can tell we live in Buenos Aires). All this and much more!

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Episode 68: Arsenal campeón, Tigre survive, and River Plate return to the Primera

The sound on the sixty-eighth episode of Hand Of Pod is bad. We apologise for this, but there’s not a lot we could do about it. Sam and English Dan meet via Skype to discuss the final weekend of the 2012 Torneo Clausura, which saw Tigre survive (and thus enter the Copa Sudamericana) and Arsenal de Sarandí claim the first top flight title in their history. San Lorenzo and San Martín are in the relegation playoffs (the first legs of which have been played whilst this pod was being uploaded), whilst Banfield join Olimpo in the automatic relegation spots. But never mind all that: the biggest story in Argentine football right now is that River Plate are back in the Primera! Sam was at the 2-0 win over Almirante Brown which sealed their promotion, and gives his impressions of the season just gone and what there is to come, as well as an apology to Rogelio Funes Mori – yes, really. Enjoy; if you can hear it. HOP will be back in a couple of weeks.

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Episode 67: The title run-in and the relegation battle; and that’s just Tigre!

The sixty-seventh episode of Hand Of Pod sees Sam and English Dan joined by Mariano again, to discuss an intriguing (or conspiratorial) run-in to the end of the Argentine season. This weekend’s matches will see the title either go to a tie-breaking playoff or handed to one of Tigre, Arsenal de Sarandí or Boca Juniors, whilst relegation matters will be settled between San Lorenzo, Banfield, Rafaela, Tigre and San Martín – and yes, I did type Tigre’s name in both lists just then. Boca Juniors’ pathetic performance against Arsenal, Tigre’s mathematical chances of both winning the title and being relegated, and fond farewells from home fans to Juan Sebastián Verón, Gabriel Milito and Esteban Fuertes – all this and more in this week’s episode. Enjoy.

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Episode 66: Boca’s slip-up, a big win for Tigre, Sabella’s progress with Argentina & more

The sixty-sixth episode of Hand Of Pod, Sam, Dan and Dan meet to discuss Tigre’s impressive win over San Lorenzo in Sunday’s big relegation clash, and where it leaves both sides in the relegation table, as well as those around them. We also discuss Boca Juniors’ slip-up in drawing 1-1 away to Banfield, Alejandro Sabella’s charge of Argentina and Lionel Messi’s brilliant hat trick against Brazil on Saturday, River Plate going top of Nacional B with two games to go before the end of the season, and all the title race talk from the Primera, as well as looking at the Nacional B relegation struggle. There are some very silly listeners’ questions this week, but we answer them anyway.

As usual, you’ll find Mystic Dan’s eighteenth round predictions below, and if you want to subscribe to us on iTunes, you can click here.

Episode 65: Messi leads Argentina to a win, Tigre v San Lorenzo preview and more

The sixty-fifth episode of Hand Of Pod is another long one, because we have plenty to discuss. Sam, Dan and Dan are joined by Mariano, a San Lorenzo fan whose Twitter you can find here, to talk about Argentina’s Lionel Messi-inspired 4-0 World Cup Qualifying win over Ecuador on Saturday, how Alejandro Sabella’s doing so far with the national team, and look forward to this weekend’s friendly in New Jersey against Brazil. Then we get onto the real, earth-shaking stuff: previewing Mariano’s team San Lorenzo’s visit on Sunday to Tigre, a huge relegation clash given both sides’ standings in the table. We also look at All Boys midfielder Hugo Barrientos’ drug bust, and the Copa Argentina semi-finals (we’ll preview the final in more detail later on). Enjoy.

As usual, Mystic Dan’s weekend predictions are below, and you can click here if you’d like to have us delivered directly to your Apple-approved listening device automatically each week.

Episode 64: Two five-goal thrillers, Boca’s Libertadores and Clausura chances & more

In the sixty-fourth episode of Hand Of Pod there’s a lot to get through. Sam, Dan and Dan take you through two five-goal thrillers from last weekend, both of which affected the relegation battles, with Olimpo now down with three matches left of the season. We look at Boca Juniors’ chances in the league (they’re now three points clear at the top) and Copa Libertadores, and briefly look forward to this Saturday’s World Cup qualifying match in the Estadio Monumental between Argentina and Ecuador – Sam and Aussie Dan will be there. We’ve a lot of listeners’ questions to answer on everything from how positions are decided in the event of a tie on points to Alejandro Sabella’s team selection in the national side.

Since we recorded, Boca Juniors put Rosario Central out of the Copa Argentina on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the quarter-final.

As ever, Mystic Dan’s predictions (for the Argentina match and the Copa Argentina games) are below, and you can click here if you want to subscribe to us on iTunes.

Episode 63: Tigre’s escape act, Boca leading the way and much more

The sixty-third episode of Hand Of Pod sees Sam, Dan and Dan joined by Joel Richards to discuss another action-packed week in Argentine football. Tigre, astonishingly, might finally manage to climb out of the relegation zone this coming weekend if they beat Atlético Rafaela; Boca Juniors’ reserves dispatched Racing 2-0 on Sunday to go top of the league, whilst Tigre, Newell’s Old Boys and Arsenal de Sarandí are all only a point behind, and All Boys are probably the most amusing of the potential champions, only two points off the lead. Questions include Boca Juniors’ proposed plans for a new stadium, River Plate’s likely squad changes if they gain promotion back to the Primera División and more.

As ever, Mystic Dan’s predictions are below the ‘Continue reading’ line. And you can click here to subscribe to us on iTunes.

Episode 62: Streetfighting managers, Newell’s lead the way & Libertadores hopes

The sixty-second episode of Hand Of Pod was recorded by candlelight, after an epic climb up many, many flights of stairs from Sam and English Dan. In it, along with Australian Dan, we discuss San Lorenzo manager Ricardo Caruso Lombardi’s streetfight with the assistant of his predecessor, Newell’s Old Boys new position alone at the top of the Primera División, River Plate’s position in the second division title race, and Boca Juniors’ and Vélez Sarsfield’s chances in the Copa Libertadores on Thursday night, following their 0-0 draw with one another on Sunday evening. Listeners’ questions this week include how much Sam weighs, and which club has the nicest looking female fans.

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

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 59: Boca and Newell’s lead, Facundo Sava goes into management and league restructuring

The fifty-ninth episode of Hand Of Pod features Sam, Dan, Dan and special guest, Turkish TV presenter Asli Pelit, cover an increasingly tight title race; Only two points separate the top six teams, with Boca Juniors and Newell’s Old Boys the sides in the driving seat – for now. San Martín de San Juan have changed managers, and former Fulham striker Facundo Sava is the man now in the hot seat for his first job in management. Also as we were talking, the AFA were voting on a league restructure. The relegation system described herein has since been confirmed, but the short championships will remain for next season. As usual, we answer your questions, and this week Mystic Dan is handing over the reins to Asli, and allowing her to predict what will happen this weekend. She gives us reasons and everything.

You’ll find Mystic Asli’s predictions below, as usual, and in case you haven’t done already, here’s a reminder that you can subscribe to us on iTunes.