Episode 257: River beat Boca to open up the title race, and lots more clásico action

The two hundred and fifty-seventh episode of Hand Of Pod sees Sam, English Dan and Andrés gather to look back on a dramatic weekend of clásico action in which the biggest headline was River Plate putting the title right up for grabs (possibly for themselves) by defeating Boca Juniors 3-1 in La Bombonera in the superclásico. Boca’s league lead is three points over San Lorenzo, but would be just a point were River to win their game in hand. San Lorenzo themselves got yet another clásico win against Huracán – because of course they did, come on – and Newell’s Old Boys missed the chance to join in the fun at the top, losing 3-1 at home to Rosario Central. The relegation race is hotting up as well, and some Copa Libertadores groups are coming to a conclusion – shortly after we recorded, San Lorenzo secured top spot in Group 4 in highly dramatic circumstances.

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Mystic Sam’s twenty-fifth round predictions (last week Mystic Simon got 7/15)
Atlético Tucumán v Banfield
Belgrano v Patronato
Lanús v Atlético de Rafaela
Sarmiento v Talleres
Boca v Newell’s
Tigre v San Martín
Unión v Arsenal
Independiente v Huracán
Godoy Cruz v Vélez
San Lorenzo v Aldosivi
Temperley v Colón
Quilmes v Defensa y Justicia
Central v Racing
Olimpo v Estudiantes
Gimnasia v River

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

Episode 245: reviewing the Superclásico and preparing for the end of the year

The two hundred and forty-fifth episode of Hand Of Pod is the penultimate one of 2016, and Sam and Andrés meet to discuss Boca Juniors’ 4-2 away win over River Plate in what – even as River sympathisers – we cant deny was a tremendously entertaining Superclásico. Carlos Tevez was superb, and as well as praising his performance we also look at the reports he might be off to China soon. For River, there’s a chance for some compensation in the form of the Copa Argentina final against Rosario Central, which is played on the evening this podcast goes live, and could see one – or both – of the managers, Marcelo Gallardo for River and Eduardo Coudet for Central, leave their club. All this, and there’s still one more round of league action to preview, thanks to the one-week delay to the season kicking off back in August. As a result of that, we’ll be back next week with an unusually festive edition.

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Mystic John’s fourteenth round predictions (last week Mystic Sam and Mystic Peter got 7/15)
Huracán v Talleres
Godoy Cruz v Gimnasia
Sarmiento v Aldosivi
Estudiantes v Defensa y Justicia
Unión v Racing
Atl. Rafaela v Patronato
Independiente v Banfield
Belgrano v Central
Lanús v San Lorenzo
Arsenal v Vélez
Boca v Colón
Newell’s v San Martín
Olimpo v River
Quilmes v Temperley
Tigre v Atl. Tucumán

Episode 244: Boca impress again, Independiente get a win and previewing the Superclásico

The two hundred and forty-fourth episode of Hand Of Pod sees Sam and Peter meet to discuss Independiente’s first win in a while, against River Plate’s reserve side, and look into some of the struggles Gabriel Milito faces as manager. We have praise for Boca Juniors after an impressive win over Racing, ask whether Estudiantes’ grip on first place is slipping, and look at Banfield’s remarkable upturn in form, as a week after beating the league leaders they’ve now claimed a win over second placed Newell’s Old Boys. All this, and some pre-superclásico thoughts too, as River Plate prepare to host Boca Juniors this Sunday. Enjoy!

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Mystic Sam’s and Mystic Peter’s joint predictions for round 13 (last week Mystic Gav got 5/15)
Aldosivi v Patronato
Sarmiento v Tigre
Temperley v Godoy Cruz
Vélez v Atl. Rafaela
Talleres v Newell’s
San Lorenzo v Unión
Gimnasia v Belgrano
Racing v Olimpo
River v Boca
Banfield v Huracán
Colón v Independiente
San Martín v Estudiantes
Central v Lanús
Atl. Tucumán v Quilmes
Defensa y Justicia v Arsenal

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 216: Reviewing the superclásico and an awful lot of goals elsewhere

The two hundred and sixteenth episode of Hand Of Pod sees Sam, Andrés and Fede look back on a rather underwhelming superclásico which nonetheless gave us plenty to talk about – largely because we’ve now seen Guillermo Barros Schelotto in charge of Boca Juniors for a week (they play away to Bolívar in the altitude of La Paz in the Copa Libertadores tonight). If River v Boca was one of the lowlights of the weekend, though, there was plenty of entertainment elsewhere: previously winless Tigre hitting five past hitherto impressive Atlético Tucumán; nine goals in a crazy match in Santa Fe between Unión and Racing; Defensa y Justicia winning 5-1 away to Argentinos Juniors and many more goals besides. All this and more in just an hour and a quarter. Enjoy!

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Mystic Harry’s seventh round predictions (last week Mystic Chris got 5/15)
Racing v Lanús
Newell’s v Atlético de Rafaela
Olimpo v Belgrano
DyJ v Huracán
Banfield v Independiente
San Martín v Tigre
San Lorenzo v Arsenal
Temperley v Argentinos
Patronato v Central
Estudiantes v Gimnasia
Atlético Tucumán v Aldosivi
Colón v River
Sarmiento v Godoy Cruz
Boca v Unión
Vélez v Quilmes

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