Manchester United's Carlos Alberto Tevez has beaten Sergio Agüero, of Atlético Madrid, by a single vote. 2007 winner Lionel Messi, of Barcelona, the only other nominee, picked up just one vote in the final round of voting to finish in third place.

When Carlitos made his Manchester United debut, on the 15th August 2007 against Portsmouth in the Premier League, parts of Buenos Aires came to a virtual standstill as shops closed and people stayed home across the city to follow, on TV, radio or any way possible, the player accepted more than any other modern-day footballer by Argentines as 'one of their own', as he made his debut for one of the biggest clubs in the land that gave the game to the world. In a country with as keen a knowledge of football history as Argentina, this was no mean honour.

In that match, Tevez set Paul Scholes up for a goal as United drew 1-1, and thankfully for United fans, he got off the mark himself a lot more quickly than he had the previous season for West Ham, scoring from a diving header on the 23rd September as United beat eventual Premier League and European Cup runners-up Chelsea 2-0 at Old Trafford. Having scored his first Old Trafford goal for West Ham on the last day of the previous season to keep his then club up, he set about paying back his new side, eventually hitting 19 goals in all competitions, fulfilling manager Sir Alex Ferguson's November 2007 prediction that 'he'll score me 15 goals this season, and mark me, they'll be important ones.' Not just important, but vitally so.

In the second round Champions League tie against Olympique Lyonnais, United were trailing 1-0 away in the first leg before Tevez popped up at the far post deep into stoppage time to grab an equaliser which tilted the tie psychologically in the English club's favour. In the following round, he scored the only goal of a one-sided second leg against Roma at Old Trafford to ensure United's progress to the semi-final, 3-0 on aggregate. In the semi, although he didn't score, he was man-of-the-match for many United fans in both legs, not least the first when, hamstrung by manager Ferguson's oddly cautious decision to sit tight against a Barcelona side low on confidence, Tevez led the line and held the ball up superbly under difficult circumstances.

After missing a sitter in the final of the same competition against Chelsea, Tevez picked himself back up to score United's first penalty in the shootout. When goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar saved Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka's penalty, Carlitos became the first Argentine in history to have won both the Copa Libertadores and the European Cup / Champions League.

In a season when Cristiano Ronaldo's record-breaking 41 goals have taken all the plaudits at United, Tevez and his strike partner Wayne Rooney have both had great seasons which have gone relatively unnoticed by comparison. For Tevez, ridiculously late equalisers away to Tottenham Hotspur and Blackburn Rovers seemed important at the time, but became absolutely critical later on in the title run-in. Reactions to the two foreign stars in the United trilogy have been most telling, though. Whilst many fans have become fed up with Ronaldo's little-disguised desire to move to Real Madrid, they have expressed sincere hope that the club do their best to sign Tevez on a permanent deal from Kia Joorabchian's consortium, as Liverpool eventually have done with Javier Mascherano. Scoring the winning goal against Liverpool at Anfield probably didn't harm his cause either.

It's these goals, and the United fans' love for him, as much as his league and European Cup-winner's medals, which seem to have swung the voting his way. Because whereas Sergio Agüero has dazzled and, alongside Diego Forlán, formed a strike partnership which Guardian and World Soccer columnist Sid Lowe has described as 'the best in Atlético Madrid's history', dragging a famously underacheiving - cursed, even - club into Champions League qualification, Tevez has managed something which many feel is even more difficult.

As one of the readers (not, I feel the need to stress, a Manchester United fan) who voted for him put it, 'How often do you see a player, regardless of his nationality, put the Old Trafford crowd in his pocket in his first season?' How often, it might be added, does one hear a foreign crowd chanting 'Ar-gen-tina! Ar-gen-tina!' after a goal? And an English crowd, at that?

For bringing a touch of magic to the English league, and for being crowned champion of his second continent, Tevez has edged ahead of his rivals this year. For the variety of his goals alone - from the diving header against Chelsea to the goal line toe-poke against Lyon to the thirty yard exocet against former club West Ham on the penultimate day of league action - he merits his place on the podium. For having won the Old Trafford crowd over with his workrate and intelligence on the ball, he competes for the title. Perhaps Tevez's greatest achievement of the season, though, is this: he plays for Manchester United, and he's managed to make fans of other clubs in England actively like him. That really does take some doing.

Tevez's official website, like Messi's last year, were invited to comment on the award, but haven't got back to me.

Hasta El Gol Siempre Award for Best Argentine Footballer in a Foreign League, 2007-2008: Carlos Tevez

El "Checho" Batista dio a conocer la lsita de 18 jugadores que participarán de los juegos olímpicos de Beijin 2008.

Arqueros: Oscar Ustari (Getafe, España) y Sergio Romero (AZ Alkmaar, de Holanda).
Defensores: Pablo Zabaleta (Espanyol, de España), Ezequiel Garay (Real Madrid, de España), Federico Fazio (Sevilla, de España), Nicolás Burdisso (Inter, de Italia) y Luciano Monzón (Boca Juniors).
Volantes: Fernando Gago (Real Madrid), Ever Banega (Valencia, de España), Javier Mascherano (liverpool, de Inglaterra), Juan Román Riquelme (Boca Juniors), Angel Di María (Benfica, de Portugal), José Sosa (Bayern Munich, de Alemania) y Diego Buonanotte (River Plate).
Delanteros: Lionel Messi (Barcelona, de España), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli, de Italia), Lautaro Acosta (Sevilla, de España) y Sergio Aguero (Atlético Madrid, de España).

Irán 4 jugadores de suplentes en caso de alguna lesión, estos son: Nicolás Navarro (Napoli, arquero), Lucas Biglia y Nicolás Pareja (volante y defensor de Anderlech, de Bélgica, respectivamente) y Emiliano Insua (Liverpool).

Vamos los Pibes.

[por Rubén Uría]

Rusia bebió zumo de naranja en Basilea. Hiddink abrillantó su laureado currículum con otro milagro y Pavlyuchenko dejó su potencia. Rusia mostró a Europa su  equipo de muñecas matriuskas ( de Zyrianov salía Anyukov, de Ayunkov salía Semak; de Semak salía Shemsov, de Shemsov salía Torbinski...) y destrozó literalmente a Holanda en un partido memorable. Pero sin duda, la memoria de los aficionados al fútbol recordará, por los siglos de los siglos amén, el partido de un pigmeo de la estepa, con el diez a la espalda, cuyo nombre de guerra es Arshavin. Abandonado por su padre en la antigua Leningrado a una temprana edad, comenzó a jugar a los siete años en la escuela de fútbol de Smena y todos sus anteriores entrenadores le utilizaban como interior derecho. Hasta esta noche, una parte de Europa le conocía como la estrella emergente del Zénit,  el equipo campeón de la UEFA que tiene, gracias a la gasera Gazprom, el dinero por castigo. Ante Holanda, Andrei Arshavin (Андрей Аршавин) dejó una fiesta para los ojos. Mandó como suele hacer Steve Gerrard en el Liverpool, tuvo ojos en el cogote como Kaká en el Milán, tiró de uno contra uno como Agüero en el Atlético de Madrid y presentó su candidatura a mejor jugador del torneo. Esta noche, en Basilea, nació una estrella, un crack: Andrei Arshavin. Nadie podrá olvidar lo que Arshavin hizo esta noche de 21 de junio de 2008 sobre un campo de fútbol.

En el mejor partido de lo que va de Eurocopa (por cierto, una Eurocopa plena en buen fútbol y emoción, quizá la mejor de los últimos años), Rusia convirtió el Saint Jakob Park en una sala de baile. Agarró a Holanda, porque le tocaba bailar con la más fea, y la paseó por toda la pista hasta marearla. Afinkeev aportó seguridad y aplomo bajo palos; Anyukov y Zhirkov fueron dos puñales más que dos laterales, dos expresos de medianoche; Kolodin dejó muestras de que tiene un cañón por pie, Ignasevich dejó atrás sus fallos ante España y tuvo contundencia; por delante de la defensa, Semak y Shemsov se marcaron un partido para enmarcar por trabajo y calidad, poniendo en evidencia al centro del campo de Holanda; entre líneas, Zyrianov dejó detalles de gran clase como lanzador de contragolpes y arriba, en línea de vanguardia, el mundo se detuvo frente a la televisión para ver en acción a dos asesinos: Pavlyuchenko y Arshavin. El primero puso potencia, desmarque y gol (minuto 56). El segundo fue, sencillamente, una delicia. Arshavin, en el partido de su vida, destrozó sistemáticamente las cinturas de todos los defensas contrarios. Tuvo calidad, uno contra uno, poder para dar asistencias, marcó un gol, tuvo jerarquía y fue el gran líder que el fútbol de Rusia necesitaba.

Los últimos quince minutos de partido sirvieron para redimir a Holanda, que resurgió de sus cenizas y tuvo ahí su momento de grandeza. Superada siempre, Holanda adelantó metros y agobió a Rusia, que se aculó en el área de Afinkeev. Hasta entonces, sólo Van der Saar y sus maravillosas paradas habían mantenido con vida a La Naranja Mecánica. Pero cuando el partido agonizaba, Wesley Sneijder demostró que es un futbolista de primer nivel, se echó el equipo a la espalda y, en el último minuto, Van Nistelrooy volvía a ejercer su profesión de goleador implacable para empatar. Era injusto, inmerecido a todas luces, pero Holanda se aferraba al partido y Rusia pagaba con la prórroga el haberse metido atrás en el tramo final. SIn embargo, pese a que muchos apostaban porque la tropa de Hiddink acusaría el mazazo moral, Rusia volvió a imponer su estilo de juego. Monopolizó la pelota, creó peligro en cada acción, desbordó una y otra vez por banda y le pintó la cara a Holanda, el equipo que había humillado a Francia e Italia. Después de un chorreo de cinco ocasiones de gol (Pavlyuchenko, Arshavin, Zyrianov, Semay y Torbinski), amén de un tiro a la madera, Rusia encontró premio a su soberano partidazo en - cómo no-, una genialidad de Arshavin. El diablo ruso encontró a Heitinga en un costado, se hizo el muerto, arrancó de la nada, frenó y volvió a arrancar. Entonces, sin ángulo, se sacó un centro que resultó ser una vaselina que superaba al espigado Van der Sar, colocado en el primer palo. El balón bajó con nieve y allí, junto al poste, Torbinski la empujó para dar ventaja a los rusos. El golpe definitivo, el premio gordo, llegó en el último suspiro del choque. Con Holanda desesperada, destrozada en lo físico, Arshavin dejó correr un saque de banda, un central de comió su amague de listo y el delantero que surgió del Zenit armó la pierna para batir por debajo de las piernas a Van der Sar. Era la perfecta tarjeta de Arshavin al planeta fútbol. La confirmación de que, esta noche, el fútbol había ganado para la causa a un nuevo ídolo. A un espectáculo llamado Arshavin, cuyo nombre, como el partido de Rusia, jamás podrá ser arrancado de la memoria de los que tuvieron la suerte de presenciar este partido.

En cuanto a "Mister 5-0", el consumidor compulsivo de café, el holandés Guus Hiddink, todas sus plegarias al cielo fueron escuchadas. En la previa profetizó que su equipo desmitificaría el potente caudal de fútbol ofensivo de Holanda, y lo consiguió. También en la previa, el entrenador trotamundos experto en transformar selecciones de medio pelo en máquinas de hacer fútbol, se salió con la suya. Dijo que no tendría problemas en ser el "traidor más grande de la historia de la madre patria Holanda". Al final, del partido, la historia oranje pintará así a Guus Hiddink, porque su Rusia le dio un baile estratosférico a Holanda. De manera tan sorprendente como rotunda, las hordas de Hiddink le dieron una paliza futbolística a los hombres de Van Basten, que hasta esta noche aparecían como La Naranja Mecánica bis. Después de ser pasados por la exprimidora rusa, de los naranjas sólo quedó un zumo natural que acabó por beberse, de un trago, un genio llamado Arshavin, el talento maradoniano que no pudo jugar ante España. Hiddink, esta noche, se ganó un lugar en el Olimpo de los Dioses del fbanquillo.

De su puño y letra, de su libro de estilo, Rusia firmó el mejor partido de la Eurocopa. Una exhibición brutal de fútbol de ataque, de equipo equilibrado, de filosofía de equipo, de toque coral, que tuvo su punto fuerte en la carrocería del centro del campo ruso y aalcanzó su punto álgido gracias a la magia del duo de asesinos que integran Arshavin & Pavlyuchenko. Ahora, el límite del equipo de Hiddink sólo es el cielo. Italia o España les esperan. Deberían temerles, y mucho. Pero si Rusia no gana esta Eurocopa, al menos, habrá conseguido un triple objetivo. Después de este encuentro, Guus Hiddink aparecerá como uno de los mejores técnicos del mundo. Tras este partido, el mundo ha descubierto el inmenso talento de un acorazado de bolsillo llamado Arshavin, y después de esta noche, nadie podrá olvidar jamás que una noche del 21 de junio de 2008, Rusia fue un huracán en Basilea. Todo emanó del pie de un crack. El número diez, Arshavin.

Brazil and Argentina convened for their first meeting of the qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa on Wednesday night, with Argentina aware that a win would take them back to joint top of the table alongside Paraguay, after the Guaraní fell to a shock 4-2 defeat to Bolivia in La Paz hours earlier. Both sides were short on confidence, and in the first half especially, it showed. After the break, Argentina attacked with more urgency, led by their two feuding standard-bearers, Lionel Messi and Juan Román Riquelme. In the end, though, there was no way through the Brazilian backline.

The first half was distinguished only by the failure of Colombian referee Oscar Julián Ruíz to award the hosts a penalty midway through the opening period, after Gabriel Heinze piled into an opposing forward but escaped censure. Argentina lacked imagination in their passing, too often looking long to Julio Cruz as Juan Román Riquelme and Lionel Messi, following strong rumours of a rift between them in the run-up to the match, failed to click.

Argentina looked like a side short on confidence and Brazil, although they had by far the better of the chances, didn't seem entirely committed to the idea of breaking their opponents down, preferring to prey on defensive lapses and their own direct passing. Riquelme came in for one or two rough challenges from the opposing defenders and midfield, but by and large it was a dull first half rather than a particularly scrappy or niggly one. At half time, 0-0 seemed a perfect way of summing the match up, not withstanding that Robinho had let a good chance go begging to give his side the lead, just failing to capitalise on a mistake from Roberto Abbondanzieri, who saved well.

In the second half, Argentina began to come alive. Messi was given greater freedom to roam, and Riquelme pushed further up the pitch and offered more support from the midfield. Minutes in, Messi got free down the right, skinned left-back Gilberto for pace and got almost to the byline before being brought down by him for a free kick. Eleven minutes after the restart, Riquelme got the ball and flicked it over the Brazilian defence for Cruz, who controlled well but blasted a shot narrowly over the crossbar from ten yards out. Juan, already booked, was fortunate to escape a second yellow after taking Messi out as the Barcelona youngster raced towards the Brazil box.

Two attacks - one at each end - around the 70th minute showed how the match improved from first half to second. First, Lionel Messi picked up the ball in the midfield and ran at Brazil's defence for the umpteenth time in the half, laying the ball back for Riquelme just before entering the box, but the Boca man's shot was in the end comfortably gathered by Júlio César. Minutes afterwards, Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano, who'd just come on for Adriano, hit a flying volley which scuffed the ground but which, all the same, Roberto Abbondanzieri had to get down well to hold. With both sides trading free kicks and attacks, the match was heating up.

In the 83rd minute, Argentina appeared to accept that a point wasn't a bad result to take home, when Riquelme was withdrawn for his Boca clubmate Sebastián Battaglia. Just a minute earlier, Riquelme had combined with Messi and Javier Zanetti for Leo to cut the ball back for Sergio Agüero. It was almost a phenomenal goal, but the Atlético man couldn't keep his shot down. Brazil, throughout, were continuing to get the ball up the pitch frequently, but their attacks invariably ended up in the hands of Abbondanzieri before any really dangerous situations looked like developing.

Following Riquelme's withdrawal, it was Messi who acted as the enganche for the remainder of the match, and whilst no goals followed, he hardly did his cause for the future any harm as Argentina continued their vastly improved second half showing. A minute into stoppage time, he might have won it, beating a man and sending in a vicious shot which was punched straight back into his path by Júlio César; Messi blasted the rebound just wide, before being replaced by Rodrigo Palacio. It was the final action of the match.

Brazil were the better of two very poor sides in the first half; Argentina far superior in the second without managing to find the finishing touch in the opposing box. Plenty to dwell on for Alfio Basile, but for now his team remain second in the qualification table, and the 'Messi or Riquelme?' question can be laid to rest for another couple of months...

Following the experimentation of the North American friendlies last week, it was back to serious business for the selección on Sunday night, with a World Cup qualifier against Ecuador which was expected to be a mere warm up for the midweek clash away to Brazil. It proved a little trickier than that, though, with Argentina's poor performance epitomised by a pathetic showing from Boca Juniors playmaker Juan Román Riquelme. Ecuador scored a brilliant goal midway through the first half to take the lead, and held it all the way into the fourth minute of stoppage time, when Riquelme's Boca club-mate Rodrigo Palacio did what none of his highly-paid, Europe-based colleagues had managed during the match, and stuck the ball in the net with almost the final kick of the game.

The Argentine press are singularly unimpressed by the performance, which nonetheless leaves Argentina second in the South American World Cup qualifiying table behind Paraguay, who beat Brazil 2-0 in Asunción after playing the entire second half with ten men. Having experimented with a 3-4-1-2 without Juan Román Riquelme for the two matches in the States, in which Lionel Messi played just behind Julio Cruz and Sergio Agüero, Alfio Basile for some reason reverted to the Boca man when it really mattered - but in the same system, and with both the little men ahead of him. He was rewarded for the change of plan by Riquelme's worst performance for his country since he returned to the squad for last year's Copa América, one so bad that it's now being questioned whether Román should even travel to Brazil.

The Boca playmaker had an illness prior to his club's Copa Libertadores semi-final second leg with Fluminense which left him looking noticeably off the pace in Rio de Janeiro, and led to remarks about the need to 'eat a lot' to regain the 3 kilos he'd lost during the week of his stomach virus. Why, in this condition, Basile kept him in the side, immediately after having played two matches with a system designed precisely to work out what would happen without JRR, is anyone's guess. Riquelme in tandem with Juan Sebastián Verón (Argentina's best player, on his own return to the national setup), and Messi in tandem with Agüero - and yet the side lacked creativity...

For all that, the quality of Ecuador's opener wasn't in dispute. A wonderful passage of play saw the ball knocked down by Carlos Tenorio for Patricio Urrutia, who lashed a dipping shot from twenty yards out which flew over Roberto Abbondanzieri and into the Argentine goal. Ecuador defended solidly and worked hard all over the pitch, and with Riquelme's ineffectiveness exacerbated by Basile's unwillingness to substitute him - instead it was Verón who made way for the eventual saviour Palacio - Argentina suffered. In the final minutes of the match, Riquelme - normally the first and only candidate for set-pieces - wasn't even taking the free kicks. What, then, was the point in his being on the pitch?

Deep into stoppage time, at last, came the goal that prevented Argentina suffering their first defeat in El Monumental since the infamous 5-0 reverse to Colombia in 1993. Abbondanzieri hoofed a long ball upfield, which bypassed Riquelme and bounced forward for Agüero to throw himself at, deflecting it round the defender as Palacio ran into the box and hit it, first time, without thinking. José Francisco Cevallos in the visiting goal got a hand to it but couldn't keep it out, and Argentina were saved.

With Paraguay beating Brazil in spite of giving them a one-man advantage, the situation could be worse going into Wednesday's match - both sides will be low on confidence rather than merely Argentina. But if they're going to get anything from the trip to Belo Horizonte, Basile had better start thinking long and hard about which forward formation he prefers - the ones who struggled so much last night, or that which tore Mexico apart a couple of weeks ago...

Argentina 4 - 1 Mexico

[dailymotion id=x5o8jf]

Now as previously mentioned this is my opinion, and yes favouritism will apply because what is opinion without it? Please feel free to whine and challenge in whatever way suits you best, just don't create a free-for-all 'cause I'm not a fan. 

P.S. Please don't bitch about the music in the videos! As much as I do enjoy watching them they aren't made by me, and I personally wouldn't dream of putting any of the following songs in!

10. Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas Soler

Brought up through the Barcelona Youth Academy, Fàbregas is a twenty-one year old central midfielder who has become Arsenal's most lethal playmaker. This Spanish international is one of the most exciting prospects in todays football and is already being compared to fellow Spanish legend Josep Guardiola.

Something that instantly strikes me about Fàbregas is how he instantly fits into the stereotypical Arsenal mould of 'skill over strength'. Rather then make huge tackles or exert himself unto other players Fàbregas prefers to pass and keep the tempo rolling - having one of the most important roles in the game helps him define exactly how Arsenal play. Admittedly Fàbregas wasn't initially blessed with the scoring edge Arsenal are so fond of, but as he has aged he has progressed his game into a more aggressive style of football, yet still incorporating the traditional skill over style Arsenal have traditionally retained for so long. 

With his attacking powers unleashed it is no wonder that Fàbregas has become one of Arsenal's set piece takers; the first choice free-kick and corner taker. In the future I can see Fàbregas become even more of a household name than he already is and really being one of the driving forces of football - a truly wonderful player.

9. Sergio Ramos García

This Spanish centre-half is still only twenty-two years of age yet in his remarkable three seasons at Real Madrid has scored a total of fourteen goals. Perhaps not impressive in comparison to your Rooney's and Ronaldo's, but for a twenty-two year old defender it say that its a damn good tally.

Ramos has everything you'd use when creating a perfect defender - his capability to play out-of-position roles (al'a full back and further up into defensive midfield), remarkable pace and the physical strength to make him an imposing threat to attackers. Pace seems to be one of Ramos' strongest assets and I think this pretty much speaks for itself when you consider his outstanding runs up and down the right flank.

Ramos is still however very young, but that makes him all the more exciting when you consider just how far his abilities will increase with his age. A constant threat to opposing forwards and goalkeepers alike, Ramos is a versatile player whose style never fails to impress me - I'm just glad he never did become that bullfighter...

8. Javier Mascherano

Liverpool's answer to Hargreaves. Alongside fellow Argentine Tevez created mass controversy with his transfer spectacularé, but unlike Tevez barely played for the Hammers - instead went straight to the kops.

Mascherano is not another 'love of West Ham' preach esque entry, far from it - he only played five games for us and at the time I really did not rate him. It wasn't until Benetiz unveiled the true form that lied beneath this mysterious Argentine that I saw just what a player he really was. Swapping from club to club so frequently clearly didn't damage Mascherano in the slightest as he maintains his inept ability as a defensive midfielder.

What I like about Mascherano's playing style is his concept of the game. He can make the tackles, he can obstruct the forwards and create havoc in any area of the pitch - but with his perception of what the game around him it makes him a truly deadly player to face. Kudos to you Tommy!

7. Lionel Andrés Messi

Approaching his twenty-first birthday, Argentine starlet Messi has been hailed by Maradona as his "successor". A cunning player who is able to play either on the wing or as a deep lying forward; he is Barcelona's trump card.

Messi is the sort of versatile player who can completely swing a game in his teams favour. What I believe about Messi is that he is too relied on, and I know this obviously isn't his fault, but I prefer watching teams that can play as a unite rather than an individual. Do not get me wrong, Messi is without a shadow of a doubt one of the best footballers ever, literately ever - I just don't enjoy him as much as the previously mentioned.

You have to feel for Messi though, being diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency at the age of eleven isn't nice for anybody. Clearly this hasn't affected his career either, as he has come out as this literal football monster. I can see Messi maintaining his standard of play for a few years and then completely surpassing his own, and anybody else's level - he just needs to find a team that he can play alongside and rely on as much as they will him.

6. Petr Čech

Petr Čech the guardian of Stamford Bridge. This Czech international currently holds three world records, a Czech professional league record of not conceding a goal in 855 competitive minutes, an English Premiership record of not conceding a goal in 1,025 minutes, and the most clean sheets accomplished in a single Premier League season (25), set during Chelsea’s 04/05 title-winning campaign.

Keepers are generally forgettable characters in football, yet they have arguably the hardest job in the game. Čech is a keeper who has come back after sustaining a savage injury via a brutal tackle from Reading's Steven Hunt been able to play to the same, if not better, standard than before. Throughout the whole of this campaign he has been brilliant, I do not care what anybody says about him; being injury played and then coming on for massive matches with excellent performances. Not only is he an adapt keeper but also a true sportsman, even after being in a team with prima donna of the century Drogba, he still will run out of his box at site of any injury unheeding of the team.

As much as I despise Chelsea with every bone in my body I do not repent in saying that Petr Čech is a fucking awe inspiring footballer.

5. Carlos Tevez

Following what could possibly the most controversial transfer saga to date, at the beginning of the 07/08 season Argentine international Carlos Tevez signed the dotted line for Manchester United.

Tevez is my all time favourite player; end of. Being a West Ham fan, watching my clubs fate lie on the shoulders of one single player was an incredible experience; emphasised all the more so through his on pitch competence and proficiency. This man managed to save a team in need of saving in what seemed a completely impossible situation, despite being ignored by former manager Alan Pardew. To also have the grace to come back on pitch as a respected player and give a brilliantly dignified response just goes to show why my love of this player is so substantial - oh, and not to mention he is a shitting good player too.

What I first noticed about Tevez is his confidence, despite not being the most imposing striker he is still able to fight through defenders until the very last minute, never afraid to take a shot in the most diverse situations - which usually hit those fine white lines. His inclination for the game is also outstanding, Tevez is an intelligent player who can read out situations well, an example is his supporting of Rooney despite predominantly playing a centre forward role himself. Not only that, but he is also one of the most hard working players we have to date and truly gives his all which is shown through his consistency on the pitch and personal reactions.

Tevez is a fine player, and I expect much more will come of this, as quoted by Diego Maradona, "Argentine prophet for the 21st century".

4. Daniel Alves da Silva

A Brazilian right back capable of playing on the right wing too. Alves plays for Sevillia where he is most probably most remembered for his public war of words against the Sevilla president Jose Maria Del Nido due to Alves' dream to move and Del Nido's urgency to keeping the best players he can for the mediocre Sevillia.

What I like most about Alves is his complexity when playing. Due to his adapt ability to play dual roles he becomes a real threat to both strikers and defenders alike. Possessing the burlesque stature of the stereotypical full back yet combining the physique of a modern day winger makes him a truly minatory opponent.

A lot of people proclaim he isn't the player that they expected him to become, yet I really cannot comprehend this; if anything he is much more developed and superior to what I assumed anyway. Rumours are flying all over the place that United are interested in signing him as a replacement Neville - if true, United truly will have the best defence in footballing history.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro

This Portuguese international really needs no introduction, known throughout the world as Ronaldo, this versitile young man is capable of playing either as a dual sided winger or even up front. Currently playing at Manchester United where he recently surpassed former United legend George Best's thirty-two goal record as a midfielder and fell short by two of other united forward legend Ruud Van Nistelrooy's by two.

Now Ronaldo was unavoidable in making an appearance in this list, and I'm sure a lot of you are in shock that he isn't number one. An underlying reason for this is his inconsistency, with the amount of chances he makes it is simply inevitable that he will score, but I personally believe he should score more.

What I like most about Ronaldo is his cockiness. Now a lot of people happily slander him for this, yet I think it adds to his character - compare him to fellow winger and team mate Giggs; Ronaldo is more entertaining. His ability by far compensates this as well, I feel that it contributes toward his style. Another thing I really enjoy about Ronaldo is how we, the fans, have been able to watch him mature and grow. Ferguson signed him and immediately gave him the heroic No.7 jersey, this sparked off so much hysteria about a player who was literately unknown. Perhaps this spurred Ronaldo on into playing with the elegance he is so gifted with today, almost a talisman baring his true talent.

He is a Marmite amongst footballers, loved or hated by the millions. I however love him, world cup incident aside, he is a beautiful footballer and has given football a face again. 

2. Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite

Known to the majority simply as Kaká. This twenty-six year old attacking midfielder currently plays for A.C. Milan where he's met the net 54 times, as well as his national team Brazil.

Now a lot of people will argue over this, naming Kaká over Ronaldo 'n all - however I do have to disagree. Kaká is such a rare sportsman, someone who is so quaint yet so tactful with a football at his feet; a true role model. Kaká's openness to religion and avoidance of tabloid debaucheries truly make him an inspiration when compared to ninety-percent of his competitors.

His playing style is also something to be in awe of, his capability to maintain a ball perfectly whilst undergoing constant attacks from teams that solely focus on attacking him is incredible. Definitely blessed with pace, all the skills and tricks (which, are what seem to credit toward a players likeability these days) as well as the sheer dominance over the net; combining Brazilian flair with European directness  -  Kaká simply is one of the best, a true gentlemen amongst footballers.

1. Sergio Leonel "Kún" Agüero del Castillo

Better known as Sergio Aguero or "Kún" to the Spaniards and Argentineans, the 19-year old starlet from Argentina currently playing for Atlético Madrid.

Now I do not care what anybody says here. You can sit back and moan on about how it should be Ronaldo, Messi or Kaka - no. Agüero is without a doubt the finest striker the world has seen in a long time. We have been stuck with Rooney and Eto'os' wearisome performances for too long now and it is time we all moved on and realised that there is talent outside what we know.

Agüero not only possesses incredible pace, but also impeccable shooting capabilities and an overall superb interception of the game as a whole. What adds to my profounded likening of this particular player is his age - 19 years old and the third highest goal scorer in one of the best leagues the world has to offer! After having such a poor previous season where he was frequently neglected for Mista, he has come back despite all the controversy over his talent and teamed up with a completely foreign player (Forlan) and created this prolific partnership in which he has truly shown his true abilities.

Agüero deserves my No.1 spot, just as much as he deserved the Antonio Puerta Award for the Best "La Liga" player for the 07/08 season that he recently won. All I can say is wait until Agüero reaches his peak; I'd sure hate to be a keeper.

Whilst credit needs to go to the defensive unit, who worked hard and gelled well in an unfamiliar set-up, it was the three main men of the attack who really sparkled. Fabricio Collocini came in for Gabriel Heinze as many had expected at the back, and alongside Nicolás Burdisso - who opened the scoring - and Martín Demichelis he worked well under not much pressure.

This match, though, was primarily for Basile to examine how Argentina's attack will look in the event of Juan Román Riquelme's absence. The answer - in a friendly, admittedly, but against a decent international side who are familiar with the selección and would have wanted to impress their new manager Sven Göran Eriksson - appears to be quite promising. After Burdisso opened the scoring with a header from a set piece early on - his second in as many matches for his country - Lionel Messi and Sergio Agüero took control to devastating effect at high speed. Thereafter, in two almost consecutive attacks, Argentina tore the Mexican defence apart.

Messi then started a brilliant team move which saw the ball passed between Maxi Rodríguez, Agüero and Julio Cruz before the Barcelona forward finished it off, but he wasn't done there; next he laid on a ball for Maxi to score another stunner against Mexico to go with the phenomenal winner in the 2006 World Cup second round match. 3-0 to Argentina, just 28 minutes in.

When Mexico clawed one back through Zinho in the second half, it was obvious that the match was long since over a contest, and in the 70th minute Messi and Agüero combined again for the third, finished by El Kun. Next up are the United States on Sunday. The hosts must be looking forward to that one...

I can't get onto any video sites from the work computer, so for the goal videos, check back later on today.

Eso comentan en la casa blanca, si no viniese Cristiano Ronaldo, suenan Aguero del Atlético de Madrid o Benzema del Lyon.

Se espera atar cabo los antes posible.

Vía: Marca.es

Basile probará ante México con Messi, Agüero y Cruz en el ataque
El seleccionador argentino de fútbol, Alfio Basile, probará este miércoles en el partido amistoso que los albicelestes disputarán ante México en la ciudad estadounidense de San Diego con Lionel Messi, Sergio Agüero y Julio Cruz en el ataque.

El equipo suramericano se entrenó en un campo deportivo de la Universidad de San Diego con tareas tácticas en espacios reducidos de cara al primer encuentro de preparación para los choques ante Ecuador y Brasil, correspondientes a las eliminatorias del Mundial de Suráfrica 2010.

Tras el entrenamiento, la plantilla y los miembros del cuerpo técnico agasajaron a Sergio 'Kun' Agüero, delantero del Atlético de Madrid, que hoy cumplió 20 años.

Los argentinos disputarán otro partido amistoso el domingo próximo ante Estados Unidos, en Nueva Jersey.

Roberto Abbondanzieri; Nicolás Burdisso, Martín Demichelis, Gabriel Heinze; Javier Zanetti, Fernando Gago, Javier Mascherano, Maxi Rodríguez; Lionel Messi, Sergio Agüero y Julio Cruz serán los futbolistas que saldrán al campo ante México.

Basile había anunciado en Buenos Aires, antes del viaje de la plantilla a Estados Unidos, que probará en esta etapa 'algunas variantes tácticas', y la primera de ellas es la formación de una línea de tres defensas, cuando ha sido habitual que jugara con cuatro bajo su dirección.

En esta serie de amistosos el equipo no contará con la participación de Juan Román Riquelme, que disputará con el Boca Juniors el encuentro de vuelta de las semifinales de la Copa Libetadores ante el brasileño Fluminense, pero será convocado para los partidos de las eliminatorias.

Otra de las bajas importantes será la del punta Carlos Tévez, del Manchester United, que además de estar suspendido para jugar ante Ecuador no será citado para el choque frente a Brasil en Belo Horizonte debido a que Basile considera que necesita un descanso.

Martín Demichelis, defensa del Bayern de Múnich, dijo que 'es muy importante para el equipo concentrarse y trabajar durante 25 días antes de los partidos de las eliminatorias'. 'Basile tiene tiempo de probar cosas y a los jugadores esto nos viene muy bien', añadió.

Sergio Agüero (Atlético de Madrid, Spain)

It takes a special kind of player to move to La Liga at the age of 18, and make the step up look manageable, but Sergio Agüero did that two years ago, scoring in his first start, and he hasn't looked back. At the end of the 2006-2007 season, the Spanish could tell he was something special. It was only this season, however, that it became apparent just how special he might become.

Because managing the pressure of a new league and a change of continent is one thing, but becoming a key player for a big club is quite another. When that club qualify for the Champions League for the first time in over a decade, people take some notice. And when the club in question are Atlético de Madrid, things become scarcely believable. Agüero has managed an awful lot this season with his fellow Argentines Maxi Rodríguez on the wing and Leo Franco in goal, but fittingly it's a fellow Independiente striker who he's most notably linked up with; Uruguayan Diego Forlán, who joined Manchester United before El Kun broke through to the Independiente first team, but now finds himself united at last in a partnership some have called the club's best ever strike force.

Alongside Forlán, Agüero has bagged 27 goals in all competitions - the leading Argentine scorer in the world this season - as well as numerous assists. His personal high point of the season came in March against Barcelona in the Vicente Calderón, when he scored twice and set two up as Atlético demolished the Cataláns 4-2. 19 goals in the league made him the side's top scorer, and despite his tender years, only Forlán and Pablo played more minutes for the club. One for the future, for sure - but for the present, too.

[dailymotion id=x5d823]

Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Spain)

Last year's winner by a mile is nominated again in 2008, in spite of his forced absence through injury for a chunk of the season. That Barcelona did quite as poorly as they did this season (just a Champions League semi-final and a 'terrible' third-place finish in La Liga clearly aren't good enough) was blamed by many on the absence of Messi for key periods of the season, not least a large chunk of the second half of the season when no-one seemed to really want to win the title.

The injuries have meant Messi hasn't had the same impact in 2007-2008 that he did in the (personally) astonishing 2006-2007 campaign, but his form in the first half of the season ensured that the Camp Nou faithful are looking to the summer longing to see the back of Ronaldinho, rather than lamenting the Brazilian's absence and wondering where a replacement could possibly come from. When I had the pleasure of first seeing him in the flesh, at home against Sevilla in September, he scored twice late on - one a brilliant flick-and-volley (34 seconds into the video below), the other a hugely significant penalty - and was substituted late on with 77,000 of his own side's fans chanting 'Messi, Messi Messi!' as he left the pitch. A week later, I was in the crowd taking the photo above as he laid on two goals for Thierry Henry (who scored a hat-trick that day) before, five minutes into the second half, scoring a brilliant solo effort to put Barcelona 4-0 up away from home against Levante. He was immediately withdrawn, and this time it was the opposition's fans chanting his name as he left the pitch. When that happens, you know he's special.

Until injury ruled him out of both legs of the quarter-final, allowing Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo to catch him, Messi was the top scorer in the Champions League, and although Barcelona lost 1-0 on aggregate to the eventual champions, his performance over both legs against United in the semi-final - immediately after coming back from a long-term injury layoff - gave the lie to constant British media hype telling us the Portugese winger is the best player in the world. 16 goals in all competitions, in spite of missing a third of the season, tell us part of the story. That he was one of a handful of Barca players not held accountable for the club's season arguably says even more.

[dailymotion id=x5ij48]

Carlos Tevez (Manchester United, England)

For an Argentine to travel to England and win the hearts of the home crowd isn't an easy task. To do that and then move to another English club and do the same thing again is harder still. And when the second of those clubs are Manchester United, and you're a key player in one of their most successful seasons ever...

Tevez's United debut was the cause of small businesses shutting early and people staying in to watch on the TV or listen on the radio all over Buenos Aires. Tevez probably more than any other player at present is a man Argentines identify with as 'one of them', and for one of them to be playing for one of the biggest clubs in the nation which gave football to the world is a source of major pride. For West Ham the previous term, he'd taken a while to get into the swing of goalscoring. Not this time. His first goal came at Old Trafford just a few weeks into the season, during the 2-0 defeat of Chelsea, and it marked the beginning of a season full of important goals at crucial junctures for the Red Devils. His 19 strikes in all competitions included vital late equalisers against Tottenham Hotspur and Blackburn Rovers as the season moved towards its climax, a late late leveller in the first leg the Champions League last 16 tie against Lyon, the winner-on-the-night which put the quarter-final with Roma beyond doubt in the second leg, and in the penultimate match of the league season, a scorching thirty-yarder against his former club West Ham, which he was gentleman enough not to celebrate. At the end of the season, he became the first Argentine ever to have won both the Copa Libertadores and the European Cup / Champions League.

When Manchester United agreed his loan from Kia Joorabchian and the other businessmen who still hold Carlitos's registration, some fans expressed concerns as to whether Tevez and Wayne Rooney could play alongside each other. At the end of the second most successful season in the club's history, the two, along with Cristiano Ronaldo, are being compared with United's 'Holy Trinity' of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton, and everyone linked with United is hoping the club can secure Tevez on a permanent deal. Now, who says South Americans can't hack it in England?

Once again: your vote should go to sam@hastaelgolsiempre.com, with 'HEGS Award' in the subject line.

por Alberto Espinosa López

Marzo de 1997. El Ajax visitaba el Vicente Calderón en la vuelta de los cuartos de final de la Copa de Europa. El brillante juego mostrado por los de Radomir Antic aquel día no les valió para pasar a las semifinales, golpeados, como siempre, por su mala suerte, por ser "el pupas". Porque el objeto más pequeño y más invisible que puede haber en un campo de fútbol se cruzó en el viaje rojiblanco por el viejo continente. Una lentilla, sí. Una lentilla. Esa maldita lentilla.

A Aguilera se le torció la mirada y de repente empezó a ver borroso. Miopía o astigmatismo. Dios sabe cuántas dioptrías fueron necesarias para que Carlos Aguilera tuviese que cruzar todo el ancho del campo para poder ponerse una lentilla y poder caminar sin tropezarse con sus propias botas. "Aquel que dijo que es más importante tener suerte que talento, conocía la esencia de la vida". Y la mala suerte decidió que aquella banda derecha, solitaria por unos minutos, fuera la autopista hacia el cielo particular de Marc Overmars. El gol del que luego sería jugador del Barcelona ponía por delante a los holandeses y echaba de la Champions al conjunto rojiblanco.

Las piedras en el camino no habían acabado esa noche. "El pupas" todavía sería más "pupas". Esnáider fallaría un penalty después. El que hubiera supuesto el empate. Pero no. Al final, 2-3 y los rojiblancos fuera. Era el comienzo de once años de sufrimiento, de irregulares temporadas, incluso de un dolorosísimo descenso a Segunda División, categoría de la que no conseguirían escapar hasta dos años después.

Volvamos al presente. Temporada 2007/08. Año I después de Fernando Torres. Al "Niño" lo parieron cuando el Atlético bajó a Segunda. Era el estilete, el estandarte, la punta de la lanza del futuro rojiblanco. Se pretendía que fuera un jugadorazo de clase mundial que levantase los cimientos del nuevo Atlético. Pero ha tenido que marcharse a la Pérfida Albión para que el atleti pudiera volar a Europa.

Una temporada irregular, como casi siempre, les ha valido para entrar en Champions. Sorprendentemente el Atlético de Madrid, en el mejor año de la última década, en el que todo debía haber sido una balsa de aceite, ha tenido muchos problemas internos. Desde las declaraciones de Enrique Cerezo sobre el juego del equipo hasta el "Aguirre, vete ya" pasando por el conflicto entre el técnico mexicano y Maniche, que acabó con este último en el Inter. Y aún así, cuartos en la Liga.

Aunque por capricho de los bombos el Atlético de Madrid puede sufrir a un "coco" en la ronda previa, nadie les quita la ilusión. Pero tampoco el miedo. Ese "coco" puede ser el Arsenal, por ejemplo. Tanto esfuerzo para besar la lona en agosto. ¿O no? ¿Está el atleti capacitado para derrotar a un todopoderoso de Europa?

Además, la vuelta a la Champions aporta cierto morbo a los cruces y a los sorteos. ¿Tendrán que viajar a Liverpool?, o lo que es más interesante, ¿volverá Fernando Torres al Calderón como invitado de lujo? Será raro ver al "Niño" vestido con una camiseta diferente a la de rayas rojas y blancas en el Vicente Calderón.

Por una vez en muchos años, la suerte les ha sonreido. La suerte de poder contar con un superclase, un argentino que idolatra a su suegro Maradona pero que se parece más a Romario. "Kun" Agüero, ese portento de fuerza, técnica y clase en apenas 1.70, ha superado las expectativas y ha liderado a los rojiblancos con sólo 19 años. Arrancada, regate, velocidad, gol y picardía son la mejor carta de presentación posible de un líder imberbe.

Pero al igual que la "i" no es nada sin el punto, Agüero no es Agüero si no cuenta con su pareja ideal. Con su "9". Con el charrúa Diego Forlán. Un goleador total que no entiende de colores, sólo marca. Marcaba de amarillo y ahora de rojiblanco. Y cada uno de sus tantos vale su peso en oro para los de Aguirre. Incluso el que le dio la victoria frente al Deportivo de la Coruña y por ende la clasificación matemática para Champions lo anotó el uruguayo. Por fin Neptuno tenía algo que celebrar.

Con estas credenciales futbolísticas, el Atlético de Madrid quiere devolver las grandes noches europeas a su parroquia. Noches en las que la música que suena en los alrededores del Calderón no sea la que retumba en los pubs y discotecas, sino la majestuosa de la Champions League. Noches en las que las mangas de las camisetas estén decoradas por el símbolo de la UEFA. Noches en las que no arbitren Velasco Carballo y Teixeira Vitienes, sino Graham Poll y Markus Merk.

"El pupas" vuelve a Europa. Acompañará a Madrid, Villarreal y Barcelona en la eterna lucha por ser el último en dejar el ring. Lo tiene difícil. Pero soñar todavía es gratis.

Gol de Kiko al Ajax

"Aguero expects Southern Nevada's population by 2020 will grow to 3 million, from 2 million".

Think about that for a minute. That means that there will have to be a roughly 50% increase in housing. Imagine rebuilding every single house or condominium South of Sahara. That's the magnitude of the construction demand that Las Vegas will face.

Read the full article here.

Por último queda decir que ya era hora que el Atleti volviese a la Champions y ahora que Enrique Cerezo deselvose el dinero en fichajes de calidad.

There were two major triumphs for Argentine players in the weekend just gone. Carlos Tevez, already a champion in Argentina and Brazil, has added England to his list as Manchester United beat Chelsea to the Premier League title on the last day, whilst Sergio Agüero and Maxi Rodríguez's Atlético de Madrid confirmed a European Cup place for next season.

None of the late or vitally important goals Tevez has specialised in for United this season were required of him on Sunday, as the Manchester side eased past Wigan Athletic 2-0 away from home, Cristiano Ronaldo (from the spot) and Ryan Giggs (on his record-equalling 758th appearance for the club) scoring the goals, whilst Chelsea - who had they won would have required a twenty-goal swing in their favour to boot - conceded a last-minute equaliser to Bolton at Stamford Bridge. Tevez and co. now face the runners-up a week on Wednesday in the European Cup final.

There was sadder news for the Premier League's other Argentine representatives. Birmingham City's hopes of signing Mauro Zárate permanently must surely now be doomed following their relegation in spite of their 4-1 thrashing of Blackburn Rovers; Emanuel Villa's Derby County had a final humilation as they were beaten 4-0 at home by Reading, who were also relegated after Fulham's win at Portsmouth. Julio Arca - whose Middlesbrough side thrashed Manchester City 8-1 - and Javier Mascherano, who played in Liverpool's 2-0 away win over Tottenham, at least ended their seasons on happier notes.

In Spain, Agüero and Maxi, along with Leo Franco, confirmed their participation in next season's Champions League qualifying round as their Atléti side beat Deportivo de La Coruña 1-0 with a goal from Diego Forlán, the Uruguayan striker formerly of Independiente. Andrés D'Alessandro's former team-mates at Real Zaragoza, meanwhile - including Diego Milito, Juan Pablo Aimar and Roberto Ayala - are in the final relegation spot with one match remaining, but have survival in their own hands. That's thanks to the fact that two of the other relegation battlers, Recreativo de Huelva and Real Valladolid, are playing each other on the last day and thus can't both finish ahead of Zaragoza if the latter can win away against Jonas Gutiérrez's Real Mallorca next weekend.

In Serie A, there was a high-profile cock-up as Argentina A / Internazionale failed, for the second straight week, to effectively wrap up another Italian title,  as they could only draw 2-2 with Udinese in the San Siro. With 77 minutes played, Inter were awarded a penalty which Marco Materazzi insisted on taking ahead of Julio Cruz. The Italian defender's kick was saved, and Inter and their 1,453 Argentines now lead Roma by only a point going into the final match.

Agüero anotó su 17º gol en la temporada para el triunfo del equipo de Javier Aguirre en el Vicente Calderón. De esta manera el Colchonero se mantiene en zona de Copa de Campeones de Europa. Maxi Rodríguez y Leo Franco también fueron titulares. Nacho Camacho fue el autor de los otros dos tantos.

Una cómoda victoria, con el estreno goleador de Ignacio Camacho, con dos tantos, reanimó al Atlético de Madrid en su viaje hacia la Liga de Campeones y aumentó los problemas del Recreativo de Huelva en la zona baja de la tabla, en un duelo que siempre perteneció al Colchonero.

El equipo andaluz sólo resistió veinte minutos en el Vicente Calderón, donde el bloque madrileño, con dos goles del juvenil Camacho y otro del Kun Agüero, impuso su superioridad en ocasiones, juego y goles para seguir por decimotercera semana consecutiva entre los cuatro mejores de la clasificación.

Tres jornadas consecutivas sin ganar cargaban de obligaciones al Atlético en el encuentro ante el Recreativo, tan necesitado en su lucha por la permanencia como el local en su carrera por alcanzar la Liga de Campeones, en un duelo que arrancó con dudas en los locales, aunque pronto asumieron el control del choque.

El Atlético, más cómodo con el balón y apenas inquietado por su contrincante, salvo en algún ocasional desajuste defensivo, tan habituales este curso en el equipo madrileño, o alguna esporádica acción del francés Sinama Pongolle, tomó ventaja en el marcador superado el minuto 20.

Un saque de esquina, rematado a la red por Ignacio Camacho, dio tranquilidad al equipo local. Tuvo más ocasiones en el camino hacia el descanso: un tanto anulado a Agüero por fuera de juego, un tiro de Luis García o dos cabezazos de Camacho y Pablo Ibáñez.

No fue suficiente para cerrar el choque antes del intermedio, pero sí para afrontar la segunda parte con sus mejores noticias del último mes: al frente del marcador, con el control absoluto del partido y con muchas más oportunidades en los primeros 45 minutos que en todo el encuentro del pasado domingo en Getafe.

El Atlético, además, no tardó mucho en firmar el 2-0. Una carrera del argentino Maxi Rodríguez, que aprovechó el despiste de Poli para arrebatarle el balón en la banda y que se benefició del resbalón de Cáceres en el área, dio el segundo tanto a Agüero, que culminó en gol el pase atrás del capitán.

Fue la sentencia para el partido, sobre todo porque el Recreativo apenas ofreció síntomas de reacción -sólo un mano a mano fallado por Sinama Pongolle ante Leo Franco- y porque el conjunto madrileño siguió enchufado y mantuvo su intensidad ofensiva con un tiro de Antonio López al poste o una ocasión fallida de Forlán.

El 3-0 era cuestión de tiempo. Lo demostró Camacho, que hoy se estrenó como goleador del primer equipo del Atlético. Y lo hizo por partida doble, porque aprovechó un rechace en el área para, a la media vuelta, enviar el balón junto al poste y lejos del alcance del portero Sorrentino.

Ese gol confirmó la cómoda victoria del bloque local, por decimotercera jornada consecutiva en puestos de Liga de Campeones y que ya ve más cerca su regreso a la máxima competición europea, y prolongó las dificultades clasificatorias del Recreativo, que mañana podría caer de nuevo a las posiciones de descenso.

En 1995, después de la autocrítica del ex jefe del Ejército Martín Balza, Firmenich —que durante la década del 70 actuó bajo el alias de "Pepe"— hizo su propio mea culpa. "Tras la muerte de Perón cometimos el error de pasar a la clandestinidad para retomar la lucha armada pese a que no existía la legitimidad que otorga el consenso de las mayorías", dijo.

En 1997 presentó una denuncia por discriminación. Fue porque —a pedido de las agrupaciones estudiantiles— la Facultad de Ciencias Económicas de la UBA decidió no otorgarle el diploma de honor pese a que se había recibido de licenciado con un promedio de 8,97 puntos. Poco después, se fue a vivir a Barcelona.

Los voceros del MPM afirmaron ayer que Firmenich —que todavía no tiene compañero de fórmula— vendrá a la Argentina para participar de la campaña. "Si queremos llevar adelante esta propuesta, tenemos que seguir todos los pasos legales, tendrá que haber interna, todo lo que nos exige la Ley Electoral para tener candidato", afirmaron. Y enseguida agregaron: "Veremos si nos dan los tiempos, sin descuidar algo que es más importante que las elecciones, que es conformar una unidad de todos los sectores populares como una propuesta política, económica y social".

Ayer, uno de los primeros en diferenciarse de la candidatura de Firmenich, fue Roberto Perdía, uno de sus lugartenientes en Montoneros. Afirmó que el MPM no representa a otros dirigentes montoneros y aclaró que "una candidatura presidencial no debería ser una decisión individual sino de representación social.

Sergio Agüero stepped into the limelight in Lionel Messi's absence on Wednesday night and helped Argentina to a 2-0 win over the African champions in Cairo, after a tricky opening half gave way to a more impressive performance from Argentina in the second. Without Messi and Juan Román Riquelme, Alfio Basile's side were testing out a few new ideas, and eventually managed a comfortable enough win - but not after their hosts had done enough to show their own worth in the first half.

Luís González was captaining the side, and had the game's first chance within a minute of kick off, racing onto the ball in the box and flashing a right-footed shot across the face of goal and wide. In the opening minutes Argentina looked to take control of the game, Gabriel Heinze getting forward from his left-back position to aid the attack, but Agüero and Julio Cruz in the middle were being well marked, and Egypt looked dangerous down the flanks on the counter. Maxi Rodríguez had a chance to open the scoring, running onto a bouncing ball and flicking it over the goalkeeper, but found himself unable to keep his header down when challenged for it by a defender almost on the goal line.

As the half wore on, Egypt began to look more at home against their illustrious visitors, and Javier Mascherano in particular looked a little uncomfortable at times, perhaps still feeling the mental after-effects of his red card and subsequent outburst at Old Trafford for Liverpool on Sunday. At half-time, González, given playmaking duties, was working gamely, and Rodríguez on the right was putting in his usual impressive shift, but there was something missing elsewhere - Julio Cruz was dropping a little too deep and Agüero was well marked, not allowed any space. 0-0 it was at the interval.

In the second half, Egypt began better, Mohamed Zidan, such an impressive performer in the recent victorious African Cup of Nations campaign, had a good chance but couldn't take it, and then Argentina seemed to wake up. El Kun Agüero ran onto a long ball 65 minutes in and, looking up, lifted it over the goalkeeper and high into the net. Argentina, at last, had the lead.

With that, Argentina relaxed and took control, and Egypt had little more of a say in the closing 25 minutes, Maxi Rodríguez testing the goalkeeper from 30 yards out and Agüero wasting the chance to double his and his team's tally after Fernando Gago had put him through behind the defence. With five minutes remaining, Inter defender Nicolás Burdisso rose to head a free kick from the right channel from Maxi. It looped over Essam El Hadari in the Egyptian goal for Burdisso's first goal for his country, and Argentina had the win.

Alfio Basile seemed pleased enough with the team's performance, with a few caveats. 'In the first half we didn't quite find "the way", we managed the ball poorly and they [Egypt] started to come at us towards the end... we lifted ourselves later in the match, though, and ended up winning without any problems.' On his team selection; 'I tried playing Gago a little further forward than Mascherano and with Maxi [Rodríguez] searching for it out wide. It was all OK, everything's fine - the main thing is to be able to vary it when we're playing for points.' He reserved his scorn mainly for the ball chosen for the match; 'Please, I think we can all agree that the game should always be played with the same type of ball. The one used today was a balloon, and it seemed slightly deflated at that. It's difficult to do things properly like that...'

Agüero: Egypt 0 - 1 Argentina (65th min)

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Burdisso: Egypt 0 - 2 Argentina (85th min)

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• Mucha Clase
• Internacional Argentino
• Tiene muchas variantes en su futbol
• Procede del Rey de copas
• Independiente de Avellaneda
  

El delantero Bojan Krkic, con un contusión en la cadera sufrida durante el encuentro copero ante el Valencia, y el centrocampista Touré Yaya, que ha entrado en la habitual política de rotaciones de Rijkaard, se caen de la convocatoria. Por su parte, el defensa Rafael Márquez continúa con las molestias que arrastra en el pie derecho desde el encuentro de Liga de Campeones ante el Celtic de Glasgow y, por lo tanto, tampoco estará en el Calderón. Los 18 jugadores que viajarán a Madrid son: Valdés, Pinto, Puyol, Thuram, Milito, Zambrotta, Abidal, Sylvinho, Edmilson, Deco, Gudjohnsen, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Henry, Ronaldinho, Eto'o y Giovani.

Mientras, el segundo entrenador del Barcelona, Johan Neeskens, no cree que el equipo barcelonista pueda acusar en el Calderón la presión que supone no tener margen de error si quiere dar por fin caza al líder, el Real Madrid, que todavía mantiene una ventaja de dos puntos en el campeonato. "Presión teníamos cuando estábamos a nueve, ya que, si perdíamos, nos poníamos a doce. Lo importante es que el equipo ha respondido muy bien últimamente, ha sacado muy buenos resultados que le han dado confianza y vamos a Madrid para sacar otro buen resultado. Eso es lo importante en primer lugar, y luego ya veremos qué hace el Real Madrid (ante el Recreativo de Huelva)".

El técnico holandés ha comparecido en rueda de prensa en lugar de Frank Rijkaard, que ha decidido dosificar su intervenciones cuando el equipo juegue dos partidos por semana. Pese al cambio de protagonista, el guión no varió y Neeskens se mostró igual de hermético que su compatriota a la hora de dar detalles sobre qué Barça se verá ante el Atlético. Sin embargo, sí que está convencido de que el entrenado atlético, el mexicano Javier Aguirre, "forzará a Agüero para que juegue", pese a que éste ha arrastrado algunas molestias durante esta semana, y destacó que el argentino "es un gran jugador que esta haciendo un año muy bueno, y que junto a Diego Forlán, forman una delantera peligrosa".