ORD to EZE ?

Every season tells a story. The short seasons that started in 1995 or 1996 in most Latin American countries have provided for a lot of drama, and arguably more revenue (that will always come with the world’s most popular sport).
The Promocion, however, is a false solution derived by the Argentine Futbol Association to keep the Big 5 teams in the Primera A division year after year. Only the horrible, two-win season from Racing Club forced them to fight it out against Belgrano de Cordoba in an all-or-nothing battle to remain in a relevant category (Los de Avellaneda have ventaje deportivo heading into tomorrow’s game in El Cilindro [Estadio Col. Juan Domingo Peron]).
Essentially, in 2001 or 2002 they decided that the team’s average FOR THAT YEAR would remain their permanent average. Each year after that would add or subtract a little bit from their average, and each June the two bottom teams would descend directly (this year Olimpo and San Martin de San Juan), and the 3rd and 4th (this year Gimnasia de Jujuy and Racing Club) place lowest teams would have to fight it out against the 2nd and 3rd place teams from the B Nacional (this year Union de Santa Fe and Belgrano de Cordoba).-Gimnasia de Jujuy remained in the Primera A- The 1st place B Nacional team ascends directly [this year San Martin de Tucuman]).
Talleres de Cordoba and Racing de Cordoba also are playing a series to decide who remains in the torneo argentino A and the B Nacional –Talleres remained in the B Nacional-
Also, Los Andes de Lomas de Zamora defeated Nueva Chicago and ascended to the B Nacional from the B Metropolitana.
On the eve of the final superclasico of 2008, Boca Juniors have a locker-room crisis receiving more national coverage than the credit-market collapse, and defending champion River Plate is in the bottom half of the championship table. This is not the way either side imagined themselves: Struggling on the pitch and struggling to find team chemistry off the field. For this reason, Sunday’s game (10/19) is critical to both teams not just for Buenos Aires North side-Southside bragging rights. A victory provides huge mental and physical relief heading into next week’s Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals (Boca vs. Internacional de Porto Alegre and River vs. Chivas de Guadalajara).
At home in Paraguay preparing for 2010 World Cup qualifying, Boca defender Julio Caceres said to a journalist that star midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme is passive during Boca games and saves his best play for his Argentine national team duty. This supposed rift has dominated media coverage over the past 48, fueled by Riquelme’s difficult history (notably a rift between his former Coach at Villareal, Manuel Pellegrini of Chile).
Additionally, River coach Diege Simeone is in the final year of his contract, and has not indicated whether he will return to the helm in 2009. Of note: National team coach Adolfo Basile has not won in five straight games and his job could be in jeopardy…