Big teams again are the candidates in Argentina (Yahoo)

When next Friday 29th begins the Closure Contest in Argentina many fans will have the feeling of a “revival” because the big teams (Boca Juniors, River Plate, Racing Club, Independiente and San Lorenzo) are those that appear as firm candidates to win the trophy, something that was not usual, at least in this way, since a long time, due to the big changes that were produced in the competition.

Paradoxically, Boca, the one that always was the maximum candidate due to the richness of its team and that dominated the first decade of the XXI Century today appears somewhat behind with respect to the other teams due to the crisis they are going through these days when their classical rival, River, surprised in the preparatory summer contests and ended generating a crisis after winning 3-1 in a friendly match and receiving nothing less but ten goals in three games. This ended in the resignation of their coach, Alfio Basile, one week from the start of the contest.

On the contrary, a River in low these last years, in so serious situation that if they do not change they will reach the descend zone in the season 2010/11, now appears to have found in they juniors a hope to rise the level to project them to superior positions, thus conducted by Leonardo Astrada as coach, though the major renewal comes from the presidency won in elections by their ex player and coach, Daniel Passarella.

However, it may be said that the two major candidates to win the championship are Independiente –with deep changes in their structure, thanks too a patient job of their coach, Américo Gallego, who a year ago inherited a complicated situation and who made offensive changes with other players and the appearance of new stars- and San Lorenzo, directed by Diego Simeone, with the base of experienced players who were already important in last seasons. In the case of Independiente, the fact to count again with their stadium “Libertadores de América”, that was closed due to repairs for over a year and this gives them an important bonus.

A little behind, but with renewed expectations and solidity that did not appear in last years, comes now Racing Club, with serious directives and some interesting figures that arrive from success in other teams, as the lateral Lucas Litch, from the Spanish Getafe, up to the forwarders Gabriel Hauche (Argentinos Juniors) and Claudio Bieler (Argentine who was Champion of the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana with the Liga Deportiva de Ecuador). The fact that the coach continues being Claudio Vivas, who integrated the technical crew of Marcelo Bielsa during the period of the Argentinean team, is another bonus that operates positively.

What does happen in other clubs that were strong in former Argentinean contests as Estudiantes, Vélez or Lanús? They are not minor that those mentioned teams, almost to the contrary, but being obliged this year to dispute at the same time the Copa Libertadores, as well as Bánfield (last champion) or Newell’s Old Boys of Rosario (sub-champion) or Colón of Santa Fe, and the tight of the calendar of the first semester due to the arrival of the World Championship, it generates that they have to opt between the local or the International contest and dealing with some cases of an exceptional circumstance to dispute this kind of contest, those teams do not count with a group to confront with competitivily both contests and they will turn to the Southamerican before to the Argentinean, leaving the ground free to the big ones.

From all of them, it is evident that Velez (that reinforce with the return of the maximum scorer of the last contest, the Uruguayan Santiago Silva) and Estudiantes (present Champion of America), count with more players than the others to confront both contests, but the calendars do not help and already the coaches, Ricardo Gareca and Alejandro Sabella, respectively, officialized their decant for the International contest..

It will be the Closure Contest, another that will deepen the tendency of the Argentinean football of the last years, counting with veteran players (many that surpass the age of thirty years) or too young, because those of medium age (twenty two to twenty nine) have emigrated almost completely looking for new markets.

Also the Closure Contest will define the descend of categories for the season 2010/11, based on the averages taking into account the three last complete seasons , namely, the last six short contests. With this regard, teams that count with more chances to go to the National B (the second category) are Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata (that already was saved the last year in the last minute of the last match) and Chacarita Juniors, though in the limit zone will be Atletico Tucuman, Godoy Cruz, with the doubt as to Rosario Central and Racing that also have low averages, they maintain rising tendency and end far of the danger.