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The Argentine situation, deeply rooted in Buenos Aires, is taken as a model by football. The fulcrum of the teams that play in the Argentine championship is based in the capital. Boca Juniors and River Plate are the country’s most popular teams, but other teams with strong traditions exist in the urban sprawl of Buenos Aires. Vélez Sársifield and Banfield are taking part this year in the Copa Libertadores, the “Champions League” of South America. In the quarter where the tango was born, at Boedo, there is San Lorenzo, a team coached this year by Ramon Diaz, now at the top of the league. In the locality called Avellaneda, the big rivalry is between Independiente and Racing. Not far away is Arsenal of Sarandi. Nueva Chicago, Lanus, Quilmes and Argentinos Juniors are the other teams of the capital taking part in the “Primera”, the Argentine major league. At La Plata, just a few kilometres from Baires, are Estudiantes and Gimnasia. Estudiantes, managed by “Cholo" Diego Simeone won the play-off, beating Boca in the last Apertura championship. The Argentine season elects two winners. The start-of-season championship, the Apertura, starts in September and ends in January; in February, the Clausura starts, which takes the teams to the South-American winter. A lot of rivalry also exists outside Buenos Aires. The strongest is between Rosario Central and Newell’s Old Boys, a historical “clásico” – as local derbys are called here – of Argentinian “futbol”. In Santa Fé, the capital of the province of the same name which also comprises Rosario, there is Colón. The other three teams in the “Primera extra porteño” (the word “porteño” indicates belonging to Buenos Aires) are Belgrano of Cordoba, Godoy Cruz (province of Mendoza) and Gimnasia of Jujuy, a town bordering on Bolivia.

The day of the Super Clasico. Sunday, at the Bombonera, is the day of the Boca – River match.
The rivalry that divides the country does not even leave the supporters of the other teams indifferent and has a history that goes far back in time.
Xeneizes and Millionarios. Each Argentinian team has a nickname. Boca Juniors, the team of the quarter of the same name, founded by the Genoese, chose blue and yellow, or rather azul and oro as its colours because the club founders, who were not sure about the choice, decided to adopt the colours of the flag of the first ship that entered the port from that moment on. It was a Swedish ship.
The origin of River’s nickname is semantically simple but historically uncertain. While it is true that the millionaires are the rich ones in town, it would seem that the name, rather than deriving from the quarter of origin (Nuñez) is tied to a number of costly purchases made in the Twenties.
These two nicknames are however “institutional” ones. Generally speaking, when the two groups of supporters mock one another, they use other ones. The Boca fans are known as bosteros (“stinkers”) because behind the Bombonera runs the Riachuelo, a small rather smelly river. The River supporter are known as called “hens”. This nickname was historically coined during an unlucky period for the Nuñez club, between the two decades 1950-1970. In 1966, River reached the Copa Libertadores final and took the lead 2-0. The fans started singing, but in the end they lost the match and the trophy. During the first championship match after the continental trophy defeat, on the Banfield pitch, the supporters of the rival team threw a hen onto the field, with a red band, which a player quickly kicked into the grandstands.
Sunday evening, Miguel Angel Russo’s Boca, back at the top of the league, competes against Daniel Passarella’s River, still lacking in terms of results and already knocked out of the Copa Libertadores.
The forecast is still uncertain however, in what is the country’s most enthralling Super Clasico – the only sure thing is the excitement.

RB.com

It was easy to forecast that excitement would not go lacking in the Super Clasico. In the end one goal each and some general disappointment about the many scoring chances wasted in the first half by Boca and in the second by River. To return “puntero” (meaning at the top of the league) at the San Lorenzo, a goal from Fernandez, former River, is all that is needed against Gimnasia La Plata, with Colombian coach “Pancho” Maturana making his debut on the bench. Estudiantes failed to take advantage of its home game and was forced to a draw by Lanus. Argentinos Juniors was also stopped at Jujuy. A great win by Newell’s at Cordoba against Belgrano and another convincing game by the Paraguayan centre forward Oscar Cardozo. The home defeat of Independiente by Godoy Cruz marked the definite departure of coach Jorge Burruchaga who resigned at the end of the match. Spectacular wins by Velez at Banfield and Rosario Central at home against Nueva Chicago. A draw that satisfied no one between Colon and Racing.

Table: San Lorenzo 25, Boca 23, Estudiantes 19, Argentinos Jrs 17, River 17 (one match less), Godoy 16, Newell’s 16.

A goalless draw, but full of good opportunities and excitement the friendly match played between Argentina and Chile at Mendoza. Lots of players making their debut in Albiceleste (White Blue: the name of the Argentine squad), which included only players competing in the local championship, with Juan Sebastian Veron missing due to injury. A match full of good attempts, from the one side and the other, even though in the second half, before the inevitable round of substitutions, it was the team coached by Alfio Basile that came closest to scoring on several occasions. The Argentine press was however rather critical about the team’s performance. The most dangerous Chilean forwards were Humberto Suazo and Alexis Sanchez, el Niño Maravilla (already bought by Udinese and now on loan to Colo Colo).

Argentina: Carrizo (River), Ibarra (Boca) Diaz (Boca), Tuzzio (River) Bottinelli (San Lorenzo); Belluschi (River), C. Ledesma (San Lorenzo), Sosa (Estudiantes); Montenegro (Independiente); Palacio (Boca), Pavone (Estudiantes). DT: Alfio Basile.
Second half: Lavezzi (San Lorenzo) forPalacio, Neri Cardozo (Boca) for Montenegro, P. Ledesma (Boca) for Sosa, Ponzio (River) for Belluschi.

Cile: Pinto (Universidad de Chile); Rieloff (Audax Italiano), Roco (Santiago Wanderers), Riffo (Colo Colo), Vidal (Colo Colo); Fierro (Colo Colo), Sanhueza (Colo Colo), Iturra (U. de Chile); Valdivia (Palmeiras – BRA); Suazo (Colo Colo), Sanchez (Colo Colo). DT: Nelson Acosta
Second half: Medel (Universidad Catolica) for Iturra, Moya (Audax Italiano) for Sanchez.

The struggle at the top of the Argentine league championship continues. In front is lead team San Lorenzo, two goals scored by Andres Silvera that knocked out Godoy Cruz, but failed to shake off Boca Juniors, pirate at Rosario with Newell’s (2-1, goals scored by Palermo (penalty) and Palacio). In the La Plata classic, Diego Simeone’s Estudiantes got the upper hand thanks to a great performance by Mariano Pavone (two goals). A hard-fought victory for River Plate as well, at home to Banfield, and a little relief for Nuñez. Crazy game between Racing and Belgrano: Avellaneda’s team went into the lead, was caught and overtaken (among the goals of the Cordoba team also those of former-Brescia player Yllana) until, in the end, the game was a 3-3 draw. Vélez with its head at Libertadores lost at home to Rosario Central, while Arsenal only just beat Gimnasia di Jujuy. Draws between Argentinos Juniors and Cólon and between Nueva Chicago and Independiente.