For the sixth time in a row, the final of the Copa América will feature an Argentine manager. Marcelo Bielsa in 2004 and Alfio Basile in 2007 took their homeland to defeats against Brazil, Gerardo Martino was involved for Paraguay in 2011 and Argentina in both 2015 and 2016, and in the latter two, the victorious Chileans were also managed by Argentines: Jorge Sampaoli in 2015 and Juan Antonio Pizzi in 2016. On Wednesday night, Ricardo Gareca’s Peru beat Chile 3-0 to set up a final against Brazil. The only Copa so far this century whose final did not have at least one team managed by an...…For the sixth time in a row, the final of the Copa América will feature an Argentine manager. Marcelo Bielsa in 2004 and Alfio Basile in 2007 took their homeland to defeats against Brazil, Gerardo Martino was involved for Paraguay in 2011 and Argentina in both 2015 and 2016, and in the latter two, the victorious Chileans were also managed by Argentines: Jorge Sampaoli in 2015 and Juan Antonio Pizzi in 2016. On Wednesday night, Ricardo Gareca’s Peru beat Chile 3-0 to set up a final against Brazil. The only Copa so far this century whose final did not have at least one team managed by an...WW…

The twenty-second round of Superliga action ended on Monday night with yet another late winner for Defensa y Justicia, who emerged victorious from a five-goal thriller against Banfield thanks to Nicolás Fernández’s hat trick. The win meant that Defensa have qualified for the Copa Libertadores for the first time in their history – they’ll be in next year’s group stage – and it also cut Racing’s lead at the top of the league to just a point, with three matches to go and the top two set to meet in Avellaneda on the final weekend. That situation has arisen thanks to Racing’s 1-1 draw away...…The twenty-second round of Superliga action ended on Monday night with yet another late winner for Defensa y Justicia, who emerged victorious from a five-goal thriller against Banfield thanks to Nicolás Fernández’s hat trick. The win meant that Defensa have qualified for the Copa Libertadores for the first time in their history – they’ll be in next year’s group stage – and it also cut Racing’s lead at the top of the league to just a point, with three matches to go and the top two set to meet in Avellaneda on the final weekend. That situation has arisen thanks to Racing’s 1-1 draw away...WW…

Argentina’s five Copa Libertadores group stage representatives all started their qualification efforts this week – and all with rather frustrating results. There were goalless draws all round on Tuesday: Godoy Cruz got a creditable one at home to Olimpia of Paraguay, San Lorenzo visited Melgar of Peru, where both teams absolutely stank the place out, and Boca Juniors were held at the altitude of Cochabamba, Bolivia, by 2017 quarter-finalists Jorge Wilstermann. That pattern continued on Wednesday, with two much better matches, and some goals, but still just a point apiece for Rosario Central...…Argentina’s five Copa Libertadores group stage representatives all started their qualification efforts this week – and all with rather frustrating results. There were goalless draws all round on Tuesday: Godoy Cruz got a creditable one at home to Olimpia of Paraguay, San Lorenzo visited Melgar of Peru, where both teams absolutely stank the place out, and Boca Juniors were held at the altitude of Cochabamba, Bolivia, by 2017 quarter-finalists Jorge Wilstermann. That pattern continued on Wednesday, with two much better matches, and some goals, but still just a point apiece for Rosario Central...WW…