A Handful Of...

Argentina-Brazil Alliances

 

The footballing rivalry between Brazil and Argentina is one which needs little explanation – two former colonies from different sides of the Iberian divide, both successful in adapting the game of football to their own styles, infusing it with tango and samba, with elásticos and canetas, tacos and bicicletas, and producing several candidates for the greatest players of all time from both nations.

Two candidates for that title - and the barroom question which still inspires the most debate - represent this rivalry best: Maradona and Pele.

Meetings between two great giants of the South American continent are often a sight to behold, with the most robust of tackling contrasting directly with the sort of skill to make even the greatest defenders look foolish.

But while they may be the fiercest of rivals on the international stage, there are several examples of players from the two nations combining brilliantly at club level. Here are five of the best Argentinian-Brazilian alliances.

Read more...

Lesser Known Exports

18 May 2011

.          

Argentina has given the world some of its greatest joys: The literature of Jorge Luis Borges, Hector Germán Oesterheld's influential graphic novels, and the beautiful voice of Carlos Gardel. In the footballing world however Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Carlos Tévez, Ossie Ardiles, Juan Sebastian Verón, Ricardo Bochini, and a long list of other household names have influenced the way the game is played. However, there are many of Argentina's exports who are not as well known by football fans around the world, ending up at less glamorous locales and sometimes even attaining a cult status amongst fans of the smaller clubs they end up at. The list below shows a few of those Argentine players based abroad who you might have thought had disappeared.

 

Read more...

20 January 2011

taco (n)

1. (Méx) A delicious Mexican snack.

2. (Rioplatense) A tango move in which the dancer takes a step directly backwards.

3. (Rioplatense) A fútbol move in which a player, evoking the grace of a tango dancer, flicks the ball with the heel of his boot, thus surprising opposition players and creating unexpected attacking situations or goals.

Here are five 'tacos' we like (of the footballing kind)...

Read more...

Unfortunate Sons

 

It ain’t me, it ain’t me; I ain’t no fortunate one, no, no, no,

It ain’t me, it ain’t me; I ain’t no fortunate son, no, no, no,

 

When John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival penned “Fortunate Son” in the late ’60s, it is reasonable to assume he was not thinking of Argentinian footballers.  Most people interpret it as a passionate cry of defiance against the nepotistic, warmongering American ruling class.  In fact, when asked what the song was about by Rolling Stone magazine, Fogerty replied, “"Julie Nixon was hanging around with David Eisenhower, and you just had the feeling that none of these people were going to be involved with the war. In 1969, the majority of the country thought morale was great among the troops, and like eighty percent of them were in favour of the war. But to some of us who were watching closely, we just knew we were headed for trouble."

Read more...

Vaselina Goals

With that cheeky scamp Lio Messi adding another gorgeous vaselina goal to his growing collection against Spain on Tuesday night, we’ve decided to dedicate ‘A Handful Of...’ this month to some the best vaselinas that Argentinian football has to offer.

‘Vaselina’ is a word in Spanish which can be used to describe a few different things. Firstly, it is the name given to a clear, gooey substance that comes in little jars which are purchased from pharmacies by sweaty bald men for reasons unknown to AFW.   The English name for this mysterious jelly is ‘Vaseline’ and, according to the internet, it was invented by Robert Augustus Cheesebrough in 1859, by refining the excess “rod wax” from oil wells.  It all sounds grubby to us and makes us uncomfortable, so let’s move on.

Read more...

More Articles...