Former Argentina and Inter defender Walter SAMUEL will reportedly join the Argentina staff.
Per a tweet by CL Merlo, Walter SAMUEL has everything agreed with the AFA and will join interim Argentina coach Lionel SCALONI as one of his assistants. As we reported a few days ago, there were rumors that SAMUEL would join the staff.
Walter Samuel acordó con AFA y será uno de los ayudantes de campo de Lionel Scaloni. Como defensor, jugó 55 partidos con la selección argentina y convirtió 5 goles. Luego de una larga… https://t.co/ZAyygYrrs0
Sergio AGUERO opened his account for the season by scoring a hat trick for Manchester City while Facundo FERREYRA scored his first for Benfica.
A chipped goal Lionel MESSI would be proud of, a rebound and a flick off the foot gave Sergio AGUERO his three goals in Manchester City’s 6-1 win vs. Huddersfield. After not scoring last weekend, AGUERO scored his first of the season with a chip off his left foot from outside of the area to give City a 1-0 lead.
At 2-0, AGUERO added a third as he pounced off a rebound and finished it. Manchester City’s all team leading goal scorer made it 5-1 after a ball was sent into the area and a little flick off the foot beat the goalkeeper. The hat trick was the 13th of his career.
He is now tied for first as the league’s leading goal scorer with three goals. Speaking to Manchester City’s official website, here’s what the number 10 had to say:
“Hat-trick number 13? Wow! I am very happy to get any hat-trick, but for me it’s important we get the win.
“I made two or three attempts before I scored my third goal and when one hit the post, I thought it might not come, but in the end, I did get the goal.
“With Benjamin MENDY, I always know his crosses will be good, so I just wanted to be there.
“I train hard and then you see what the manager does for this team, but when I play I try to be the best I can.”
Coach Pep GUARDIOLA was full of praise when he spoke to Sky Sports:
“Since he came back, I saw it from the first second, from the first minute, wow, he came back perfect. The surgery from Dr [Ramon] CUGAT helps us a lot because he feels free now and he suffered the last years with some problems.
“It’s not just that he scores goals… he creates chances, moves, assists, passes. He never stops. When this happens, Sergio is one of the best, best, best, best strikers in the world, without a doubt. This period since we arrived, the Community Shield, Arsenal, today, it’s perfect.”
Over in Portugal, Facundo FERREYRA scored his first for his new club in their 2-0 win against Boavista. FERREYRA won the ball off the defender and held him off as he turned and his right footed shot gave Benfica the 1-0 lead.
Eduardo SALVIO and Franco CERVI who are both called-up for Argentina’s friendly matches next month started for Benfica.
Geronimo RULLI had six saves and Ramiro FUNES MORI had one big blunder as Real Sociedad picked up a 2-1 win against Villarreal.
Two names back in the Argentina squad after missing out on the FIFA World Cup, Geronimo RULLI and Ramiro FUNES MORI both started (as well as Santiago CASERES who had an assist) both started for their respective clubs. It was the yellow submarines who opened the scoring with a Santiago CASERES assist and Gerard MORENO beat RULLI with a low shot.
Real Sociedad equalized before half time with a terrible back pass from Ramiro FUNES MORI as the ball fell to Willian JOSE who beat the goalkeeper to draw Sociedad level. Juanmi scored Sociedad’s second and the match winner with a shot from outside the area.
Should RULLI maintain this level of performance, there’s no reason why he can’t become Argentina’s undisputed starting goalkeeper. As for FUNES MORI, it wasn’t his best match but he has shown in the past with the Argentina National Team that he can be up to the task when asked upon.
Newell’s Old Boys remain winless after two matches while rivals Rosario Central collect all three points against Talleres.
The first match of the weekend involved Rosario Central travelling to Cordoba to take on Talleres Cordoba. Despite having double total shots (13 for Talleres in comparison to 6 from Rosario), only two were on target for Cordoba and one from Rosario and that one ended up being the match winner by Fernando ZAMPEDRI.
Former Argentina coach Edgardo BAUZA’s team took the lead off a corner kick where ZAMPEDRI was the first to head the ball and beat the goalkeeper. Veteran and former Argentina international Pablo GUINAZU (now 39, turning 40 later this month) started for Talleres.
In Rosario, it was Newell’s hosting Independiente and it was a disaster of a start for the home team. Emmanuel GIGLIOTTI scored in the third minute to give his team the 1-0 lead with the assist coming from Maxi MEZA. Hector FERTOLI drew level for the home team but GIGLIOTTI with an open net goal in the 43rd minute right before half time after some bad defending by Newell’s.
Fabricio FONTANINI kicked off the second half with a goal of his own to make it 2-2 and the final result. Joel AMOROSO was sent off in the 68th minute for Newell’s.
Saturday’s fixtures will be up following the end of the matches.
Lionel MESSI scored an under the wall free kick goal in FC Barcelona’s 3-0 win against Alaves.
Another start to a La Liga campaign and another Lionel MESSI goal or in this case two. The winner of the European Golden Shoe for the last two seasons scored twice to get off the mark this season.
Barcelona were awarded a free kick and the club captain stepped up and hit the ball under the Alaves wall and went in to make it 1-0 for last season’s La Liga winners. Brazilian COUTINHO added a second before MESSI himself made it 3-0 to seal the win.
The free kick goal was Barcelona’s 6000th La Liga goal. On February 1, 2009, MESSI scored Barcelona’s 5000th goal in La Liga.
