With that sparkly (yet thoroughly entertaining) sideshow in the United States now almost behind us, the main event is ready to roll. The Clausura leg of the Liga Profesional kicks off this weekend with the first round of fixtures, the opening step on a journey that will eventually take us to another final by the end of the year to see who will succeed Platense as the champions of Argentine football.
Will it be Platense again, following up 120 years of futile searching for a title with two in the space of six months? I don't know, maybe? The Calamar lost not one but two head coaches following their Apertura triumph over Huracán back in May, the duo of Sergio Gómez and Favio Orsi saying farewell to the team due to “personal reasons.” Up steps Cristian 'Kily' González, the ex-Valencia and Argentina winger who has enjoyed moderate success up to now on the bench with the likes of Rosario Central and Atlético Unión, but with precious little investment in new faces after that wholly unexpected win it will be tough for Platense to repeat their success. Still, with this kind of format we know well that almost anything can happen, so, why not a back-to-back triumph?
There are two teams at least under immense pressure to topple the reigning champions. Both Boca Juniors and River Plate failed to shine at the Club World Cup and have responded with a busy transfer window. The Xeneize finally landed their top target, Leandro Paredes, injecting the midfield with real class. The World Cup winner received a bear hug from Juan Román Riquelme upon reporting to training with his new club on Wednesday but will likely need a little more preparation before making his second Boca debut, meaning he is likely to miss the season opener this weekend against Argentinos Juniors at the very least.
River, meanwhile, reacted to the disappointment of elimination by opening their already well-worn chequebook. The Millonario finally executed the controversial release clause binding Maxi Salas to Racing and at the time of writing were on the verge of sealing Juan Fernando Quintero's latest return to the Monumental after six months in his native Colombia, compensating in part for Franco Mastontuono's imminent exit to Madrid. There was also a more surprising signing in the shape of Alex Woiski, a teenage striker who arrived for free from Mallorca. Avellaneda, too, has been a hive of activity in this window. Racing have sealed five new signings, the most notable of which is the talented América de Cali forward Duvan Vergara, while Independiente moved for Huracán star Walter Mazzanti to firm up the middle of the pitch after getting to the Apertura semis.
Now for the fun part. Who will be the Platense, the surprise package of the Clausura? Rosario Central had a great first half of the year before the play-offs arrived, and with Ángel Di María and young striking hotshot Alejo Véliz back at the Gigante del Arroyito they will again be a force to be reckoned with. Vélez cannot exactly do worse than their pathetic Apertura campaign, but they looked strong in taking the Supercopa Internacional against Estudiantes on Tuesday and the arrival of Lisandro Magallán will give the Fortín extra bite in what was an extremely flimsy backline at times.
Newell's Old Boys were transformed following the arrival of Cristian Fabbiani on the bench and have turned to veteran Darío Benedetto for goals: they too may well be in the equation, particularly with the superlative Keylor Navas remaining between the posts? And San Lorenzo? Well, they have lost coach Miguel Ángel Russo, Malcom Braida (to Boca) and Iker Muniain since the Apertura play-offs and are yet to bring any new faces in. But the Cuervo seem to thrive when we expect the worst of them, and that is certainly the case going in to the new season.
As we know the potential for surprises and upsets is sky-high with this curious format, and we'll have to wait until the bitter end to find out if one of the league's established powerhouses takes the glory or if we are destined for another gripping underdog story. Sit back, watch, and enjoy.
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