Hand Of Pod

On this week's episode Sam and English Dan look back on a third consecutive win for early table-toppers Lanús, a drab defeat for Boca in Córdoba and an entertaining – and controversial – first match for River in the newly expanded Estadio Monumental, which is now the largest stadium in South America.

This week Sam, English Dan and Andrés look back on the second round of action in the Liga Profesional, which saw a remarkable coincidence: Pablo Vegetti, who was the first person to score against Marcelo Gallardo's River Plate back in 2014, became the first person to score against Martín Demichelis's River Plate, as Belgrano beat River 2–1 in Córdoba. Lanús are among the early leaders as their attempt to escape relegation gets off to a promising start, and the match we told you not to watch on episode 449 saw one goal that was disallowed, eight that were allowed and a red card. Just in case you were starting to think we sound like people who know what we're talking about after 450 episodes ...

This week, Sam, English Dan and Andrés look back on the first weekend of action in the 2023 Liga Profesional season and discuss Enzo Fernández's big-money transfer to Chelsea (including what it means for River Plate's finances). When we started, it didn't feel like there'd be much to say, but we managed somehow ...

It's a new year on Hand Of Pod, and Sam, English Dan and Andrés are here to preview the 2023 domestic season for you, as we come down from the high of Argentina's World Cup win last month. Boca Juniors, Racing and River Plate have probably had the best transfer windows, but who else should we look out for? And what's the relegation struggle going to look like this year?

This is it: the episode we've been building up to for twelve years. In the four hundred and forty-seventh HOP, Sam, English Dan, Santi, Julián and Chris take in, and try to dissect, the fact that Lionel Messi's Argentina have finally won the World Cup. This is our longest episode ever by a distance, and we make no apologies for that. Enjoy whichever holidays you're celebrating (if you are), and we'll see you in the new year.

In a bumper episode this week, Sam, English Dan, Santi, Andrés and Remi (remember Remi?!) look back on Argentina's false start but eventually encouraging qualification from Group C at the 2022 World Cup, and we have a bit of a chat with Remi about the Netherlands, who Argentina MIGHT meet in the quarter-final.

This week Sam, English Dan and Andrés run the rule over Argentina's World Cup squad and their chances. We've sprinkled a little bit of club football talk in as well, but mostly it's a bumper chat about Argentina and just how little Sam knows about any of the other teams involved.

In the final CLUB football HOP of 2022, Sam, English Dan and Andrés look back on two weeks that have seen Boca Juniors clinch the league title after a deciding day on which neither of the title contenders managed to win and, far more historically, Patronato de la Juventud Católica become the first non-directly affiliated club in Argentine football history to win a top-level national trophy by beating Talleres in the Copa Argentina final, meaning they'll play in the 2023 Copa Libertadores from the second division.

This week Sam, English Dan, Santi and Andrés gather to discuss three rounds of Liga Profesional action and preview Sunday's two title-deciding Big Five clásicos – will Boca Juniors lift the trophy as expected, or can Independiente get a result in the Bombonera which could put Racing's title hopes in their own hands as they host River Plate? We also look at the Independiente presidential elections of a couple of weeks ago with Santi's wisdom, and discuss the news that Marcelo Gallardo is stepping down as River manager.

Atlético Tucumán remain top of the league by the skin of their teeth: this week Sam and Dan review two rounds of matches in which the leaders lost one and won one, but currently sit atop the table due to Gimnasia v Boca, which kicked off just after we finished recording, having to be called off due to heavy-handed policing (seemingly after too many tickets were sold). We look back on bucketloads of goals in Racing's matches and give an explanation of the relegation system for anyone who's joined us in the last couple of years (i.e. since it was last used).