Hand Of Pod

This week, Sam is joined by English Dan, Tony and Andrés to look forward to Sunday evening's Copa Diego Armando Maradona final between Boca Juniors and Banfield (and at how they got there) and to review Boca's and River Plate's eliminations from the Copa Libertadores.

Happy new year! In this week's HOP Sam is joined by English Dan and Santi for a quick roundup of the most relevant action in the Copa Diego Maradona over the Christmas and new year period (including a very entertaining 2-2 draw between Boca Juniors and River Plate), and a look back on the first legs of the Copa Libertadores semi-finals, which saw River get humped by Palmeiras and Boca involved in a cagey draw at home to Santos (since we recorded it's been reported that Santos goalkeeper John was positive for COVID-19 during the match).

This week's HOP is our last episode of 2020, but Argentine football isn't quite done yet – unusually, matches continue throughout the summer in the Copa Diego Armando Maradona, Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores. Sam, English Dan, Santi and Andrés look back on the action since we last recorded and set the scene for what's to come. We'll be back in the new year to update you on what's transpired between now and then, but our Patreon supporters will be getting short updates from Sam every week during our break – if you'd like to join them (or to give someone a subscription for Christmas?) get on over to www.patreon.com/handofpod/. See you in the new year!

Alejandro Sabella, who managed Argentina to the final of the 2014 World Cup, died on Tuesday. In this week's Hand Of Pod, Sam, Santi, Tony, English Dan and Andrés begin by looking back on his life in football, before reviewing the action over the last week in the various Copas – Diego Maradona, Libertadores and Sudamericana – that Argentine sides are involved in at present.

After the emotion of last week, this week Sam, Tony, Santi and Andrés return to Earth with a look at what's gone on in the Copa Diego Armando Maradona, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana and women's top flight since we last recorded.

If you're listening to this podcast in the week it comes out, you know what it's about. On Wednesday 25th November 2020, Diego Maradona died. In this week's HOP Sam, English Dan, Santi, Tony, Andrés and Seba put aside talk about recent matches for an extended talk about the life, career and impact of a player who captured the popular imagination like few – if any – others both at home and around the world. Diego Maradona, QEPD.

In this week's HOP, Sam, English Dan, Santi, Andrés and (for the first few minutes, before he gets cut off) Tony look back on a World Cup qualifying double header which again saw Argentina look a bit iffy at home but impress away, before reviewing the latest round of Copa de la Liga Profesional de Fútbol action.

At the end of this week, HOP turns ten years old, and we're celebrating with a bumper episode. Sam, English Dan, Tony, Andrés and Santi review the recent action from the Copa Sudamericana and Copa de la Liga Profesional de Fútbol, consider the thorny issue of how clubs should deal with players awaiting trial in a country with a legal system which moves as slowly as Argentina's and bid farewell to Fernando Gago, who announced his retirement shortly before we recorded. We also look forward to Argentina's upcoming World Cup qualifying double header and look back on our favourite memories of Argentine football (and the podcast) over the last decade.

It's been a long, long lockdown here in Buenos Aires, but last weekend Argentine domestic football finally returned, and in this week's episode Sam, English Dan, Tony, Andrés and Santi look back on the first weekend of the Copa de la Liga Profesional de Fútbol, a mini-tournament for the top flight clubs which will keep us entertained (after a fashion) for the next couple of months. We also discuss the Copa Sudamericana and the national team.

No recording last week means Sam, English Dan, Tony, Andrés and Santi have two weeks of action to catch up on in this week's HOP. We look back on Argentina's first two matches in the men's World Cup qualifiers and also review the last round of Copa Libertadores group action and the draw for the knockout stage, as well as looking at the Copa Sudamericana draw. And there's a bit of news about the upcoming Copa de la Liga Profesional, which kicks off at the end of next week.