Hand Of Pod

Hand Of Pod episode 119 sees Sam and Andrés discuss the very low number of away wins so far this season, as home sides continue to get by far the better results. Maxi Rodríguez scored a fantastic winner to get Newell's one of the few away wins last weekend, and Newell's are one of only three sides to have managed more than one away win in the league this season. We also discuss River Plate's ongoing struggles to find form and the other highlights of a low-scoring weekend, before turning our eye on Independiente's campaign in the B so far - El Rojo are now five matches unbeaten, having endured an awful start to the season. Questions include 'why fernet?' and 'is Caruso Lombardi really the Argentine Mourinho?'

The hundred-and-eighteenth episode of Hand Of Pod is recorded unusually early in the day, and features only two voices: those of Sam and English Dan. We discuss River Plate getting upset by refereeing (and why they've only themselves to blame for not winning the match anyway), Boca Juniors being perhaps a tad better than we've given them credit for - at least at home to crap opponents - and the crap opponents in question: Racing, who continue to be awful following the introduction of Carlos Ischia as manager. All this and much more - and it's only 47 minutes long this week! How we spoil you sometimes.

The hundred-and-seventeenth episode of Hand Of Pod sees Sam, Joel and Andrés discussing Argentina's confirmation of their place in the Brazil 2014 World Cup, courtesy of an historic 5-2 away win over Paraguay on Tuesday night. After that, we move on to review a surprise-filled weekend of Torneo Inicial action which saw Mystic Sam get only one prediction correct. River Plate's attack finally clicked (as did Olimpo's), Racing avoided defeat, Newell's were tonked by Vélez Sarsfield and more. Independiente also managed their first win in the B on Monday evening, a fact we completely forgot to mention even in passing. There's always next week...

The hundred-and-sixteenth episode of Hand Of Pod sees Sam welcome German/Swiss/Chinese Dan (who is actually English) to his living room, as well as Andrés Bruckner, who makes his HOP debut. Also appearing is Sam's brother William, who's in town for a couple of months. Topics up for discussion are Racing and Independiente's new managers - both have been announced since we last recorded - Argentinos Juniors' fine start to the season, River Plate's continuing awfulness, Estudiantes' renaissance, and the various Copa Sudamericana ties (as this episode is uploaded, River and San Lorenzo are approaching half time in the second leg of theirs). The uploading of this episode was delayed by Jewish new year festivities - Sam's girlfriend is Jewish - so a belated Shana Tová to all our Jewish listeners!

It was an historic weekend in Argentina; for the first time ever, all of the Big Five - River Plate, Boca Juniors, Racing, Independiente and San Lorenzo - lost in the same round of matches. So inevitably, this week's Hand Of Pod, which features Sam and English Dan, focusses on the grandes and their varying states of disarray, with both Avellaneda clubs having fired their managers (since our recording, Omar De Felippe has been confirmed as new Independiente boss). We also consider with incredulity the fact that Ricardo Caruso Lombardi's Argentinos Juniors are still up near the top of the table, and have exclusive not-live coverage of the second half of Newell's Old Boys v Gimnasia La Plata, which was being played as we were recording.

We're only three rounds into the season, but all the same it's a little bizarre to be looking at a league table and seeing Argentinos Juniors on top of it. In the hundred and fourteenth episode of Hand Of Pod, Santiago sings the praises of their manager Ricardo Caruso Lombardi, Sam continues to get exasperated by River Plate's eternal struggles to get Teo Gutiérrez registered to play, and Joel is the usual voice of calm reason. We also consider Boca Juniors' and Estudiantes de La Plata's improvement, why Rosario Central haven't yet lived up to the promise of the opening weekend, and how much trouble Luis Zubeldía is in at Racing, as well as Gerardo Martino's barely acceptable start as Barcelona manager. Listeners' questions include whether Lionel Messi really needs to win a World Cup before he'll be considered better than Diego Maradona.

Episode 113 of Hand Of Pod sees Sam, English Dan and Joel review the first two rounds of the 2013 Torneo Inicial, in which we've learned that River Plate still have a lot of improving to do, Boca Juniors' defence might be as bad as it was during the first half of the year, and San Lorenzo could well be the team to beat this term. There have been mixed showings from Godoy Cruz and Rosario Central among others, and Mystic Sam has had an equally turbulent time; from 7/9 in the first round to 2/9 in the second. His predictions for round 3 - and for Boca Juniors v Newell's Old Boys in the postponed first round match - are towards the end of the pod, as usual.

The hundred-and-twelfth episode of Hand Of Pod sees Sam and Santiago reviewing the couple of weeks of transfer activity that have followed episode 111, and previewing the 2013 Torneo Inicial. First, we answer the question on everyone's lips: 'What is a Gerardo Martino, and why has it been chosen to manage FC Barcelona?' after which we get into the important stuff. You know - the domestic stuff. Who have been the winners and losers in terms of players out and in? Which club have decided to get around restrictions on non-Argentine players by, erm, completely ignoring said restrictions? Can Boca possibly do any worse than they did in the first six months of the year? And how have the AFA managed to make twats of themselves since you last heard from us? Step this way, and we'll fill you in.

The hundred-and-eleventh episode of Hand Of Pod sees Sam, English Dan and Santi meet for a mid-winter fernet and to discuss Newell's Old Boys' exit from the Copa Libertadores, the AFA's bizarre decisions regarding the validity of championships won both this year and back in 1936, violence at Independiente, where the club president was attacked by the barra brava a couple of weeks ago, and various winter break transfer issues. In a couple of weeks, we'll be back to preview the 2013 Torneo Inicial.

The hundred-and-tenth episode of Hand Of Pod sees Sam, English Dan and Joel meet to look back on a memorable Torneo Final - what seemed like an emphatic championship win for Newell's even though they only ended up three points clear of second placed River Plate, San Martín's last day relegation, Boca Juniors' hideous campaign, River's qualified success - and forward to the main talking points of the winter break. We ask which players will be moving on and staying, what the main movers and shakers have to do with their squads, and attempt to explain how continental qualification works. There's also the Hand Of Pod Best XI of the championship, and a look at how the Torneo Final would have looked had every match gone exactly as Mystic Sam predicted...