Golazo March 2018 Awards: Manager, Player & Goal of the month

· by · in superliga 2017/18, Uncategorized. ·

Boca Juniors now of course look almost certain to retain their league title but during March, Talleres at least made thing interesting with a run that at least made their meeting at La Bombonera this past weekend a decider of sorts. With Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s set to lift the title and Arsenal and the relegation candidates virtually certain only the battle for 2019 Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana places retains any real drama in the Superliga.

Godoy Cruz’s fine form has seen them crash the Libertadores party but the grandes of San Lorenzo, Racing Club and Independiente are all in the mix with Unión, Huracán and Argentinos Juniors leading the way in the Sudamericana places just below.

One side looking to break into those positions is River Plate, who have appear to have rediscovered their form (of sorts) after triumphing against Boca in the Supercopa Argentina. Pity Martínez and Nacho Scocco scored to give Los Millonarios victory over their fierce rivals in Mendoza and Gallardo’s boys have since rattled off three straight Superliga wins.

Boca and River along with Argentina’s four other representatives (Racing, Independiente, Estudiantes and Atlético Tucumán) all got their Copa Libertadores campaigns up and running with varying degrees of success and the ludicrously timetabled Sudamericana rumbled on.

Argentina were also in action with two friendlies to help Jorge Sampaoli finalise his World Cup plans but while victory over Italy provided reason for optimism, a record-equalling 6-1 defeat to Spain highlighted just how much La Albiceleste still have to do.

Days before those games, Argentine football grieved over the death of the great René Houseman. The 1978 World Cup winner losing his battle to cancer at the age of 64.

Manager of the month

While Chacarita Juniors look set for a swift return to the Nacional B, the team they were promoted with, Argentinos Juniors are battling for Copa Sudamericana qualification. Alfredo Berti deserves enormous credit for how Los Bichos have performed on their return to the top flight.

A narrow defeat away to Independiente the only mark on Argentinos Juniors’ record during March as Los Bichos defeated Boca and chalked up deserved wins over Newell’s and Gimnasia. Berti’s young side attack at speed and have caused problems for every Superliga side this season.

Player of the month

San Lorenzo have overcome something of a sticky patch to reclaim second in the table and the recent success of Claudio Biaggio’s side has been built on the defence. Unbeaten in five and only a single goal conceded in that period, Los Cuervos now have the best defensive record in the Superliga and it has allowed San Lorenzo to recover their form and look set to secure 2019 Copa Libertadores football.

Matías Caruzzo has been superb but Fabricio Coloccini also deserves praise after looking to be leaving the club only to re-establish himself as a first-choice centre-back.

Goal of the month

a) Leonardo Sequeira – BELGRANO v Patronato

b) Germán Herrera – CENTRAL v Godoy Cruz

c) Damián Batallini – ARGENTINOS JUNIORS v Boca

d) Nahuel Barrios – SAN LORENZO v Olimpo

e) Marcelo Benítez – BELGRANO v Racing

Best skill

Lautaro Martínez – RACING v Patronato

Worst tackle

Martín Minadevino – LOS ANDES v Brown

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