San Lorenzo just won Argentina's Clausura championship by beating Arsenal de Sarandi (not to be confused with London's more famous Arsenal Football Club) 4-2. It's their first Argentine championship since 2001. Congratulations must go to San Lorenzo, one of the biggest clubs in Buenos Aires & the whole of Argentina, & some credit should go to their coach Ramon Diaz for moulding a consistent, championship-winning squad.San Lorenzo headed into the game needing a win to be assured of the title. They raced out of the blocks & grabbed 2-0 lead through goals by defender Christian Tula & young striker Ezequiel Lavezzi. However, Arsenal de Sarandi pegged them back with 2 goals from forward Mauro Obolo, & at half-time the score was 2-2. In the second half, Gaston Fernandez (another young forward) scored twice (the second one, a penalty) to win the match & secure the championship for San Lorenzo with 1 game to spare. Both Lavezzi & Fernandez will surely feature for the Argentinian national team in time to come, perhaps at the Copa America later this month.
The league format in Argentina is different from most European domestic leagues. In Argentina, the 20 clubs that make up Argentina's top division (Primera División) play 2 tournaments each year: the Clausura (February to June) & the Apertura (August to December). In each tournament, the clubs play each other once. The format means that there are 2 champions each season. Argentina does not have any official Cup competition, unlike many European countries (e.g. FA Cup in England, Copa del Rey in Spain).
San Lorenzo's triumph in the Clausura 2007 came on the back of the Apertura 2006 victory by Estudiantes de la Plata in December 2006. I would think that these recent developments are a welcome change from the usual dominance of Argentina's 2 biggest clubs, Boca Juniors & River Plate. Their championship success means that San Lorenzo (whose colours are quite similar to Barcelona's) will take part in next season's Copa Libertadores, which is South America's equivalent of UEFA Champions League. That is the one competition which San Lorenzo has never won (they won the Copa Mercosur in 2001 & Copa Sudamericana in 2002), & they will surely be keen to add that to their trophy cabinet. I wish them the best of luck & certainly would certainly like to see them hold aloft the Copa Libertadores in 2008. Oh, and next year would be San Lorenzo's centenary year, as the club was founded in 1908. Perhaps it will be an added incentive for them to go for the Copa Libertadores. Vamos San Lorenzo.
San Lorenzo footballers celebrate a goal.
San Lorenzo coach Ramon Diaz & the squad celebrate winning the Argentine championship.
Gaston Fernandez celebrates San Lorenzo's triumph.
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