Yankees get sent down to AAA league (AKA Ri'B'er relegated)

OK, no.

But the equivalent might happen in Argentina.

Storied River Plate might get sent down to the second division. In argentine soccer this is nearly impossible, since you have to be really bad for three years in a row. When the economy tanked, they sold a bunch of their young players overseas, which resulted in three years so abysmal that they are now in a three way relegation playoff and must win to survive.

Boca may have sealed their fate today by tying Gymnasia which means River has to play a tougher schedule in the relegation round robin.

Boca fans are ecstatic, but they shouldn't be. If Boca has another season like the last, they will be in the same boat next year.[b]

Superclassico in the second division?

Haha

That would at least be better than the possibility of no Superclasico at all next year.

Here's one of many articles on the subject, which I use only because Boca's Martín Palermo figures in.

He played his last match in that Gimnasia contest.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/timvickery/2011/06/vickery_24.html

No respectable Argentine futbol intrigue would be complete without the involvement of AFA head, don Julio Grondona.

He came out today saying River has the best chance of avoiding relegation of the 6 teams involved.

He should know.



It hasn't escaped anyone that he makes the referee assignments for the playoffs, and he and his family own Estudiantes and Arsenal de SarandÍ. River would bring in bigger gates than any of the D2 teams that might move up.

That immediately angered Olimpo president Alfredo Dagna, who hinted Grondona may have been expressing a preference that a giant club like River should stay in the first division.
"I don't like this," Dagna said.

I'll bet he doesn't.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2011-06-172979736446_x.htm

Anticlimax with respect to Grondona.

He assigned Nestor Pitana, one of Argentina's most respected refs to the first leg against Belgrano (Córdoba). Pitana is the front runner to be Argentina's World Cup referee contribution for the next couple cups.


http://worldreferee.com/site/match.php?refID=4248


River has to at least come out even against Belgrano to avoid relegation. A tie over the two games keeps the teams where they are.

But though River qualified this year for next seasoon's Libertadores, the AFA took that prestigious appointment away from them because of the relegation possibility.

In Córdoba:

(25') Belgrano 1 : 0 River Plate

That score holds till the half.

OMG!

Belgrano wins 2:0 over River.

River has to win the next game by 2 goals to stay in the Primera division. It will be at River's Monumental stadium ( Estadio Antonio Vespucio Liberti)

There was a Pitch invasion in Córdoba after Belgrano's second goal which delayed the game for 20 minutes. There is talk of playing the second game to an empty stadium, which would take away River's 50k fan advantage.



In the other relegation battle, Huruacán got relegated when they lost to Gimnasia.

Gimnasia now must play San Martín de Santa Fé to decide which of those teams bumps up to the top league.

Wow... this really is pretty damn monumental.

I mean around the world West Ham getting relegated this year is historically significant, but they are no way the giant River Plate is. BUT it affords us 2 derby matches between the two teams that the wise sage Harry Redknapp said should never play each other again.... http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2608725/Harry-Redknapp-says-West-Ham-and-Millwall-must-never-meet-again-in-a-Cup-match.html

it's actually bigger than the Yankees getting sent down

Since the top division was formed in 1931 River has put 33 championships on the mantle. The Yanks have 34 pennants and only 24 World series wins in that time (27 since 1901).

And about 30% of all the fans in the country call themselves River fans (40% are Boca supporters), as opposed to ...what?.4% rooting for the Bronx Bombers? If you want to strike up a conversation in BA all you have to do is utter the words ¿River o Boca? and the animation starts.

Soon the Millionarios might be a B team with a 19 million dollar debt and the biggest stadium in the country to keep up. The struggle will be hard to get back from. There already have been assaults on the River players and officialdom at the airport and calls for club President Passarela's ouster, though he has actually reduced their debt and brought respectability for this season.


Three Belgrano players got cautioned (4 for River) but the Belgrano players all reached the 5 card threshold and will be suspended for the return match, which smells a little fishy.

Don Julio? Was that you?

Another article:

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/sports/2011/06/24/police-scatter-demonstrators-with-water-cannons/

I take issue with this quote-

Violence is endemic in Argentine football"

Only 13 people have been killed this year in futbol related trouble.

Wow... All the moats and barbed wire lined fields and fans still find their way on being so disgusted with the club....



And can you imagine the US ever allowing reporters to stick a mic in the face of the ref as he explains his decisions to players and coaches?? HA, maybe they should!

Not only that, but those were RIVER supporters. They traveled 400+ miles to cut through the fences.

DaTruRochin wrote:
And can you imagine the US ever allowing reporters to stick a mic in the face of the ref as he explains his decisions to players and coaches?? HA, maybe they should!

John Spencer has expressed interest in this. Especially if Abby Okulaja ever works in Portland again.

The relegation final is on the inter webs at

Http://www.upstream.tv/channel/cn23tv

Score is River 1:0 Belgrano at the half.

River needs to win by 2

Belgrano had an early goal disallowed for an early (suspect) hand ball. Replay doesn't show it, fueling AFA conspiracy theories.

So Argentine.

Oooh

Belgrano missed on a wide open chip over the keeper..

1:1 Belgrano scores on the counter!

Virtually seals relegation for River with 29' left

River averages a goal every 100' or so.

Now a River PK for a push in the box. Previous River penalty ignored.

And the PK is...


(EEK! web advert.)


SAVED BY BELGRANO KEEPER!

River keeper is playing 1/4 way up the field. Almost got pooched again.

20' left

Shocked looks on the faces of River fans.

Last minute plus extra time..

None given.


It's over. River Plate is a Nacional "B" team.


OMG 110 years in the toilet.


sad day for La Banda Roja and Argentine futbol

This was like watching the Titanic go down...


Had plans to see a Superclasico next Spring.

Need a new idea.

As an afterthought, Nacional "B" San Martîn de San Juan is up on Club Gimnasia y Esgrima de Córdoba by a score of 1:0 deep in the second half in the other relegation duel ( 1st leg).

Not a good day for the Primera "A" teams.

gimnasia's name might be a clue. It means Gymnastics and fencing club.

it's on at

Http://copa-america-vivo.blogspot.com

Same ref (Pitana) as the first River game.

The score holds. Gimnasia has to win the return leg or they follow River.

The return leg is Thursday in La Plata.

Passarella: 'We thought we'd be able to stay up, but well... yesterday I spoke to Matías [Almeyda] & told him the view has already changed.'

It was only 24 hrs after relegation that River's brass realized they might not stay in the "A" league.

Sports owners and board members are just the biggest fans of the game, that's what makes them so likable/accessible...