Transfer Market News + Summer Friendlies

Hello from the 38 degrees Buenos Aires ! (picture above is Mar del Plata, about 400 km from here)

I definitely can't remember a more quiet Summer market.
Teams are only allowed to add up to 2 new players, but with the very little available in the market that is worth and not much money around as usual, so there has been very little news worth mentioning.

Some of them:

* Not many new players...but a lot of coaches changes !
The most important one is probably veteran Alfio Basile (ex Argentina NT in 2 periods, Boca and many many others) returning to his "1st love", Racing. Lots of expectations that he will be the one to use the potential of this team.
Another coach who returned to his beloved club is Gerardo Martino (recently coached Paraguay NT in the 2010 World Cup), joining Newell's, the team where he played almost his whole career.
Also Jorge Da Silva jumped from Godoy Cruz (they hired 1986 World Cup Champion Nery Pumpido) to Banfield,

* One of the few teams that already has 2 new players is Velez, who lost veteran striker Guillermo Franco (went to Mexico's Pachuca) but added playmaker Federico Insua (was playing in Turkey) and striker Mauro Obolo, who comes from a couple of successful seasons playing for Arsenal.

* Experienced Uruguayan striker Carlos Bueno (scored 21 goals for Mexico's Queretaro in 2011) joined San Lorenzo, who hopes to have a good semester that makes them avoid the promotion playoffs. Also left defender German Voboril returned from his loan to Godoy Cruz, who tried to keep him until the last minute before he decided to play for San Lorenzo again.

* Playmaker Martin Morel (ex Tigre, good but very irregular player) joined All Boys and Leandro Gracian (ex Velez, Boca, also a very irregular playmaker) will play for Colon.

* The Apertura champion Boca is still looking for a scorer. They wanted Obolo but he already signed for Velez, so now they are pointing at Godoy Cruz's Ruben Ramirez and Fiorentina's Santiago Silva.

The usual mini Summer friendly tournaments start tonight with Racing and Estudiantes playing in the seaside city Mar del Plata.
This will be the full schedule (many other informal friendlies are usually played), including the extremely expected 2 meetings between Apertura champion Boca and (now 2nd division) River Plate:

Copa Ciudad Mar del Plata Elaion YPF 2012 (Estadio José M. Minella, Mar del Plata)

Tuesday January 10
22.10-- Racing Club-Estudiantes de La Plata

Saturday January 14
22.10-- River Plate-Estudiantes de La Plata

Jueves 19 de enero
22.10-- River Plate-Racing Club

Copa de Oro Elaion YPF 2012 (Estadio José M. Minella, Mar del Plata)

Thursday January 12
22.10-- San Lorenzo-Independiente

Tuesday January 17
22.10-- Boca Juniors-San Lorenzo

Saturday January 21
22.10-- Boca Juniors-Independiente


Copa Provincia de Buenos Aires Elaion YPF 2012 (Estadio José M. Minella, Mar del Plata)

Saturday January 28
22.10-- Independiente-Racing Club


Copa Ciudad de Mendoza Elaion YPF 2012 (Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, Mendoza)

Friday January 20
22.10-- Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba-San Martín de San Juan

Monday January 23
22.10-- San Lorenzo-San Martín de San Juan

Thursday January 26
22.10-- Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba-San Lorenzo


Copa Luis B. Nofal (in Estadio Centenario, de Resistencia, Chaco; and in Estadio Malvinas Argentinas, de Mendoza)

Wednesday January 25
22.10-- Boca Juniors-River Plate (Chaco)

Sunday January 29
22.10-- Boca Juniors-River Plate (Mendoza)