We are going to beat River Plate. This is my feeling and also my prediction and is also shared by my fellow fans. The match will be played at a packed stadium on Sunday. We are going to teach River Plate a lesson. The game will be played at the Olimpico de Cordoba. Match Prediction: 1-0 to Belgrano.
Every now and then I will post about some of our famous fans. This first post is dedicated to Rodrigo "El Potro" Bueno a very popular singer loved by the masses. In his heyday, he made the whole country dance and was never shy of claiming to be a Belgrano supporter. He was often spotted in the stadium among the fans chanting and supporting our team. Sadly, he is no longer with us but his soul wanders around every time Belgrano play. This short video goes to his memory. Enjoy a few pictures and a taste of his music (NOTE: Be patient and wait until the end of the video where he appears in full Belgrano gear!)
It was a difficult away fixture against Velez and we came up short. Belgrano did not have the best performance and Velez played a solid match. The first half saw Velez dominate the game through a good display of their two wingers. Lucas Castroman was a constant threat and although he missed a penalty he opened the scoring with an excellent header. Belgrano came out strong for the second half but their efforts were not enough. It seemed as though we were finding too difficult to create scoring chances. All was ended when Velez scored the second goal after a quick counterattack. Belgrano host River Plate in the next fixture. What a good opportunity to get back to winning ways!
Goals: 29' Lucas Castroman (VEL), 81' Ivan Moreno y Fabianesi (VEL)
Man of the match (MOTM): Lucas Castroman (VEL)
Highlights of the match to follow...
It is well known that our stadium (pictured above) needs to be expanded. Firstly, because we love to play in Alberdi. And second, because we need to have a stadium in accordance to the calibre of clubs we are likely to face in the present and in the future. This year both Boca and River are visiting us and next year we may well host Palmeiras, Colo Colo or America. Our chairman Armando Perez, has delighted the fans by stating that the stadium is going to be expanded in the near future. Although no official date has been set for the starting of the works, the feeling is that the stadium should be ready for the next year. These are very good news for Belgrano!
Image source: www.stadionwelt.de
Belgrano is up against Velez Sarfield this Saturday. The match will be played at Estadio Jose Amalfitani. Our coach Mario Griguol has decided to include Jorge Cervera into the squad replacing Mariano Campodonico who is suspended. A very good number of Belgrano supporters (as is always the case) is expected to travel to Buenos Aires to cheer the team. Match Prediction: 1-1.
Hey guys, check this out. This video will show you one of the reasons why we are one of the biggest and most popular club in Argentina. Make sure your audio is on and I assure that, even if you dont understand the chants, the emotion you feel is unique. UN-BE-LIE-VA-BLE !!! Please let me know your comments and thoughts.
In what was a predictably close match, Belgrano were unable to capitalize the chances they had to win the match. It was an even match that saw Belgrano had the upper hand in the first half while Nueva Chicago had some good chances to win it all in the second half. All in all, the result was a fair reflection of the match. The result places Belgrano in fifth position in what is so far a very good campaign that is being praised by commentators. Next up are Velez in Buenos Aires.
Goals: 35' Mariano Campodonico (BEL) , 52' Cesar Carranza (NCH)
Man of the match (MOTM): Cesar Carranza (NCH)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U14mv9nLzI (Click for highlights. Audio in Spanish)
A crucial game. Belgrano against Nueva Chicago at the Olimpico de Cordoba. Two teams that are currently enjoying a good start will square off in what promises to be a very tight affair. The match will be played in a packed stadium (as is always the case when Belgrano plays home) and we all hope for a win (even if we score a goal with the knee in extra time!!!). Match Prediction: 3-1 to Belgrano.
Come on boys!!!
These are our official shirts. The main shirt is all light blue. I just love the color of this shirt and I think it looks very nice on a football pitch. The alternative shirt is black with light blue (or cyan) details. The current sponsor is Lotto but talks are being held with other sponsors at the moment. Dont they look nice? Yes, they do. And when you put on one of these, you become one of the Pirates.
If you like them and would like to have your own official Belgrano shirt, go to Planeta Activo (in Spanish but they ship internationally). They stock a large range of footie products and of course Belgrano official merchandise.
Belgrano managed to get an important point in its visit to Godoy Cruz. The game was very contested from the beginning with both teams looking to secure vital points in the fight against relegation. Godoy Cruz started stronger and they made an early breakthrough 5 minutes into the game when Enzo Perez scored after a gruesome mistake from Arriola. Belgrano was rocked by this early goal and the next 20 minutes saw Godoy Cruz dominate the game creating a few good chances. It was then when Belgrano started to take control of the game fuelled by the growing influence of its midfielders particulary Bolatti and Manzanelli. It wasn't long until the deserved goal came our way and it was through a beautiful header by Mariano Campodonico who played from the start for the first time. The first half came to a close leaving the match wide open for the second half. Godoy Cruz came out all gunz blazing but it couldn't break a spirited Belgrano's defense. Each side had their chances to break the deadlock but in the end the draw was a fair reflection of the proceedings of the match. It was a good point for Godoy Cruz which scored their first goal in six matches and it was also a good point for Belgrano which keeps the team in a top-6 position in the League table and in safe position in the relegation table.
Goals: 5' Enzo Perez (GOD), 36' Mariano Campodonico (BEL)
Man of the match (MOTM): Mario Bolatti (BEL)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaFkPYeDYWY (Click for highlights. Audio in Spanish)
Big match today for Belgrano. The kickoff is at 16.30 (Argentine time) and the match takes place at the Estadio Mundialista in Mendoza, Argentina. Belgrano are currently enjoying a three match unbeaten run and a win today would put the team in a very good position in the Torneo Apertura. Match Prediction: 2-1 to Belgrano.
Come on boys!!!
BELGRANO
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Belgrano edged Gimnasia y Esgrima (La Plata) in a closely fought match in front of a large crowd at the Estadio Olimpico de Cordoba. The result took a definitive turn when Belgrano scored in the first half through a superb free-kick from Jose Luis Serrizuela. While Gimnasia had a few scoring chances in the end of the first half, Belgrano could and should have put the result beyond doubt in the second half. No less than 4 scoring chances were missed in the second half in which Gimnasia saw a man sent off. The win places Belgrano in a very expectant position with 10 points in 5 games. Next up is Godoy Cruz from Mendoza.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOFhhB8qWF8 (Click for highlights. Audio in Spanish)
These are several pics of our stadium. It is called El Gigante de Alberdi ("The Giant of Alberdi") where Alberdi refers to the historic neighbourhood that plays host to the iconic monument. The stadium was officially opened on the 17th March, 1929. It is the oldest stadium in the city of Cordoba and one of the oldest all-concrete stadia in the country. Surrounded by the traditional neighbourhood of Alberdi, it stands tall overlooking the Suquia river. Because of the limited capacity (around 28.000), Belgrano is often forced to play at the Olimpico de Cordoba which is better suited to accommodate the massive Belgrano fan base. Currently, there are plans for a refurbishment and expansion of the Gigante.
A brief note about the election of the language. It may seem a bit odd to find a blog supporting an Argentine club written in English. My intention is to post in English most of the time, although eventually I may post links or articles written in Spanish. Two reasons are behind my decision to post in English. First, I would like to introduce and make known the club I support to an international community. Second, I wanted to if not innovate at least be original in the way I support my club. Having said this, I will naturally accept comments and other posts (and suggestions) in both English and Spanish. You know as they say, footy vanishes cultural barriers. So we may hope for a strong supporting to our club, whether in English, Spanish or Esperanto.
