Summer tournaments are no longer what they used to be: from Francescoli’s Chilean to the Río de la Plata Series which starts today

Summer tournaments are already a thing of the past for Argentine football. So much so now many Argentine teams cross the ocean and the friendlies will be played in Uruguay, a competition that bears the name of Río de la Plata Series (this is in its third edition) in which 21 teams from five countries participate, 9 from Uruguay, 9 from Argentina and one from Brazil, Chile and Peru.

Mar del Plata was the square that reigned for more than three decadeswith the presence of most of the big teams in the country and luxury guests, especially from Eastern Europe in times of the Cold War. Before the 78 World Cup the Argentine national team participated, after the 86 World Cup the Polish national team arrived (for which Enzo Francescoli scored a memorable overhead kick goal). Before ’78 the games were played at the General Pueyrredón Municipal Stadium, then at the José María Minella World Cup.

Then they joined together other placesAS Cordoba, Mendoza, Salta and San Juan. But since 2020 the Torneos y Competencias company has ceased to be an organizational part, they have been dismantled and, after the pandemic and the decline of Aldosivi, the Minella was almost in a state of abandonment. Furthermore, with major teams holding preseasons abroad, especially in the United States, the landscape changed completely.

The first tournament in Mar del Plata was played in 1968replicating the successful night tournaments that took place in Buenos Aires between 1936 and 1944 (four editions) in which Central and Newell’s participated before joining the AFA (1939) and Nacional and Peñarol, as well as Boca, River, Racing, Independiente, San Lorenzo, Huracán and Estudiantes.

The first edition of the Serie Río de la Plata will be played in 2022, which had 19 teams, 8 from Uruguay, 8 from Argentina and 3 from Chile; Last year there were 20 clubs from four countries, 11 local, 7 Argentinian, one from Peru and another from Ecuador. This year the 21 teams will play 25 games. There is no champion. In every match there is a different cup in dispute, by some prominent football personality.

Of the 25 matches, 20 will have at least one Uruguayan protagonist, there will be two Nacional-Peñarol classics and five matches between teams from other countries, two of which between Argentinians (San Lorenzo-Gimnasia y Esgrima and Vélez Sarsfield-Belgrano di Córdoba) and three between foreign teams from two different countries (Rosario Central-Colo-Colo, Vasco da Gama-San Lorenzo and Unión de Santa Fe-Universidad César Vallejo).

San Lorenzo is the only one of the five teams considered traditionally great to participate in the series. River is in preseason in Florida (United States) and will play two friendlies in Dallas, on Wednesday the 17th against Rayados de Monterrey and on the 20th against Pachuca. Boca, however, will play two friendlies in the country, on Saturday 13th in Salta against Gimnasia y Tiro and on Saturday 20th in Córdoba against Talleres.

Racing, however, will play three friendly matches behind closed doors at the Cilindro: Saturday 13th with Admiral BrownWednesday 17th with Godoy Cruz and Saturday 20th with Lanus.

Independiente, after the frustrating pre-season in Miami, is working in the Ezeiza headquarters and has already confirmed two matches in its stadium: Saturday 13th with Melgar from Peru and Wednesday 17th with Sarmiento.

In addition to all the friendly matches preceding the start of the League Cup, the Pre-Olympic football tournament which will qualify two South American teams for the Paris Olympic Games will be played in Venezuela from 20 January to 11 February. Javier Mascherano’s team will have the presence of the two jewels of Argentine football: Claudio Echeverri and Valentín Barco, both purchased from English football, that of River from Manchester City and that of Boca from Brighton. This Wednesday 10th, starting at 9.30, they will play a friendly match against Argentinos Juniors at the Ezeiza stadium, behind closed doors.

The days and times of the 25 matches.

• Wednesday 10 January: River Plate (U) vs. Newell’s – 5.45pm
• Thursday 11 January. hill against Vélez – 9pm
• Friday 12 January: Cerro Largo vs. Gymnastics – 9pm
• Saturday 13 January: Liverpool (U) vs. Rosario Central – 5.45pm and Nacional (U) vs. Union – 10.30pm
• Sunday 14 January: River Plate (U) vs. Vélez – 8pm and Peñarol-v. Newell’s – 10.15pm
• Monday 15 January: Cerro Largo vs. Atlético Tucumán – 8pm and San Lorenzo-v. Gymnastics – 10.15pm
• Tuesday 16 January: Danubio-Huracán – 5.45pm, Defensor Sporting-Unión – 8.00pm and Colo – Colo-Colo vs. Rosario Central – 10.15pm
• Wednesday 17 January: Velez vs. Belgrano – 7.30pm
• Thursday 18 January: Liverpool (U) vs. Hurricane – 5.45pm, Danube vs. Atlético Tucumán – 8pm and San Lorenzo-Vasco da Gama – 10.15pm.
• Friday 19 January: Union vs. César Vallejo University – 5.45pm, Defensor Sporting vs. Rosario Central – 8pm and Nacional vs. Colo – Colo – 10.15pm
• Saturday 20 January: Peñarol vs. Belgrano – 9.30pm
• Sunday 21 January: Deportivo Maldonado vs. Vasco da Gama – 9.30pm
• Monday 22 January: The Sporting defender vs. César Vallejo University – 10.15pm
• Tuesday 23 January: Peñarol vs. National – 9.30pm