Nick Dorrington - Freelance Journalist

Argentine Table

2008-11-08T05:50:00.001-08:00

The Future of Brazil's Midfield is at Manchester United and Liverpool - Published 24/12/07

2007-12-24T04:08:00.000-08:00

21st November 2007: the half-time whistle in the 2010 World Cup qualifying game between Brazil and Uruguay is met with a cacophony of boos from the Maracanã crowd, disenchanted with the performance of their side, despite Luis Fabiano’s equaliser just before the break. Although Brazil went on the win the game 2-1 with a second from Fabiano, the growing disillusionment with the national side was plain to see and it has prompted many to analyse just where they are going wrong.

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Tottenham, West Ham, Everton, Newcastle United, Manchester City, Portsmouth, And Others Get Ready To Feed On Valencia’s Scraps - Published 21/12/07

2007-12-21T08:18:00.000-08:00

With Ronald Koeman seemingly ready to discard a number of his first-team squad following a recent poor run of results, some established international players could become available in January and there are a number of Premiership clubs already lining up the victims of Koeman’s cull.

Here we look at the three players confirmed to be leaving Valencia in January and three more who according to the Spanish press are also definitely on the chopping board, and assess where their futures may lie.

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Top Five Argentine Youngsters (Still In Argentina) - Published 19/12/07

2007-12-19T06:38:00.001-08:00

With the increasing globalisation of football, large European teams are poaching talent from across the world at increasingly younger ages and Argentina is certainly not immune to this practice. Going into the Under-20 World Cup in the summer, three of the Argentine squad were already owned by European clubs.

In the time between Argentina winning that trophy and the European transfer window closing at the end of August, a further four players had left Argentina to try their hand abroad.

Despite such an exodus becoming more commonplace in the modern age, there are still plenty of exciting young players still to be found plying their trade in the Argentine league and here we look at the top five talents likely to be making the move to Europe within the next few years.

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Need for Speed Pro Street PS3 Review - Published 11/12/07

2007-12-11T01:47:00.000-08:00

Do you have the Need for Speed? No Detroit, not that kind of speed, you can put your hands down. We are talking about burning rubber on asphalt, backfiring engines and the feint whiff of nitrous oxide in the air; we are talking professional street racing. Fresh from the illegal night racing and cop chases of the last few games, the Need for Speed series turns legal with the release of Need for Speed: ProStreet on the PlayStation 3.

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Conan PS3 Review - Published 10/12/07

2007-12-11T01:41:00.000-08:00

Charles Caleb Colton once said that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” If that is the case, consider Sony Santa Monica duly flattered and Nihilistic Software truly sincere. Conan rips several pages from the God of War textbook and almost seems to delight in the inevitable comparisons that will be drawn between the two titles.

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Animal Instincts - Published 07/12/07

2007-12-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

Whilst playing Conan on the PlayStation 3 for a review last week, I came across one of my major gaming pet hates: animal enemies. I’m not talking about the massive squid that nearly pulled my boat under or the ferocious dragon that tormented me for nearly half an hour, no, the most annoying and difficult enemies I faced were just simple, bog-standard lions who made regular, unwanted appearances throughout the second half of the game.

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Beats (Rhymes and Life Sold Seperately) - Published 28/11/07

2007-11-29T01:19:00.000-08:00

Last week saw the launch of the PC Playstation Portable store, heralding the dawn of a new era in the checkered history of Sony’s debut handheld console. No longer is downloadable content exclusive to those with the Playstation 3, as every PSP owner with access to an internet-enabled PC can now download games, demos, wallpapers and additional content at the click of a button.

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Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 PS3 Review - Published 20/11/07

2007-11-20T02:24:00.001-08:00

Back in the heyday of soccer video games in the mid-nineties, players had dozens of titles to choose from each year, offering a complete spectrum of playing styles and speeds. Sensible World of Soccer was the playability king with a wealth of career options; Kick Off offered a slower, more realistic pace; Manchester United: The Double used an innovative isometric view; and Super Sidekicks offered pure arcade game-play.

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Wangan Midnight PS3 Review - Published 09/11/07

2007-11-09T01:07:00.000-08:00

Genki have proved themselves to be a competent producer of driving and racing games for many years, with their Shutokou Battle and Kaido Battle series’ covering all bases in the arcade sector of the genre. Therefore, when they announced that they were working on a new driving game for the PlayStation 3, expectation was high that they would provide the next fix for racers growing tried of Ridge Racer 7. Unfortunately, they failed to deliver.

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Life To The Extreme - Published 18/10/07

2007-10-18T03:30:00.000-07:00

"Colin was a remarkable man who wore his heart on this sleeve and was the epitome of a racer; fearless and attacking, yet he remained true to his roots and grounded despite the international fame and recognition that he achieved. The world is a sorrier place without him."

The words of Formula One driver David Coulthard as the news broke that his fellow Scot, and former World Rally Champion, Colin McRae had died in a tragic helicopter crash along with his 5-year-old son Johnny.

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Donkey Kong Jungle Climber DS Review - Published 09/10/07

2007-10-09T02:26:00.000-07:00

As Donkey Kong finally makes his solo DS bow, one must wonder if we will ever see another Donkey Kong game developed by Shigeru Miyamoto. Over the years, the Donkey Kong franchise has been shipped out all over the shop. The latest studio to take up the reigns is Japanese developer Paon with the release of Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber, a sequel to the Gameboy Advance game, Donkey Kong: King of Swing.

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De Rússia con amor - Published 24/09/07

2007-09-24T02:41:00.000-07:00

To go from the sweltering hot sands of the Copacabana, to Moscow in the heart of a Russian winter may not seem to be the most attractive move for a footballer, but it is one that is becoming increasingly more common. As of this week, there are currently nineteen Brazilians, as well as six Argentines and one Colombian plying their trade in Russia’s top division. Add to that, a further twenty Brazilians in the Ukrainian first division and there is quite a community growing across the former USSR countries.

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Taiko no Tatsujin DS Review - Published 21/09/07

2007-09-21T03:52:00.000-07:00

Rhythm action games are starting to find themselves a niche on the Nintendo DS. Well, at least in Japan they are. It seems most gamers in Europe and the US are more interested in being a rock star than a simple drummer, evidenced by the poor sales of Elite Beat Agents in Western regions, whilst Guitar Hero sales continue to rocket. Namco know this only too well; their sole dip into the Western market with the Taiko no Tatsujin series (Taiko Drum Master to those few Americans who did buy the game) was wholly unsuccessful and has ensured it hasn’t been seen on Western shores since. Japan is still getting its Taiko fix however, as the series moves on to a non-Sony platform for the first time with the release of Taiko no Tatsujin DS.

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Minna No Golf 5 PS3 Review - Published 07/09/07

2007-09-07T00:42:00.000-07:00

The Japanese love their cartoony sports games. One need only look at the success of Smash Court Tennis and the Powerful Pro Baseball series to see that. Another thing the Japanese love is golf; when the two mix it equals a licence to print money. Many companies have attempted to cash-in on this formula, none more so than Nintendo, who have made sure that Mario has found his balls in the rough more often than Charlie Sheen over the last fifteen years.

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The Premier Event - Published 10/08/07

2007-08-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

Many predict Arsenal to struggle to keep their top four place this season. The loss of Thierry Henry is obviously massive, but in Robin Van Persie they have a potential replacement, who is only going to get better with regular first team football.

Arsene Wenger will be hoping for more goals from his attacking midfielders this season, and will expect Alexander Hleb and Tomas Rosicky to contribute at least 8-10 goals each over the campaign.

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Crush PSP Review - Published 09/08/07

2007-08-13T08:22:00.000-07:00

If Super Paper Mario is reminiscent of our favourite Italian plumber on a good acid trip, then Crush is the polar opposite, representing an altogether darker forage into the sub-conscious. It becomes so twisted at times, that you half expect your game to be interrupted by a large Samoan attorney telling you that: ‘you took too much man’. And this is from a developer most famous for the Playstation 2 karaoke extravaganza, Singstar.

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Capcom Puzzle World PSP Review - Published 07/08/07

2007-08-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

Never ones to miss an opportunity to re-release an old favourite, Capcom Puzzle World sees the company delve into their past to bring us some of those puzzle game classics from their archives. Or, at least, that is what you would expect such an expansively named collection to offer. In reality, it only offers five games, three of which are from the Buster Bros series and only one of which could probably be defined as a classic. Considering that their previous PSP retro collection – Capcom Classics Remixed – included over twenty games, the annoyance is building up before the PSP has even been switched on.

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The Last Word On The Copa America - Published 25/07/07

2007-08-13T08:18:00.000-07:00

So the Copa America is over, done, finito; no more long range goals; no more sublime skills; and no more dodgy refereeing decisions. For many, the scantily clad South American girls in the crowd will also be sorely missed.

It was unfortunate that after a tournament of open play and goals galore, pragmatism came out on top in the final. From the moment Brazil took the lead within the opening five minutes, the pattern had been set for the rest of the game. Dunga’s team sat back and defended their lead in numbers, with counter attacks offering their only attacking input into the game. Argentina succumbed twice on the break, leaving Brazil to lift the trophy for the eighth time in their history.

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Puzzle Quest PSP Review - Published 19/07/07

2007-08-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

Just imagine if success or failure in everything you do in life came down to defeating a puzzle. You want to learn a new language, you must beat the puzzle; win a game of football, beat the puzzle; have a successful relationship with a woman… well actually that is in a way a puzzle so scrap that one, but you get the general picture.

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Previewing The Copa America - Published 26/06/07

2007-08-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

Today, fourteen South American sides, along with two American invitees descend on Venezuela for the 42nd Copa America. Nine stadiums, mainly situated in the north of the country, play host to the tournament for the first time; running through to the final on July 15.

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Missing The Forest For The Trees - Published 05/06/07

2007-08-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

“What can I say? I'm in shock at this point, I must say. I'm definitely in shock”

Those were the first words uttered by Dario Franchitti after finally winning the prestigious Indianapolis 500 last Sunday. The Scotsman, who has been racing stateside since 1997, held off late challenges from Scott Dixon and Helio Castroneves to win the rain shortened race in his fifth attempt.

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NBA2K7 PS3 Review - Published 22/05/07

2007-08-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

In the seven years that have passed since its debut on the Sega Dreamcast, the NBA2K series of games has built up a strong reputation as the best basketball simulation around. Along the way it has overtaken EA’s NBA Live and brushed aside Sony and Microsoft’s efforts at their own basketball games. However, as seems to be the case with any long-running sports franchise, the game has hit a bit of an innovation brick wall in the last couple of years. With the additional power of the PlayStation 3 at their disposal, the gauntlet was thrown down for Visual Concepts to take the game beyond what was possible in the last generation.

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This Old House - Published 10/05/07

2007-08-13T06:28:00.000-07:00

Whilst watching the first leg of the UEFA Cup Semi-Final between Osasuna and Sevilla, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the atmosphere created within the small Estadio Reyno de Navarra stadium. Just under twenty thousand fans were packed into the venue, creating a hostile atmosphere which largely contributed to the home team’s one-nil success. In the midst of many recent moves to new stadiums by eminent English clubs, I couldn’t help but wonder if the same atmosphere is being lost within the English game.

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Do or Die - Published 05/04/07

2007-08-13T05:03:00.000-07:00

Outside of the main media focus, rightly centred on Kimi Raikonnen’s win on his Ferrari debut, and the brilliant performance of the rookie Lewis Hamilton, the most enduring image from the Australian Grand Prix a few weeks back was a visibly disappointed Felipe Massa standing in the Ferrari garage watching qualifying unfold after his Ferrari broke down in the first session, leaving him floundering near the back of the field for the opening race of the season.

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The Long Winding Mountain Road - Published 03/04/07

2007-08-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

Whilst I assume many have seen Martin Palermo’s spectacular goal from behind the half way line for Boca against Independiente a couple of weeks ago, you may have missed within the celebrations a sight that will have been much more refreshing to fans, Juan Riquelme with a smile on his face. Seeing him on the soccer field at all was nice, considering he hadn’t played for Villarreal since early December due to his much publicised falling out with the chairman. But here he is, back at Boca Juniors; the club he supported as a boy and whom he represented so brilliantly for eight years before his move to Europe with Barcelona in 2002. It may initially only be a loan move until the end of the season, but all the signs appear to point to him wanting to leave Villarreal and return to Argentina for good in the summer. So, why has such a talented player returned to Argentina so prematurely after only five years plying his trade in Europe?

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1.	CA San Lorenzo de Almagro	13	8	2	3	19	8	5	1	1	12	3	3	1	2	7	5	+11	26
2.	CA Boca Juniors	13	8	2	3	23	14	4	1	2	13	8	4	1	1	10	6	+9	26
3.	CA Tigre	13	8	2	3	19	11	5	0	1	11	4	3	2	2	8	7	+8	26
4.	CA Lanús	14	7	3	4	25	20	4	2	0	14	8	3	1	4	11	12	+5	24
5.	Newell s Old Boys	14	6	5	3	18	12	4	1	1	9	6	2	4	2	9	6	+6	23
6.	CA Vélez Sársfield	13	5	5	3	17	17	3	2	2	6	6	2	3	1	11	11	0	20
7.	Colón de Santa Fe	13	4	6	3	23	18	1	4	1	12	10	3	2	2	11	8	+5	18
8.	Estudiantes De La Plata	13	5	3	5	17	16	4	2	0	11	4	1	1	5	6	12	+1	18
9.	Arsenal de Sarandí	13	5	3	5	20	22	4	3	0	18	12	1	0	5	2	10	-2	18
10.	Racing Club de Avellaneda	13	4	5	4	15	14	3	3	1	9	6	1	2	3	6	8	+1	17
11.	CA San Martín de Tucumán	13	4	5	4	12	11	3	3	1	8	4	1	2	3	4	7	+1	17
12.	CA Banfield	14	4	5	5	14	17	3	2	3	9	10	1	3	2	5	7	-3	17
13.	Gimnasia y Esgrima de Jujuy	13	5	1	7	16	25	5	1	1	12	9	0	0	6	4	16	-9	16
14.	CA Independiente	13	3	6	4	11	13	2	3	1	7	7	1	3	3	4	6	-2	15
15.	Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata	13	3	6	4	11	13	2	3	2	5	4	1	3	2	6	9	-2	15
16.	CA Huracán	13	4	3	6	11	19	3	1	2	4	7	1	2	4	7	12	-8	15
17.	Argentinos Juniors	13	3	5	5	15	21	3	1	2	8	6	0	4	3	7	15	-6	14
18.	Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba	13	3	3	7	19	23	2	1	3	9	9	1	2	4	10	14	-4	12
19.	CA Rosario Central	14	3	2	9	15	20	3	2	3	11	7	0	0	6	4	13	-5	11
20.	CA River Plate	13	1	6	6	12	18	1	3	2	7	7	0	3	4	5	11	-6	9