Well Lanús are the champs and pretty much the remaining matches are more for jockeying for international play as well as relegation and promotion.
First of all, give all the credit in the world to Ramón Cabrero and his men for a phenomenal season. A season that saw them creep up in the standings surprise everyone with their first-ever title. It should not have been a surprise because this club did the right thing with players from their own developmental squad. Players like Lautaro Acosta, who won the U-20 World Cup with Argentina in Canada this past summer, capped off this 2007 with a great deal of joy.
Them along with Tigre became the tournament darlings, and for the first time in quite a while, no one would be bitching in the house while watching history be made. Their respective stories were what drove the ratings of that Argentine league.
So after all of this joy we have to talk about the rest of the league. Hey, over a decade ago this day was about to come. All of the factors that came to play- selling young players, bad administration, and any other conspiracy theories you can think of. This was the day that networks like Fox and TyC Sports did not want to see. Boca Juniors was on the marquee, but they were not the main attraction.
People in other countries do not want to see parity, big teams are supposed to win. Big teams are supposed to be fighting until the last minute of the season for that coveted title. This is why people look at the abysmal fall of teams like River Plate, who lost to lowly Olimpo in a blowout, as a chance to clean house. Remember, this is one of the teams that over the past decade has transferred the most players to Europe and abroad. In theory, River Plate should be one of the richest clubs in the world, instead they are bankrupt.
Personally, I love to see the underdog win. It was moving to see those Tigre fans break down in tears after they beat Boca midweek at La Victoria. It is the pure love of the sport. In these moments, there are no fists being swung and talk of suitcases being swapped in some back alley. It is the essence of the sport. Unfortunately, Lanús might not be able to represent in the 2009 Libertadores because by the time that rolls around the nucleus of this side will most likely be broken up.
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