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georgia-stanway · 1 month

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PLIS your mind we're winning we're winning the lot byddwn yn ennill y cyfan

i mean Wilson Wardy Neeks and Wee Joe Allen already have that dawg in em that Kloppo pedigree so it's like poetry it rhymes that Papa Smurf should get us there. and rwy'n gwybod yn fy nghalon Rushy's gonna be so proud of us for finishing y stori

and canyewimaaaaaginit Bale storming the pitch from the royal box ac i gusanu all the boys with the most heavenly vilified radiant smile and Klopp just standing back to let them have their moment watching fond with his glasses glimmering like in a shoujo. only the lads all pile into him bc he's been the rocket to the moon for them so he's covered in the pile of little dragons and he's paraded around Stadiwm Principality gan yr hogia as the booming resonant wave of Yma O Hyd from the stands shakes the ground. Jurgen is later that night given the freedom of Caerdydd

all while there's Pep awkwardly cradling H by the shoulder who's silent manful sobbing in the crest on his own shirt (Gareth would have let him soak his M&S button up) and Jude screaming and punching the pitch Jack trying to catch Mepham's eye bc why not turn a negative night into a positive Hendo also crying in the stands for the prev reason as much as the loss Trent & Madders evil eyeing y Wal Goch in that wonderfully bitchy way they do and ultimately it's bwta shit a MARW Lloegr!!!!!!!!

bet Mou would find the whole scenario wildly amusing too. sipping a good Vallegre Reserva as he spectates and plans the worst most exposing and embarrassing and tactfree way to ask about Jurgen's prowess next time he runs into Pep

Gaz and Yma o Hyd would have me Sobbing. but like based on the way Liverpool city matches tend to go and well it's England men that game would have 1-1 written all over it and I would trust a klopp team over a pep team when it came to penalties anyway even without adding on the fact that it's England men.

I would pay good money to see Pep, Klopp and Mourinho in the same room rip baldy but it would be so funny.

Side note the amount of angst you could get out of Southgate/Kane/Guardiola would be immense like Kane angsting over the fact that he's no longer teacher's pet for the first time since he was a kid and being too busy pining over Southgate to notice that he literally still is because everyone knows that he was Guardiola's first choice to replace Aguero and would probably prefer him to Haaland. Meanwhile Pep's getting a bit annoyed at the fact he wants H to be like de bruyne and talk back to him and even if he wasn't pining over Southgate it's not really his personality and Pep already has Foden to be all subservient and do everything he asks. And Southgate's just sitting in an office in the FA wondering how many times he can get away with 'well I just think we ought to be communicating our ideas to the players and since Harry's the Captain...' as a reason to call him into his office.

wow that spiralled quickly.

#if you see me writing a kane/southgate/guardiola fic no you didn't (it'll be on ao3 by tomorrow probably)

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bearterritory · 1 year

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Cal Punches Ticket To National Championship

Bears Defeat BYU 55-31 To Advance To Finals

BERKELEY – California rugby defeated Brigham Young 55-31 on Saturday afternoon in the national semifinals of the D1A National Collegiate Championships. The Golden Bears will now advance to the finals on May 6 in Houston where they will take on the U.S. Naval Academy in pursuit of another championship title. "Congratulations to BYU on a really fine season," Cal head coach Jack Clark said. "Proud of our boys for advancing." Cal came out strong on the attack and sent senior No. 8 Alex Aguero past the tryline for a score just two minutes into the contest. Senior co-captain Max Schumacher added the extras to make it a 7-0 advantage. The Bears built upon the momentum and put another try on the board at minute five when freshman center Rand Santos carried a ball in for a score. BYU answered with back-to-back tries of its own at minutes 14 and 24, one of which it converted successfully to level the score. Cal struck again, this time pulling ahead when sophomore center Kealan O'Connell found space and dotted down in the tryzone. Schumacher successfully converted. Three minutes later, the Cougars caught up with a converted try of their own to make it 19-19 at halftime. The Bears came back from the break and took only six minutes to send a score in with senior wing Max Clark to make it 24-19. The Bears never gave up their lead for the remainder of the match. Freshman scrumhalf Solomon Williams was next to step his way into the tryzone for five and Schumacher added the extras. Senior co-captain Nathan Zylstra came off the bench at minute 50 and made an immediate impact, carrying a ball in from the back of a maul just three minutes later. This was the first match back for the senior stalwart, who has been out due to injury since the middle of February. At minute 64, Cal was awarded a penalty and Schumacher took the three points off his boot to extend the Bears' lead. Five minutes later, BYU scored a try from a breakaway run and converted to collect their first points of the second half. Cal worked its way down into Cougar territory after the restart and at minute 73 was awarded a penalty try due to an illegal tackle. Only five minutes later, Santos found space and took a huge run from Cal's 22 and carried in his second score of the day right between the posts, making way for Schumacher to convert with ease. In the final minute, the Cougars managed to score an unconverted try, but at the expiration of the 80 minutes Cal claimed the victory. Cal will now have two weeks to prepare for the national championships. The match will be contested at AVEVA Stadium at 6:30 p.m. local time. Information on how to secure tickets and where to watch the match is to come.

Cal rugby, the most successful of the 30 varsity sports competing under the authority of Director of Athletics James Knowlton, is the oldest intercollegiate sport at the University of California. Cal Rugby spans 141 years, during which time the Golden Bears, a non-scholarship team, have tested themselves at the highest levels to earn international honors along with five national 7s titles and 28 collegiate 15s national championships (began in 1980). Scoring Timeline: Cal vs. BYU 2:00 – Aguero 5, Schumacher 2 5:00 – Santos 5 14:00 – BYU 5, BYU 2 24:00 – BYU 5 30:00 – O'Connell 5, Schumacher 2 33:00 – BYU 5, BYU 2 Half: Cal 19, BYU 19 46:00 – Clark 5 49:00 – Williams 5, Schumacher 2 53:00 – Zylstra 5, Schumacher 2 64:00 – Schumacher 3 69:00 – BYU 5, BYU 2 73:00 – Cal 7 (Penalty Try) 78:00 – Santos 5, Schumacher 2 Final: Cal 55, BYU 31

#UC Berkeley #Bear Territory #Go Bears

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attacker247 · 4 months

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SPORT-IQHD: Van Dijk names four toughest strikers he has faced in his career...

… Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has named four of the toughest strikers he has faced in his career. Virgil Van Dijk with Liverpool FC Van Dijk has come up against the best strikers in the world during his time playing in the Premier League and Champions League.But the Dutchman listed AC Milan’s Olivier Giroud, Sergio Aguero, who is now retired, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Gabriel…

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#SPORT IQHD

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a-free-birdy · 7 months

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Football Foundations; Why Kenya is not Developing Young Players

At the 2007 FIFA World Player of the Year Awards Gala, FIFA sought to appreciate two up and coming footballers. In the two major youth tournaments organized by FIFA that year, these two players had emerged as the players of the tournament.

Argentina’s captain, Sergio Aguero, had been instrumental in leading his country to the FIFA U-20 World Cup triumph in Canada while Germany’s captain, Toni Kroos, was the standout player in Korea at the U-17 World Cup as his country finished third. Seven years later, at the Maracana Stadium in Brazil, these two players would face each other in a World Cup Final.

Rarely does that happen. It is one of the hardest things in football to determine the future quality of youth. Time changes current circumstances. Whereas a player may be judged on his potential right now, it is fairly difficult to be certain whether that potential will actualise.

Like everything else, getting recognition is hard; maintaining it even harder. Thus, as the KPL Awards rolled on a few weeks ago and Kennedy Owino was awarded the New Young Player of the Year for the 2014 KPL season, it got me thinking. Will this new found recognition be maintained?

The Promise of KPL Young Player of the Year

Just look at former Young Player of the Year recipients. The award came with the promise of a bright turn of events; of a new page turned. Instead, most have witnessed regress. That award has become the only highlight in a slippery sliding slope; the optimum level of a bell-shaped career graph.

Indeed, what happens to our young players? And how come we are not producing enough of them? Is it a problem of our decision makers? Do they make rash decisions in coming up with the award winner, preferring to award a one season wonder rather than a player showing consistent levels of progress?

Maybe it is. That is one of the theories flying around that those in charge of the awards do not do their best in giving out the award. It could be however – as stated earlier – that foresight is not an advantage anyone has.

But in as much as we cannot predict the future, there is a manner to which Aguero and Kroos had a potential at an early age that has and is materialising. The same could be said of the recipients of the Young Player of the Year Award at the FIFA World Cup. Even glancing at the list of PFA Young Player of the Year winners and even though there is a mixture of players who maximised their talents and others who fizzled out, the former, however, outnumbers the latter.

Therefore, should the criteria – if any does exist – for awarding the Kenyan League’s young player be revised?

Youth Coaching

There is however a deeper issue. In as much as there could be a flaw in who gets the award, there also seems to be a fault in the education that young footballers in Kenya undergo.

Football is a sport but no matter how much it is steeped in fantasy, it is not removed from the realities of life. Nothing in life is automatic. Hard work must be put in.

It could be that once a young player achieves the award, the hard work needed to perform at an escalated level cannot be reached. Increased scrutiny and at times, a move to a higher level of football needs a change in levels of intensity and attitude. That boils down to how young players are coached.

Indeed, there seems to be a sense of a win at all costs mentality – and that, at youth level at least is the wrong mentality. It among other things leads to discouragement of footballers who could be average but with the potential to become better. Only the talented come through.

Even so, there is a sense that the talented players may not be coached so as to encourage their other abilities, or to develop them into all round players. There is a story of how Lionel Messi’s youth coach stopped rewarding him for the goals that he scored with his left foot and told him to focus on scoring with his right foot. Once Messi could score equally as many goals with his right foot as with his left foot, Messi was told that he could now only get a reward if he scored with his head.

This does not mean that Messi became the best header of the ball, or the best user of his weaker foot. But one of his very few headed goals for Barcelona came in a Champions League Final. If his youth coach had not encouraged heading, maybe Edwin Van Der Sar would have had a chance of saving that header.

The Bad Lessons taught to Young footballers

I was once a linesman at what was supposed to be an Under-13 tournament. I say ‘what was supposed to be’ because a majority of teams turned up with tall muscular players, somewhere between the ages of 15 and 17, and claimed that they were 12. Excuses varied from good diet to lost birth certificates.

This was the first bad lesson. That one can do anything and get away with it, because ‘this world is so cruel that deceit is the only way to get to the top.’ That honesty is not a policy; considered at worst naivety and at best stupidity.

The other thing was the barrage of insults levied against players so young. I wondered how the players felt. I would get my response. In one game, a goalkeeper took his goal kick and the ball landed to his striker who was in an offside position. I did not raise my flag.

In a desperate attempt to save the situation, a defender slid in from behind and hauled the striker down in the box. This time, I raised my flag to indicate a penalty, but I did not need to. The referee had already blown his whistle and was pointing to the spot.

All this time, the coaches of the team which was on the receiving end of the penalty were in my face, insulting me for having not raised my flag for offside. Why had I not raised my flag? Of course, one cannot be offside from a goal kick!

I was of course hurt, by the insults levied against me, and I wondered how it must be whenever the young players received this same kind of insults on each occasion they misplaced a pass or failed to control the ball.

It also appalled me that the coaches did not understand the offside rule in relation to goal kicks. Not only were the coaches rude and instilling fear into the young players, they also did not fully grasp the rules of the game they were teaching.

These are certainly not conducive conditions for development of young players. They need encouragement at that early age. They need to learn that if I misplace a pass, or make a wrong decision, they will have the freedom to rectify that mistake later. Nothing comforts more in times of mistake than encouragement. Nothing teaches more than the opportunity of a second chance.

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Talented players lavished with praise

Speaking of second chances, it was painful to see young players not being given the opportunity merely because in the mind of the coach, they would mess up and not make the team win. Graham Hunter’s book on Barcelona states that at La Masia at youth level, everybody gets a chance to play regardless of skill level.

At the same time, there was a general trend of lavishing praise on the individually talented players. Not that this is malum in se. Credit should be given where it is due. But when that praise extends to an extent that the player cannot be reprimanded for his faults, it becomes a paralytic.

It increases the player’s individuality over the team ethic. It also increases the win at ball costs mentality and dependency. Players who cannot carry the team in the same manner become subservient and endowed with an inferiority complex.

What was wrong was that these players were most of the time the older ones – the ones against whom nobody else in the team could raise their voice against. That these players are not developed also seems to be the reason why at an advanced age, and an elevated level, they fail to adapt.

Getting used to praise is detrimental. It does not inculcate a work ethic in a player. Thus when the time reaches that they have to work harder, they cannot. Complacency creeps in. They suffer from the prodigy complex – praised at such an early stage, they come to rely on their talent and forget that hard work beats talent when talent stops working.

Form may be temporary and class permanent. But permanence of class is only maintained by hard work. In any case, consistency of form accompanying class sees one reach greatness level.

It could be that what I observed then was one event and as such taken as coincidence. But it is something observed by various others and with various degrees of consistency that it fails to be mere happenstance. The question of why Kenya is not developing young players should thus become a question of how we are coaching young players. Foundations are key, and even more so at such early stages.

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kickoffzujublog · 10 months

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Today's EPL Matches: A Preview

The Premier League (EPL) is one of the most popular football leagues in the world. Today, there are three matches scheduled to take place. In this article, we will give you a preview of each match and what to expect.

Match 1: Arsenal vs. Aston Villa

The first match of the day sees Arsenal take on Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal are currently in 9th place in the league table, while Aston Villa are in 11th place. Both teams have had a mixed start to the season, with Arsenal winning three and losing three of their six matches, while Aston Villa have won two, drawn two, and lost two.

Arsenal will be without their captain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is out due to a family illness. However, they will be boosted by the return of Thomas Partey, who missed their last match due to injury. Aston Villa will be without their captain, Jack Grealish, who is also out due to injury.

This match promises to be an exciting one, with both teams looking to climb up the league table. Arsenal will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to Leicester City in their last match, while Aston Villa will be looking to build on their win against Leeds United.

Match 2: Manchester City vs. Southampton

The second match of the day sees Manchester City take on Southampton at the Etihad Stadium. Manchester City are currently in 10th place in the league table, while Southampton are in 5th place. Manchester City have had a disappointing start to the season, winning two, drawing two, and losing two of their six matches, while Southampton have won four and lost two.

Manchester City will be without their star striker, Sergio Aguero, who is out due to injury. However, they will be boosted by the return of Kevin De Bruyne, who missed their last match due to injury. Southampton will be without Danny Ings, who is also out due to injury.

This match promises to be a tough one for Manchester City, with Southampton in good form. Manchester City will be looking to build on their win against Marseille in the Champions League, while Southampton will be looking to continue their good run in the league.

Match 3: Newcastle United vs. Chelsea

The final match of the day sees Newcastle United take on Chelsea at St. James' Park. Newcastle United are currently in 14th place in the league table, while Chelsea are in 7th place. Newcastle United have had a poor start to the season, winning two, drawing one, and losing three of their six matches, while Chelsea have won three, drawn three, and lost none.

Newcastle United will be without their star player, Allan Saint-Maximin, who is out due to injury. Chelsea will be without their goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, who is also out due to injury. However, they will be boosted by the return of Hakim Ziyech, who missed their last match due to injury.

This match promises to be an interesting one, with both teams looking to improve their position in the league table. Newcastle United will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to Southampton in their last match, while Chelsea will be looking to build on their win against Krasnodar in the Champions League.

Conclusion

Today's EPL matches promise to be exciting ones, with all six teams looking to improve their position in the league table. Arsenal will be looking to bounce back from their defeat to Leicester City, Manchester City will be looking to continue their good form in the Champions League, and Newcastle United will be looking to improve their poor start to the season. It's sure to be a great day of football!

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marketingstrategy1 · 1 year

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“Lionel Messi got angry” - Sergio Aguero says he infuriated Argentina captain during 2022 FIFA World Cup celebrations

“Lionel Messi got angry” – Sergio Aguero says he infuriated Argentina captain during 2022 FIFA World Cup celebrations

Sergio Aguero has revealed that he infuriated Argentina captain Lionel Messi during the side’s 2022 FIFA World Cup celebrations. La Albiceleste lifted the World Cup for the third time after a memorable 4-2 penalty shootout win over France in the final on December 18. Aguero was with the national team and celebrated with Messi and Co after their triumph in Qatar. Pictures of the former Manchester…

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touchaheartnews · 1 year

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Messi's Hotel Room In Qatar To Become A Museum

Messi’s Hotel Room In Qatar To Become A Museum

Messi’s Hotel Room In Qatar To Become A Museum The hotel room where Argentina captain Lionel Messi stayed during the 2022 World Cup will be turned into a little museum, according to Qatar University. According to Qatari news agency QNA, the room, which was apparently shared with Messi’s lifetime friend and former teammate Sergio Aguero near the end of Argentina’s victorious World Cup campaign,…

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njenjemedia · 1 year

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[ad_1] Former Argentina striker, Sergio Aguero, has identified four players who could succeed captain Lionel Messi in the near future to lead La Albiceleste to glory. According to Aguero, the four players are Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez, Lisandro Martinez and Alexis Mac Allister. The Manchester City legend said Fernandez, Alvarez, Martinez and Allister all have a winning mentality, just like Messi. This is coming after Messi led Argentina to win their third World Cup after beating France in the final on a penalty shoot-out on Sunday in Qatar. “Players like Leo [Messi] appear from time to time,” Aguero told Stake. “Hopefully, in a few years, another one will come out with those conditions. How Leo appeared after Maradona. “In the meantime, we have many young players who are taking over and who have the winning mentality, character and ability to continue competing at the highest level. “Look at what happened during the tournament. Players like Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez, Lisandro Martinez and [Alexis] Mac Allister, just to give a few examples, who initially weren’t starters ended up being so and with remarkable performance.” — [ad_2]

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spitonews · 1 year

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Sergio Aguero sharing room with Argentina captain Lionel Messi ahead of 2022 FIFA World Cup final

Sergio Aguero is sharing a room with Argentina captain Lionel Messi ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, according to The Indian Express. The former Argentine striker goes back a long way with Messi and has been friends with the 35-year-old for more than two decades now. The two forwards have been sharing a room with each other since their youth days and have been reunited as roommates once…

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minilev · 1 year

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rules: take this quiz and share 5 (or more! or less! the world is your oyster!) results from the top 50 that you feel really fit your oc(s). if you don’t recognize very many from the top 50, feel free to expand into the top 100.

tagged by @cryptcombat thank you, Anh! This is fun! Also stealing @beemot's wonderful template idea

tagging @refinedstorage @denerims @kiryukazumas @rejected-beater @mmigrainee @veinereastath @starsandskies @alyssalenko @roofgeese @nightwingshero @xbaebsae @sidver @fadedjacket @teamhawkeye @deputyash @shallow-gravy and Y'ALL

#laughed at some results!#few were unexpected - looks like i don't know my ocs well enough #leslava's mix of a hobbit and romantic herione lmaooo #zea also had jennifer check???#tag game #courier six lee #deputy callahan #captain aguero #ulyana v #Leslava #zea hawthorne

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college-girl199328 · 1 year

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Lionel Messi interrupts interview mid-flow again for Croatia manager

Lionel Messi has once again interrupted a post-match interview at the World Cup to have words with a member of the opposition.

The Paris Saint-Germain star produced another magical performance to lead Argentina to a win over Croatia in the semi-finals on Tuesday. That ensured they booked their place in Sunday's final, with Messi scoring once and setting up two other goals.

His standout performance in that game followed his role in the quarterfinal victory over the Netherlands. Again, he scored his side's second goal before converting his penalty in the shootout that decided the game.

That match was fiercely contested, with tempers continuing to bubble after the final whistle. One incident after Argentina's win came when Messi stopped an interview to tell Netherlands star Wout Weghorst: "What are you looking at, fool?” “Get back there."

Weghorst has since insisted he merely went to shake the superstar's hand, though it has also been suggested he was seeking to swap shirts. Former Argentina star Sergio Aguero then insisted it was Weghorst who started the confrontation, which ended after Messi's intervention.

Now, the Argentina captain has once again interrupted his post-match interview, this time with broadcaster TyC Sports. It was for a much more positive reason than his interaction with Weghorst, though.

As Messi was being questioned, he turned to his left and moved over to where Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic was approaching him. The duo then clasped hands, with Dalic appearing to wish Messi luck for the final.

Dalic then walked off, with Messi returning to being interviewed by the Argentine reporter. It is little surprise their interaction was warmer than the one Messi had with Weghorst, judging by Dalic's comments after his side's defeat.

"Argentina have an excellent team, and with Messi being a player of such quality and with thousands of supporters behind him, they play as they see fit.” Today, they had four midfielders in the middle, and we tried to play aggressively.

"But Messi can make one move and make a difference, which he did for the third goal.” I congratulate Argentina on reaching the final. Sometimes luck favors you, sometimes not. That's the way it is. “We have nothing to complain about."

Argentina will now face France or Morocco in the final on Sunday, with Messi looking to win the first World Cup of his career. Whether he has another interaction during his post-match interviews for that game remains to be seen, though PSG teammates Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi play for France and Morocco, respectively.

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bulletinhour · 1 year

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Messi will spend a lonely night in the World Cup

He was supposed to be on the World Cup team. It was said that Lionel Messi will team up and fight again after 36 years in order to fulfill Argentina's dream of winning the World Cup. However, a year before the World Cup, Sergio Aguero's dream was broken by heart disease. The Argentine star had to say goodbye to football after the World Cup. Lionel lost Aguero without a partner. Lionel lived in the same room as Aguero on a trip abroad for the national team! Since Aguero is not there, Messi is alone in this World Cup. The news of the PSG star staying in a single room has been confirmed by the Argentinian media outlet Ole. Yesterday, Messi arrived in Qatar's capital Doha for the World Cup campaign. The Argentine team has established its base at the University of Qatar. There, all the players share a room, but Lionel stays alone.

Argentina undefeated in 36 consecutive matches before the World Cup | Photo: AFP Former Manchester City star Aguero used to stay in the same room with Messi when he traveled abroad with the national team for a long time. However, after Aguero retired, Lionel Messi could not choose another partner for himself. That's why the former Barcelona forward has decided to stay alone. Before Aguero, Juan Sebastian Veron shared the same room with Lionel Messi. Veron stayed in the same hotel room during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Aguero took the place after the departure of the former Manchester United star.

At one time, Aguero lived in the same room with Messi on a foreign trip | Photo: Twitter Not that Messi has any friends on the national team. Messi's relationship with his teammates has always been warm. However, Messi's special preferences for staying at night are heard. For example, during Copa America last year, some teammates came to Messi's house to celebrate his birthday. At one point, Lionel politely asked his teammates to go to sleep. This means that the captain of Argentina likes to sleep in a secluded environment. Read the full article

#2022FIFAWorldCup #Argentina #LionelMessi #Messi #QatarWorldCup #WorldCup #WorldCup2022

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zainuldin · 2 years

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THE MISFORTUNE AND REDMPTION OF DIEGO BUONANOTTE, A STAR ONCE BILLED AS THE NEW AIMAR

27-10-2022 - By Zainuldin Lambat

“Why couldn’t it have killed me?” pondered Diego Buonanotte years later. His father’s black Peugeot 307 was almost unreckonable, a twisted lump of gnawed metal rendered completely useless. The French hatchback had skidded off a rain-soaked and below par-maintained Route 65 before smashing into a tree.

A trio of Buonanotte’s closest friends – Gerardo Sune, Alexis Fulcheri and Emanuel Melo – made the mistake of not wearing their seatbelts and were pronounced dead at the scene. As well as terribly claiming three young lives, the accident, in late December 2009, would shape the future of a 21-year-old star with the world at his feet.

In April 1988, almost two years after his famous namesake had lifted the World Cup trophy for Argentina in Mexico, Diego Buonanotte was born in Teodelina, a small Santa Fe town on the border with the province of Buenos Aires.

Buonanotte had joined River Plate as a 13 year old and he made his full professional debut in April 2006, ten days short of his 18th birthday, replacing Gonzalo Higuain in a game against Instituto.Daniel Passarella, the River Plate legend who captained Argentina to the World Cup in 1978 in their very own stadium, El Monumental, was the man who gave him his first taste of action in the famous white shirt with the diagonal red sash.

In November 2007 Buonanotte’s rising star was acknowledged by World Soccer, with the attacking midfielder making the magazine’s ’50 Most Electrifying Teenagers on the Planet’ list. The diminutive forward, whose five-foot three-inch stature earned him the nickname El Enano (The Dwarf), was named 12th, ahead of future World Cup winners Toni Kroos, Juan Mata and Mesut Ozil .

Forecasting the future of young footballers is far from an exact science and while several have gone on to do great things – including the abovementioned trio – it must be noted that an equal amount have faded into darkness. Regardless of what the future would or wouldn’t hold, Buonanotte’s selection was a sure sign that his appearance and potential had clearly been noted.

Buonanotte stamped his name into River folklore in June 2008 by inspiring his team to victory and sealing the 33rd domestic championship in their history, in the process. River Plate were greeted by the traditional El Monumental ticker-tape welcome, with the stimulated atmosphere inspiring the hosts to take the lead with a practiced set piece.

With the Olimpo defence expecting a deep, whipped-in free-kick, the ball was instead cunningly dragged to the edge of the box. As the defence were drawn to their own goal like a magnet in anticipation, Buonanotte went in the opposite direction, finishing first time from 20 yards with his left foot. The jubilant youngster ran straight into the waiting arms of his manager, a black-suited Diego Simeone.

The visitors, not reading the script, equalised in the second half but that only set the scene for Buonanotte to once again take center stage. Ariel Ortega , by then a 34-year-old veteran suffering from alcoholism, was still capable of moments of magic and he proved it in this game.

Receiving a pass from Radamel Falcao, El Burrito, the necromancer to Buonanotte’s apprentice, played a clever disguised pass that split the Olimpo defence, allowing Buonanotte to finish from a tight angle with his weaker right foot. El Enano crossed the running track encircling the pitch, before diving to the ground and taking up the applause of the adoring River faithful. A new king of El Monumental was crowned – or so it looked.

Two months later, Buonanotte’s star would continue to rise when he was selected for the national team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The team, captained by Juan Riquelme and including such stars as Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano, Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria, won their first two group games. Buonanotte received his chance to shine in the final match of the first phase, a nail biter against Serbia in front of 54,000 fans at the Workers Stadium.

Argentina held a slight 1-0 lead until the 84th minute when Buonanotte was tasked with the taking of a free-kick, despite the presence of set-piece luminaries such as Ever Banega and Riquelme. Showing a perfect technique, Buonanotte wrapped his left foot around the ball, bending it over the wall and into the goalkeeper’s bottom left-hand corner, before being embraced by his legendary captain. Although he failed to make a further appearance, Argentina went on to win the tournament, giving the youngster a gold medal and memories to last a lifetime.

Further international recognition, this time in a more noticeable role, came when Buonanotte inspired Argentina to a third-place finish at the prestigious Toulon Tournament in 2009. Ravishing opponents with his dribbling, through balls, and the ability to draw a foul, Buonanotte finished as the tournament’s joint top scorer and emerged as one of its brightest stars. It seemed that the gifted midfielder was next on the long Argentine production line of potential stars, until the fateful accident in December later that year that turned his world upside down.

Whilst in ICU, Buonanotte was heedless to the plight of his three friends, with concerned hospital staff keeping the bad news from him for as long as they could. A broken collarbone and humerus, as well as a lung contusion, were just some of the injuries suffered by Buonanotte. However, the physical injuries would pale in comparison to the mental scars he would carry with him for the rest of his life.

Less than four months after the crash, and three ahead of schedule, Buonanotte returned to the pitch as league leaders Godoy Cruz visited El Monumental. River were on a dismal run of five games without a goal, they were dangerously close to the bottom of the table with only 14 points from as many games.

Two weeks later he scored the first goal of his comeback in a 2-1 victory over Vélez Sarsfield, controlling a cross before half-volleying the ball home. The roar of the crowd was deafening, and it seemed that the demons had been momentarily exorcised. The thrilled player removed his shirt in the midst of the wild celebrations, displaying a support on his right arm to protect the humerus he broke in the car crash.

The joy of his second coming at El Monumental wasn’t to last. In late December 2010, Buonanotte complained that River Plate’s technical staff weren’t showing him sufficient respect, although he claimed that Passarella was always nothing but supportive. The following month his boyhood club accepted a £3.8m offer from Spanish side Málaga, backed by the billions of Qatari royal Nasser Bin Abdullah Al Thani.

With Chilean Coach Pellegrini in the dugout who previously coached Los Blancos , the Andalusian club were hoping to stop the La Liga duopoly of Barcelona and Real Madrid, and the exhilarant signature of a talented young Argentine star was another piece in a team with big name signings. Buonanotte signed a five-year contract with the La Rosaleda outfit, joining his new teammates in the summer of 2011.

A burden was lifted off Buonanotte’s shoulders in March 2011 when a Junín court ruled that he was not responsible for the accident that caused the death of his three friends. He was deemed not to have been speeding or driving dangerously, and his bloodstream was clear of drugs and alcohol. The weather and a meagerly maintained road were both looked at as causes in what amounted to a tragic accident. Although the emotional torment couldn’t be erased with the striking of a judge’s gavel, it at least meant he was declared innocent of a potential manslaughter charge that could have led to five years in prison.

His first season in southern Spain represented a transformable period, with Buonanotte making just ten league appearances as Málaga recorded a fourth-place finish, the highest in their history. Starting just five games and recording 454 minutes of playing time in all competitions, the youngster played second fiddle as big-name signings such as Isco, Santi Cazorla, Van Nistelrooy and Argentine compatriot Martin Demichelis stole the show.

Despite the departure of some big names as Al Thani’s Málaga project appeared on the verge of collapse, Buonanotte still couldn’t manage to force himself into Pellegrini’s plans. He started just nine games in all competitions in 2012/13 before bidding farewell to Málaga, moving across Andalusia to Granada in January 2013 for €2m. However, the same lack of football that blighted his stay at La Rosaleda followed him to the Estadio de Los Cármenes, with just 15 starts in 18 months ending a far-from-fruitful three years in Spain which saw his progress stall.

In recent years, Buonanotte has become somewhat of a nomad, spending six-month loan spells in Liga MX with Mexican side Pachuca and with Quilmes in his homeland. Under the auspices of Uruguayan manager Gus Poyet, He enjoyed a more enjoyable spell in Greece, scoring 11 goals in 19 starts to help AEK Athens win the Greek Cup. However, he would start 25 games on the bench and, as his career wore on, looked more like a squad player, one could not make a significant impact on a usual basis.

Buonanotte’s most recent move came in July 2016 when crossed the Atlantic once more, heading back to South America to join Chilean side Universidad Católica. His form was imperious as Los Cruzados captured the 2016 Torneo Clausura, scoring a total of eight goals including two braces and a purple patch of four goals in five games. Nonetheless, his journey to the domestic championship, his first since 2008 when he got onto the scene as a fearless happy-go-lucky youngster, was not without its hiccups on the road.

In November 2016, in a 2-2 draw with rivals Colo-Colo, an opponent of the other team did the unthinkable and attempted to use Buonanotte’s agony over the fatal car crash to unsettle him. “Hey murderer,” Colo-Colo midfielder Esteban Pavez shouted, “you killed your three friends!” Showing a maturity that belied his age and physical stature Buonanotte, visibly upset by the comments, kept his composure. Refreshingly, Colo-Colo stalwarts rounded on Pavez, scolding him for his ungentlemanly behaviour and apologising to the Argentine on his behalf.

Buonanotte later remarked that he was used to hearing it from opposition fans, par for the course given the tribal nature of football fandom, yet hearing it from a fellow professional was a different matter altogether.

Playing dazzling football, Universidad Católica’s 2016 Torneo Apertura triumph ensured they kept their title and won back-to-back championships for the first time in their history. Buonanotte was voted MVP of the tournament and made up a great bond with Nicolás Castillo on and off pitch, with the duo combining to score 21 goals.

However, as has seemingly always been the case for Buonanotte, a peak preceded the furrow. Castillo’s loan spell ended and the productive partnership was prematurely broken up. This was one of the factors that explains UC’s poor 2017, which produced one of their worst seasons in recent memory. Buonanotte suffered further emotional heartache in October 2017 after hearing the news that his father had a stroke. The doting son immediately flew across the Andes to his homeland, missing three games with the support of his coach, Mario Salas.

It’s almost a bit of fate that, given his father’s ill health, Buonanotte connected with a fatherly figure such as Salas. The Argentine posted a photograph on Instagram with him and his coach in a tight embrace in that clearly displayed the mutual affection and fondness shared by the pair. In the accompanying words, the player thanked Salas for helping him rediscover his love for football, for reminding him that they are humans before they are footballers and coaches, and for calling him every day whilst he was in Argentina to offer his support when it was most needed.

13 years after that whirlwind few months where he helped River Plate to the league title and picked up an Olympic gold medal, it remains to be seen what the future holds, though lifting the 2018 Primera División with La Católica has given him another career highlight.

A talented youngster who seemingly had the world at his feet, he’s perhaps never truly recovered from the terrible car crash that killed three of his friends, temporarily injuring the footballer physically but leaving him with indelible psychological scars.

Parenthood and the ill-health of his father recalibrated his priorities to the point where football wasn’t always his number one focus anymore. Although he hasn’t achieved what he threatened to during those halcyon few months in 2008, there are still moments to look back and cherish, and the mental strength he has shown to forge any sort of career following the events of December 2009 is truly remarkable.

The New Year is always synonymous with regeneration and, after his club’s glory in 2018, perhaps the fire will burn for a while yet in Buonanotte, a man many in Argentina would be proud to see return home.

Written by Zainuldin Lambat

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