Espanyol Reloads With Ahumada

Mauricio Pochettino showed off his vast knowledge of the game by suggesting names from South America as potential reinforcements for the team as they try to battle against relegation.

According to Friday’s digital edition of Sport, Los Pericos agreed to terms with embattled River Plate midfielder Oscar Ahumada.   The article states that the Espanyol midfield would benefit from Ahumada’s mental toughness and leadership on and off the pitch.  Ahumada’s history at River Plate was quite “colorful” to say the least, but his passion could not be put in question.

There is a fine line between bravery and insanity, and the former Wolfsburg loanee crossed it in an effort to rally the club.  In the grand scheme of things, his oiutburst was a  short-term fix to a long-term problem.  His comments after River Plate’s elimination from last year’s Copa Libertadores at the hands of  a nine-man San Lorenzo side brought the wrath of the Millonario fans down on him like heavenly justice.

Worst of all, he did the absolute worst, he pretty much said that Boca Juniors fans were more passionate than them.   The writing was on the wall for the River Plate midfielder at that point.  Both sides forgave but did not forget.  At the same time it became a rallying point for the team as they went on a tear en route to their 33rd domestic title, but the taste of victory lasted very little in the mouths of the River Plate fans.

Their last-place finish in the previous Apertura tournament accentuated everything that was bad at that club, yet Ahumada was one of the few sporadic bright spots of a team that all of a sudden lost its way and its coach in a matter of months.  The worst part of it all was that after all of this ordeal, Ahumada was recently named team captain at River Plate.

In addition to Ahumada, Espanyol should also expect the arrival of Murcia forward Iván Alonso.  This acquisition helps shore up the blanquiazul attack which is ranked among one of the poorest in La Liga.

The bad news for Catalans is that they were not able to land the player that is currently South America’s hottest commodity. Colo Colo goal scorer Lucas Barrios will not be coming to the Montjuic as the reigning Chilean champs did not agree on the terms of payment for the player.