The Oriental Sentinel
Squad2 Dec 2030
The knee: Juan Pablo Patiño out for 33 days
33 days on the announcement, and a year of quiet, unwatched rehabilitation behind it. Oriental lose a player for a season; he loses something harder to name.
Squad2 Dec 2030
A fracture rules Mauricio Alaniz out for 31 days
Bones knit. That is the one merciful thing about this injury and the reason Oriental will talk about it more openly than they would about a knee. He will be back, and roughly when they say.
Market2 Dec 2030
Tomás Cantera puts it in writing
“This is not anger. I have thought about it for months, and nothing that has happened lately changed my mind.” The request is on a desk at Oriental, and it is not being withdrawn.
Squad2 Dec 2030
Juan Pablo Patiño in a row with a teammate
It was not about football and everybody who saw it knows that. Two men who have to play together on Saturday said things at Oriental this week that will take longer than a week to unsay.
Market2 Dec 2030
Still no ink between Oriental and Ángel Stringa
“We keep meeting, and we keep leaving the room with the same numbers we walked in with.” Another round of talks at Oriental, another week without a signature from Ángel Stringa.
The dugout2 Dec 2030
Juan Pablo Patiño gets picked when it counts
Every manager keeps a short list in his head of the men he wants on the pitch when the stakes rise, and it is never published. The team sheets for the big afternoons say Juan Pablo Patiño is on it.
The dugout2 Dec 2030
No hiding place for Ignacio Cabrera
“I pick players who do the work. All of it.” No name was spoken; every camera still turned to Ignacio Cabrera, and the manager let it.
Market2 Dec 2030
The Elías de León story refuses to die
It has been denied twice and printed three times, which is the usual arithmetic. Until Elías de León signs something — a contract at Oriental or anywhere else — this column belongs to him.
The dugout2 Dec 2030
Miracle Orisakwe knocks on the manager's door
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Oriental, and both men came out saying it was fine.
In brief
- Boardroom The window opens at Oriental
- The terraces The Ángel Stringa rumours reach the terraces
- Market Ángel Stringa’s agent stirs the pot again