The Cooper Courier
Player ratings15 Feb 2027
Braian Aquino, 34, rolls back the years — 8.16
There is an age at which every good afternoon gets described as a throwback, which is unfair and also accurate. 8.16 at 34, and nobody on the pitch was better.
Player ratings15 Feb 2027
Federico Ferreira pops up at the right end — 7.53
7.53, 1 on the scoresheet, and the specific comedy of a back-four player celebrating like somebody who does this every week. He does not, and that is exactly why the ground reacted the way it did.
Squad15 Feb 2027
Tempers go at Cooper
Gastón Roselló was at the centre of it, and by the time it was pulled apart there were three or four others involved. Training grounds are small places and long seasons make them smaller.
Boardroom15 Feb 2027
Graduation day at Cooper
3 boys move up, and somewhere in the building the people who coached them at twelve are quietly having the best morning of their working year. Nothing about this shows up in a result and it is why the academy exists.
The terraces15 Feb 2027
One of their own: Anthony Aires
He is 22 and the ground already sings his name, which is a thing that happens to local boys and almost never to signings. Everything from here is measured against an affection he did nothing to earn except be from here.
Match13 Feb 2027
Cooper get the job done against Alto Peru
A 2‑0 win over Alto Peru, earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
Market15 Feb 2027
Andres Araujo steps up from the Cooper academy
There is no fee, no unveiling and no agent on the steps. Andres Araujo has been at this club since he was a boy and is now, formally, one of the first-team squad — which for a local readership beats any signing of any size.
Market15 Feb 2027
Nahuel Castro steps up from the Cooper academy
There is no fee, no unveiling and no agent on the steps. Nahuel Castro has been at this club since he was a boy and is now, formally, one of the first-team squad — which for a local readership beats any signing of any size.
Market15 Feb 2027
Daniel Ramirez steps up from the Cooper academy
There is no fee, no unveiling and no agent on the steps. Daniel Ramirez has been at this club since he was a boy and is now, formally, one of the first-team squad — which for a local readership beats any signing of any size.
In brief
- The dugout Somebody else is better right now than Leandro Chaparro
- The dugout The manager’s verdict
- Player ratings Anthony Aires beats them one at a time