4 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at General Caballero has to find a result from somewhere.
A player who expected to start watched it instead. The manager will call it a decision for the team; Jonathan Roa will call it something else in private.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what General Caballero can pretend not to have heard.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what General Caballero can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at General Caballero, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.
The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Sergio Mendoza keeps the shirt for now, at General Caballero's convenience rather than his own.
15 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at General Caballero has to find a result from somewhere.
The crowd waited for a goal that never came. Olimpia defended in numbers and left with what they came for, and the two sides could be playing still without troubling a scorer.
A new face in his position, and Sergio Mendoza suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. General Caballero have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
14 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at General Caballero has to find a result from somewhere.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at General Caballero, and both men came out saying it was fine.
13 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at General Caballero has to find a result from somewhere.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 6 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at General Caballero, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Carlos Guerreño keeps the shirt for now, at General Caballero's convenience rather than his own.
He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.
The shirt still fits. Edgar Gomez is back at General Caballero, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
The shirt still fits. Luis Sanabria is back at General Caballero, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.
He is the name in every column and on every phone-in, which is a heavy thing to carry at any age. Some footballers thrive on it; others are quietly finished by it.
“The easiest signature of my career.” Bautista Biffi and General Caballero agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
It is a strip of cloth and it decides nothing on a Saturday. It still tells the dressing room exactly whose opinion the manager values, which is the whole point of it.
“Ask me in the summer. I will know before anybody else does.” He is 34 with 8 appearances behind him, and General Caballero have to plan for both answers.
Sergio Mendoza is 34 and has run out of things to prove. What he has left is where to stand, when to slow it down and what to say at half-time, and none of that is on a fitness chart.
“The easiest signature of my career.” Donatas Klimavicius and General Caballero agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
What was said behind closed doors has now been said in front of a microphone. Everybody at General Caballero can do the arithmetic, including the man it is aimed at.
“The easiest signature of my career.” Junior Vargas and General Caballero agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Marcelo Riquelme arrives at 37 with nothing left to prove and plenty left to pass on. Legs are a young man's currency; knowing where to stand never ages.
A new face in his position, and Juan Recalde suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. General Caballero have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
The best deals are the ones the accountants never notice. Yegor Yegorov arrives at General Caballero with his wages the only cost and something to prove the only clause.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at General Caballero, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around General Caballero they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at General Caballero, and both men came out saying it was fine.
He came through the session, took part in everything and finished it smiling. General Caballero will not rush him, and he will spend the next fortnight trying to rush them.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around General Caballero they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what General Caballero can pretend not to have heard.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what General Caballero can pretend not to have heard.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around General Caballero they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around General Caballero they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what General Caballero can pretend not to have heard.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at General Caballero is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at General Caballero, and both men came out saying it was fine.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what General Caballero can pretend not to have heard.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at General Caballero is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at General Caballero, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at General Caballero is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” General Caballero have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around General Caballero they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what General Caballero can pretend not to have heard.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at General Caballero is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at General Caballero is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around General Caballero they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what General Caballero can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at General Caballero, and both men came out saying it was fine.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at General Caballero is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
6 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at General Caballero has to find a result from somewhere.
5 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at General Caballero has to find a result from somewhere.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around General Caballero they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what General Caballero can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” General Caballero have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
4 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at General Caballero has to find a result from somewhere.
The crowd waited for a goal that never came. General Diaz defended in numbers and left with what they came for, and the two sides could be playing still without troubling a scorer.
Olimpia go through and General Caballero go home, 0-3 the scoreline that did it. The dressing room will call the league the priority now, because that is what dressing rooms say.
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at General Caballero is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” General Caballero have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around General Caballero they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what General Caballero can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” General Caballero have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” General Caballero have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what General Caballero can pretend not to have heard.
An error at the back is a moment; an error in goal is a goal. Ricardo Cantero knows it, the crowd knew it instantly, and there was nobody behind him to make it anything else.
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. General Caballero have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at General Caballero, and both men came out saying it was fine.
In brief
The terracesThe press cannot get enough of Junior Brítez
He wheeled away like a man who had been carrying it for months, because he had. General Caballero have their signing off the mark and one press-conference question retired.
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 7 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at General Caballero, and both men came out saying it was fine.
8 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at General Caballero has to find a result from somewhere.
7 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at General Caballero has to find a result from somewhere.
He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.
He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.
The shirt still fits. Luis Lopez is back at General Caballero, and half the ground remembers him in these colours already. Some signings need selling to the town; this one sold itself.
He left as a boy and has come back still knowing where the away end is. Most signings have to be explained to a town; this one needed a photograph and nothing else.
1-3 to Sol de America, and no complaints worth printing. The performance asked for nothing more than it got.
Boardroom7 Feb 2028
The ground is getting bigger
The plans are signed off at a capacity of 209. Decisions like this are judged twenty years later, by people who were not in the room when they were taken.
The message was aimed at the stands as much as the dressing room: Flavio Henrique plays, and the argument is closed until the manager decides otherwise.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at General Caballero, and both men came out saying it was fine.
12 de Octubre pay $520.0K, and the deal is done. The number reads well on a balance sheet; whether it reads well on the pitch is next season's question.
$1.8M is a serious amount of money and it does not play centre-forward. Everybody in the dressing room knows who used to be looked at when it went wrong.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what General Caballero can pretend not to have heard.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what General Caballero can pretend not to have heard.
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around General Caballero they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
“I was told straight, and I would rather have it straight.” The manager at General Caballero has been clear about where Adilson Lezcano stands, which is more than many ever get.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what General Caballero can pretend not to have heard.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what General Caballero can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” General Caballero have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” General Caballero have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what General Caballero can pretend not to have heard.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at General Caballero, and both men came out saying it was fine.
Public backing, and the sort that costs a manager something if it turns out to be wrong. Guillermo Coronel has been told in front of everybody that the shirt is his.
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what General Caballero can pretend not to have heard.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” General Caballero have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“Things were said to me before I signed. I am not going to repeat them, but I remember all of them.” General Caballero have not answered, which is an answer of sorts.
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at General Caballero, and both men came out saying it was fine.