The Argentine league, which plays a split season, kicks off its Apertura Championship this weekend.

1st
Velez Sarsfield finished tops in the 2005 Clausura Championship, but a poll by La Nacion of players and coaches picked Boca to finish first, followed by River Plate, despite the fact that the two traditional powers finished 10th and 15th respectively.

11
Number of clubs among the Argentine First Division's 20 that enter the season with a new head coach, including Alfio Basile, Argentina'a 1994 World Cup coach, who replaces Jorge Benitez at Boca Juniors.

14
Number of players who have left Banfield, last season's surprise league runner-up and Libertadores Cup quarterfinalist, including star midfielder Daniel Bilos, who joins Boca.

$15 million
Price tag on the transfer of Argentine international Javier Mascherano to Brazil's Corinthians from River Plate, which also bids farewell to national team midfielder Luis Gonzalez (to Porto).

36
Goals scored Jose Cardozo in 25 games for Toluca during the Mexican 2002 Apertura championship. The 34-year-old Paraguayan joins San Lorenzo (16th place) along with red-card collecting Uruguayan national team captain Paolo Montero, 33.