Chile had brand new champion – CD Huachipato (Talcahuano).

The club was founded in 1947 and normally played in First Division, but had never been a strong force. They won their only title in 1974, but… the country was in turmoil and hardly very interested in football. The club’s nickname is ‘Steelers’ – which sounds rather menacing in the context. They had a player named Francisco Pinochet – and the country was ruled by General Augusto Pinochet. To win the title Huachipato had to win their last match against Aviacion, newly promoted and too military sounding club. Huachipato won… strange co-incidents…

Top row, left to right: Luis Mendy, Hugo Riveros, Francisco Pinochet, Eddio Inostroza, Flavio Silva, Guillermo Azocar.
Bottom: Luis Caseres, Daniel Diaz, Carlos Alberto Sintas, Mario Salinas, Luis Godoy.
Top right corner, from left: Moises Silva; Miguel Neira and Pablo Astudillo. Everything is relative, though: for Huachipato fans 1974 is the year ‘never to be forgotten’. A title is a title… especially if it is only one. Politics vs football…