Football Journey: January 2022

Friday, January 21, 2022

Argentina Primera B Nacional

Primera B Nacional – the new Second Division. The real unification of the whole country happened here, with some complications – 13 teams came from the provinces, some of them quite 'exotic' and not going to last for sure. Promotion and relegation were a problem right away, especially to the outside eye, unfamiliar with Argentine rules. Promotion was simpler, but lengthier: the division champion was directly promoted and the next 8 teams in the final table competed for the second promotion in cup-format direct eliminations. At the bottom, though... for years Argentina maintained relegation table: 3-year record – actually, 4 years – placing all teams by their average percentage. The last in this table went down – even when they were not last in the actual championship. But here the long record applied only to the former members of the Metropolitan Second Division – the provincial teams did not play in it and consequently had a record only of this championship, a disadvantage, because a team with weak season could compensate with previous strong performance and escape relegation, but if they played just a season and were weak - down they went. Anyhow, 3 teams were relegated from Primera B, but above the two with worst average were 3 teams with the same average and play-offs had to be staged. They settled nothing, for all games ended in a tie. To break the deadlock, head-to-head results were used from the championship and only this table decided the third relegated team. So... there was the final table of the actual season, the relegation table using 4-years records, the promotion tournament of 8 teams with its own record, the relegation play-offs between 3 teams with its final table, followed by table of the same teams by their had-to-had record lifted from the championship to decide the last relegated team... Here only the real final table of the season will be used, with brief note where needed.

Union (Villa Krause) finished last with 15 points. They were relegated, for they were last in the relegation table.

Atletico Concepcion (Banda del Rio) - 21^st with 32 points. Relegated - 21^st in the relegation table.

Gimnasia y Esgrima Jujuy - 20^th with 34 points. Went to the relegation play-offs and survived thanks to better head-to-head record.

Chacarita Juniors - 19^th with 34 points. Went to relegation play-offs and eventually survived thanks to better head-to-head record.

Central Norte (Salta) - 18^th with 34 points. Went to relegation play-offs and was relegated for having worst head-to-head record. Going to Liga Saltena de futbol – their provincial league, third level on national scale.

Cipolletti - 17^th with 35 points.

Guarani Antonio Franco - 16^th with 35 points.

Ferro Carril Oeste (General Pico) - 15^th with 36 points.

Central Cordoba (this photo placed with doubts – is it the same club, which played in Primera B or not?) - 14^th with 37 points. Standing from left: Marcelo F. D´Angelo, Daniel Bernardi, Erasmo Doroni, Roberto Aguerópolis, Jorge Villagra, Daniel Mártire.
Crouching: Edgardo Meubry, José M. Miniello, Fabián Rodríguez, Jorge Forgués, Sergio A. Robles.

This one surely is – Central Cordoba (Santiago del Estero).

Tigre - 13^th with 38 points.

Los Andes - 12^th with 40 points.

Douglas Haig - 11^th with 41 points.

Defensa y Justicia - 10^th with 43 points.

Lanus - 9^th with 47 points. Went to promotion play-offs and was eliminated in the first round by Banfield.

Chaco For Ever - 8^th with 48 points. Went to promotion play-offs and was eliminated in the first round by Belgrano.

Deportivo Mandiyu - 7^th with 48 points. Went to promotion play-offs and was eliminated in the first round by Huracan.

Deportivo Maipu - 6^th with 49 points. Went to promotion play-offs and lost in the first round to Colon.

Colon - 5^th with 54 points. Eliminated in the second round of the promotion play-offs by Banfield.

Huracan - 4^th with 54 points. Eliminated in the second round of the promotion play-offs by Belgrano.

Belgrano - 3^rd with 54 points. Lost the promotion play-off final to Banfield.

Banfield - 2^nd with 54 points. Won promotion after beating Belgrano at the play-off final 0-0 and 2-0. Although they were one of the 4 teams with 54 points at the end of the regular season, the play-offs somewhat proved the futility of complicated rules for promotion: Banfield was 2^nd in the regular final table (if only on better goal-difference), they played against third-placed Belgrano and won – that is, no different results than the regular final table.

Deportivo Armenio won the championship with 62 points: 22 wins, 18 ties, only 2 lost games, 69-26 goal-difference, which was excellent +43. They dominated the championship, confidently won it and with that – the only direct promotion to First Division.

Standing from left: Gardarian, L.Villarreal, Gallardo, Godoy, Argueso, Sarmiento

First row: L. Villarreal, Alderete, Cincunegui, Maciel, Ubeda.

Even if only one player in this line shows it, there is no doubt – this is the club of the Armenian community and this season was historic: they won the Primera B and were going to play top-league football for the first time. And they hired the instant hero of Copa Libertadores, the Uruguayan goal-scoring goalkeeper of Venezuelan Tachira, Daniel Francovig to help them against the big clubs of the country – by that is for the next season.

Deportivo Armenio and Banfield earned promotions and good luck to them in the next season! But it should be noted that the new all-country structure did not change anything in terms of the top league – still the promoted teams were from Greater Buenos Aires.