Football Journey: February 2022

Friday, February 25, 2022

Ecuador

Ecuador. 18-teams top league, going though three stages. In every stage the number of teams decreased . The last in the opening stage was relegated. The top teams in every stage carried bonus points to the next stage.

Second Division left little information: only the winner.

It was Juventus (Esmeraldas). Full name: Club Social y Deportivo Juventus, sometimes written C.S.D. Juventus, more often just Juventus. Little known club – this championship was the their highest achievement, never to be repeated: champions of Second Division. Promotion came along with the title and they were going to experience top level football for the first time on their history in 1988.

First Division, First Stage – standard league championship. The top 12 teams qualified to the Second Stage, the winner got 2 bonus points and the second best – 1 bonus point. The last team in the final table was relegated. Five teams ended their season with the end of this stage – those placed from 13^th to 17^th plus the relegated 18^th.

Deportivo Cotopaxi (Latacunga) was last and relegated with 12 points. Hopeless outsiders, really.

River Plate (Riobamba) - 17^th with 24 points.

Esmeraldas Petrolero (Esmeraldas) - 16^th with 25 points.

Universidad Catolica (Quito) - 15^th with 25 points. Standing from left: Eloy Jarrín, Patiño, De Souza, Amarilla, Francisco Reinoso, Juan C. Jácome.
First row: Antonio Arias, Patricio Corella, Mario Raffart, Víctor Chiliquinga, Toledo.

Deportivo Quevedo (Quevedo) - 14^th with 28 points.

America (Quito) - 13^th with 30 points.

The top 12 qualified to Second Stage: Macara - 12^th with 34 points, Tecnico Universitario - 11^th with 34 points, Emelec - 10^th with 34 points, LDU de Portoviejo - 9^th with 36 points, Audaz Octobrino - 8^th with 37 points, Aucas - 7^th with 37 points, Deportivo Quito - 6^th with 37 points, Filanbanco - 5^th with 42 points, Deportivo Cuenca - 4^th with 43 points, LDU de Quito - 3^rd with 43 points, El Nacional - 2^nd with 44 points, and

Barcelona (Guayaquil) – first with 47 points. As stge winners, they got 2 bonus points.

Standing from left: Fausto Klinger, Holger Quinones, Toninho Vieira, Morales, Lorenzo Klinger, Vasconcelos.

Croucheing: Lupo Quinones, Alfredo De Los Santos, Flavio Perlaza, Mauricio Arguello, Galo Vasquez.

With frequent South American squad changes... this team spreads from 1985 to at least first half of 1987.

Second Stage - the qualified 12 teams were divided into 2 groups and the top 2 teams in each group qualified to the Liguilla Final, the third and last stage. The group winners got 1 bonus point. Bonus points will be given in brackets.

Group 1.

Tecnico Universitario (Ambato) - 6^th with 5 points. Standing from left: Oscar Achilier, Arias, Julio Lasalvia, Villegas, Fabián Burbano, Juan F. Muhlethaler.
Front: Martín Caballero, Raúl A. Murillo, Fausto Delgado, Cristóbal Nazareno, Luis Chérrez.

Two Uruguyans here: Julio Lasalvia and Juan F. Muhlethaler.

LDU (Portoviejo) - 5^th with 10 points.

Aucas (Quito) - 4^th with 10 points.

LDU (Quito) - 3^rd with 10 points.

Filanbanco – 2^nd with 13 points – and Barcelona - 1^st with 14 points (2 of them carried bonus) – qualified to the final stage. Barcelona got 1 bonus point for finishing first.

Group 2.

Deportivo Cuenca (Cuenca) - 6^th with 4 points.

El Nacional (Quito) - 5^th with 10 points (1 of them carried bonus point).

Emelec (Guayaquil) - 4^th with 10 points.

Macara (Ambato) - 3^rd with 11 points.

Audaz Octubrino - 2^nd with 12 points – and Deportivo Quito - 1^st with 14 points – qualified to the final stage. As group winners, Deportivo Quito got 1 bonus point.

Third stage – Liguilla Final. Four teams played round-robin tournament, meeting twice the others.

Deportivo Quito (Quito) - 4^th with 4 points (1 of them bonus).

Audaz Octubrino (Machala) - 3^rd with 8 points.

Filanbanco (Milagro) - 2^nd with 8 points. Their finest season, finishing unbeaten the final stage and with better goal-difference than Barcelona. But... the opposition carried bonus point.

Barcelona (Guayaquil) finished first with 9 points. 3 wins, 2 ties, and one lost game gave them 8 points. Their goal-difference 5-2 was second-best – Filanbanco had 6-2. It was the bonus point carried from Second Stage making them champions – sheer luck, one may say. But Barcelona won both First and Second Stage, were consistent all the way and thus the more deserving team. Too bad the underdog was unable to win, but in all fairness Barcelona had very strong season and after playing grueling 50 championship games they triumphed with their 8^th title. Along with the local stars like Lorenzo Klinger, foreign talent helped – the Uruguayans Walkir Silva and Alfredo de los Santos and Brazilians Toninho Vieira and Vasconcelos.