First Division. Three relegated teams this year, but there were 2 obvious outsiders. Still, the battle for survival involved 7 teams. It was dramatic on top as well – two teams raced together to the very end goal-difference decided the winner.
Magallanes – terrible this year: 18th with 18 points.
Audax Italiano, just as bad, ended 17th with 19 points.
The third relegated team lost long lasting battle for survival on worse goal-difference: Union San Felipe took the dreaded 16th place with 29 points.
Rangers survived: 15th with 29 points. Everton was lucky as well – 14th with 29 points.
Union Espanola – 13th with 30 points.
Fernandez Vial – 12th with 30 points.
Deportes Iquique – 11th with 31 points.
San Luis – 10th with 31 points. With them, the group concerned only with avoiding relegation ended.
Deportes Concepcion was 9th, but 35 points – a much stronger team than those behind.
Universidad de Chile – 8th with 35 points. Not very good season, may be better next year.
Naval – 7th with 38 points. Standing from left: Jorge Rodríguez, Marcos Pacheco, Luis Valenzuela, Jaime Gaete, Nelson Figueroa, Edógimo Venegas. Crouching: Oscar Herrera, Juan Soto, Rubén Sánchez, Sergio Marchant, Cristian Yagman. Universidad Catolica – 6th with 38 points.
Huachipato – 5th with 40 points.
Cobresal – 4th with 40 points. Rapidly establishing itself among the best.
Cobreloa – 3rd with 44 points.
The battle for the title was decided either on goal-difference or on more wins – either way, Colo-Colo had the edge.
Palestino was strong and ambitious to the end, but lost the championship by a tiny fraction – they finished with 48 points, scored the most goal in the league – 63 – and lost only 4 games. But they won 1 match less than Colo-Colo and had dreadful defense – 42 goals. At the end, that put them second.
Minimal and lucky victory, but victory – Colo-Colo clinched the title: they had 19 wins and Palestino – 18, their goal-difference was +26 to Palestino’s +21. Barely enough, but enough. Second row from left: Jaime Pizarro, Luis Hormazábal, Emilio Fuentes, Fernando Astengo, Oscar Rojas, Roberto Rojas. Crouching: Hugo Rubio, Juan Gutiérrez, Osvaldo Gómez, Arturo Jáuregui, Raúl Ormeño. May be not the greatest squad the club had, but winners anyway and for Colo-Colo that is enough. If anything, Colo-Colo was very stable – never having longish unsuccessful run, always aiming at the title – and collected one more. Too bad Palestino did not win, but not so for Colo-Colo’s fans.