Mexico. The well established formula remained unchanged: the top two divisions were divided into 4 groups, but the teams played twice against all teams. After that the top 2 teams in every group proceeded to the next stage. At this point the formulas differed – direct play-offs to the final in First Division, but not so in Second Division – over there the 8 remaining teams were again divided in 2 groups and the winners went the final to compete for the title and promotion. Two teams were relegated from First Division and one was promoted from Second Division – which was to even the numbers in both leagues, for presently they were 21 in the top league and 19 in the second level. Those with least points at the end of first stage of First Division went down. Relegation from Second Division was differently decided: the team with least points at the end of the first stage was directly relegated. The 4 teams at the bottom by total points in the initial stage went to final tournament between themselves and the last two were relegated. Not very complicated, but still questionable concept, as it will be shown. The ever present trouble with Mexican football was names and franchises – who was who and for how long? Is there direct relation between some contemporary club and one with the same name from past? To which city a team really belongs and what is its name? Official name and popular nicknames are seemingly always mixed in the tables, often alternative names given in the one and same information of championship. Nothing certain… so here and there alternatives shall be given.
The Mexican formula had been suspect largely in terms of objective strength and this Second Division championship was a great example of it – the groups were drawn in unfortunate way: four of the strongest teams this season happened to be together in Group 2, so inevitably two of them did not qualified to the next stage. In the same time Group 1 was the weakest – three of the five teams went to the relegation tournament and those who qualified to the next stage were rather weak so far. Since at the end of the season a full combined table was made, the discrepancy is hard to ignore:
If the formula was standard league formula, Santos Laguna would have been unquestionable winner: they had 66 points after 36 games, 9 more than second-best Tecoman. Jalisco would have been 3rd. Nut as the formula was… Jalisco did not even qualified to the next stage, for the top three were together in Group 2. In standard league championship the eventual winner would have been… 12th with their 45 points. However, nothing like that happened at the bottom, for relegation depended on points, not on group standing and the relegated team was last on both accounts: last in the meaningless final table and last in the relegation tournament.
Zacatecas, or Mineros (Zacatecas) was directly relegated – they were last with 27 points and worst goal-difference in the combined table.
The next four at the bottom played the final relegation tournament: Nuevo Necaxa and Pachuca ended out. Progreso (Cocula) and Chetumal survived. If it was just direct relegation – Nueva Necaxa was going to be relegated, but not Pachuca – Progreso would have been. Zacatecas, Chetumal, and Pachuca played in Group 1… Nueva Necaxa played in Group 2, Progreso – in Group 3, and no team in Group 4 was too weak to end in danger of relegation.
In the next stage things changed… In Group 1 Texcoco finished last with 4 points, Tecoman was 3rd with 6 points, Pioneros (Cancun) – 2nd with 8 points, and U.A. Queretaro won the group with 10 points. In its original Group 4 Queretaro quaified as 2nd in the group with 50 points – which placed them 6th in the combined final table. But they reached the final.
More surprised in Group 2: Universidad de Colima was last with 6 points, Zacatepes – 3rd with 6 points, Santos Laguna – 2nd with 7 points and on top – Correcaminos UAT with 11 points. In the combined table the winners were 12th… Meantime the originally formidable Santos Laguna lost all of its steam – either that, or Correcaminos, placed in the weakest original group played at first the bare minimum in order to qualify, saving strength for the games which mattered.
May be before the final of the season the rest of league members should be given with alternatives in brackets and final position in the combined table: Tapatio, 14th, La Piedad (or Reboceros), 13th, Tepic (or Deportivo, or Deportivo Tepic J.A.P.), 11th, Oaxaca (or Chapulineros), 10th, Texcoco (or Faraones may be? Or Club de Futbol Texcoco? Or Toros?), 8th, Orizaba (or Albinegros), 7th.
So, the final – two-legged affair, contested between U.A. Tamaulipas and U.A. Queretaro. Then again… contested between Correcaminos and Gallos Blancos. Or between Correcaminos de la UAT and Gallos Blancos de la UAQ. Same teams, different varieties of names, go figure. They were equal, though and the two legs produced no victor – 0-0 and 1-1. Third match was stage, at Azteca in Mexico City, neutral ground. This match ended scoreless – 0-0 – and the last resort was penalty shoot-out, where Correcaminos prevailed 4-2. High drama.
Thus Correcaminos UAT – best known as Correcaminos – was the champion of Second Division and promoted to the top league. How fair was that is another story, but they won and that was all of importance. A return to top flight in their case. They won the championship of Second Division for the first time. Still… in a normal championship formula, they would have been 12th…
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