Bolivia. Magisterio Rural (Sucre) won promotion from the Second Level. In the First Division, there was dramatic battle of the weakest – in the 1st Phase of the championship two teams finished far bellow the other 12: Primero de Mayo (Potosi) and Independiente Petrolero (Sucre), both with 10 points. Goal-difference favoured Primero de Mayo, although they won only match. Independiente Petrolero was relegated. 8 of the 14 first division teams proceeded to the 2nd Phase and among those unable to qualify was J. Wilstermann (Cochabamba). Since the second team from the city – Petrolero – finished behind J. Wilstermann, Cochabamba had only single team having a go the title race – Aurora. La Paz proceeded with 3 out of 4 teams moving ahead, Santa Cruz also had 3 out of their 4 first division teams going ahead, and the single representative of Oruro also qualified.
4 teams were out after the second phase, in which the participants played in 2 round-robin groups: this phase was end of hopes for San Jose (Oruro),
Chaco Petrolero (La Paz), Guabira (Santa Cruz), and Aurora (Cochabamba).
In the semi-finals Oriente Petrolero eliminated Blooming (Santa Cruz) – 0-0 and 1-0, and
The Strongest (La Paz) lost to Bolivar 0-1 and 3-3.
Thus, the final opposed Bolivar and Oriente Petrolero, a two-leg final. Bolivar won the home game in La Paz 2-1, but lost in hostile Santa Cruz 1-5. However, goal-difference was not a tie-breaker and third match was scheduled. Now Bolivar once again extracted minimal victory – 2-1 – but it was enough.
One may argue Oriente Petrolero (Santa Cruz) was unlucky. They finished 4th in the opening full-league phase (which was won by their city rivals Blooming), but stepped up in the 2nd phase, winning Group B – Bolivar was 2nd, although they were behind Oriente Petrolero only on worse goal-difference. It was the final, which was clearly unfair – Oriente Petrlolero simply destroyed their opponents in the second leg, but since they lost the first leg, there was one more match to be played – and they lost. So close, but not champions at the end.
Who would criticize winners? Bolivar (La Paz) won its 9th title – it was not easy season, but overall they were the most consistent team during the whole year – 2nd in the 1st Phase, 2nd in the 2nd Phase, reaching the final with least number of lost games – only 3. Oriente Petrolero, in a sharp contrast, lost 9 games so far – 8 in the 1st Phase. The only blemish came in the second leg of the final, where Bolivar lost 1-5 and looked like they lost the momentum and the title – but they came back in the third match and won the most important victory of the season. Not overwhelming, but steady and consistent – if one looks at the whole picture of the year, the most deserving team.