Argentina – the usual 2 championships, of which Metropolitano was getting the upper hand in people’s minds, for it was what amounted to top division. It had the familiar around the world structure of leagues, relegations and promotions, and had the typical formula – every team played against all ohers twice. The name was somewhat pompous this year: “Cuarto Centenario de la Segunda Fundación de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires” (Fourth Centenary of the Second Foundation of Buenos Aires city), giving it a flavour of a special cup tournament, but apart from the name everything was as it was ever before. The league was going through reduction of size – it had 19 teams this season. The bottom three were relegated and two teams were promoted, to make 18-team league the next year. Relegation was clear, but promotion – not so. One promotional spot was seemingly reserved for the winner of the Second Division. Promotion was part of the problem Metropolitano was facing for some time – originally, it was the Buenos Aires championship and the league structure evolved in accord. That is, the lower divisions were entirely Buenos Aires leagues. But Metropolitano already was the national league and there had to be a way the rest of the country to play for promotion in the top division. So, the second promoted team came not from the usual league structure of Metropolitano, but the second Argentinian championship, Nacional. It was not a perfect solution, since most participants in it were the same as in Metropolitano and usually they were going to the final stages of the other championship. Promotion was reserved for the highest placed provincial non-Metropolitano team playing in Nacional – something like that. Hardly the optimal solution of the problem, for the top provincial club could be some weakling, eliminated early from the Nacional. Confusing matter too: only one promoted club will appear here, the ‘normally’ promoted one. The second team will be introduced in the review of the Nacional.
Club Atletico Sarmiento (Junin) won the Second Division and was promoted. A little known club, usually called just Sarmiento, it was found in 1911 and never played top level football. Winning the Second Division was their biggest success so far.
New champions: standing from left: Glaría, Peremateu, Hernandorena, Romero, Polo, Espósito.
First row: Iglesias, Lorant, Fischer, Ortega, Peracca.
Unknown players of unknown team. Not a Greater Buenos Aires club either – their home city, Junin, belongs to the Province Buenos Aires. Thus, for a change, no team from the dominant megapolis moved up – the second division winners were provincial, but in the same time not fully provincial, for Second Division did not include clubs from the whole country, but from Greater Buenos Aires, Province Buenos Aires, La Plata, and may be one more province. It was refreshing to see newcomers to top league too. And this photo of Sarmiento also is a testament of the times – field players dressed with Puma kit, but the goalkeeper wears Adidas. It was common ‘blunder’ back then – the clubs had their last word, not the kit makers. It was not the biggest blunder either:
This very season Platense managed to dress its players with unmatching jerseys for a championship game. But let stay with Sarmiento: no famous players here and perhaps little chances for survival among the best, but it was wonderful season for the boys and their fans. May be even for the whole town, for Junin had no first division team at the moment.
Atlanta finished 2nd in Primera B, and Nueva Chicago – 3rd. At the other side of the table Chacarita Juniors ended last and was relegated.