Colombia. Still closed league. America (Cali) won the Apertura, the classic-league format of the first stage. Deportivo Cali was 2nd, 1 point behind. Both teams qualified for the semi-final quadrangulars.
Toprneo Finalizacion followed – the league divided into two 7-team groups, each to play the baffling number of 21 games. America (Cali) won Group A, trailed by Deportivo Pereira. Deportes Tolima was 1st in Group B, followed by Millonarios.
As often was in South America, the records make little sense: what was supposed to mean ‘semi-final quadrangulars’? And what was the meaning of ‘Torneo Finalizaion’? The next and final stage was ‘Octagonal final’ – a mini-league of 8 teams. Playing twice against each other. America and Deportivo Cali already qualified to the final tournament from the Apertura. They also finished 1st and 4th , Deportivo Cali, in the second stage. Judging by the finalists, the 2nd, 3rd , and 5th placed in Group A qualified to the final tournament, plus the 3 top-placed teams in Group B.
In such scheme, Once Caldas was seemingly victimized: they were 4th in Group B – higher placed than Independiente Medellin, 5th in Group A. True, if Apertura is taken into consideration, Independiente Medellin had better overall record. Yet, it makes little sense to advance a team only because higher placed teams already qualified.
Two of the teams unable to reach the final tournament:
Union Magdalena with very young ‘Pibe’ Valderama and
Cucuta Deportivo. Standing from left: Julio Niebles, Álvaro Contreras, Oscar Ortega, Eduardo Carrillo, Sergio Rodolfo Santín, Alfredo Griego. Crouching: John Jairo Restrepo, Daniel Godoy, Oscar Orlando Sierra, Adalberto Perrout, Sergio ‘el checho’ Angulo.
So, to the last tournament. Atletico Junior finished 8th and last and last, sharing the same 11 points with two other teams – Independiente Medellin, 7th, and Atletico Nacional, 6th. Deportivo Cali was 5th with 13 points.
Strong season for Deportivo Pereira – 4th with 14 points.
Millonarios ended 3rd with 15 points. Standing from left: Moisés Pachón, Pocillo López, Cheché Hernández, Alberto Pedro Vivalda, Nolberto Molina, Miguel “Nano” Prince. First row: Norberto Peluffo, Jair Abonía, Carlos Ángel López, Ernesto Díaz, Arnoldo Iguarán.
Excellent season for Deportes Tolima – 2nd in the most important final tournament with 17 points, thus qualifying to play in the Libertadores Cup. Standing from left: Hugo Gallego, Américo Quiñónez, Fredy Clavijo, José Flórez, Gustavo Mendoza, Francisco Maturana.
First row: Evaristo Isasi, Aparecido Donisette de Oliveira “Sapuca”, Janio Cabezas, Víctor Hugo del Río, Heberto Carrillo. The world eventually became very familiar with Francisco Maturana, but years later, when he was coaching Colombia.
And lastly – the champions, finishing with 20 points from 8 wins, 4 ties, and losing only 2 matches. 22-14 goal diffrences. Who else, but America (Cali). Standing from left: Víctor Hugo “Káiser” Espinoza Patiño,Heberto Quiñónez,Julio César “Gato” Falcioni Capdevilla,Juan Edgardo Caicedo Vargas, Luis Eduardo “Hombre de hierro” Reyes Portocarrero, Osvaldo Héctor Damiano Gozza.
Crouching:Juan Manuel Bataglia Melgarejo,Gerardo Sabino González Aquino,Víctor “Rápido” Lugo Ortíz,Juan Bautista “Martillo” Penagos Escobar, Roque Raúl Alfaro.
Here they are – the full squad of the new, but very familiar champions of Colombia. Huge squad for that years, but such was South America.
Something interesting happened this season: an European player appeared. True, not for the first time, but it was still extremely rare for Europeans to play in South America.
Dragan Pavlovic joined Santa Fe – not the first Yugoslav to play for the club, but unlike the legendary Dragoslav Sekularac, Pavlovic was obscure player whose career cannot be easily traced. Yet, Pavlovic instantly stamped his mark – he was one of the top scorers in this championship with 16 goals and, more importantly, scored the fastest goal in the history of his new club: against Millonarios, he scored in the 21st second of the game. A picture of him is difficult to find, but his name stays. He eventually moved to play largely indoor soccer in the USA and now is head coach of the youth system of Ajax Chicago.