Ranking Paraguayan championship third is ambiguous, but this was a year of success – perhaps the best ever year of that country. Both on club and national team level Paraguayan teams conquered the world, there was exciting young star everybody was talking about. Curiously, it was also an year which practically left no information – even the final table is impossible to find.
Julio Cesar Romero, 19 years old midfielder of Sportivo Luqueno was the huge name – this year he became huge international star, adoring fans already nicknamed him Romerito and he led Paraguay to victory at Copa America. He rivaled Maradona – for many was even better, which may have been justified assessment, for Maradona was still trying to get a place in the Argentina national team and Romero not only was regular player for Paraguay, but was winning too. He debuted in 1977 for Sportivo Luqueno in his native city of Luque, but – just like Maradona in his earliest years – did not win a title. 1979 was the last year he played in Paraguay – the same year he signed with Cosmos (New York) and returned to his native land and original club after more than 10 years. Stangely, it is very difficult to find a photo of his early years – the one above is from 1979, perhaps shortly before moving to USA.
The big young star was unable to make Sportivo Luqueno a winner – there was a team at its prime at the same time conquering the world – and Paraguay as well. Yet, very little can be said about this season…
Nacional won the Second Division and was promoted. To a point, it is even strange that they were playing second division football – hardly known outside Paraguay, Nacional is one of the oldest, biggest, and most successful clubs. May be after a spell of misfortune they were coming back – for the moment, only returning to first division football.
One expects the usual suspects playing big role in the championship:
Cerro Porteno, or, if they failed for some reason, perhaps
Guarani. Yet, neither was a factor this year, it seems. Still, Paraguay – like many countries all around the world – was dominated by the clubs from the capital. Sportivo Luqueno was – and is – practically the only provincial club challenging Asuncion’s monopoly. But it was not them fighting for the title – it was once again a club from the capital: Sol de America.
Apparently, good season for the club founded in 1909 in Barrio Obrero – runners up. Without a final table, it is impossible to guess did they really fought for the title or were they distant second, really overcoming only Cerro Porteno and the rest. So far, Sol de America never won the championship, so may be the big clubs were really weak this year – except one.
Champions were Olimpia – nothing strange and even entirely in line with their fantastic year in which they won Copa Libertadores and a few months later – the Intercontinental Cup. Olimpia was more or less presented earlier and little additional information is needed here. Olimpia won their 25th title – Cerro Porteno was distant second with 19 titles. Olimpia was also going through their most successful domestic period – this was still unknown, though. What was known was business as usual.
Familiar champions, sporting still rare in South America sponsor adds on their shirts.
Olimpia did not always use adds, it appears here, but more interesting is their tactical scheme – a variation of the dominant in the 1970s despite total football 4-3-3. Two full back staying deeply back, supported by defensive midfielder, and quite standard attacking line. Nothing innovative really – and the squad itself was standard, even conservative: Olimpia used 22 players, the usual number at the time, but in terms of South America, where transfer rules were lax and teams changed players often, thus listing at the end of the season large number of players used, Olimpia appeared at least stubborn.
And here is the full squad of the Paraguayan, South American, and world’s champions of 1979.