Peru. With Brazil taking its football house in order, Peru became the biggest and most difficult to narrate championship in South America – there was no league as such, but 42 teams played in the Torneo Descentralizado to which ‘a minor tournament’ – Torneo Placido Galindo – was attached, due to the 1989 Cope America. After the stages of both tournaments, a finale between the winners of each played for title.
Second level, or Segunda Division Peruana, was smaller and simpler: 20 teams played in it, divided into 2 groups – Zona Norte and Zona Sur. The top 3 teams in each group moved to the final stage and the winner of the Liguilla was Second Division champion and directly promoted to the top tier. The 2nd in the final standing was going to promotion/relegation play-off against a top tier lowly team. Most teams playing second level were practically unknown outside Peru – some exotica, like Juventud Progreso, Hijos de Yurimaguas, Esther Grande, Defensor Kiwi, Enrique Lau Chun. Actually, only 2 second division teams were familiar: Sport Boys (Callao) and Lawn Tennis, which faded away quite many years ago. Before jumping to the final stage of the championship, just a taste of the Peruvian second tier:
Juventud Progreso (Barranca) – 4th in Zona Norte, and
Hijos de Yurimaguas (Callao) – 5th in Zona Norte.
Sport Boys won Zona Norte, followed by Juventud La Palma and ENAPU. Lawn Tennis evidently was not improving – they finished 6th.
Guardia Republicana won Zona Sur, followed by Bella Esperanza and Defensor Kiwi.
In the final stage the former top league members ended at the top. Bella Esparanza was 6th, Defensor Kiwi – 5th, ENAPU – 4th. Guardia Republicana ended 3rd and missed the chance to return to the top tier. Juventud La Palma finished 2nd and went to promotion/relegation play-off against San Agustin. The battle was tough and three games were not enough… 0-0, 1-1, and 1-1. Finally San Agustin prevailed in the penalty shoot-out 5-4 and Juventud La Palma remained in Second Division.
Sport Boys (Callao) won the final tournament and as champion of Segunda Division was promoted to the top level. Their season was strong and confident: 11 wins, 5 ties, 2 lost games and 35-14 goal-difference in Zona Norte and then 8 wins, 1 tie and single lost match in the final stage, where they scored 21 goals and permitted only 5.
Pictorial material of Second Division teams is difficult to find, including of Sport Boys, which were perhaps mostly ashamed to see themselves in second tier championship. The proud history of the club perhaps places no importance on winning Segunda Division, so… this could be a photo of the team earning return to top flight. Or not…
A Football Blog