First Division – Primera A. 13 teams in it, but because the league was increasing to 14 teams the next season, no relegation. Rather strange was that the teams met only once between themselves – the league was small enough, yet, the championship was very short. Entirely different from the rest of South America, where long and complicated championships were typical. All teams were from Montevideo – in that Uruguay was unique: apart from city-states, no championship in the world was actually a championship of one city. One city, dominated by two rival clubs… and that was perhaps most interesting: the period when Penarol and Nacional lost their dominance. Sure, other factors contributed – particularly, the bitter fact that all top Uruguayan talent played abroad – but still it was exciting time of the underdog. One last thing: a small league where a team played only 12 games one can’t expect a big difference in points and dominance – yet, there was.
River Plate – last with 5 points. Lucky there was no relegation this season.
Central Espanol – 12th with 7 points. They distinguished themselves infamously: won only one match.
Liverpool – 11th with 8 points. They were the worst scorers this season: only 6 goals.
Huracan Buceo – 10th with 8 points.
Rentistas – 9th with 10 points. One recognizable name here – Ariel Krasouski – which is quite strange: since even Penarol and Nacional had difficulties keeping strong players, how come Krasouski played for small Rentistas?
Wanderers – 8th with 13 points.
Danubio – 7th with 13 points. They performed well in the Copa Libertadores and may be that was why they were not successful in the domestic league: no strength for two tasks. After all, the only recognizable player in the team was Kanapkis – hardly enough for more than mid-table season. What is there to say… the 1988 champions had no team for continuous success.
Defensor Sporting – 6th with 14 points.
Bella Vista – 5th with 14 points. Not bad for one of the small clubs and may be no reason to keep them in mind – but better keep them in mind: they lost only once this season. Not the only team with with such record, but keep them in mind.
Cerro – 4th with 14 points. It was all or nothing for them: 6 wins, but also 4 losses.
Penarol – 3rd with 15 points. Nothing to brag about…
Nacional – 2nd with 15 points. Hugo de Leon was back from Brazil and thus Nacional was the only team with great star, but one aging player was apparently not enough for more than besting arch0enemy Penarol on goal-difference. That was the bitter reality of Uruguayan football… even great clubs like Penarol and Nacional were unable to keep strong players and build good teams.
Progreso dominated the championship, ending with 9 wins, 2 ties, and losing only once. 18-8 was their scoring record. A total of 20 points – 5 more than Nacional and Penarol. Surely, a great season and well deserved title.
Lovely underdog, for sure. Top row from left: Gustavo Machaín, Julio Néstor Maidana, Robert Púa, Eduardo Acosta.
Middle row: Luis Alberto Berger, Esteban Carreira, Leonel Rocco, Pedro Catalino Pedrucci, Víctor Silva.
Front: Johny Miqueiro, Alejandro Pereira, Marcelo Suárez, Próspero Silva.
Coming out of the blue, but what a season! In only 12 games to build a 5-point lead over Nacional and Penarol is quite something even if the giants were weak. Progreso instantly placed itself in history – not just because they won their first and only title, but also for another reason: they matched a very old record, which was considered impossible for a very, very long time – only once before Nacional and Penarol were not champions 3 years in a row and that was between 1908 and 1910, when River Plate (twice) and Wanderers won the titles. Now Progreso matched the same record, after Defensor Sporting won in 1987 and Danubio in 1988. It was unlikely Progreso could continue winning, but they became essential part of the history of Uruguayan football – the period when the dominance of Nacional and Penarol was broken.
One may say – and with good reason – that Progreso’s victory was accidental and mostly due to the weakness of the giants. The new champion had no stars, the squad was rather ordinary, if not obscure, but they played well. It was collective effort, well sustained during the whole season. Others may have been weak, the season was surely too short for correcting mistakes and negligence, but on the other hand even great teams are rarely able to build 5-point lead in only 12 games. Progreso deserves only praise even when it was clear that they will not repeat their performance in the next year. A victory of the underdog is always wonderful. For their fans this squad was instant legend. Progreso became the 9th club in the history of Uruguayan football winning the title.
Such unusual champion deserves one more photo.