Venezuela. 16-team top league, the bottom 2 teams relegated, the top 2 teams from Second Division promoted. Straight league championship. Two teams fought for the title.
Trujilanos won Second Division and was promoted.
Maracaibo was 2nd and also promoted.
First Division.
Peninsulares – last with 9 points and relegated.
Arroceros (Calabazo) – 15th with 9 points and relegated. The last two teams were absolute outsiders, so no other team was in any danger of relegation.
Atletico Anzoategui – 14th with 22 points. If they disappeared in the next season’s table, it was not because they were somehow relegated, but because they combined with Internacional (Puerto la Cruz) and played under the name Internacional.
Up the table:
Deportivo Italia – 10th with 29 points. The reason the photo has Peruvian inscription is that 2 Peruvians played for Deprotivo Italia – Jaime Drago and Jaime Duarte. Well, they were Jaime in Peru, but in Venezuala the name was Aime. Go figure… However, there were plenty of foreign players in Venezuela as it always has been.
Portuguesa – 9th with 30 points.
Deportivo Tachira – 5th with 35 points.
Maritimo ended 3rd with 41 points. Well above the next team, Zamora, leading by 5 points, but also 4 points behind the silver medalist.
Intriguing battle for the title between 2 teams, which never won anything before. And one of them of practically newcomer to the top league. At the end 1 point was the difference between winner and loser.
Pepeganga Margarita lost the battle, finishing with 45 points, but the boys were extremely happy – they climbed to the top division only a year or two ago and suddenly got silver medals. The greatest success in the history of the club even if they were unable to win the title.
Mineros Guayana clinched the title with 46 points. 18 wins, 10 ties, only 2 lost games, and 68-26 goal-difference. Unlike their rivals, Mineros was traditional top league club, but never won a championship. This season they were flying – even with Pepeganga breathing in the their neck, Mineros had wonderfully strong season. Only twice beaten and scoring plenty of goals – the most goals this season, in fact.
Historic success – first title! – certainly Mineros deserve one more photo.