World Soccer - UK (2020-02)

Coming off the back of a title win
in El Salvador, Argentinian boss
Christian Diaz made an excellent
impact on his debut in Bolivian
football, taking over a Jorge
Wilstermann side that finished
sixth in the first championship
to win the second.

Brazilian-born, Costa Rican coach
Alexandre Guimaraes made a
huge impact in his first spell in
South American football, ending
America’s wilderness years with
a first title win in over a decade.

Olimpia’s Daniel Garnero has now
helped himself to four Paraguayan
titles in a row, this year with a
record points and goals tally.

Cerro Largo’s Danielo Nunez
enjoyed a magnificent year with
one of the few clubs that are
based outside Montevideo. The
men from Melo finished fourth
and fifth in the two championships
and will make their debut in the
Copa Libertadores this year.

Argentinian-born, naturalised
Bolivian coach Gustavo Quinteros
added to an impressive track
record, building a Universidad
Catolica side that enjoyed clear
superiority over their domestic
rivals. He has since joined Tijuana
in Mexico.

In charge of the best season in
the history of modest Macara,
Paul Velez’s side were outstanding
in the league phase and were only
narrowly beaten in the semi-finals.
After an interesting body of work
with second-tier sides, something
bigger cannot be far off.

Roberto Mosquera wrote another
chapter in a fascinating career.
Having taken Bolivia’s Jorge
Wilstermann to the last eight of
the 2017 Copa Libertadores, he
has now won the Peruvian title
with a club only founded in 2010.

Back to winning ways at Caracas
after his unhappy time in charge
of the national team, Noel
Sanvicente won his eighth
league title – and his club’s
first in a decade.

Dynamic central midfielder Franz

Gonzales stood out in a Sport

Boys side that was collapsing

around him. The under-20

international should have no

problems finding a more stable

home in the future.

Daniel Munoz exploded at 23

when given his first chance with

a big club as Atletico Nacional got

the best out of his ability to burst

forward from right-back. A goal

threat both on the ground and

in the air.

While it is surely easier to blood

youngsters in a winning side,

wearing the shirt of a big club

brings its own pressures, and

Olimpia’s under-20 international

midfielder Hugo Quintana dealt

with them well in his breakthrough

season.

Just turned 18, Facundo Pellistri

made a huge impression towards

the end of the year playing wide

on the right for Penarol. Fluid on

the ball, with a neat turn of pace,

he is two footed, has impressive

vision and looks a real find.

Something of a late developer,

having to wait until his mid-20s

for his breakout season, Guillermo

Soto enjoyed a fine year as a

rampaging, overlapping right-

back for Palestino.

Independiente del Valle’s Jhon

Jairo Sanchez enjoyed a fine

year as a right-footed attacking

midfielder playing wide on the

left wing and cutting in onto his

stronger foot. A key ingredient

in his club’s Copa Sudamericana

triumph.

Combative, burly Sporting Cristal

defensive midfielder Jesus Pretell

benefited from a loan spell with

San Martin in 2018 and on his

return to his parent club he slotted

in so well that he won a call-up to

the senior Peru squad.

Talented central midfielder Daniel

Saggiomo came of age during

the course of the year, producing

consistently creative displays that

were a big part of Caracas’ title

success.

The apertura and clausura are

both home-and-away leagues,

with the winners of each qualifying

for the group stage of the Copa

Libertadores. The remaining two

Libertadores places and the four

Copa Sudamericana places are

decided by the aggregate table.

With half of the 2020 Copa

America due to be staged in

Colombia in June and July, the

apertura second stage will be

reduced to four teams (from

eight) in order to finish the

competition in time to break

for the Copa America.

The apertura and clausura

tournaments will again be played

over 22 games (11 teams playing

home and away). An aggregate

table will decide the continental

qualifiers.

The 16-team championship will

again comprise of the apertura

tournament and the clausura,

with an end-of-season play-off

to decide the champions.

Because no one was relegated,

the league will be expanded to an

18-team competition, with all the

teams playing each other on a

home-and-away basis.

The league will revert to the pre-

2019 three-stage system. The

first and second stages will each

be played in a 15-match round-

robin format, with the top teams

qualifying for the final play-off

stage.

The apertura and clausura

championships will be expanded

to 20 teams, each with 19 games,

before a play-offs featuring the

two championship winners plus

the top two teams in the

aggregate table.

The league is set to feature 19

teams, following the withdrawal

of Deportvo Anzoategui due to

outstanding debts.

Compiled by Tim Vickery

COACH OF THE YEAR NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR 2020

SOUTH AMERICA // LEAGUE REVIEWS

Double...Leonel

Justiniano

Champions...America

Class...Roque

Santa Cruz

Established...

Matias Vina (left)

Wait over

...Caracas

Late developer

... Guillermo

Soto

Historic...

Paul Velez

Fascinating

...Roberto

Mosquera