1998-I Pre-Libertadores tournament
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 4-26 February |
| Teams | 4 (from 2 associations) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Guadalajara |
| Runners-up | América (2nd Champions) |
| Third place | Caracas |
| Fourth place | Atlético Zulia |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 8 |
| Goals scored | 24 (3 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Gustavo Nápoles (4 goals) |
← — | |
The 1998-I Pre-Libertadores tournament was the first edition of the Pre-Libertadores tournament, the annual qualifying tournament between teams from Venezuela and Mexico, that defined two teams qualified to the next Copa Libertadores. It was held from 4 to 26 February 1998.[1]
The tournament was contested by two teams from Venezuela, Caracas and Atlético Zulia, and two teams from Mexico, América and Guadalajara. The top two teams qualified to the 1998 Copa Libertadores where they joined Brazilian clubs Grêmio and Vasco da Gama in the Group 2 of the competition.
Participating clubs
Originally, the two Mexican teams were to be determined in a preliminary round organized by the Mexican Football Federation between América, Guadalajara, Cruz Azul and Atlante. However, Cruz Azul and Atlante declined to participate, leaving America and Guadalajara to advance directly to the Pre-Libertadores.[2]
The two Venezuelan teams were the champions and runners-up of the 1996–97 Venezuelan Primera División season.
| Association | Team | Qualification method |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | América (Mexico 1)[Note MEX] | Designated by the Mexican Football Federation |
| Guadalajara (Mexico 2)[Note MEX] | Designated by the Mexican Football Federation | |
| Venezuela | Caracas (Venezuela 1) | 1996–97 Venezuelan Primera División season champions |
| Atlético Zulia (Venezuela 2) | 1996–97 Venezuelan Primera División season runners-up |
- Note
- Mexico (MEX): The order of Mexican teams was defined in a play-off played on 14 January 1998 which was won by América 2–0 over Guadalajara.[3]
Results
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalajara | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 5 | +7 | 10 | 1998 Copa Libertadores Group 2 |
| 2 | América | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 7 | |
| 3 | Caracas | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 5 | |
| 4 | Atlético Zulia | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 11 | −8 | 0 |
Matches
The match schedule had to be reduced because the start date of the 1998 Copa Libertadores was near (25 February), so matches between teams from the same country were omitted.[1] Each team played a total of 4 matches.
| Atlético Zulia | 2–3 | Guadalajara |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Atlético Zulia | 0–2 | América |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Guadalajara | 4–1 | Atlético Zulia |
|---|---|---|
| Report | J. García 4' |
| América | 2–0 | Atlético Zulia |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
| Guadalajara | 4–1 | Caracas |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Bidoglio 18' |
| América | 1–1 | Caracas |
|---|---|---|
| Valenzuela 27' | Report | Ramos 86' |
Goalscorers
There were 24 goals scored in 8 matches, for an average of 3 goals per match.
4 goals
- Gustavo Nápoles (Guadalajara)
3 goals
- Paulo Chávez (Guadalajara)
2 goals
- Juan Enrique García (Atlético Zulia)
- Ricardo Peláez (America)
- Ramón Ramírez (Guadalajara)
1 goal
- Jesús Arellano (Guadalajara)
- Héctor Bidoglio (Caracas)
- Leonardo González (Caracas)
- Isaac Ramos (Atlético Zulia)
- José Manuel Rey (Caracas)
- Camilo Romero (Guadalajara)
- Joel Sánchez (Guadalajara)
- Isaac Terrazas (America)
- Rodrigo Valenzuela (America)
- Luis Vera (Atlético Zulia)
1 own goal
- Carlos García (from Atlético Zulia against America)
References
- ^ a b Minniti, Javier. "Recuento histórico de la Liguilla entre Venezuela y México" [Liguilla history between Venezuela and Mexico] (in Spanish). University of the Andes. Archived from the original on 10 December 2004. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
- ^ Fares Parra, Omar (9 August 2010). "La historia de una marcha vibrante" [The history of a vibrant march] (in Spanish). El Informador.
- ^ "Tardes Mágicas: Clásico ¿Sudamericano?" [Magic Afternoons: Classic South American?] (in Spanish). Nidoazulcrema.com. 17 September 2020.